L'Art De La Guerre - more practice

Another couple of games of LADG today at Stephens to give him more practice for Munster.

He has finally decided on his army going with Ottoman Turkish, so that was what I faced today.

I used Catalans as I like the Amulghvar foot.

Two quite tense games with lots of trickery on both sides and for once I had decent dice rolls in both games, not that that helped me win of course !

Great stuff on a bitterly cold day (bloody freezing here in NI or maybe I just feel it more now !)

Picturesque outside my gaff when first falling (but now mainly solidly frozen slush)

The Great Crisis of Frederick II - another board wargame played solo

Got this title from VUCA Simulations back on to table and played through solo to completion over couple of evenings.

A very visually attractive game (a VUCA trait) with low rules overhead and point to point system.

It is very much a dice fest style game with massed units (limit of 8 units making a move but no limits to 'stacking' in an area) in Field Battles hurling bunches of dice needing 6 to hit (Leaders can add +1 to +3 to chances) so can be large swings in fortune which is fine in solo-mode but might not be so desirable in face to face play.

Units are all generic 'Infantry' with 2 steps with reverse side being Damaged status (cannot be used in Field Battles only Siege Defence) that can be restored. Units that are destroyed go into a Force Pool but Leaders killed are permanently lost.

Forts can be besieged and these can be tough to take (especially with my rolling) as only 6 hits (Leaders do not modify) although they only ever have a garrison of 1 or 2 units depending on Fort type.

It is a chit pull system (nations have varied amount of chits in pool) with an End Turn chit that came up very frequently in my game even when chit pool at its max (2 Prussian 2 British, 1 French, 1 Russian (just as well as there a ton of Ivans) and 2 Austrian which also controls the minor Swedish, Saxon and Holy Roman Empire forces). Prussia starts with its 2 chits and other nations appear within first several turns giving Frederick a brief window of initiative/opportunity at game start.

When (if) a nations chit is pulled they roll a dice to establish action points they can spend to restore losses, move and fight or continue an ongoing siege with any retreats conducted previously deducting from this total. Prussians get an inherent +2 to this roll

There are 2 small decks of cards for Prussian (Prussia with Britain/Hannover) and Austrian Alliances (Austria, minor nations and France and Russia - although from 1762 Russia can changes side if Catherine dies by dice roll) to use, these have various impacts on proceedings (modifiers to combat and similar).

Turns are conducted by having 5 possible turns each year (bar first which as only 2) with a Winter phase (during which off-table reserves are mobilized and besieging armies can suffer attrition losses) ending each year. So there can be a lot of possible activity barring the End Turn chit appearing and game could take awhile as some 32 possible turns with 7 Winter phases.

Resource cities are key to game with their loss or capture influencing size of card hand and victory with Prussia under real pressure as they lose if they lose 2 resource areas (from possible 10) or 1 plus Berlin at end of any enemy phase.

Frederick is best leader in game (the only +3 leader) and has some unique combat cards only he can use but he cannot be everywhere and subject vagaries of dice like all lesser mortals.

The Austrians and their allies are more numerous than Fredericks Alliance but with only 1 chit the Russians often fail to act in a turn which showcases their ponderous methods quite well.

My game ended in 1761 with Austrians taking Berlin and having recovered a couple of lost resource areas to force Prussia into surrender.

Overall a fast playing and simple game, nice as a solo experience but lacking depth and rather lucktastic in many regards. Frederick needs to fairly lucky with chit pulls and dicing but then I suppose he also did so in reality.

A 'lonely' day with COIN - Fire In The Lake and Colonial Twilight (solo)

Managed to get a couple of board wargames in today with that favourite system of mine COIN, I do so love the depth of play and decision making even when playing solo (I don't use the included bot systems as find them way too time consuming).

First up was Fire In The Lake playing the Full Scenario and this one concluded after 3rd Coup card with a VC win. 

The very first card drawn was a Coup and this saw US and VC get a big boost with their Pacify and Agitate actions. 

VC were able to increase their victory level steadily and a nice run of cards just prior to 3rd Coup left them in an unassailable position as I could not get any other faction to effect their progress in time.

NVA had just built up a huge Regular Force by that stage (35 of 40 available troop cubes) but never got to use this amassed power !

Then it was Colonial Twilight and trying the Medium Scenario (I usually play the Full scenario) which I think is a tougher task for the FLN as French well established on the board compared to Full scenario.

And so it proved as French garnered support faster than FLN could gain opposition and despite some losses to French troops they prevailed being 1 past their victory level with FLN only a couple shy of theirs.

L'Art De La Guerre - another couple of games

Couple more practice games for Stephen today with LADG

I used Order of St John list for both games whilst Stephen tried Burgundian again and Golden Horde Mongol.

Mind you he has still not decided which of his myriad of armies he will use in competition !

First game was against the Burgundians and it was a tense affair especially for me as I tried an out flank, which of course failed to arrive.

As the 4 elements count as lost until they arrive this weakened my army and losses saw Knights of St John fold whilst awaiting the flanking command.

Note the large Balrog visible in first pic is not in reserve/outflanking, it is a 'clix' type figure I found in my loft which I gifted Stephen as he is much more likely to use whereas I would not, will not, nor have not :-)

Second game against Mongols was a tricksy affair as my lot not really wanting to chase a horse archer type army and the Mongols doing lots of shooting and evading. 

They had an Ottoman ally which went unreliable but later activated.

We failed to finish this one (but Mongols in ascendancy) as we had discussion as to how best to use artillery and indeed if it could be deployed in a village (yes if on a road ?) or could be included in an Ambush (we were very unsure but think now answer is no).

   

Ulster Wargames Society- Regimental Fire & Fury game 'The Sunken Road'

Club meeting today (held over from December) and I partook in a game of Regimental Fire & Fury run by Dave S using his terrain and 15mm troops.

Scenario was action at Sunken Road at Antietam.

Union attackers were led by Stephen, Dave B and myownweeself with Rebds commanded by Dave S and Billy.

Initial Union assault is led by mainly large Green units which are on hiding to nothing against 'dug in' Rebs with several Veteran units, so plan was to engage the sunken road positions with musketry (Rebs having mainly smoothbores gave Union range advantage with rifled types) and then to use reserves to turn Reb right.

And this is pretty much how it unfolded with Union in extended line essentially skirmishing against Rebs, until that is..........drum roll...............I got rush of fiery blood as usual and flung my Green troops in with cold steel  

They were predictably repulsed which saw Rebs, who now realised how impotent they were,  then emerge from sunken road to start chasing them off (but meant that Billy and I had some action other than firefight).

Dave B also launched several charges (Reb lines soften up better here with artillery support) with mixed but better results.

Stephen also charged with reinforcing Iron Brigade and other Union units and chunk of sunken road was captured forcing Reb reserves to that flank.

That how it stood when time called with things largely in balance but with both right wings folding.

Great game with good set of rules, although even after a full 11 turns played we had not fully finished game which is only real downside to F&F system.

Also at club were several other games (none of which I saw much of)

Usual Team Yankee game with Andy & Co (BAOR vs ?) 

A 28mm Sharps Practice game with two Jeremys and Bryn (and Mr A.N.Other ?) set in Italy during Revolutionary period. 

And a game of Blood Red Skies with Leslie, Paddy and Phil & son which looked like it was set in western desert ?

L'Art De La Guerre - two games played

First game session of New Year (after missing couple of weeks due to other circumstances) and it was with LADG to give Stephen further practice for Munster at end of month.

He has still not decided what army he will use (having a proliferation of available types) but tried Burgundian and then Ottoman Turk.

First up I used Order of St John against his Burgundian and for a change I choose (having won the option) mountainous terrain (we do find that 9 of 10 games are in Plains) and this lead to a clustering of terrain in my right corner.

Lots of maneuvering due to terrain and I came undone when my Brilliant CinC on my right rolled minimum PIPs for a couple of turns thwarting my attempt to turn enemy flank before they done same. 

Burgundians won this one easily and I lost 2 General in combat (he can roll ones when he wants to !)

Second game I used Free Company list against the Ottomans and on a more open table. 

The Jannisaries are tough troops as Elite shooters and fighters (swordsmen) although I did have some Elite English Longbowmen.

Turks had upper hand early on due to effective shooting but as game wore on I did inflict several losses and managed to outflank a fortification killing occupants.

However on my left my knights suffered and were outflanked with my Camp in danger just as game ended (I had lost 21 with Turks losing 14 elements) but a much tighter game overall.

I did manage a game session over Christmas period with my son - who was home for a few days - of the British Way using the Malayan situation. I won first easily (Steven learning game) but second ended in a draw. I neglected to take pics however 

(Pic of Malayan game from a solo session)