Action! - a CS Grant Scenario

Inspiration for a game can come from unlikely sources, a case in point being a post on the horseandmusketgaming Blog about some of the 'old school' authors. Having acquired quite a few of the titles I missed out on as a kid over the past few years, I dug some books out by Grant, Featherstone and Wesencraft for a general and pleasurable perusal one afternoon. I wasn't looking for anything in particular but I was struck by a scenario in Grant's 'The War Game' that I thought would make for a nice little game with my mdf figures.

Nothing beats an original book, much better than the newer re-prints IMHO.

The scenario in question.

Black Powder II would be the rules of choice this time around, but the scenario is begging to be played with Honours of War and my wooden blocks at some point in the future. As of late the amendments from the Glory Hallelujah! supplement would be used, as I find this give a good game. Rather than a straight re-fight with the forces listed in the original scenario, I thought I would make one side slightly stronger, but use the 'Untested' rule from BPII to give some uncertainty to how good or bad the troops would be. I wasn't sure how well it would work but was keen to give it a try.

Red OOB

4 x Line Infantry

1 x Light Infantry

1 x Artillery

1 x Cavalry

 

Blue OOB 

6 x Line Infantry

2 x Light Infantry

1 x Artillery

2 x Cavalry

(All Blue units apart from the Artillery would be classed as Untested)

Scenario

Both sides represent Advanced Guards and the objective is to control the crossroads by the end of Turn 8.

Layout

The table was set up as best as I could, with the terrain to hand and of course the map as a guide. I added in a few hedges and fields to help the look of the game as well as providing cover here and there.

An overview of the table, which was 3 1/2' x 2 1/2'. Red is on the left, Blue the right.

The Blue Centre and Left Flank.

The Blue Right Flank.

The Red Left Flank.

Turn 1

Red won the die roll and chose to go first, moving both flanks forward, still in column of march with only the light infantry deploying into line on the right flank.

The Blue centre and right flank pushed forward and deployed into line, whilst the left flank stayed in column and moved towards the farmhouse, with the light infantry in the lead. Only the right flank was able to shoot, causing hits and disruption on the Red left flank.

The end of Turn 1.

The left flank marches on with the light infantry in the woods to their left, with the centre deployed into line.

The right flank in line and are able to fire on the Red infantry columns, whilst the light infantry push forward to the wooded hill.

The Red left flank caught in column, with the cavalry providing flank protection.

The Red right flank march forward with the light infantry pushing on to try and take the farmhouse.

A  nice view of the Blue left flank marching forward which, when on the table, are not recognisable as mdf figures.

Turn 2

The Red flanks deploy into line where possible and open fire on the Blue centre. Two units are hit, with one having a Stamina of 1. Somehow this manages to pass its morale saves and stay on the table, as does the other unit.

The Blue right flank fails its command roll, whilst the centre pushes forward and the left flank forms into line, with the light infantry managing to occupy the farmhouse. What shooting there is only manages to cause a few hits. The cavalry who were expected to follow the advance ready to exploit any gaps, blunder and decide to retire the the table edge.

The end of Turn 2.

The Blue light infantry have beaten the Red light infantry to the farmhouse.

The Blue left and centre mass and advance forward.

The Red left flank, with one unit unable to form into line due to being disordered.

The Red right flank formed and ready to meet the Blue mass of infantry advancing their way.

The Blue light infantry on the right flank are ready to surprise the Red left flank.

Turn 3

The Red infantry are now all in line formation and advance here and there to try and form a solid line of defence. The light infantry wisely withdraw into the woods and open fire on their counterparts in the farmhouse, who turn out to have a Stamina of 1. Other shooting sees Blue once again making some good morale saves, but do take some disorder.

The Blue right flank manages to receive its orders and pushes the light infantry forward in the woods ready to enfilade the Red infantry by the hill, whilst a unit or line infantry moves past the hill to try and turn the Red left flank. Shooting from both the line and light infantry sees the Red infantry unit fails its break test and flee the table.

In the centre the infantry and artillery cause one hit and disorder on the Red artillery, whilst the left flank manages passage of lines to advance through the infantry in the centre. The light infantry in the farmhouse hit the Red light infantry in the woods and cause disorder too.

 

The end of Turn 3.

The left flank manage passage of lines as the light infantry shoot into the wood.

The cavalry rejoin the fray so to speak and await an opportunity to advance and exploit.

The Blue right flank.

The light infantry cause mayhem from the wooded hill as line infantry pass by to threaten to turn the red left flank.

The Red infantry break after being caught in a withering cross fire.

The view from the Red positions.

Turn 4

With the Red left flank under pressure, the infantry had little option but to withdraw into the farmhouse to try and keep their position secure, with the cavalry still providing support. The right flank held their line and shooting finally saw the Blue Stamina 1 line infantry unit break.

As the Blue right flank continued to try and turn the Red left flank, elsewhere there was little movement and the cavalry failed their command roll. The shooting was across the line was pretty ineffective, except for the destruction of the Red artillery unit.

 

The Blue line infantry breaks, having only a Stamina of 1.

The stalled Blue left flank and centre.

The Red artillery unit is destroyed.

The blue right flank in position to turn the Red left.

The view from the Red positions.

Turns 5

Having come under fire, the Red cavalry moves back out of range, but still in position to provide support to the farmhouse should it be required. No other units moved and another Turn in which the which the shooting was ineffective as the Blue units once again managed to pass many morale saves.

For Blue the right and left flanks pushed forward as the centre failed their command roll and the cavalry seeing an opportunity, moved right ournd the hill to support the right flank. The shooting managed to cause some hits and disorder, with the former beginning to stack up on some Red units.

 

The end of Turn 5 (note I forgot to change the Turn marker on the table).

The Blue left flank is beginning to put the Red line under pressure.

A view from the Red right flank.

The Blue right flank is beginning to turn the Red left flank.

The Blue cavalry ready to exploit into the Red rear areas.

Turn 6

The Red units held position due to most units being disordered. Their shooting managed to cause some hits and disorder, but again Blue made many morale saves.

The Blue units closed up to within close range where possible as the cavalry moved pass on the right flank, ready to charge their Red opponents. The shooting was much more effective, with combined infantry and artillery fire seeing another Red line infantry unit break and flee the table.

 

The end of Turn 6 (note I got the wrong Turn marker out!)

The light infantry Mexican stand off again. Despite having only a Stamina of 1, the Blue light infantry are still holding on due to poor shooting and good morale saves.

Another Red line infantry unit breaks.

A solid Blue line of infantry.

As the Red infantry breaks, there is only one Red infantry unit against four Blue.

The Red cavalry look nervously on.

The Red infantry stubbornly defend the farmhouse.

A view from the Blue right flank as they have turned the Red left flank.

 

End of Game

With the loss of another line infantry unit, the Red position was untenable and so they quit the field of battle, leaving the Blue advanced guard in control of the crossroads.

Post Game Thoughts

In the end a rather easy vicotry for the Blue team, but early on it could easily have gone the other way. Once again BPII with the GH! supplement rules gave a great solo game and I'm really enjoying playing games with these rules. So as always some post game thoughts in no particular order:

• I think Blue had the die Gods on their side this game as they seemed to get the better of the morale saves when it really mattered. The Red side over all had better shooting, causing more hits, but Blue seemed to be able to save them when it really mattered.
• The cavalry had little to do once again but, as mentioned before, fits in perfectly well with warfare in Europe from the 1840's onwards. This scenario didn't really give them opportunity to exploit, not helped by playing down the table rather than across.
• Overall I thought the scenario was a good one to play and comfortable fitted onto our dining table with room for books, die etc. Scaled up the game was the equivalent of 7' x 5', so plenty big enough. As menioned above, playing across the table would have been better, but my increase in the forces on one side did hamper movement, so I can't complain.
• Using the building rules from the Glory Hallelujah! supplement worked better and the BUA's didn't feel completely impregnable, so I will be using these going forward as they give a better game.
• I enjoyed using the Untested units rule, as two units ended up with Stamina 1 and one with Stamina 2. This adds a nice level of uncertainty to the side with the numerical advantage and had the morale saves not been so good, may have turned the tide in favour of the Red side. Another option is to use the Freshly Raised rule, which I may try in another game, but I think I prefer the Untested rule. 
• The Blue side had about twelve units which as many gamers have found, is a nice level for most games and certainly works really well for solo games. The Blue forces are past this level which gives me options force wise, with the Red forces catching up once I get back to the painting table.
  

So what next, aside from focussing on painting up the Red team for other games? I've some ideas but with our daughter hopefully back from Uni on Monday, I'm not sure how much time i will have as she has some exams to do from home. I have some ideas which I will flesh out in another post soon. Until then keep healthy and stay safe!

Engagement at Dermbach, 1866

Having finished enough of my mdf figures for a game last week, I set about looking around for a scenario with which to blood them. As I had recently finished Mike Embree's book on the campaign in the West and South of Germany during the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, a number of small scale engagements caught my eye. I decided upon the action at Dermbach as the basis for my game as it could easily be played as part of a mini-campaign should I so wish, as the battle had quite a few distinct phases. In the end I went for a one off game as I have yet to paint up enough troops for the campaign part, but hopefully that will be rectified soon.

An excellent book packed full of detail, but would have been helped by better proof reading and editing by Helion. Still nice to see such niche campaigns being brought to print.

 

 

In essence the Prussian troops were advancing down a valley, with a blocking Bavarian force spread along its length, intent on delaying action, subject to orders from on high. So a nice action from which to make a scenario. Both sides were of equal strength, but the defenders had about two thirds off table as reserves, which would arrive at the start of Turn 3.

Prussians Brigade (Red) 

1 x CO

2 x HQ

4 x Line Infantry

1 x Jaegers

1 x Light Cavalry

1 x Artillery

Bavarian Brigade (Blue)

1 x CO

2 x HQ

3 x Line infantry

2 x Line Infantry (Small Units to represent Company level units)

1 x Jaegers

1 x Light Cavalry

1 x Artillery

 

Deployment

The Bavarians deployed about half way up the table, with the Jaegers on the orchards on the left flank, the cavalry on the right and the Company sized units in the village of Glattsbach and in the orchard across the bridge. The artillery was by the bridge to provide support to both Companys.

The Prussians started off at the head of the valley and off table, with tow Line Infantry units either side of the rivers, with the cavalry on the left flank and the Jaegers and artillery on the right.

 

An overview of the table.

Cavalry and infantry in and around Glattsbach.

Jaegers in the orchard.

The Bavarian reserves not yet on table.

The Prussians ready to advance down the valley as ordered.

 

Turn 1

The Prussians advanced swiftly down the valley, with the Jaegers and cavalry moving to protect the flanks, as the infantry made the best use of the roads can cover as they approached Glattsbach.

 

Seeing the Prussian cavalry, the Bavarian cavalry charged only to be beaten and having to retreat, with the Prussians in hot pursuit. The Jaegers advanced and shot at their Prussian counterparts, leaving them with hits and disorder. Shooting from in and around Glattsbach saw one Prussian infantry unit become shaken and disordered. 

The Bavarian cavalry come off worst in the combat.

The end of Turn 1.

The Bavarian cavalry having retreat and still in combat with the Prussians.

The mouse that roars. The Bavarian companys give the Prussians a bloody nose.

The Bavarian Jaegers engage the Prussian Jaegers, whilst the Prussian infantry advance.

 

Turn 2

The Prussian cavalry once again got the better of the Bavarians, who failed their break test and fled the table, leaving the Bavarian right flank hanging in the air somewhat. With the flank open, the Prussian left flank pushed an infantry unit forward to flank the village, whilst the other unit engaged the Bavarians, managing to cause a hit and disorder despite the protection of the sturdy walls. On the right flank the infantry and artillery pushed on, deploying across from the orchard and the Bavarian company there. The Prussian Jaegers caused hits and disorder on their counterparts, something that would continue for the rest of the game.

The Bavarians had little option for manouevre due to many units being disordered,so held firm. Their shooting was poor and only managed one hit on the exposed Prussian infantry.

The Bavarian cavalry breaks.

The end of Turn 2.

The Prussian infantry move to flank the Bavarians in Glattsbach.

The Prussians deploy across the road.

A view of the Prussian lines.

The Jaegers continue their tit-for-tat battle.

 

Turn 3

On the Prussian left flank, the commander managed to rally of one hit from the Shaken unit, as they held their positions but were unable to inflict any damage on the Bavarians in Glattsbach. On the right flank the Prussians pushed forward, shooting at the Bavarian company in the orchard, who were made of stern stuff as they easily passed their break test.

The Bavarian reserves appeared an quickly marched to the sound fo the guns, deploying near the vineyards ready for battle. Sadly the other Bavarians failed their command roll so could only hold their positions and shoot, but at least they caused some hits on the Prussian right flank.

The end of Turn 3.

The Bavarian reserves arrive and deploy into line.

The Bavarians stubbornly hold onto Glattsbach.

The brave Bavarian company somewhat outnumbered, but hoping the reserves can reach them in time.

 

Turn 4

The Prussian cavalry on the left flank moved smartly to cover the ford and thereby threaten the Bavarians lines-of-communication. The Prussians moved one infantry unit into Glattsbach and again failed to cause any hits on the Bavarians there. On the right flank, the weight of Prussian fire told and finally the Bavarian company broke and fled the field of battle.

With their rear threatened, the Bavarians detached one infantry unit to cover the ford, as the the rest of the reserves moved up towards the orchard as the broken unit streamed past. Shooting was once again ineffective other than one hit on the Prussian infantry on their right flank, leaving it shaken.

The end of Turn 4.

The Prussian cavalry face off across the ford with the Bavarian infantry.

The Bavarian reserves advance as the broken infantry flee the orchard.

The Prussians occupy part of Glattsbach.

The Bavarian artillery manage to cause one Prussian infantry unit to become shaken.

 

Turn 5

The Prussian left flank failed to receive their orders, leaving the cavalry exposed to Bavarian fire. The Prussians in and around Glattsbach caused one hit on the Bavarian artillery and managed to disorder the Bavarian infantry too. On the right flank, the infantry pushed into the orchard but other units failed to recive their orders.

The Bavarian reserves carried on advancing and pushing past the orchard, with their shooting causing the Prussian infantry their to become disordered. The artillery managed to cause a Prussian infantry unit to fail their break test and flee the table, leaving the Bavarians with a distinct advantage on this flank. The Bavarians guarding the ford shot at the Prussian cavalry who became shaken as a result.

The end of Turn 5.

The action at the ford.

The Bavarian reserves in action at the orchard.

The Bavarian artillery fire leads to the Prussian infantry breaking.

The tussle for Glattsbach continues.

 

Turn 6

The Prussian infantry in Glattsbach charged out and overan the Bavarian artillery and then moved forward to threaten the Bavarian company in the village. Fire from the front again only managed to disorder the Bavarians. Elsewhere disorder and failed commands led to the Prussians holding their positions, with their shooting causing no appreciable damage.

The game was up for the surrounded Bavarisn in Glattsbach who had no choice but to surrender. The Prussian cavalry were forced back from the ford despite passing their break test and the Bavarian reserves poured fire into the Prussians in the orchard, who simply passed all of their morale save!

The Prussians overrun the Bavarian artillery...

... and move into another part of the viallge to overwhelm the Bavarians there.

The end of Turn 6.

The cavalry forced to retreat.

The beleagured Bavarians.

The Prussian left flank.

The battle for the orchard.

A view of the action either side of the bridge.

 

End of the Game

With the Prussians in control of Glattsbach and the Bavarians dominant on the other side of the river, I called the game a draw. Without artillery support the Bavarians had little chance to re-take the village, likewise the Prussians had little to stop the Bavarian left.

Post Game Thoughts

It was nice to have a game after quite some time and to be honest I was a bit rusty with the rules, so this was the second time I played this action, as the first time I had to keep stopping to remind myself of the rules. As always a few thoughts on the game etc:

• Using a historical action, albeit a small one, worked well and provided something a bit different from your normal game. The book is a treasure trove of info but certainly not the lightest of reads, but the second time around I find it easier going. This sort of action could translate easily to a game with Rebels & Patriots or Sharp Practice 2. Certainly it's something I might try in the future.
• Using the Small Units rule from BPII worked well to reflect the small Company sized deployments common in this campaign. Tiny Units could work as well but would need careful consideration with their use.
• Stone BUA's are very tough nuts to crack in these rules and if not used carefully, could certainly skew the game too much. I thought they were OK here but it was tough as you can see for the Prussians to take the village.
• The Jaegers on both sides spent most of the game in a Mexican stand off, with neither side being able to gain an advantage. If one had then if could have given a significant advantage to their side.
• I thought the mdf figures looked great when on the table and at arms length it was hard to tell they were 2D miniatures. The gloss lacquer certainly helped them pop when on the table. More are in the paint queue and hopefully will make their debut soon.
• The cavalry had little to do once they had overcome their opponents, but then this reflects the historical reality of cavalry in this period. Anyone who has read von Studnitz's bookwill now this. In a campaign setting they have more use due to their threatening lines-of-communication etc.
• I may add some more detail for the troops types, as so far I have kept everything rather vanilla, but it works well for these sort of games. I don't want to add too much chrome but a little bit might be nice.

So there we have it, another solo game under lockdown. It certainly looks like it won't be sometime until next year before there is even the remotest chance of some FtF gaming as the cases in here in Bristol are pretty high and only continuing to climb. I'm sure like most other gamers I chafing at the bit to have some games with friends, but patience is a virtue and I'll just have to wait.

 

So until next time stay safe and keep healthy.

 

Another year older, another year wiser...?

A few days ago it was my birthday and for once I was stuck as to what to buy as a treat for myself. Normally I have a list of bits'n'bobs that I add to over the months for various existing projects or possible new ones, so when the time comes I can place my orders and then give to the family to wrap up as a 'surprise'. But not this year. I think the whole Covid-19 situation, the second lockdown and a general feeling of ennui are to blame, as I can't think of any other reason. Speaking to friends and family on the 'big day' made me realise that I'm not alone in this feeling.

 

My normal purchases are toys for the lead mountain, books, new rules and any other items that catch my eye. However over the past 6 months or so of lockdown I've come to the realisation that I have more than enough toys as it is, given my speed of painting and the fact that in general I only game a few periods and anything outside of these are highly unlikely to see the light of day. It's been a long time in coming but my recent mdf figures have given me some clarity of thought, which is good.

However I was at least able to come up with some good books that ticked all the boxes for me and can be seen below:

 

 

 

The 'Battle Cry for Freedom' came about due to a desire to learn an awful lot more about the ACW and the history leading up to it, as to be honest I have only a passing school boy level of knowledge about this period. My interest has been picqued by some great games of Black Powder II with Dave prior to lockdown, alongside reading the superb books by Stephen W Sears on the battles in the East. These have given me a much greater understanding of why the battles turned out as they did, which I find invaluable as a wargamer.

Max Hastings is one of my favourite authors who presents history in an interesting and readable manner, interspersing the text with little gems of information and detail. Again my knowledge of the build up to WWI is at the same level as above. The opening battles are the most interesting for me, whether on the Western or Eastern Front. The campaigns in Africa and the Middle East are on my to read list, but not for some time yet.

The 'Case White' book I have yet to receive but will help flesh out my library on the Polish campaign and the early War years in general. The whole '39 - '41 period up to and including Operation Barbarossa are the most interesting for me now, as the offer up some many game and campaign possibilities alongside a whole host of 'what if's?'. Hopefully this will spur me on to carry on painting my Early War Germans, French and Poles, but don't hold your breath!

So in the end I was able to find some nice treats for myself, which was good, given the above. Let's hope Xmas proves to be better for all concerned but given the case numbers here in Bristol, I think we will still be in full lockdown when the day comes. At least the family will be together and one can always hope for the best! So until next time, stay safe and keep well.

 

First MDF Brigade

Progress on my MDF forces has been somewhat patchy, pretty much going in fits and starts over the past week or so. Frankly I had forgotten how long it takes (well me at least) to paint even a modest sized force, talk less of an army or two. Well at least I managed to finish one mixed Brigade for the Blue team a few days ago and managed to take a few pics this morning which can be seen below:

 

The Mixed Brigade with its 4 Battalion structure and supporting Artillery, Light Infantry and Cavalry.

The Line Infantry with their simple flags and blue colour scheme, with red accents to make them pop a bit on the table.

The C-in-C with his ADC's.

The Artillery with their red carriages, again to make them pop on the table.

The Light Infantry.

The Cavalry.

 

When I've been in the mood they have been a joy to paint, once I got used to painting laser cut MDF, as it can be rather 'rough' in places and flat 6/8mm figures. With a technique sorted they then became pretty quick to do. In the end I went with a gloss lacquer to help the colours stand out more, as a matt or satin finish dulls the end result too much for these IMHO. The red accents across all the figures was something that I realised I needed as a mass of blue at this scale looks too dull and am happy with the result.

I decided to go with simple geometric flag designs as I couldn't find anything that grabbed on the historical front that worked for me when scaled down. The detail simply disappeared. I'm happy with the outcome and enjoyed making and painting them. It's something I've been meaning to do for years and this seemed the perfect opportunity.

So now it's just the small matter of painting the opposition so I can get some games in, followed by all the other Brigades. I can see why my lead mountain doesn't get smaller given how long it's taken me to paint these!

On a general wargaming front, I simply haven't felt in the mood for a game, which is unusual. I think the very wet October (5th wettest on record), combined with painting these figures and now Lockdown 2.0 , has taken the desire away from me. At least I have enjoyed seeing other Bloggers AAR etc, so have been playing vicariously as it were.

Anwya, enough waffle from me and I should get on with some painting, but the weather is for once dry and sunny so I'm heading off outside! So until next time...

a