This morning Paul and I had an exciting and colourful game involving US Cavalry against Indians(Sioux and Cheyenne).Brian is poorly,and Dave and Graham are still sunning themselves in foreign lands!
Top is scenario,bottom is table before any movement.I commanded the Indians,Paul the cavalry and civilian workforce!
Action!!-this was designed as a "knockabout" game,and certainly lived up to that title!
This shows my attack on the worker's camp-I took a bit of stick coming into contact,but so did the workers!
Top photo shows my advance on the "junction"-the cavalry had a longer range than my Indians,so I took some casualties! Bottom photo shows my slow progress through the woods-Paul's reinforcements are not showing themselves yet,as he threw a 4 on the dice,indicating that they would come onto the board on move 4!!!(clever stuff eh??)
My attack on the "junction" is progressing quite well,and I am holding my own(!!) against Paul's defenders-still no sign of the reinforcements.
The attack on the junction continues,as my Sioux burst forth from the woods-just as the reinforcements arrive and set up a firing line and the gatling gun-oh dear!!
Oh dear indeed!! a combination of rifle and gatling fire destroyed the leading elements of my attack!!-would numbers tell??
Momentarily I gained access to the junction compound-hurrah!!-only to be assailed by fresh troops,and,heeding the saying of "he who fights and runs away,lives to fight another day"-I ran away!!!! HOWEVER..........................
The worker's camp is overun,and all the workers are being killed-hurrah(unless you are a worker!)
Reinforcements are making mince-meat out of my Sioux,and forced them all to flee(notice I didn't use the word "retire")
Although Paul had technically won the game,I claimed victory because there weren't enough workers left to complete the railway!!(straws/grasp etc.)
This was an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours before getting ready to get "hammered" for no good reason tonight!-Someone on the radio said that Christmas and New Year is "Torture dressed up as Celebration" and I guess they were right.
We would like to wish you all a very happy and healthy 2020.
We,hopefully,will have a morning game on New Year's Eve,involving U.S. Cavalry against Indigenous Indians.........................
Top photo is the scenario,bottom photo shows the table,as the "boys" will see it!(by the "boys" I mean whoever turns up-could only be three of us Paul,Brian and myself,as Graham and Dave are still away on that date!)
Top photo is Westwood Junction where the main cavalry are positioned,bottom photo shows the Worker's Camp,defended by only a handful of figures!!
The train at the end of the track!-this is a plastic model,bought about a hundred years ago for a few pennies(remember pennies?) at a charity shop-looks good though!
Cavalry reinforcements,to come onto the board on move number,decided by a dice throw(?)
Note the Gatling gun!!!
The Indians!-thousands of 'em!!!
I have a feeling that this will be a good game-what could possibly go wrong?????
Roll on Tuesday morning.
Our Christmas game this year was a large Marlburian game,pitting a Franco/Bavarian army commanded by myself and Paul,against an Allied army consisting of British/Dutch and Prussians,commanded by Brian and Graham.(Dave couldn't make it 'cos he's off to sunny Spain,for the Holidays.)
Top photo is the terrain map,bottom photo is the table before any movement-you will have noted that the terrain map contains the word "silliness"-well,here it is................................
I despair at times!!!!
Top photo shows Brian and I "flexing" our muscles at each other,but little else!
Bottom photo shows Paul mounting the first of many attacks against Graham-grand stuff!
These two shots show what was a major part of our plan,ie. to tie down as many troops as possible,by advancing and retiring(it's good being retired!) and feinting with our cavalry, in the centre, so Graham couldn't reinforce his flank or Brian's-and it worked a treat!!
Paul is now mounting a "Grand attack" against the British held ridge,and it looked magnificent!
Meanwhile,the "muscle-flexing" is continuing!!
This shows Paul using our artillery bounce stick,old-fashioned(??) but effective!!-his Bavarians are giving Graham a rough time of it-maybe time for an all out push?
Time for Brian and I to get engaged-not with a ring or anything like that!!-but to advance and give each other "hell"-this was very closely contested,but he was out-numbered,because of the tying down action in the centre,so it was only a matter of time before his morale broke,the game now hung on Paul's final attack,come on Paul!!!!!
There he goes!!-wonderful to see,and that sealed the victory for the Franco/Bavarians.
Another good game,not quite the last of the year,so roll on 29th December!
We wish to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Christmas,and hope that Santa brings you all something "Wargamey"(if there is such a word!
Our club was invited to Charlie Wesencraft's club Christmas game on Saturday,but due to prior commitments only Graham and I could make it,however we represented our club to the best of our abilities(not knowing the rules or style of play!) and had a very interesting day,and were made more than welcome(being fed copious amounts of coffee and biscuits!)
These two photo's show the setting up process-we played in a factory setting! being hosted by Glen and his son William-many thanks to them both for being such good hosts.
These two shots show the myriad of figures being distributed to each player-young William looks pensive,as well he should-by a throw of the dice he ended up as CinC for our side!!
We're off!!-top photo shows my flank(right of our army) and bottom photo shows Charlie's flank(our left)-it's all looking too civilised so far!!
I had to leave early(2.30) but before I did,this happened-a unit of my archers was charged in the flank,due to a sneaky move by Dave,by his Knights!-I expected them just to be ridden down(as per our Rules!) but they didn't,they turned and fought the Knights to a draw!!-that'll teach him!
As you can see in the background,all hell is breaking loose and everyone is involved-unfortunately my command was wiped out just as I was about to leave-seems familiar!
However I enjoyed the game/banter and hopspitality,as did Graham-once again many thanks to Charlie and his club.
Because of an unfortunate set of circumstances,Paul has a bit of time on his hands,and phoned me up asking for a game-Brian was also free,so the three of us had a great time this morning playing a Roman vs Carthaginian game.
I didn't have much time to change the terrain from Sunday's game,so it basically remained the same.
Paul was Hannibal,whilst Brian and I took on the roles of Roman commanders.
Top photo shows the beautiful Roman lines-bottom photo shows the beautiful line of elephants about to attack them!!
With Brian looking gleefully on,the grey tsunami crashes into the Hastati!! The elephants took a bit of a bashing,but they upset my troops so much that I was forced to retire them(It's good being retired!-I really don't know how I manage to get that phrase into every game/blog!!)
The elephants tested their morale and decided to go straight back through their supporting Celts!!-oh dear,how sad,never mind!
As the Hastati and elephants fight it out,Paul's Carthaginian and Spanish cavalry were moving towards my Roman and Auxiliary cavalry-that sneaky Paul is moving a host of Numidian cavalry around the flank-these could prove to be a bit of a problem later on!!
As Brian's auxiliaries defend the settlement,his Marines have landed,and now the action switched to his flank,relieving the pressure off me!(see what I mean by the terrain and scenario being very similar to Sunday's??)
Top photo shows Paul retiring his elephants through the gaps left by his highly trained Celts!!
Bottom photo shows the mayhem and slaughter of a mass Cavalry melee on the Roman left flank-great wargaming and spectacular!
Brian's Marines are causing a bit of concern to Paul's left flank,however he is in the process of dumping Brian's auxiliaries, unceremoniously, out of the settlement,and a cavalry battle in the gap between the settlement and the woods,is not going Brian's way either!!!-oh dear.
It's now the turn of my Princepes to get involved with Paul's Celts:
Question: how would it be possible for the best trained and efficient troops in the known world to be beaten by a bunch of un-washed,ill-disciplined and rowdy Barbarians?
Answer: Bloody dice!!!!!!!!!!
All of my cavalry have fled(I almost said retired!) leaving the Numidians to skirmish with my Velites,who didn't like it one little bit!! In fact they fled(retired!) too-woe is us!!!
With my Princepes going back(notice that I didn't say the retire word!) and my Triarii having to adopt a defensive formation,due to cavalry activity on the flank,it is now up to Brian to save the day-come on Brian,you can do it-throw some good dice!!
Well,he didn't listen to me did he? The marines are getting a right old hiding,and although he has reclaimed the settlement,it was game over for the Romans!!
Great game! Well done to us.
Last night's game was a "CRACKER"-all action from the word "go",and played in a grand spirit!
Top photo is scenario,bottom is the table as the "boys" saw it on arrival.
Dave was "El Cid" and I was his 2IC,Paul was Ben Yussef,with Brian as his 2IC-Graham had to go home just before we started,we wish him well!
The boat you can see in the foreground was quite important-Dave had to make a decision before the game started-whether to put two elite units of infantry in the boat,or put them in the castle-he chose the boat!! and merrily sailed it around the castle and on to Brian's flank.
Sticking to a fairly rigid plan,I am moving my back rank cavalry onto the open ground between the woods and Dave's infantry,ready for an all out assault when the time is right(???)
It's only move number two,and Brian is attacking the town,and trying to force the gap between the town and the woods-cracking stuff!!
Paul and I are having a right old "ding-dong" with officers falling down like a naughty woman's drawers-thrilling!(the game not the naughty woman's drawers!!)
The infantry are moving slowly towards each other,not wanting to get too involved until the flanks are secure.
The "Eagle"(that's the name of the boat) has landed,spewing troops onto the beach,and diverting some of Brian's attacking troops away from the town walls-just as planned!!-don't you just love it when a plan comes together(quote from "A" Team!)
Oh,oh-things are not going well on my flank!!(now there's a change!) but Dave has driven his infantry into the heart of Paul's Black Guard-if only I can hold out!!
Top photo shows the "beach party" not having it all their own way,and bottom photo shows the town defences are just about to be breached!!
However Dave is making in-roads against Paul's infantry,so still a lot to play for!!
I think the military term for my flank is "buggered!"-so it's up to Dave to save the town and the game-go on Dave,you can do it!!
With Paul's cavalry rampaging on Dave's left flank,all is lost-one last sorry shot of the table.....
This was by any standards a great game-well done lads,this is why I love wargaming!
I don't know if we'll be playing next Sunday-Graham and I will be playing at Charlie Wesencraft's Xmas game on Saturday,and Paul and Dave are away.
