Ahoy Ship Mates!

Having had a hearty tea of ship's biscuits and a tot of rum,my thoughts strayed to the high seas and Naval wargames-well they would wouldn't they???

My ships are all very old(like me!) and started life as pencil sharpeners! a very quick paint job and thread for rigging,plus a blue base,and off we go.For rules I adapted my red pom-pom rules,using the same method of 4 pom-poms and the ship is sunk-this is how I got on..................

 All I needed for a great couple of hours gaming-explanations follow!

Coloured markers to identify class of ship and speed of movement-big brightly coloured card shows that a ship has been sunk-simple but effective.

The fleets,British in the front,French behind-bottom photo shows the "pencil sharpener" aspect!!

The dice have been thrown and the ships have been given their ratings-yellow for second rate,red for first rate and no marker for third rate,now let's get on with the game.

An easy way of remembering which ships are third rate-minus two from dice,and first rate, plus two onto dice-when you get old you need these types of things.

Ready for the off-British on far side of table.

Top photo shows the measuring stick in operation,bottom shows the first action-two dice thrown for each side,the loser gets a red pom-pom,and each pom-pom is minus one from the dice,at four pom-poms the ship is sunk!!!

Top photo shows the first ship sunk,bottom shows a first rater against a second rater.

End of the game-a French win!-I played several games over the afternoon,and enjoyed each one,what next I wonder??

15mm solo games.

Over the past week or so,I have been playing a few solo games,7YW,Romans and today Sudanese,all have been relaxing and exciting in equal measures,here are a few photographs..................

 This is my Sudanese game-British had to take the "Town" which was heavily defended,with Dervish troops coming in to help the defenders from the right,as you look at the photo's.

The British commander (ME!!) decided to form in line and not in square-what a clever move that turned out to be-not!

Help is on its way-thousands of 'em!!

Sack the British commander,that's what I say!!!

A view from the Dervish side of the table-I will have to use the Square next time,with my rules the troops in square get a bonus plus two onto their dice,making it very difficult for the attackers to get into the square-why didn't I use it???(answers on a post card please!

I did better using my Romans against a huge Gallic army....................

The legions have marched out of the fort and onto a nearby hill,a legion of auxiliaries are marching to support them,but will the Gauls allow them to get into formation?

No of course not! an attack along the lines,and with cavalry on both flanks getting engaged!

An initial attack on the Roman left was driven off,but not before the Gauls inflicted heavy casualties on the Aux. legion,the Gauls retired(it's good being retired!) allowing the Romans to execute a flanking move which threatened the rest of the Gallic attack,however the Aux, legion on the right was "roughly handled!"

Aux. Legion being "Roughly handled"-remember that each red pom-pom indicates the amount of casualties the unit has taken!!

End of the game-Gauls out-flanked and soundly beaten in the centre-cracking game!!

I was on the good old internet yesterday and learned that Warlord Epic are about to release their latest offering,in July, of Hannibal,including Romans and even elephants-can't wait(but you'll have to!) check it out-fantastic!!

Kambula.

Today is the 145th anniversary of this famous battle,involving over 20,000 Zulus against an entrenched British force consisting of the 90th and 13th regiments,plus auxiliaries and RHA,it was the battle which broke the spirit of the Zulu nation,and I decided to re-fight it using my 15mm figures this morning.

Accepted terrain map,and my interpretation.The right horn was "goaded" into attacking before the chest and left horn were in position.................

The Zulus rushed forward onto my infantry in the main laager and redoubt,the RHA inflicting as many casualties as the Martini-Henrie rifles-would raw courage see them get to grips??

You bet they did!!-despite horrendous casualties,hand to hand fighting took place,the British getting the better of the Zulus,who had to retire(it's good being retired!)

The right horn falls back to the protection of a rocky ledge-but what of the chest and left horn??

Here they come!-the approach they had to make was rocky and boggy,which slowed them down,allowing the defenders time to turn a gun around and allow the infantry time to face this new threat.

The left horn attack develops,even the cattle kraal is being attacked-this looks serious-serious enough to launch a bayonet charge against the leading Zulus(yes it really happened!)

A quick volley and then "CHARGE"-the Zulus fought back and it looked a though the Bayonet charge was a big mistake-time will tell!-to add insult to injury the Zulu chest is making its way around the camp aiming at the central gap and cattle kraal!-this is going to be "nip and tuck".

The chest is moving, forcing the British to move their own troops from their initial dispositions to face the new threat.

A general view of the table,although the Zulus are taking really heavy casualties,they look as though they are about to "swamp" the camp-but never say never-come on boys!!!!

With typical British "pluck" the infantry have reversed their fortune and the left horn is beaten,and sent packing-hurrah!! however the chest is doing well against the cattle kraal and the redoubt-a shift of troops is required again!

The centre realised that they could not win,and retired,leaving the British bashed and bruised,but victorious-the figures on the edge of the table are Zulu casualties from the left and centre.

Once again this was a great game and proved to me that my solo rules give a balanced and historical result.

A most excellent game.

As per my last blog,I played the Battle of the Sambre,using my newly completed Romans and Gauls,and what an absorbing game it turned out to be.

The game begins-the Nervii facing the 7th and 12th legions on the Roman right,the Viromandui facing the 8th and 11th in the centre and the Atrebartes facing the 9th and 10th legions on the Roman left.-as can be seen in the bottom photo, the legions were still trying to organise themselves as the Gauls were just about to hit them!!

Top photo shows the "clash" along the whole Roman line,bottom photo shows a cohort of the 7th legion on the verge of being wiped out!!-The Romans have thrown their pila inflicting a pom pom on each tribe that has contacted,putting them at a minus one from, the dice ,but despite that the Gauls threw magnificent dice,and more than held their own.

Top photo shows the hard fought melee on the Roman right,the 7th are fighting for their lives,but the 12th(boo hiss!!) refused to move to help their comrades,the bottom photo shows the 8th and 11th having a real tussle!

On the Roman left the 9th and 10th are being hard pressed,but gallic casualties are mounting and soon gaps in their lines would appear!!

A general view of the table-the Romans are now getting their act together,and one or two Gallic warbands have had enough and are streaming back over the river.

Same general view from the bottom end of the table-look at the 12th Legion-still refusing to move from their hill-top!!!

The "rot" begins-the 9th and 10th have sent the Atrebates packing,and the 8th and 11th have done the same to the Viromandui in the centre,however the 7th is still being roughly handled by the Nervii,and still the bloody 12th won't go their help!!-decimation looms!!!!

A general view showing the tribes flowing back,in numbers, to the river-too many casualties! The Legions are also suffering casualties-the 7th has been wiped out to a man,but the 8th is moving onto the Nervii flank and they to must see the end is in sight!

The Roman legions are now totally re-organised and the chase begins(look at those lines!)

Oh,now the 12th moves down the hill to join in the "fun"-too late my friends-I feel a nasty shock awaits you in Rome- the figures at the back are the Roman casualties-7 units,against the Gallic casualties of 17 units(plus the whole army!!)

An absolutely cracking game,and an historically correct outcome-roll on more games like this.