OHW Scenario 20: Fighting Retreat

With the Cotswold Wargames Day fast approaching, I thought I'd better get a game or two in to re-familiarise myself with Black Powder II, the rules I'm planning on using for the day. Looking back at my AAR's, and its been about year, maybe a tad more, since they featured in a game! Keeping things simple and an excuse to use my new river sections, I turned to the ever useful One Hour Wargames scenarios to come up with a game. No AI used here I tell you!

Scenario Details

The Blue Army has been raiding Red territory and are making a hasty run for safety to their side of the border, with the Red Army in hot pursuit.

OOB Blue

2 x Brigades, each with: 3 x Line Infantry, 1 x Light Infantry, 1 x Artillery.

OOB Red

2 x Brigades, each with: 3 x Line Infantry, 1 x Light Infantry, 1 x Artillery.

1 x Brigade: 2 x Mounted Infantry, 1 x Horse Artillery.

The Game

The objective was for the Blue Army to reach the safety of a hill, that for Red to take the hill. Simples.

The Blue Army starts on the table on the right hand side, next to but not across the river. The Red Army will arrive at the start of Turn 2 from the right hand table edge.

The Blue Army right flank.

The Blue Army left flank.

The hill that is the objective.

A fuzzy shot of the Red Army ready to roll.

Some gratuitous shots of the new river sections!

Both Blue columns make smart moves across the river on Turn 1.

The end of Turn 2. The Blue Army has already put good distance between itself and the pursuing Red Army.

The Blue Army is closing in on the hill.

The Red Army left flank manages to reach the river as the last of the Blue Army cross the bridge.

The Blue Army left flank column again puts good distance between itself and the enemy, although the Red Mounted Infantry cross the ford and threaten their rear.

The end of Turn 4. The Blue Light Infantry have managed to hold all attempts by the Red Army to push them back from the bridge and the ford. This has allowed the Blue Army to form a very good defensive position on and around the hill.

The Blue right flank.

The Blue centre on the hill.

The Blue left flank.

Outnumbered 3:1, the Blue Light Infantry on the left flank stubbornly refuse to budge.

A similar situation on the Blue right flank.

The end of Turn 6. The Red Army has only managed to force the Blue left flank Light Infantry back 'whipped', other than that, Blue has just waited in a strong defensive position as they have no need to move nor fire.

The Red Army left flank have been unable to force a crossing over the bridge.

The Red Army right flank finally has the way clear to cross the ford.

The gallant and brave Blue Light Infantry are finally forced back 'whipped'.

A view of the Blue Army's defensive postions on and around the hill.

Little Round Top.

End of Game

With 6 Turns of the usual 8 Turns already gone, it was obvious that the Red Army could not move and contest the hill before time ran out, so I called the game as a comprehensive Blue victory.

Post Game Thoughts

Well that was a funny old game to say the least and an unsatisfying one too! Why? Well some thoughts below:

• Despite not having played BPII for a year or more, it all came back to me, with the QRS being used for most of the game and with occasional reference to the main rulebook, which has a brillaint contents page, which makes this a very easy thing to do.
• Originally I had the Mounted Infantry as 2 x Cavalry and 2 x Light Infantry, but after the first moves, it was obvious that I needed to amend this due to the rapid moves by the Blue troops. This was because I use the Glory Hallelujah! amendments that means if a unit moves more than once, it cannot fire. Also I feel it unrealistic for say the Red Cavalry to suddenly arrive on the table and charge the Blue Light Infantry in the rear.
• Aside from some excellent command rolls by the Blue Army, the +2 to the command rolls when in march column and on the road, meant that short of rolling and 11 or 12 on 2D6, the Blue Army could easily cross the river and form a defensive position, making it very hard for Red to then have a realistic chance of crossing the river to contest the hill.
• If I was to play this again, I would add a movement penalty for the ford and the wooden bridge, as well as limiting the march column bonus to a +1 at best. This would still allow the Blue Army a chance to steal a march on the Red Army, but not too much as to spoil the game.
• Both Blue Light Infantry units were simply stubborn and outstanding all game. On the right flank, I was somewhat reminded of the lone Viking at Stamford Bridge holding up the Saxon Army!
• All of the above should be considered alongside the fact that the Red dice rolling for shooting was truly shocking, barely causing any hits and most of those were saved until Turn 6. Even if the shooting had been better, I still think it a tough ask for the Red Army in this scenario.
• To make it a more even or enjoyable game, I think there needs to be a better ratio for Red vs Blue than the 3:2 in the current scenario. That and maybe some tweaks on Reds arrival or maybe to make the river fordable all over, but at a larger movement penalty that for at the ford or the bridge. Plenty to ponder for sure.

What Next?

Ideally I would like to get another game or two in before the CWD to really get familiar with the rules again. Figure wise I am painting more units, but rather slowly, as I don't want to force it and not enjoy the experience. At least I have enough units for the show. Scenario wise still rather up in the air, but at least the fluff is all roughed out.

Thanks for getting this far after a rather bloodless and inactive AAR. As always any comments greatly appreciated!

TTFN.

OHW Scenario 16: Advance Guard

Feeling rather pooped after a long drive back from North Norfolk and the weather rather iffy this morning, I decided to get in another OHW scenario game from Neil Thomas' book. The next one looked pretty easy to set up, with the objective essentially being to control a BUA, with both sides sending an advanced guard from their main force to do so. Force wise it was the same for both sides, with a brigade of mounted infantry with horse artillery and two brigades of infantry with foot artillery. Simples!

Both sides had to stick to the road until the BUA became occupied, which rather chimed in with my current reading of the Shenandoah Campaign of 1862, especially the battle of Kernstown where wet weather severely hampered movement off the turnpike. Then it was whoever was in control of the BUA at the end or in a better postion after 8 turns would be the winner. 

So without further ado...

An overview of the table with the BUA smack bang in the centre. Red arrive from the left, Blue the right.

A reasonable sized BUA, with all buildings by Leven Miniatures.

The Red mounted infantry on the road.

Likewise for Blue.

The end of Turn 1. Blue made a steady start but Red were quick off the mark and managed to get units into the town and their horse artillery deployed.

Red get the best start possible.

The end of Turn 2. Blue were spurred on by Red and they too occupied part of the town, whilst their infantry brigades began to arrive. The Red infantry could not emulate their mounted counterparts and were slow off the mark compared to Blue. Both sides had some shooting but to little effect due to being in the town.

The Blue infantry brigade move off to the left to try and flank the town.

Red can only stick to the road as they are too slow to do much else.

The Red horse artillery come under fire from their Blue counterparts.

The end of Turn 3. Blue's left flank deploys into line and pushes forward their light infantry as the other infantry brigade moves slowly forward. Red respond as best they can, pushing infantry brigades left and right. Once again the rattle of musketry can be heard but it has little effect.

The Blue left flank has deployed for action.

Red moves troops to their right flank in response.

The Red left flank advances but cannot yet deploy into line.

Ineffective shooting in the town continues.

The end of Turn 4. Both sides continue to contest the town whilst on the flanks the infantry move up and deploy as best they can. The shooting intensifies but does not have enough effect to tip the balance in favour of either side.

Blue infantry move off to their right flank.

The Blue infantry on the left flank move sideways to try and gain space for their artillery.

The Red light infantry on their right flank makes a disordered retreat to make space for fresh line infantry.

The infantry on Red's left flank push forward and cause the Blue mounted infantry in the white clapboard building some discomfort, but they manage to hold on due to being in a BUA.

The end of Turn 5. Both sides make tentative moves as the volume of fire increases, with units becoming shaken or disordered, sometimes both. Red manages to make some important rally rolls to keep some units safe for the meantime, but poor shooting and good morale saves are keeping things pretty even at present.

The Red right flank tries to move to bring numbers to bear.

The same on Red's left flank.

The Blue mounted infantry hang on for dear life!

The end of Turn 6. With both flanks now deployed in line, the intensity of the firefight increases, but neither side can gain fire ascendency at the moment. Yet again the town allows units to hand on combined with good morale saves.

The Red right flank extends its line to meet the threat from Blue.

The Blue mounted infantry simply refuse to be shifted from the clapboard farmhouse.

The end of Turn 7. As both sides try to manouevre to bring more guns to bear, the Red lose a light infantry units 'whipped', but Blue lost the horse artillery and the stubborn mounted infantry 'whipped' too.

Blue suddenly see two units retreat 'whipped'.

The Red right flank.

The Red left flank with the white clapboard farmhouse now vacant.

The unit of 'whipped' light infantry.

The Red horse artillery finally see of their opponents along the road.

The end of Turn 8. Blue quickly send in light infantry into the vacant farmhouse, but movement is limited otherwise. In the firefight Red finally gain the upper hand at the end, sending an infantry unit and mounted infantry unit back 'whipped'.

Blue see a line infantry unit 'whipped'.

Another Blue unit joins the 'Mr Whippy defensive line'.

The Blue right flank is under pressure too.

The Red right flank is under pressure too.

Red begin to gain control of the town.

A final view of the Red left flank.

End of the Game

At the end with both sides rather beaten and battered, Blue were in a worse position, having four units against one 'whipped', with importantly both units of mounted infantry and the horse artillery amongst them. So at the end a minor victory to Red, or at least that's how I saw it.

Post Game Thoughts

Well another nice game played out in about 2 hours and one that went down to the wire for once. Very different to the previous ones, but good for that as it allowed me to see how a decent BUA affected play or not. So as always some post game thoughts:

• I know it's been mentioned many a time, but BUA's in BPII are rather tough propositions for the Attacker, even with the tweaks from the GH! supplement. This game certainly proved that point! One Blue mounted infantry unit would have retreated two times before they finally did, due to simply being in a BUA. No toing and froing to tussle for control here, just a bloody and protracted slugging match.
• So going forward I think I will allow units to retreat from the BUA to give more momentum to the game and give sides a chance to take control back etc. Naturally this will need playtesting but I hope it will feel more 'right' for the sort of open BUA's that would feature in the sort of games I play.
• I'm glad I did make the BUA's bigger as if it had been just two bases either side of the road, Red would have had the upper hand from the off and with regards to the above, have been damned hard to shift. Not a fun prospect for a game I would venture.
• Neither sides shooting was good, with plenty of morale saves keeping units in the game. The Artillery of both sides was particularly poor, having little impact on the game.
• Red managed to make use of some crucial Rally rolls that helped keep control of part of the town and some units from being 'whipped'.
• I wasn't sure of how to class visibility in the BUA, so I just used that of woods, which seemed to work OK, as I thought dense woods would be too much.

What Next?

Well at the weekend I will be off to Chris Gregg's for the battle of Abensberg action, which should be fun as always, but a challenge for the Austrians. I will be playing on Day Two, so will have no idea of what position I might find my command in. Naturally a report will follow in due course.

Games wise I think a break from BPII is due and have some ideas for a BKCII game in its place. Alongside this I need to get back to the painting table to get my CWD forces ready in plenty of time. Then there is the small matter of finalising and playtesting the scenario.

So I hope you enjoyed the AAR and it would be lovely to receive a comment or two!

TTFN.