Quatre Bras - A Black Powder 200th Anniversary Game

Background
Having finished out SYW campaign, we agreed that we had to commemorate the Waterloo campaign in some shape or form the following week. As we could only meet up on Tuesday 16th June, it had to be Quater Bras or Ligny. Being a complete Napoleonics novice, I left the choice up to Dave, as once again he was supplying the troops.

Scenario & Forces
In the end Dave plumped for scaled down Quatre Bras that would, fingers crossed, be playable in an evening. I won't replicate the scenario or OOBs, as a famous battle such as this is eminently well covered by various Blogs and Wikipaedia etc. 

The Battle

As it was my first game of Nappies, Dave decided it would be best for me to be the French, whilst he took on the role of the Allies. This naturally gave me plenty of excuses for Pythonesque French accents along with derisorary comments about the French from Dave.

The French started off the table two Divisions, with two more due on later Turns and a cavalry Division on a random die roll from Turn 2. The Allies deployed in and around the houses of Quatre Bras, with the option of some Prussians arriving later on during the game. It was therefore paramount that I attacked with speed and vigour before 'Die Kinder' arrived...

The Allies safely esconced within their farmhouses. The eagle eyed amongst you will have spotted some Minions in French Napoleonics uniforms. These were being used as objective markers and frankly tickled me pink. Even my daughter thought they were cool!

By-and-large the French advanced quickly onto the table in Attack Column.

The view towards the farmhouses.

The French shake out into line to be ready to fire at the Allied troops. The British 95th Rifles moved up to try and slow the French down, whilst the Allied cavalry moved to be adjacent to the farmhouse and in a better position to attack.

The French advance towards the 95th.

Allied Light Infantry in the woods, with a Minion objective marker.

Another Divison of French reinforcements arrives

The first line of the French left wing advances towards the woods, with a second line ready to support or exploit a breakthrough.

The 95th stubbornly resist all that the French can throw at them, despite the risk of being flanked.

Achtung! There's thousands of them there Froggies!!!

Despite overwhelming odds, the Allies line refuses to break.

The woods still remain in Allied hands.

The Brave 95th hold on, despite the presence of Infantry, Artillery and Cavalry.

Prepearing to advance and possibly storm the farmhouse.

More French reserves arrive and the woods finally fall to the French. But in the distance the Prussians can be seen, arriving not a moment too late.

The French now have a clear run in to the farmhouse, but the resistance by the 95th has meant that the Prussians have a great chance to form a strong defensive line.

The French simply cannot bring their numbers to bear.

The French begin the assault on the farmhouse.

The Minion looks suitably startled by it all.

Despite wave after wave of French attacks, the farmhouse holds out.

Shortly after this the French numbers finally tell, routing the Allied cavalry and leaving the way open to Allied Lines-of-Communication.

The End
Once again time defeated us but the French were in a position to exploit the gap on the Allied right flank and advance into the rear to control the crossroads. So a sort of French victory, but one that had taken sometime to achieve, largely down to the brave 95th and the stubborn defence of the farmhouse. If we ran it again we would add a time limit to reflect the fact that the French attacked late and that nightfall limited their ability to gain a victory.

Post Game Thoughts
Well for a first game of Nappies I had a great time and really enjoyed it. After the slow movement of the SYW, this was so fast and dynamic in comparison. You can see why gamers love this period. So as always a few post game thoughts:

• It was a steep learning curve in terms of Napoleonic tactics and one I need to learn more about for future games. 
• As per the last SYW game I played the week before, learning how best to deploy your troops is crucial. Things happen so quickly in terms of movement you really have to think ahead to avoid bottlenecks etc.
• I didn't make the best use of my artillery. I deployed it too early and it limited my ability to use, due to either being too far to be of much use, or it being blocked by more useful infantry. In future I need to think in advance where I want it and how best I can use it to support my Line infantry.
• Farmhouses etc are damned tough nuts to crack. Wave after wave of french attacks went in to little or no effect. I should have used my artillery to really wear the defenders down before assaulting, or simply to have pinned them in place then moved around their flanks so that they became isolated. Another lesson learnt I hope.
• I didn't get chance to use my cavalry, so still plenty of opportunity to learn how to use chaps and how to get the most out of them.
• Make sure you are both using the same edition rulebook, or at least have the latest amendments. We had one point in the game where I was saying one thing, and Dave couldn't understand where I was getting my 'interpretation' from. It turned out that he was using the first print one and I the last, with mine having subtle but important changes in the text. Quite funny really when we realised why we couldn't understand each other, but for some gamers I know they would have been throwing the toys out of the pram at this point!

So, not a bad way to commemorate Waterloo and I'm already looking forward to our next game. It may be more Nappies or something esle, I'm not sure which yet.

The Battle of Kirchstadt - A SYW Black Powder game

Background
After our previous two games of Black Powder set in the Seven years War, we decided that the 'narrative' of the story so far naturally pointed towards a decisive battle. Both Armies had gathered their forces for a final showdown, with the baggage train as a sort of objective, certainly from the Austrian point of view.

Scenario
Due to pressure of work and family commitments, Dave hadn't come up with any specific details for the scenario, so we decided to go with a classic 'Encounter' battle as it seemed quite fitting. 

Forces
Both sides were evenly matched in terms of troops and commanders. The exact details escape me as this was played nearlly three weeks ago and this is the first chance I've had to do the write up. From memory both sides had one commander on a CV of 7, with two on an 8. Possibly both main commanders were a 9 but I can't be sure.

Battle
Both sides deployed partly on the table with no forces in reserve. Again time has dulled my memory but hopefully the following pics will jog it along enough to provide a coherent AAR.

One thing to note is that the fields on the table counted as rough going. This was the first time we had tried this and as you will see, it had an impact on the game.

Both sides deployed for action in classic SYW style, with cavalry on the wings and two lines of infantry.

The Prussian commander with a CV of 7 got off to a flyer with this command roll. Obviously he was related to Frederick the Great.

The Austrian left wing of Hussars move to cover the flank, whilst the infantry advance towards the town. The centre and right wing fail to keep up or even move in the case of the cavalry. For the Prussians their left wing also moved, but the main infantry force just sat back and watched.

The Austrians move up on the right of the town and their cavalry advance towards the cornfield, but the rest fail to move into Kirchstadt. The Prussians, like the Austrians, had partial movement, but none of it towards the town. Who ever could get there first would be in a strong position.

The Austrians try to move around the woods to push on towards the road. The Prussian heavy cavalry is lagging behind on their left flank, with only a screen of Hussars facing the Austrian heavies.

The Austrians get the first troops into Kirchstadt, but can't push on through to the other side. Both main forces of cavalry struggle through the corn and ploughed field, making it hard to get any charges in. At least the Austrian infantry is forming up a nice line.

Even thought the Austrians have troops in Kirchstadt, the Prussians have a large force approaching.

The cavalry struggle through the terrain but at least the Austrians have strong infantry support.

In a decisive move, the Prussians manage to get a unit of troops into the other part of Kirchstadt.

Both sides shoot at each other with little effect due to being in the town. Both sides have troops in support, but with nowhere to go.

The Austrian havy cavalry charge into the Prussian Hussars, but only manage to push them back towards the orchard. The Austrian Croats push forward whilst both sides infantry stand off as long range artillery fires with little or no effect.

The Prussian Freikorps have advanced through the woods on their right flank, threatening the Hussars. Elsewhere little has changed.

The Austrian heavy cavalry pursue the Hussars, whilst the Prussian heavy cavalry can only look on whislt sniped at by the Croats.

A stalemate appears to be developing...

At least the Austrian cavalry have seen of the Prussian Hussars, but need to reform to take advantage of their position.

A sort of English Civil War action develops, as both sides right wings advance, resulting in the battle pivoting around Kirchstadt.

The Prussian left flank starts to fall back to counter the threat from the Austrian cavalry and infantry.

The Prussian Grenadiers start to move out towards their left flank as the Austrian advance on their right.

The Austrian advance to the right of Kirchstadt.

With dusk falling and little prospect of a result, both sides withdraw to Winter Quarters.

The End
Well time was against us in the end and with both sides still in good shape, we decided to call it a draw, which on reflection seemed a fair result.

Post game Thoughts
Once again a good game but at the same time somewhat frustrating, as outlined below:

• The layout of the table greatly affected the game, more so than we thought it would when we set things up. Kirchstadt naturally dominated the central area, but this resulted in limited movement in the central area of the table. The large wood on the Prussian right flank combined with Kirchstadt gave them a very secure flank. The corn and ploughed field completely tied up the other flank, really limiting the ability of the cavalry to move. 
• Poor deployment on my part meant that the Hussars on my left flank had little impact on the game, other than to provide target practise for the Freikorps. I had thought of putting the Croat Grenzers on the elft and in hindsight I should have. The Hussars would have been better off supporting the main cavalry on the right flank.
• Again poor deployment at the start meant that I found it very hard to move my infantry between Kirchstadt and the small wood on my side of the table. This resulted in some unnescessary toing-and-froing to get them into the right postion, costing me valuable movement opportunities. 
• My use of the sole artillery unit was less than perfect shall we say. As with the infantry, I didn't deploy it well to start with and it contributed to the road block around Kirchstadt. 
• After the game I realised that I would have been better off firing into Kirchstadt with my cannon rather duelling with the Prussian one. The morale modifier confered to cannon may have helped to break the deadlock that developed in Kirchstadt itself. 
• As with the 'Maurice' ruleset, deployment in this period is critical to allow you to get off to a good start. This is true of other periods, but the slow nature of movement and deployment in the SYW really hammers this home. Hopefully I've learnt my lesson on this, but only time will tell.

 

Next up is a Napoleonic game of Black Powder, in a sort of refight of Quatre Bras 200 years to the day. This is my first Nappies game so am interested to see how it compares to the SYW, the latter of which I have enjoyed immensely these past few weeks.

6mm Buildings

Having played quite a few games of Black Powder of late, it has become rather obvious that I need to invest in some suitable buildings for the period. My initial thoughts were to carry on using 10mm buildings to go with my Pendraken 10mm figures. However a recent game showed that this didn't really give the 'look' I am after. My wargaming chum Keith Flint uses 15mm houses to go with his 28mm figures and they 'look' right. Other members on the Pendraken forum have frequently used 6mm houses to go with their 10mm figures, and again it just seems to 'look' right.

So having settled on 6mm, I decided to have a look around to see what is on offer. After some searching I settled on the Leven Miniatures  range. The detail is brilliant and they offer a very wide range of buildings and sundry items, more than enough to satisfy my needs. On top of this they are very competitively priced. Below are a few images of their buildings:

 Fachwerkhaus 01

Fachwerkhaus 02

Medieval windmill

So I have happily placed an order for a mix of Medieval buildings for my games set between c.1750 - c.1870. Naturally they will also work for the Pike & Shotte period, but I am currently trying to concentrate on Black Powder. However with my 'Kreigspiel' style blocks they may get an outing to the P&S period sooner rather than later.

I'm not sure whether to base them or not, but will wait till I have them in my hands, which will make it easier to decide. I'm really looking forward to receiving these and plan to scratch build a few items to go alongside of these. I also need to sort out suitable roads for this period as currently I only have 'tarmac' ones. Just something else to add to the 'to-do' list...

Counter Attack at Holzdorf - A 'Black Powder' SYW Game

Background
Following on from our 'trial' game of Black Powder a few weeks ago, we were ready for the next game in our narrative campaign. Once again Dave provided the figures and scenario and myself the scenery

Scenario
After the heroic, but ultimately unsuccessful, defence of the Austrian baggage train, the Austrians were in a strong position to immediately launch a counter-attack to try and regain their lost luggage. The Prussians, having gained a somewhat Phyrric victory, were depleted in terms of men and materiel, with their objective being one of a fighting withdrawl, covering the lumbering baggage train. 

The baggage train would automatically move 6cm each turn towards the Prussian base line, unless an Austrian unit moved into contact with. Upon doing so they would be able to take control and try and get it back to their own lines. The side with the most items of luggage in their control at the end of the game would be the winners.

Forces

The Austrians had four units of Line infantry, two of Grenadiers, two of croat Grenzers (the heroes of the previous game) and three of Hussars. Their were three HQ units, two with a CV of 8 and one of CV of 7

The Prussians in contrast had five units of Line infantry and one unit of Dragoons. They had three HQ units, two at a CV of 9 and one of 8.

Neither side had any Battalion guns, based upon our previous experience with them acting more like Napoleonic Horse Artillery.

Deployment

Battle 
Once again time mitigated against any detailed notes as things went along at a fair old pace, so anotated photos will have to suffice I'm afraid.

The Prussians deployed for battle in and around Holzdorf, with their Dragoons on the crest of the hill, awaiting the arrival of the Austrians, who all started off the table. The Austrians deployed their Grenadiers in the centre, with the poorer CV Hungarians on their right flank and the bulk of their cavalry and German troops on their left flank.

A poor start by the Prussians saw their left flank blunder and move into Holzdorf, somewhat disrupting their plans. The Austrians were only able to bring on their flanks of cavalry and the Hungarian Line.

The Prussians continue to move the baggage train towards their table edge, with their left wing falling back to a good defensive position by the woods. The Dragoons moved down off the hill to threaten any wholesale move by the Austrian Hussars. The Grenadiers and Line infantry all moved forward in a perfect display of parade ground Linear warfare. Combined fire from the Grenadiers and Hungarians saw the demise of the first line of Prussian infantry on the edge of Holzdorf. Already outnumbered, this wasn't exactly the start the Prussians were hoping for.

At this point the Austrians blundered, and decided to perform the 'Hokey Cokey'. "You put your left flank, you take your left flank out, in,out, in,out and you shake it all about..." Having been in a good position to advance en masse, their line looked anything but parade ground perfect now...

With the dancing over, the Austrians decided to pretend to be Zulus and their 'horns' started to move against the Prussians flanks. The Prussians meanwhile just calmly carried on moving back in good order, with the exception of the Dragoons who made an attempted charge against the Hussars in march column, fortunately for the Hussars falling just short. The Hussars then moved into line and after a short fire fight, pushed the Dragoons back.

With their flanks threatend, the Prussians moved back, carefully watching the outcome of the cavalry battle on their right flank.

Oh Dear me! Another Austrian blunder that once again saw an outbreak of the 'Hokey Cokey' this time performed with more panache by the Hungarians on the right flank. It seemed that the Austrians (ie me) were doing there level best to throw the game away. Dave just laughed...

At least the Hussars managed to defeat the Dragoons, opening up the left flank and a route through to the baggage train.

The Austrian line was anything but one, becoming a bit of a mess as all units attempted to move forward as quickly as possible. This was especially true on the left flank as cavalry, Grenzers and Line all got in each others way.

With the Austrian centre slowly sorting itself out, the Hussars on either flank started to surge forward in an attempt to cut off the Prussians and the vital baggage train.

The Prussians decided the best form of defence was attack and promptly moved units back towards the hill, to try and halt the Austrian advance long enough for the baggage train to escape. One unit was detached on the left flank to deal with the immminent threat from the Hussars.

As the Hussars work their way round the flanks, the infantry get into a firefight on the hill.

The Austrians have superiority of numbers but cannot bring them to bear agains the Prussians.

The Hussars as they attempt to move past the woods into the Prussian rear.

The Prussian flanks have been turned but the infantry in the centre continue to trade blows, with neither side giving way.

The baggage train gets ever closer to safety, but the Prussians are taking an awful lot of hits...

'Huzzah!' The Hussars manage to capture one of the wagons of the baggage train. At the same time the Prussian right flank is buckling under the sustained pressure from the Austrian troops. However the Hussars on the right flank are in danger of being caught in march column by the Prussians.

The pressure continues to build across the whole front, with the Austrians losing one unit of brave Hungarians and their Hussars being fired upon in the flank by the Prussians.

Despite superiority of numbers, it looks like the baggage train will make it to safety...

The Prussians finally succumb to the weight of fire, losing one unit of infantry. Somehow the Hussars have managed to hang on!

The baggage train manages to get off the table.

The End
Despite the Prussians managing to get two of the three wagons off the table, they had been broken as a fighting force. As a result we decided that the Austrians were the winners and could be slightly smug with themselves.

Post game Thoughts
Once again another cracking game that flowed nicely and was tight right to the end. As always a few thoughts on the game etc:

•  What initially looked like a tough ask for the Prussians, in the end turned out to be a very tight and hard fought game. The loss of a Line infantry unit early on certainly didn't help.
• The Austrians despite their superiority of numbers, couldn't really get going throughout the game. The 'Hokey Cokey' blunders certainly didn't help things.
• Deploying my Hussars in March Column was a risky choice, one that nearly cost me dear when the Prussian Dragoons charged, fortunately falling just short. If they had made contact if could have been "Goodnight Vienna" for them and to my left flank.
• I forgot that units in March Column get one free move, even if they fail to receive an order. When Dave asked I really should have checked in the rulebook rather than just using the QRS. Given the above point it might have worked in my favour but lesson learnt.
• I should have deployed my Grenzers in Line. They spent the whole game doing nothing, but then after the previous games heroics, I could forgive them their reluctance to get to grips with the enemy.
• I'm finding that the Black Powder rules do produce some cracking and fun games. This is greatly helped by the fact that Dave Fielder is a superb opponent and all round decent chap. At a couple of points in the game we commented that 'rules lawyers' would have been frothing at the mouth on some of the moves, but for us they felt right and added to the game. After all we meet up to have fun and not quibble over things that would spoil the game.
• I must remember that in the 'Linear Warfare' period, units can only move once and shoot. Too often I kept wanting to move my Grenzers, deploy them and then fire. Poor Dave kept reminding me that I couldn't and I kept forgetting! His patience with me was exemplarary. Hopefully I will remember next game...

 

So the plan is for a final showdown game, in the form of some sort of pitched battle. This will take place next week and I will await Dave's scenario with interest. After this I think the plan is to move onto the Napoleonic period, given the the anniversary of Waterloo is fast approaching and it also happens to be Dave's birthday. Must remember cake...(and March Column rules. Oh and that thing about only moving once and shooting)