Salem's Church scenario with Regimental Fire & Fury

Group game at JBs yesterday using the excellent RFF rule set.
SB & JB had set up a scenario centred around battle at Salem's Church during Chancellorsville campaign.
JB and I took the Rebs who had initially superior strength but only 1 active Brigade (other not released until turn 4) against an ever growing Yankee array.
Feds also had a hill to their rear with two Artillery batteries which could issue 'Plunging Fire' across the area of thickets to bombard Rebs.
RM (who seemed to have assumed 'dice demon' duties for the day !) managed to disorder his targets and also take off 5 stands (lots of 9 and 10 rolls).
I had command of the active Reb Brigade (sorry I cant recall the various Brigadiers names although I think McCaws was overall commander) and decided to take it to the Yanks preferring to fight well forward of their objectives (which is distinctly not like me I know).
I had mixed fortunes with one assault repulsed another sweeping away the enemy (and a 'discussion' about the Cold Steel rule in the system and its  relationship to the game vs history).
This is a feature of RFF as unit fortunes can ebb and flow with Regts being soundly beaten or so it seems only for them to Rally and return to fray all very ACW.
Units in this scenario were fairly large on both sides being mostly 10-14 stands with Rebs having a few more Veteran units and one Crack (of which more later) so were fairly durable.
Union reserves appeared (including DG 'Le Duc' himself) at a steady rate and were initially drawn to my flank thwarting any chance I had of bursting from the thickets to threaten the hill.
Once our remaining 3 Brigades were released it turned into a major slug fest right across the battlefield, inevitable die to terrain and lack of room to manouvre.
I had one Veteran unit charge to its doom after repulsing 3 Union units it was then attacked on 3 sides and broken after losing a whopping 6 stands (although it did rally it remnants later).
I managed to push Wilcox Brigade (I do remember one !) through in the centre temporarily but Union numbers were growing and Reb casualties mounting.
We reached our Heavy Casualties level first so suffered a -2 to Maneuver rolls from then on.
JB on my right was involved in a more measured encounter with SP but again Union reserves arrived  to stymie any Reb breakout.
Things went awry in centre when I managed to get my Crack (several double entendre about this !) unit into combat with plenty of support against a Disordered but supported Union Regt and managed to amass a +6 combat advantage.
However.............I then rolled a 3 giving me a total of 9 but the 'temporary' dice demon then rolled a 10 repulsing my lads, more of a Rebel Whimper than a Yell.................
I was then hors de combat (ie I had to leave) so failed to see final outcome but Union had upper had only thing in doubt was if they could physically reach the original Reb lines.

Great game, great company and excellent hospitality what more could a simple little wargamer ask for......................................

The cast:

Union
RM - Richard Murphy
SP - Stephen Pollock
SB - Stephen Brittain (temporaily/umpire)
DG - Darren Graham

Confederates
JB - John Brittain (host)
and yours truly
SB took over once I left



The initial set up from Union end

And the Confederate lines beyond the thickets

Yanks advance

Only the Rebs on right were active initially

Good view of the thicket area (broken ground with only 4" visibility within)

Static Rebs await

RM conducts the Union flow

Assisted by SPs arms

My left flank spoiling attacks go in

As rest of Rebs 'wake up' around church

SP and JB go at it

Lots of Yanks appear to stop my advance (I have drawn them in JB go for it !!!)

Going for it............sort of

My isolated unit pushing forward in centre with erstwhile supports lagging behind

This is not 2 Union units firing on each other (upper right) it just my unit used to be in between them.....................

I push in centre now.

As the gentlemanly war continues on my right as my Crack unit (partially visible on left) prepares to utter its 'whimper'.

Reb high water mark as more Union troops arrive

Left to right SB - DG - RM - SP - JB

Umpire umpiring

JB rueful as the day seems lost..................

Field Of Glory Napoleonic - 1812 France vs Russia

Another game with FOGN against Stephen this time using a French 1812 force against his Russian 1812 selection.
Russians ended up with Frontal Assault against my Envelopment (first time trying this) which I used to send a Chasseur Division on a flank march.
This along with 2 Skilled Commanders and several Veteran units allowed me to cause Russians a lot of problems by out maneuvering them at least initially.
My flank march arrived promptly on turn 2 but was thwarted somewhat by facing Cuirassier on that wing and getting slowed by some rough ground.
I had a large battery of Veteran 6pdrs which caused two Russian foot units to Waver with one withdrawing and it seemed I was gaining upper hand.
I had two shock Cavalry units (Carabiner and Cuirassier) on my left which charged an approaching Russian Infantry Division.
The Russians formed square and my Carabiners bounced off whilst the Cuirassier Passed Through the other square.
This proved fatal however as they were Disordered/Spent and were then charged by a supporting Hussar unit which duly broke them !
Stephen had fielded a couple of Large Russian Infantry units and these proved very tough especially with an Artillery and Cavalry attachment.
They put out a lot of firepower and are hard to damage with the ignoring 1 hit, this was also true for my Large Artillery.
Game turned when Russians managed to Rally 3 Wavering units and then in my Rally phase I failed to Rally 3 Wavering Veteran (!!) units which I knew would spell my doom.
So it proved as one of these units was charged by Cuirassier and they failed to form Square and also a Cohesion test for being charged.
Their breaking then broke two adjacent Veteran units as I singularly failed each and every test with these Veterans again.
With losses mounting I was one Wavering unit from defeat but then lost my 2 Chasseur units on my right as a Cuirassiers broke one then another in pursuit.
So a promising start which I failed to capitalise upon as my dice rolls in key match ups failed me and the inability to Rally Veteran units (which roll 3 dice) proved disastrous.
But once more an excellent and quick game.
We are finding games last 5-6 turns with the decisive shooting & combat outcomes of the system.




French left with Shock Cavalry and Veteran Infantry in centre

French right with Conscript Division on hill

Russians approach with Hussars hanging back in case my flankers arrive on left

Russian centre and left with Cuirassiers heading off to met my flanking Division

My flanking Light Horse arrive on shallow approach but have to cross rough ground

Large Russian foot unit absorbs attention of my whole Conscript Division

Great War Commander - two Verdun scenarios played

Another session with this excellent game with my Dad.

Two meat grinding scenarios set around Verdun one in a wooded winter landscape (late 1915) the other on a 'moonscape' hilly area (early 1916)

Both large (by CC standards) scenarios with 12+ units each time.

Firmly into the era of trench warfare and artillery pounding and indeed the later scenario introduced us to despicable gas warfare (a lingering suppression effect) and flamethrowers.

Both scenarios had some German Guard troops who have high morale making them hard to Break and Destroy.

In addition to gas we realised we had been underestimating the power of the new Offensive order in that I had misread that it was 2 units that it activated, but this is not the case as it allows a single leader (of any rank or rating) to activate (to move and then fire) any chain of adjacent unbroken units in a 'human wave' style attack very reminiscent of 'All Quiet On The Western Front'.

I managed to win both scenarios with defending French but both were close run affairs with the Time Track 'Sudden Death' being my friend.

Great game and no 'bad' rolls to plague me as no feckin' dice to hate me !!

Staying with the Combat Commander theme I purchased this Battle Pack (only one I do not have), not a big fan of 'fantasy/alternative history' backgrounds but expect the scenarios will be fine.

Field Of Glory Napoleonic - French versus Russians, Autumn 1813

Played another game of FOGN against the 'Dice Demon' in his lair today.
I fielded French circa Autumn 1813 against contemporary Russian force as Stephen wanted to try the Ivans.
Evenly sized forces at 14 units each.
We both used Flexible Defence with French choosing to be actual defenders.

Another interesting game with this decisive and fast playing rules.

However the 'Demon' was on form yet again.
First dice roll he had for firing was with unit of Heavy Veteran Russian guns against a unit of French Conscripts defending a Town so needing 5 or 6 to hit but re-rolling 1's so he dutifully rolls 3 hits plus a 1 which re-rolled to a 4th hit ! he done this twice !!!

Biggest 'Demon' event was when I charged with my 3 Drilled Dragoon Regiments on my left flank against his 3 Dragoon Regiments (one of which was Superior with an Artillery attachment).
First melee had 6 dice each needing 4's and we both rolled 4 hits so both Wavered (he would then retire) second melee same (but both included our Divisional Generals) we both rolled 5 hits each for same result (note no melees actually won by me).
Then it was third melee with 6 French dice vs 7 Russian (due to Gun) I roll 2 hits....uh oh....'Demon' rolls 5 with 2 re-rolls both of which he converts for 7 hits and Rout of my troops !!!
Of course to add insult to injury one of my Wavering units dutifully fails its Cohesion test and also Routs and the attached General also dies......aaarrrggghhh....................
Just no way to thwart such fortuitous rolling on his part and despicable rolling by yours truly.

Still great game with lots of decision points and key combats such as above to decide a game.
We had a post-game discussion about whether 2 Large Dragoons against 3 Small was better.
Hard to say.

++Edit - seems a unit cannot be shot out of a town they must be assaulted to remove them one to remember for future ++

Field Of Glory Napoleonic - 1814 battle Prussia vs France

Another run out with FOGN against 'dice demon'.

I used 1814 Prussian list and Stephen their French counterparts.
I ended up using Probe set up against Prepared Attack.
We both minimized terrain selection so fairly open table.

This one ended up a bloody affair indeed only ending when I topped 50% losses first.

Couple of lessons learnt about mutual support of units to stop 'ganging up' 2 on 1 (which is seldom winnable situation) in particular I had missed that in this particular context Mounted can support Foot and vise versa.

Really liking this set as gives a good Napoleonic game with decisive action thereby meaning games complete within 3-4 hours easily.