One Hour Wargames Scenario 8: Melee - Part 1

It's been a while since I last played a scenario from the excellent selection contained within Neil Thomas' One Hour Wargames, but with some awful weather forecast for today it seemed a perfect opportunity to get a game in. As before I selected the forces for each side by a die roll using the force selection table from Neil Thomas' Wargaming 19thC Europe, which gave me the following:

Red OOB

5 x Standard Line Infantry (with Battalion Guns)

2 x Standard Light Infantry (Jaegers with Rifles)

1 x Standard Cavalry (Dragoons)

2 x Superior Artillery (Medium Guns)

Blue OOB

5 x Standard Line Infantry (with Battalion Guns)

1 x Standard Light Infantry (Jaegers with Rifles)

2 x Standard Cavalry (Dragoons)

2 x Superior Artillery (Medium Guns)

Scenario

I skipped Scenario 7 as I've played variants of this before as it's based upon the Battle of Leuthen. Scenario 8 looked interesting and is based upon the Battle of Lundy's Lane, specifically the scenario contained within the late Stuart Asquith's book of scenarios for the War of 1812.

Neil Thomas' scenario is for 6 units per side, so I broadly scaled things up and came up with the following:

A basic map with the hill in the centre with a small  wood covering it's approaches from the road. Both sides deployments and arrival Turns are also shown.

Objective

Quite simply it is to be in control of the hill, nothing more, nothing less. The Blue force has launched a surprise attack, but the Red commander has found out what is in the offing and so reinforcements are on their way.

Table Set Up

As before the maps in the book are very basic, which is fine, leaving you to add terrain as you see fit, depending upon the period being played etc. As these games are set in Europe in the 18thC, the terrain is pretty open, with limited hedgerows etc.

An overview of the table. Only the wood will slow down troop movement.

The Red troops deployed covering the road, hence the artillery to the fore. The Jaegers are providing flank protection and can also easily move into or through the wood if required.

The Blue troops in their respective lines of march, with the General arriving with the first wave.

The Red troops again in line of march and with their General arriving with the first reinforcements.

'Stuff'

As in previous games, I've kept things pretty 'vanilla*' to use an en vogue wargaming phrase, by using the Austrian stats from the Honours of War rulebook. They work for me and help provide a balanced game, but there is nothing wrong of course in going for say Prussians vs Austrians or Russians. In the same vein all Commanders and Generals are rated 'Dependable'.

* I love vanilla ice-cream, especially good quality ice-cream that I've had in Cornwall, made with clotted cream!

I was tempted to coerce my chums into giving me orders to follow once again, but the varied Turns arrival for both sides meant that this would not really work, so I opted for a normal solo game. I do think that this game would work well with an umpire, giving general orders to start with and then feeding in information that reinforcements are on their way, but the players not knowing exactly where, when and in what force.

Next up the game itself.