Battle of Resaca

„... The Battle of Resaca was part of the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. The battle was waged in both Gordon and Whitfield counties, Georgia, May 13–15, 1864. It ended inconclusively with the Confederate Army retreating. The engagement was fought between the Military Division of the Mississippi (led by Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman) on the side of the Union and the Army of Tennessee (Gen. Joseph E. Johnston) for the Confederates. ...“

My first game (Altar of Freedom) with my newly painted 10mm ACW union Infantry. We refought the Battle of Resaca, I was in charge of the centre of the union, a tough bunch of divisions, but I was given Palmer a hesitant commander, who lacked the much needed activation points to move his units. The rebel positions were behind quickly dug up fortifications on hills and they enjoyed a good and able commander.

The first couple of turns, I made good progress, but then the ‘Palmer‘ character trait came to bear and my units danced back and forth over the river, while being shot at from an enthusiastic Rebel commander, if somewhat unwilling to move. To my left I must witness the retreat of several divisions in the face of the enemy, for "re-deployment purposes". I won‘t disclose the name of the gentleman here, but he rehabilitated himself later by storming the fortified position in front of the bridge to Atlanta, while Rebel reserves were crossing, throwing the whole flank into disarray in doing so. Which was the objective part of the Union's victory condition and so won the battle single handedly, I hesitantly must admit.

The complete battle field after 1st deployment

The Union is advancing

Mr Palmers hesitant lot

on the way to break the centre

slowly over the river (the brown fluffy tie)

despite rebel barrages still in good order

finally went of the river to take the enemy position

The lion rampant

We tested the new Osprey rules "Lion Rampant" this week, Jack, David, Bart and me. The figures are wonderfully painted and provided by David and Jack, mostly Claymore castings.

Both sides had a small retinue of foot knights, billmen and bowmen and the "Teutonics" played by David had also some heavy cavalry! The scenario was to hold on to a small hamlet in the middle of the field – and off we go!

First, I made rapid progress with my Commander to enter the village, but then a flank charge of the Teutonic Horse basically swept away my complete left flank. Bart tried a counterattack on the left, but just prolonged our suffering, in the end we lost, the commander and the village.

It is a nice set of rules with a potential for a lot of bloody havoc, as one decimates the forces of your opponent your troops melt away. I liked the fact that single figures were taken off as casualties. We surely haven't  tested all the finesse of the game in depth, but that just leaves room for more medieval tin can opening! A skirmishing game to my gusto.

Taste more blood on the following:
Barts:
http://asienieboje.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/lion-rampant.html

Jacks:
http://pioneerpainting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/lion-rampant.html

Davids:
http://saxondog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/first-game-of-lion-rampant.html

the rest of the German Knights attack my bowmen

The Commander actually...

the Hamlet in our hands

Barts spearmen finishing off the enemy commander

Our flag before it was cut down

The German foot knights counter-counter attack

The Teutonic triumphant

All these knights were killed at he cost of half of our contingent

XII all done! Getty can come!

Yesterday, I finished my 10mms for the 12th for Gettysburg, so I decided to make them smile!

Minis by Pendraken, flags by Jack, corp logo by Heineken, and the terrain dressing and camera by me;

2 seconds into the club I already had the self declared uniform police at my heels - OK, OK,  light blue distinctions - not yellow (moooh me)! I repent and will change this maybe for the next time ... maybe ...
aaand... here some history mfffph for the disaffected:

At the Battle of Gettysburg, the XII Corps distinguished itself by its gallant defense of Culp‘s Hill.

On the afternoon of July 2 the corps was ordered by army commander M. to disengage from Culp‘s Hill and reinforce the Union line on its extreme left flank, near Little Round Top. S. persuaded M. to leave one brigade behind to hold the sensitive-critical position: G.‘s Brigade, of G.‘s Division. While occupying this position on Culp‘s Hill, with an excessively long line to defend and no other troops in support, G. was attacked by E.“ J.‘s Division, but the attack was successfully repulsed by his brigade. G., a civil engineer, had insisted that his men prepare impressive defensive works on the hill. Still, some of J.‘s troops effected, without opposition, a lodgment in the vacated breastworks of the XII Corps, and upon the return of those troops a desperate battle ensued to drive the Confederates out. After a long, hard fight the corps succeeded in re-occupying its works. On no part of the field did the Confederate dead lie thicker than in front of the XII Corps position. J.‘s Division, containing 22 regiments, lost in this particular action...

Race to the Delaware

Lately I bought the Warlords supplement "Rebellion", which sparked again my long lasting dream of a bigger AWI campaign – that started from some historical point, but then would soon develop into something else as the players surely will have their own ideas.

As many I like to agree with the rules of Black Powder, if one use them as a tool box to create the feel of an area AND adjust to perfectly to the needs and wishes of the players involved.

I alway had a weak spot for the White Plains battle and the resulting chase and counter battles until Trenton and Princeton. Also as at White Plains is (as many other occasions) dubbed the last chance of Howe to end the rebellion. There is not an awful lot of imagination needed to see the difficulties involved in that ensuing campaign for both sides.

As I have developed the Pre-deployment game "Eve of Battle", I‘ll have in mind a mixture of an tabletop board game to control the campaign and all of its issues (movement, weather, supply, command, morale and reinforcements etc.) combined with the issues of an customised battle deployment rooted in the campaign development rather than pure either historical fact or pure fiction.

Maybe with a board game that controls the campaign development in one week at the club to determine and prepare the next battle to be fought for the next week. ....

I'm also painfully aware that I have other game developments in progress (not to mention the other unpainted heap of lead, which is what everybody else says, I know), I can only ask for patience, which should be the first virtue of a wargamer anyway...

American forces available at White plains

British forces available at White plains

Map of the march towards Trenton

Hrolrf never heard the end of his saga

"Simon's a computer, Simon has a brain, you either do what Simon says or else go down the drain!"

Later at 793 or so our little saga begins at a small castle near a a church called Deuchars, as two dark age hordes were having a deadly rendez vous. The attacker were led by Matt (known as also the Greek) leading expertly painted lead provided by Derek (the Hodge), while I (Exaybachay) had the privilege to play the marvelously painted Vikings figures provided by Paul (the Greek). Both Matt and me are kind of new to the Saga rules, so we got able advisers Derek and Paul.

Because Matt had the more impressive facial hair (my nose hair didn‘t count apparently) he could start the battle, the warriors moved at each others, dices were falling and suddenly the enemy warlord, Fyrkantig, the Green, attacked my innocent Bondi. But the Norns were against him and, "bei Odin!", he lost most of his Huskarls. Which led me to believe that his force was just a pretty good Anglo-Saxon horde in Viking costumes.

Damn Ragnar and his rock, I did the counter attack and smashed the enemy‘s warriors, and his left flank was beginning to shrink. Then I took a risk and attacked his bowmen, which left my warlord, named Hrolrf, exhausted and exposed. 

The inevitable happened and Fyrkantig cut the glorious ending of this saga a bit short...

The subtle tactical formations at the start of the battle

The superbly drilled and painted Viking force

They might be giants or even Anglo-Saxons 

opposing lines clapping shields and all that

The Hirdmen attack the bowmen

the Viking Hirdmen running up hill

Hrolrf is distracted by an retro electronic computer game named Simon

beneath the sway of francesca

the Vikings rallying to their Raven banner

turned out the false Anglo-Saxons were real Vikings though ...

Duculus Britanniarum

This Thursday we played Dux Britanniarum, Jack brought his Northumbrians and Derek came with his Pictii or was it Scottish raiders on horse with a bit of foot soldiers, or better dirty guys in pyjamas with sticks and shields... these post-roman times are no doubt confusing me.

Jack and me we played the sober British and did a very good prayer before the fight, like every good potential killer should do. Derek, Peter and Paul opted for the Scottish raiders and for the booze, a conservative choice.

We deployed directly half on a very strategic hill position and attacked with our light troops around the flanks. Then after some skirmish the moment of truth came, our Heavy horse in reach of the turned Scottish infantry and a couple of very good cards, just to ride them down and end the game to make the world a better place ...  and Jack, the dux, rolled a 4 with 3 dice??....

That was probably when HE told us just to let it be and lend the other chin, but as christians we were not giving up. Only just to be beaten by those drunken bastards... convert and repent later, I say!

In fact I had nothing to regret, it was a very good game.

the sober Nothern British 

The drunken Scots

Death defying in the name of god

The battlefield after some shuffle

Horses in godspeed

The light horses clash

Back to the church!

The thundering of doom

Facing the drunken berserkers attack

Frolic pagans

The last attack just came that far ...