Saturday 16 March 2024

1775, 19th April - Lexington & Concord - AWI

It was 28mm again and the old AWI collection PLUS some newly arrived Militias had to be dispersed on the table. I just wanted to replay some of the more interesting battles of the initial Northern Campaign, so what better way to start than the actual search and destroy mission, that started the whole thing ...

After Bart went to the bar ... everybody else decided to be American and to give him the British, what would certainly an easy win, hey, (later Tim defected as well). So Campbell, Alisdair and David were fighting for the Rebellion, while Bart and Tim tried to find the gun and the powder in some hay stacks. We all used Black Powder 2.

Far from being nice, I didn't told them all victory conditions and changed even later some even against some protests on both sides - war is never fair...

The British arrived outside Concord ...and ... drumroll .. the American definitively shot first this time and started the whole disaster - boys, it is on you! I gave them minus 1 VP for that.

Then the skirmishing game and hunt started. Bart had actually a wonderful plan, to amuse "the rustics" with the Light infantry (under the able command of col Tim), while his Grenadiers did a southern-east swing directly bypassing everybody through cross country and attack Lexington directly.

The Americans, a bit rusty with the rules and amateurs of warfare, had severe initial problems of command and coordination. That showed and Barts Grenadiers were able to set two of 3 BUAs of our Lexington alight! (2 Victory points).

Then I changed the incoming time of the Earl Percy by the difference of the VP, and thus counted the grenadier as 1 VP instead of 2.  The two grenadier units perished in the following massacre and two further Militias were broken - thus tolling up the bill to 5 vs 3 (2 dead grenadiers and one saved BUA).

That was when Percy actually arrived. Tims LI was saved and the Militia wasn't in the position to really do much more damage and thus I declared the Battle a British victory. We will all wait of course for the Patriot propaganda following suite - see campbell report on SESWC.

Next time, in this line of fire, it will be the infamous slaughter at Bunker Hill ... get ready to make some more recoats even more red!


Campbells Thoms Gardener awaits a little too eagerly the British...

The initial deployment, Concord in the front ..

The LI and the Militia started to skirmish ...

Concord seemed to be safe ...

Tim concentrated fire ...

While everybody else was running for Lexington ...

Alisdairs Militia arrived first ...

Davids Militia got stuck in the woods ...

Tims LI blocked a whole brigade ...

The Grenadiers arrive ...

Just small units, BUT ...

The first Grenadier storm a house ...

... and start setting it afire ...

Then the other unit charges in ...

While Tim fought a gallantly defensive ...

Barts Grenadiers in a blood rush ...

But even them must give way some day ...

The first BUA burns ...

Tim retreats to save VPs ...

The second BUA is burning ...

Then the last grenadier unit got destroyed together with the Royal Photographer ...

The initial set up before I changed it ...

The British stats

The American stats



Somewhere in France between some grapes - 1870 - Franco-Prussian War

Let the 10mm out! Time for a fictional battle and Valour & Fortitude FPW testing! And I also slaughtered my bathing mat.

Bart, Campbell and Gordon were defending the ailing Emperor and some good wine villages, while me, Mike, Peter and Time were fighting for the soon to be Emperor with the shitty wine villages. Scenario principles were easy V&F rules plus every BUA 1 VP. some Infantry brigades/ Divisions were on table, some Infantry and cavalry would come later in as reserves.

Tim was our CinC and IF we had a plan it was so cunning I totally forgot about it. we marched forward until we reached the usual range of the chassepot and stayed clear of them. Then our flanks advanced and tried a pincer movement. Our Artillery wasn't that good and concentrated as we wished it would be, but due to some real Napoleonic Grognards in the leadership style of our enemy, their actual plan TOTALLY FAILED. We put pressure on them, or shot their efforts to pieces. Campbells flank attack was a desaster and Peter blocked them successfully. Gordone Cavalry attack was successfully bottlenecked by Mike and me.

In the end we won by minimal margin, 1 VP, IF we would had more time it would have been a French disaster, but the Prussians were wise and hesitant this time. ;)

The Rules seem to be a wonderful quick and easy/dirty solution for a multiple gamer club night - BUT the army sheets needed a bit of amending (prone; gun ranges accurate but not all that were effective etc...)

But we had a lot of fun,


Initial deployment

Gordons Garde cavalry get stuck between les bois ...

Campbells French advance as well ...

Quite frank in the open - the French line ...

Peter comes to block the French ...

Bart relative unusual defensive centre ...

Amassing chassepots and mitrailleuse as defense ...

Battle of the Bois de chateux de pleurre ...

The Prussians advance ...


Peter was able to block the advance ...

Mikes Cavalry was able to even bypass Gordons guards ...

We would have free range gun shooting before Mikes charge BUT that was the last turn ...



Thursday 22 February 2024

1944 - Somewhere in the North Sea - Cruel Seas Convoy

This time again at a club night, we had Tims formidable collection of coastal guards and Schnellboote out for a daring dash with the Warlord Games rule set "Cruels Seas", reversing the scenario from last time. Now the Germans had to attack the "Convoy" and sink one of freight ships. Trying to hinder the Germans were Peter and Mike and Tim with the usual four Royal Navy Cardboardbox ships - BUT Tim was introducing a new British menace - a heavily defended and armoured Gunship that out gunned all our German arsenal - I would name it the "Death Star"...

I'm not sure, but there were actually several occasion were passer by pointed out the deadliness and the futility of  our struggle against that particular ship... hmmm. On the German side I had to divide four Schnellboote between me, David and Andy.

Our plan was simple to divide the attention and going in with two ships on a Kamikaze like straight attack - while the other two surfed around and attacked the tanker from behind - What could go possibly wrong?

First Andy did the gallant attack, launched the first two torpedoes, but they missed (slided under both ships) and then his boat was in a concerted action shot to pieces and on fire. He skated along the freight ship but didn't do much damage, and ended up being the second target and was sunk by the rest of the Royal Navy gang in later turns.

David didn't remembered the plan and turned into the wrong direction and was then also main target of the whole flottila of the Royal Navy - again by the "Death Star".

We sunk accidentally one ship of the Cardboard box line. Then Tim got unfair and accidentally rammed Davids half dead Not-so-schnellboot, which he, of course, did not survived. Strange experience to have the typical British "cardboardbox - sensation " to be reversed on you...

My first boot then had Mike's Pappmacheboat on the target and slided in point blank next to him on both sides with two schnellboote. Yup - end of story - sunk by design - Thats how you do it boys. But my schnellboot was then to near too the "Death Star" (the one that rammed David by accident and sunk it) and was shot to the ground in one turn.

So the only one left on the board was my last schnellboot. Subsequently attracting the fire of all the British, but their arse were heading in the wrong direction. It was me who was now behind the two Freight ships, I released the useless torpedoes and started firing at them. Again I was going lean into point blank. The freight ship now was between me and the rest of the Royal Navy - I had outmaneuvered them all!! 

The last turn I raked the ship with all I got and sunk the bastard - German victory.

I apologise the Kriegsberichterstatter was on the first boot that was sunk - so we have not much photographic material that survived the incident ...

It was a blast.

Initial set up

The plan goes astray ...

... but then we outflanked them boot by boot.


Saturday 17 February 2024

1813 - Donnergrollen on the Krawallpass somewhere in the Western Carpathien - fictional Napoleonics

 BIG SUNDAY GAME - 28mm Napoleonics, Black Powder - my Austrians against Barts Polish-French!

The Defender of the Duchy needed to hold the mountain pass and the little village, apart from that the usual "Who-killed-more" was applicable. Both sides had around 1500pts+  to spend... but Bart forgot his remaining 10 Regiments (they were still in their Perry boxes) and just brought his new guns - it was an amicable game. 

First, I was with my Austrians in the unfortunately position to actually attack (never good). Later, I found out that the Divisional mass is excellent to move forward, even under cavalry distress, BUT, not so good for actual combat OR even worse, to advance under artillery attacks - Ouch!

All my units, apart for the Jaegers, were large units, I had ten guns against 18 guns 6 large cavalry regiments against 7 normal and 18 infantry units against 9 - what could go possibly go wrong!

My left flank Cavalry were attacking in dashing manner and  - Huzzah for the Hussars were beating back the Uhlans! My Dragoons (I played my Cuirassier units all as Dragoons to give Bart a chance) stormed forward as little Abteilungen! Now thats is a bit of a gamble, but who doesn't love a bit of a dangerous game, especially when being dashing Cavalry. Thus I was able to give a brigade order AND had a lot of support behind me. Downside they have only a stamina of 2! (small units). They fought gallantly against Uhlans and the whole Chasseur regiment! Huzzah!

On the other flank my cavalry won't move. Thats Austrians for you. In the end they did a bit and fended off the Uhlans who had a really shitty day. Something was wrong with the Uhlans that day - ah, they were newly painted and fresh recruits.

On the centre my Jaegers occupied the first half of the village and my Hungarians and my Grenadiers were advancing on the hills at the same time (Yeah I know, as Austrians unbelievable!) BUT there were guns. Loads of them... many were struck down they reached the top and even pushed some units back... but again the closing fire, even from a shitty dice roll of the defending Polish-Duchy player, did bring them down turn by turn.

In Probably historical Austrian fashion, after the 3rd consecutive attack turn (and the loss of a regiment each turn) I called the battle off and accepted defeat. 

Three lessons, I learned from this delightful battle:

If you have gun superiority by 2:1 in Napoleonics, you have won.

Polish Uhlans can bleed. Hehe!

If you want to defeat the Habsburg masses, make them attack - they sure as hell blotch that up! ;)






Initial deployment on a real battle sized table.

I perefer my units, like my wine glasses - LARGE.

The Uhlans, still happy ...

My Hungarians (dressed as Germans with Shako) ...

My corps advanced.

The Hungarian Hussars are coming!

The hill was formidably defended...

But my masses advanced...

The Grenadiers were ready to attack!


And some Polish Horse artillery waiting for targets ...

The Uhlans of the other flank ...

Then the firestorm began ...

You could hear the thunder in Vienna ...



The Dragoon Abteilungen won the gamble ...

The Uhlans retreat...

Huzzah, from the Austrian side...

But the mountain growled in thunder ...

Even my Grenadiers were pushed back ...

Probably becaus ethey were dressing up as Dragoons, my Cuirassiers did not a thing.



Then the Uhlans attacked the Divisional mass - BAD idea...

My Grenadiers got blown to pieces ...

My right flank had won the cavalry fight ...

The Centre was trying to hold ...

And the Hungarians were successful ... in a way ...

And finally my dragoons moved in ...

Won against men on horses, but got defeated by cannonballs ...

Another regiment bites the dust ...

It was too brutal - no one can win against so many guns.