Pleasantville Mid October 1776

"The fiend Cornwallis burned a church in upstate New York, killed all our boys and is progressing his plunderous way north! Beware of the Redcoats!"

We actually managed to play the first battle (more a skirmish) on our 1776 AWI Winter campaign!

Campbell, as Lt.Gen. Cornwallis, led his LI Brigade into this little Hamlet, known as Pleasantville, without much further Reconaissance. As the Rebels under the command of Col. Lincoln, played by Bill, decided to drum up resistance and give Col. Cunningham, played by Jim, a helping hand in delaying the red danger they aimed to maybe even embarrassing the Great Lt Gen.

And indeed the first moves of the Redcoats were best described as dithering. Two small Jäger units tried to unlock the militia out of the village. But at the first shots came back, they ordered retreat to the main LI to the centre. This will be Cornwallis first chapters of his career he surely want to forget.

Meanwhile a undersupplied and exhausted Regt. from the reteat out of Tarrytown, the 3rd Marylander Militia arrived in the flank of the Lobsters. Lincoln's troops arrived at the same time and moved to form line out of the woods. That was the high water mark of the Patriots.

In the centre the 3rd Marylanders inflicted some damage, but were shot down by the LI. The 17th Dragoons seem to have difficulties first to find their footing, but then rode down one Militia after the other, with a little help of the fire of the LI. Actually more of a sparring for the Redcoats. After 3 Regt. were broken and Lincoln himself shot dead, the remaining Rebels left the field. Another victory for the crown!

Resumee: It was worth a try, as the "moving about" in wider space seems to be unchartered territory for some of our players, we are all learning the ropes and special conditions of this particular campaign. But the Americans really have to step up their gear. If they are getting easily beaten in 1:1 or even 1:1,5 ratios/scenarios, they must beat the British in their strategically moves and get better at concentrating forces. In this campaign you're only getting that on the field, what you have ordered to be there, and maybe even less!

I hope it was fun for everybody, next turn it will be Gen. Grant (aka Angus) landing on the west bank of the Hudson and what Gen. Greene (aka Bill) will do about.

Campaign update on:
http://meneken.blogspot.co.uk/p/the-1776.html

aaand starting now:
Campaign odds:
Losses:
British vs American = 3:0
Victories:
British vs American = 1:0*

*automatic retreats of outnumbered units, even if destroyed, are not counted as victories

Cornwallis Brigade enters in column

The 3rd turn and all the Rebels arrive on the field

The Militia is actually really stepping out of the woods

the jaegers try to dislodge the Cunningham‘s wavering Militia

Colonel Lincoln lets his Militia form Line outside the woods

The Death and Glory boys are charging Militia ...

the wavering  farm boys are no match for the Dragoons

August 1870 Fire over Furyingen 10mm shortly after Elsaß-Lothringen

This is the first dash of our 10mm armies into the Franco-Prussian War and our testing of the Fire and Fury rules with FPW add-ons!

In short of a historical scenario or any imaginative ideas, Angus just embellished the table quite nicely with 6mm buildings and some old rubber roads that looked like some bacon from an third class B&B in Soho.

The few French were led by Jack and Peter and allowed to deploy first on the hills. The Prussians played by Sandy, Jim, Angus and me, would have to come onto the table corps by corps - already under French fire.

Immediately Sandy and Jim attacked frontal, Prussian style, although I heard they fought otherwise. And Rightly so Jack dampened our glee with lots of shots and artillery. Sandy and Jim never got near enough to the Chassepots. Later on Sandy started to moan about that, Wurtemberger style.
While on our right, Jim and Angus actually followed what was written in the military books and softened the French flank under Peter‘s command.

And then came the cavalry, the "Death ride" division, was flying on the field, ready to reap what was left of the Krupp guns. Along the way I lost a few brigades, due to miss-interpretations of my commands or lack of knowledge of the rules. But enough Hussars reached the French line who were badly beaten up. And allthough the closing in fire was hurting - we managed to swipe them off the field.
Everybody congratulated Jack and Peter to a gallant French defense, it was a fantastic game!!
But I think the following cavalry brigades would have swept away the morally beaten French.

Resumee:
Elsaß-Lothringen is finally freed from 250 years French occupation and we all agreed that cavalry attacks are THE next thing to come, for future conflicts, nearly unbeatable ... a must have ...

Terrain: Angus and SESWC
Miniatures: all Pendraken 10mm, from Angus, Jack, Sandy and mine.
Angus‘ Rap: http://www.edinburghwargames.com/Journal%20115.htm

The famous French Peter-ligne

My Cavalry Division waiting, biding their time off field

The Imperial French amuse us with their guns ...

Ville de verrue is captured by Sandy‘s Grenadiers

General Leutnant Baron von Rheinbaben, bitte auf die Bühne!

aaand off the Death ride division goes!

Chassures are holding the centre piece, Chateux de Môle noir

... but Jim‘s and Sandy‘s attack waves are faltering ...

Then the Hussars of the 13th Cav. Brigade are charging, 2nd in line the Brunswickers...

... the French have to give way ...

... but the 13th press on!

Something is stirring in the shire ... again ...

large and small ...

... more 1918 ...

... minis from renegade miniatures ...

... more with masks and alien sabbots..

 ... and more from Great War Miniatures ...

... and from Irregular Miniatures - Early War Germans ...

... very small 6mm!

1918 Operation Michael at the turning point

Campbell and myself had the irritating idea to try out WW1 with (amended) Black Powder rules, hahaha! (You can hear the cries of Orthodoxy in the background) And I was quite surprised! We took some inspiration from the Warlord forum and added some other national flavourings from other rules!

For the lack of troops and scenario, my Germans were outnumbered and had therefore to defend the village against the reclaiming French - lets say in on the turning point of the Kaiserschlacht, just when the Germans went out of supplies. A final AV7 with two stormtrooper platoons was all that Willy could muster for the defenders of the occupied hamlet. While Campbell throw nearly every thing he had at me.

In the beginning the French had some difficulties to move towards me and the fire fight exchange went on,  but I could not break the French, as we gave them better rally ablitities (maybe we have to re-define that, as it was too easy). HMG were 1d6+3 additional hits and LMG just 1d6. Tanks could only move at Infantry speed and blow up at 2 in6 one hits from guns (1in6 from grenades), which then Lotti unfortunately did.

On the right flank Campbell let his French Uhlans (??) attack and my HMG didn't kill them - hm maybe we will (increase the firepower a bit more still...). So my flank was broken and I would have lost the battle/Village. All in all it was tremendously thrilling, I forgot to take pictures of the end. And with a little bit of tampering, one can really play WW1 even later in the war!

One get more units to move and to destroy! What else needs a good game?

The village of "Prune sur la Fourche"had to be defended at all cost!

The swarming Pilou‘s are coming in!

Our only hope: Lotti!

The central defense around the main ... etablisment

The French advance the German fire is failing ...

No its not the same image the French blundered and came back ...

under heavy German fire two platoons die

... But in the end who can stop the masses?

Somewhere in the middle of Spain

We just had to cross the river, they told us, the rest would be a walk in the park ...

I was invited to a Black Powder game with Bill, Bart, Peter and Angus. Bill umpired and took the Scenario out of the Triumphant Albion supplement from Warlords. Bart (as CinC) and me played the French (and Swiss) and And Angus and Peter could play the British and Spanish. They had to defend a city "Cuidad Espanola", four Built up areas, and keep a hill and inflict more damage than us. While we just had to cross the river (1in6 chance after successful command roll) ... and take one quarter of the town within 12 turns. What could go possibly wrong?

I really love river crossing battles, damn thing is just that most of the time, I was the party who had to cross it. Never mind as I was just the sub-ordinant to Bart, I could always blame him.

So we took the 1st two hills on our side of the river and shelled the Brits a bit, or amused them quite nicely – so that they had to withdraw. Then the crossing began, slowly and very painfully. Not one of my regiments arrived un-shaken on the other side. Would the Brits have counterattacked immediately, we would have been slaughtered. Nevertheless we approached the walls of Cuidad Espanola, loosing more and more troops the end of turn 12 came around like a thunder stroke. Bart last attack failed to take one quarter by a slim margin and they had to retreat... A piece of very bloody cake, I must say.

But I enjoyed my forray into the Napoleonics, I must admit. Quite "schicke" uniforms!! Of course the beautifully painted figures (all from Bill) were quite a sight and helped a lot. Also the attack column was a welcome change to my usual AWI diet. Maybe someday I will paint some silly Central German (Rhinebund) regiments (Westphalia, Oh Gott, not them!) ... who knows.

Bart‘s rap:
http://asienieboje.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/the-defence-of-cuidad-espanola-obrona.html

Bill‘s rap:
http://blenheimtoberlin.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/28mm-black-powder-defence-of-cuidad.html

My flank, my men, my fortune! 

Our goal

We aim at the perfide Albion!

We actually manage to cross somehow

But too late, we get shelled!

Again and again we throw fresh French at the enemy!

Even Bart‘s Cavalry arrives!

But all in vain they shoot us back to Hell

The last attack that nearly broke in failed in the end - we were done!