This game will be dedicated to Stuart Asquith whose writing persuaded me to allow myself to indulge in playing wargames with old style shiny 54mm Toy Soldiers. The scenario is Scenario 1: "The Village" from Stuart Asquith's The Partizan Press Guide to Solo Wargaming.
I have played this game maybe a dozen times in various periods over the last ten years and I JUST DISCOVERED that I've been missing (at least for the last few years) a key terrain feature. ALL of the woods are IMPASSIBLE to all troop types. What? No sending light infantry through the woods to snipe at the enemy? I once saw a player send a pike block through the woods (didn't work too well for him as I recall).
But its time to finally add that Grey cavalry regiment to the Rebel army. These are the sweep...errrr the picked few of the other regiments from the Britain's Light Brigade that I bought from Stuart 20 years ago. One ex-Hussar, one ex-Lancer and 3 Light Dragoons.
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| Stuart's Greys begin to train together while awaiting their new uniforms. |
Once the glue and putty is well set and they have been repainted, the battle will commence.
Impassible woods rarely are in real life - just ask the French in 1940!
ReplyDeleteTrue. I'm assuming they are swampy as well as having dense underbrush. Individual woodsmen could wade and cut their way through and find animal paths but formed bodies of troops would have a hard time. A couple of such patches stopped US troop movements in 1813 and I've been defeated by some suvh patches as an individual.
DeleteLooking forward to seeing them in their smart new uniforms!
ReplyDeleteSimple uniforms at least. Then we'll see how they fight!
DeleteExcellent choice of scenario. I did catch the impassible woods, I’ve always assumed very rocky ground, or that Stuart had bathtubbed the approach marches to fit onto a regular table size, and therefore the two approaches are further apart than in apparent on table.
ReplyDeleteI have caught the one near the entry points before (then forgot) and assumed the same, room to move on. However I don't remember ever making the other 2 impassible (though I might have) The only reason I can think why is that the side with no fast troops is closest to the exit while the side with light (faster) troops has a greater distance and no benefit from the woods.
DeleteI think if you want a piece of impassable terrain on the table - woods are as pretty a way as any to get that job done. Nice to glimpse that page, thanks, look forward to the encounter.
ReplyDeleteYou are right Norm, I used to like the 2d mountains that The Major General Tremorden Rederring Colonial wargaming page used but have never been able to get myself to try them. Woods are easy and more familiar to me. (I just never thought of having impassible ones before)
DeleteReally looking forward to seeing the new figures and following the game, have you played Big Wars much before?
ReplyDeleteNo, I did try them when they arrived, a replay of a not-Zulus vs various an army of various mid 19thC British Toy Soldiers using 3 separate rules: Big Wars, TSATF and With MacDuff. I might or might not have tried them again but don't remember. I do take them out and reread them periodically.
DeleteWe will be playing Big Wars next Monday 18th in memory of Stuart - haven't played them before. Still deciding on a scenario - like the idea of using one of Stuart's.
ReplyDeleteJust seemed right. I have played them all at least once, some more. The scenarios are pretty flexible and solid.
DeleteFabulous Ross. A fine touch to do a game dedicated to the memory of Stuart Asquith.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Hopefully the game will live up to the intent.
DeleteWonderful figures - looking forward to seeing them painted up.
ReplyDeleteI was literally just looking at this scenario in the Military Modeling edition of Guide to Solo Wargaming before I saw your post - the layout is the same but the map art is different, I guess Partizan thought it needed an update? As I'd probably do WWII, I have a hard time thinking infantry couldn't pass through the woods - I think making them swamp might make more sense in that case.
I wasn't aware the scenarios had previously publshed but I'm not surprised.
DeleteLooks like a nice game for a tribute to Stuart. Looking forward to reading about it.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to playing. Nearly have the new cavalry trained.
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