The "fab four" had a fab game last night,with added banter,rude jokes and lots and lots of laughs-this is how the night started.............................
Ho,Ho,Ho, this is Brian's way of saying "have yourselves a merry little Christmas"-there must be something we can do about him!!!
Scenario and table layout-Graham and I were the French,Brian was the British and Paul was the Dutch.
I opened the battle with a most ferocious attack on the Hamlet-my attacks lasted the whole game,and Brian responded wonderfully,by beating every attack and "eating up" all of my 6 regiments!!
Brian has launched an audacious attack against my French-held centre,with his British,whilst the "chuckle brothers" stood and looked at each other in the background!!
At last! the Provincials and Dutch have decided to join the battle,however both sides have decided to not get their cavalry involved-8 squadrons each,going to waste!!!
As Brian,minus antlers! writes his orders,my attacks are still going in-but not successfully!
I am notorious for throwing "bad" dice,but last night was the worst it's been,ever!!!!
To my left,my bad dice throwing was being matched by Graham's!!-we were taking a right old "bashing"-send in the cavalry(oh that could be a good line for a Christmas song!)-but they didn't,WHY,WHY,WHY???????-I think that hat's gone to Paul's head.
Meanwhile,back at the Hamlet,I am done for-all attacks failed,and no more troops left-but what of the other flank(the one with all the cavalry on it!)
Well,this overall shot of the table shows Graham's troops in a bad way,so we called it a night and the "Allies" were declared the winners!
This was,by any standards a great and spectacular game-well done to us all!
I received this Christmas card yesterday........................
This is a photograph of the front of the card-very nice.
This is a photograph of the back of the card-even nicer!!
Happy Christmas to you all,we hope you have a peaceful,wonderful time,with lots of wargaming "goodies" in your stockings!!
Once again,last night, we had an exciting and challenging game using our 25mm Marlburian figures. Graham was unable to attend,so it fell to Paul,Brian,Dave and I to face each other across the plains of Spain!!
This is the scenario-Dave was in charge of the Irish,I was in charge(?) of the Spanish,whilst Paul commanded the left of the allies,and Brian commanded the main "English" facing the small town-what happened next was a classic game,combining brute force and "canny" manoeuvering,from both sides.
Paul decided to march his back line of English troops on a long out-flanking move to catch Dave on two fronts-"Canny!"
Brian stormed forward against the town-Brute force!!-my Spaniards managed to kill two Colonels in his first line,and stopped the attack in its tracks!!-hurrah!-however,Brian sent in his second line,and a furious fire-fight ensued for the next 5 or 6 moves before either of us could gain an advantage-lovely stuff!!
As Paul and Dave discuss the why's and wherefore's of war,Brian and I are fighting for our lives!!!-are they ever going to get "stuck-in?"
No!!! still manoeuvering,collecting flora and fauna,being careful not to trample on the finely manicured grass,Irish,Prussians and English troops march around as though nothing mattered in the world!!!!!!-then.............................
WHAM!!-Dave's newly painted "Maison du Roi" cavalry charged Paul's cavalry,and the battle for Asidera began-and what a battle!
Paul has unleashed his infantry on both flanks,and Dave is now fighting on two fronts,just as Paul had planned-however Dave is a cunning commander and replied with cannister and volley fire,backed up with cavalry-what a game!!
Meanwhile on the other flank,Brian has driven me out of the town,after very heavy casualties on both sides,his cavalry are beating mine just out of shot to the right too-I am beat!!!!
This photo is taken from Paul's side of the table,and shows just how ferocious the fighting was!
But with my flank in dis-array,and Brian's cavalry about to run rampant,all looked lost!!
One final shot of Dave's magnificent(but under-used!) second squadron of "Maison du Roi" cavalry,and the game was over,even though Paul and Dave had virtually fought each other to a stand-still.
Well done lads,and roll on next Sunday,probably an "El Cid" game,and there will be a very strong possibility of a Castle being involved!!!
