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!

1870 - Mars macht mobil, bei Arbeit, Sport und Spiel!

Aah, I had this a long time coming! I always wanted a new project for 2016, with more gallant, but useless cavalry charges, splendid uniforms, grandeur scenarios, but still black powder era somehow ... so I inspired (or better infected), some club mates with the idea of 10mm 1870 - Franco Prussian War!

Now I know that this is a bit like lottery, the chances that all have their little armies ready at the same time, but then this is more of a longer personal project. Always wanted to paint Pickelhauben! Soon many chimed in and trumpeted which army/corps they are going to paint (just like on a farmers cow market) ordering lead in in the kilos. 

I decided not to hurry and to go for the Prussian Cavalry. A beauty to look at, and what better division to go for that the 5th Rheinbaben – the Death ride chaps!

Its still not finished, the famous Brunswicker Skull Hussars and the big man himself v. Rheinbaben, the cornflower blue Dragoons and the Artillery limber are missing/in the making. 

Maybe I‘ll go for the complete 2nd Army, that way I get to paint the Garde division. I don't care if they didn't fight in their parade uniforms, if their is a chance to field beautiful uniforms, one has to grab it! ....

I have not a clue what French counterpart / army I should take on as well ...

Any suggestions?

1 stand, Gen. Leut. Baron v. Rheinbaben 5^th Div: – still to be done!

Gen. Major v. Barby, 11^th Cav Brig:

2 stands, Westphalian Cuirassier Reg, N^o 4 – Done!

2 stands, 1^st Hanoverian Uhlan Reg, N^o 13 – Done!

2 stands, Oldenburg Dragoon Reg, N^o 19 – still to be done!

Gen. Major v. Bredow, 12^th Cav Brig :

2 stands, Magdeburg Cuirassier Reg, N^o 7 – Done!

2 stands, Altmark Uhlan Reg, N^o 16 – Done!

2 stands, Schleswig-Holstein Dragoon Reg, N^o 13 – still to be done!

Gen. Major v. Redern, 13^th Cav Brig:

2 stands, Magdeburg Hussar Reg, N^o 10 – Done!

2 stands, 2^nd Westphalian Hussar Reg,  N^o 11 – Done!

2 stands, Brunswick Hussar Reg,  N^o 17 – still to be done!

2 stands, Attached Horse Artillery, 5^th Div – WIP!

P.S. sorry for the static grass mess, they are all fresh from the paint block!

The Prussian Reverse around 1759 the beginning of Carnival

We agreed to play Seven Years War with the help of Honours of War, as the first game of the year!

Angus and Donald kindly provided (and played) some Rhineland soldiers fighting for  the Archbishop and some Bavarians and Austrians and all sort of Kleinstaat-Kluterei. Dave Imrie bailed out because of a man flue and so I had to bring just gabbions as the Reichsarmee needed a bit of a bolster against all those Prussians, provided and played by Jack, Bill and Brian.

We were still "learning" the rules as the overaged Prussian command seem to drag along with the movement. I had a little fun with the left flank, but soon the superior Prussian guns pounded TWO regiments away (in one round!!!).

In the Centre the advance was steady but just got halted by our fierce "inferior" gun fighting. On the right flank, I didn't pay attention, what Derek took so long, but he thwarted the Prussian attack there the main thing. Then towards the end Jack tried his version of cavalry warfare, tip toeing next to the woods and then getting counter charged and beaten. And it was just due to my superior strategic delay tactics and that I rolled better than him with my inferior cavalry (In the Rhineland we usually eat horses nevermind riding them!) against his Prussian Death Hussars. Hah! Take that!

Every Prussian should know, never mess with the Rhinelanders, or else we invent carnival or cavalcade you to death.

In the end the Prussians couldn't really find their footing and proceeded their single and uncoordinated attacks, which we dealt with each individually. The initial development wasn't inspiring and the whole conduct of the opposite generals was very un-prussian and non-frederizian.
Hey, but thats how we Rhinelanders can manage to win and proceed with the drinking! ;)

The enemy line

Cavalry attack and counter charge

The initial deployment (more or less)

The Reichsarmee gun battery.

... even turns later in my sector the enemy did not avdance very quickly

Jack sents his Cavalry in

the Attack of the mid-field is in full swing

The clash of the Horse!

Finally the Prussians are coming!

The Mainzer Battery

...what was left of the Prussian Cavalry attack

The rest!