Game Pics

Well it has been sometime since I posted anything on the blog and I must blame work for this. Yes I have been blocked from updating during my lunch break at work due to an over zealous filter on our internet access!
To get me back into the swing of things I have dug out these photos of a game we played before Christmas. This was a Spanish Succession game and the scenario was set by Graham. Basically an Allied army positioned between 2 villages was to be attacked by a larger French army. John and I commanded the allies and Graham and Paul the French and Bavarians. The first photo is actually from late in the game and shows my English troops advancing against the French centre after defeating the French assault on the left hand village.

The next photo shows the French and Bavarian attack on the centre of the Allied line.

A view of the attack on the Allied right hand village. John held this village under intense pressure until late in the battle.

Another view of the same attack.

The next two photos show Grahams French cavalry as they sweep round the allied left, only to be isolated and eventually retire.

A general view of the battlefield at the end of the game. Having defeated the French to my front I hae advanced against the French centre and John has sent his cuirassiers to support me. These have just charged into the exposed French right.

On the opposite flank Paul has cleared Johns defenders from the village and disordered the allied centre.

The photo below shows this disorder.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable game, which we used to try out our new morale rules and these worked extremely well, given a very realistic outcome. John will post some information on these at a later date.

A final photo of my English. I picked these guys up on Ebay a couple of years ago and they were a bargain at £2 a figure.

Well thats all for now but I do hope that we can start to update more regularly. I follow a number blogs and it can be quite frustrating when updates are few and far between. From a personal point of view, as John has already posted, I have continued to paint my GNW figures and have just started painting some samurai figures. Why? I had them lying in a cupboard and thought I would paint them and sell them. Well now I have painted a few I am not so sure! I am intrigued by the Impetus rules and might give them a go with the Samurai. I have always been interested in Japan and worked there a few years ago (taking the opportunity to visit a few castles!) so this may be a new period for me to try. I will post a few photos soon.

It just remains for me to say a belated happy new year to everyone and I hope the next post will be very soon.

Happy New Year2012,update.

Happy New Year everybody, just a short update as to what is happening and what we are all up to.

First of all some really good and exciting news, we have been asked to put on a demonstration game at this year's Border Reiver show which takes place on 1st September at the Gateshead Stadium .We will be staging an Ancients battle involving my new Prince August Legions vs PA Ancient Britons, so should be quite spectacular. We are also "pencilled in" for Smoggycon, lots going on so far !

I have completed my Xmas contingent of Persian Immortals and Western and Eastern camp followers and Roman Civilians, and have started on some Roman and Gallic cavalry which I ordered from Lancashire Games. Imust thank Tom for his very quick turnaround of my order and the friendly service and help he showed me.

Davey is painting everthing that doesn't move at the moment including Tipoo Sultan figs, Great Northern War figs. and SAMURAI !!! what's that all about Dave ??

Graham is still working his way through his Napoleonic's and our pal Michael's Napoleonics, one day he'll finish them all and concentrate on his other projects,ie. WWII,Franco-Prussian and any others he hasn't told us about,-you didn't think we'd forget did you ?

I'm still trying to find out how to transfer photo's onto the Blog, hopefully sometime this week then I'll really be able to go to town with game reports etc.

news update

We have recently been experimenting with some new Morale rules which we think reflect what would/could happen when troops are called upon to test their Morale. The whole concept is that all troops start with a Morale Rating of 12 and this is "whittled" away by being shot at,charged,having insecure flanks etc.etc. at any time during the game either side can demand that a unit takes a Morale test,and by a list of positive and negative factors that unit must get back to its original number of 12 or follow a list of retires or routs. IT all sounds quite complicated but our recent "play test" games have shown that it is very fast,very simple , and most of all,very playable and realistic.

As far as the group goes,I am painting some Persian cavalry,bought from Warrior Miniature of Glasgow,who provide a cheap range of figures,give a fantastic mail order service and who will give you a good deal on bulk buy.
I have finished 12 extra heavy cav.12 light cav,12 horse archers,and have started a further 12 heavy cav. which should be finished by this weekend;this of course shows the main benefit of being retired!!

We are going down to "Smoggycon" at middlesbrough on Saturday and hope to get rid of our surplus cash,and ask the organisers if we can put on a demonstration game at next year's show.
Dave is having bother getting onto this blog,he has some photo's of our last "horse and musket" game,devised by Graham,this proved to be one of the most exciting and nail biting games we have had for a long time,congratulations to Graham for that.
Paul has had some bad news in that he is facing redundancy in the new year,we wish him luck and hope he gets another job very quickly.

Two of our "satelite" wargamers,Michael and Chris may be coming to the north east over Xmas and we will of course entertain them to as many games as they would like to play.

News update

As our thousanda of readers/followers will have noticed,we have not been updating our blog on a regular basis,this of course is all Paul's, Dave's and Graham's fault and has nothing to do with me whatsoever !!!

I was made redundant on the 13th.September, and took the opportunity to RETIRE,and concentrate my whole life to Wargames (nothing new there then) however my wife's idea of retirement and mine seem totally different!! Do we really need to decorate and clean cupboards out when i really need to plan a game for Sunday and paint the new Persians i got from Irregular Miniatures. Ho Hum..

Anyway,Dave is furiosly painting his Tipoo Sultan figs. and his Great Northern War figs.Graham is painting his WW11,Napoleonics,Franco Prussians and God knows what else! and Paul has stopped painting his Austria 7YW figs,however we are sure he'll get the bug again soon,won't you Paul??

Once i can figure out how to transfer photographs from my new digital camers onto the computer and the transfer them onto this blog,we will have some good battle reports with pictures,watch this space.

Ihave decided that the rivers we normally fight over are just too small,so i ahve painted a rather large version ontoo our board,very simple paint job,blue with green banks and islands,i think it looks very effective and the rest of the "boys" did too. We have had alot of games using the new river and it has proved to be quite an obstacle as well as providing a real challenge.The game you are lloking at was a colonial one based in the Sudan,with british and egyptian forces attacking a "Fuzzie Wuzzie" held town.

These shots are of the River being initially painted,and me trying out various trees etc on it to give different aspects

The river consists of a long bend and an island,and an even longer straight section with an island at the end,as I said before the paint job is very basic,but I'm sure that you'll agree,the finished effect is good.

ROMANI ITE DOMUM

The Roman commander,Paulus is expecting a relief column bringing supplies of food and much needed reinforcements,to his fort deep in gallic controlled
territory.

Paulus has noticed that the local tribes have become very agitated and threatening over the last few days,and he is worried in case they decide to ambush the relief column-AS IF !!!!!

As is the custom,as soon as the relief column is sighted,Paulus sends out an escort party to see the much needed reinforcements and food, back to the safety (??) of his fort.





Well what could go wrong ?





Over to you Paul(us)

Plancenoit 1815 Part 2

Here are a few more photos of our Plancenoit inspired game. In the above photo the light cavalry of Domon and Subervie clash with the Prussian cavalry. I commanded the Prussians on this flank and it included 8 regiments of cavalry. However I am not noted for my luck with cavalry! And so it would prove today. I launched my first two brigades against the French and lost in every melee! French Chasseurs driving back my West Prussian dragoons. I was forced to feed in another brigade of light cavalry just to stabilise my position.

In the meantime I advanced a brigade of infantry against Lobau's infantry and a firefight ensued.

On the left flank Paul had two brigades making successive attacks against the Young Guard in Plancenoit while he fed a third through the woods to the south looking to cut the Brussels highway (one of our 'victory conditions'). In this photo you can see the third brigade advancing towards the woods.

The next two photos show the French in square by La Belle Alliance and the Young Guard in the centre of Planenoit.

A shot of the Old Guard Grenadiers

Below is the fight for Plancenoit. In the background John has deployed the Old Guard to counter the Prussians who have advanced through the woods.

On the Northern end of the battlefield John has thrown in the Horse Grenadiers of the Guard, a big powerful unit of 18 figures, and my Silesian hussars can be seen as they are about to bounce off them! Luckily (or skillfully) I have the Brandenburg hussars poised to take them in the flank. Unluckily (or predictably?) these were also chewed up by 'The Gods'. However I had done enough here to nullify the French cavalry and the decision would be made in the centre and left.

Below: the Old Guard firefight with the Prussians in the woods. Our standard infantry units are 24 figures but the Old Guard are 32 figures which makes them stronger in terms of both firepower and morale.

Another view of the fight for Plancenoit and the woods.

The remnants of my cavalry fight on against the French cavalry.

The situation at the end of the game. The Prussians are almost in possession of Plancenoit and Lobau's corps in the centre has broken. Prussian dragoons have almost reached the Brussels road (these were not used against the French cavalry on my right flank). The Old Guard behind Plancenoit and in the woods is strong but will not be able to influence the outcome other than ensuring the road stays open long enough for Napoleon to escape.

All in all this was a very enjoyable game which worked really well. It was nice to get my Napoleonics out of the cabinet and on to the table and it has proved to me one thing . . . I need more Prussians! . . . I really do as we had to use 3 battalions of my Neopolitans who masqueraded as the Prussian 28th and 29th regiments (I believe these were still in their old Berg uniforms during the campaign), tenuous I know! So a brigade of Silesians would be nice, oh and some Schutzen, . . . and some Uhlans . . . . Hmmm.