Back To The Present

Well, that was worth testing but I think I've gotten into a comfy pattern and after a few turns, I decided to go back where I had been and make a few minor tweaks.  That seemed to make a difference, especially on getting in a full game with a good chance of a clear victory for one side and within the sort of time I can usually muster, but not being tooo quick.

By the book, the game ended up a draw since both sides had troops on the hill, even though Blue was on the edge of breaking.

A cavalry clash was indecisive and the sun was setting.

Time to clear the table and start looking for another scenario..

Conclusion

 Quick and easy, but engaging. That was my goal and the first test game did that. The question is, "Will it do it again?"

Mid-game: The French skirmishers and artillery are inflicting more hits than they receive but they are a long way from taking possession of the village unless some of the infantry can seize their objective and then come to finish the job. The British commander had been holding his Dragoons in reserve and decided to send them to do what they can on the far side.  

On the hill, the French infantry are taking heavy fire from the Coalition infantry and artillery but they are making steady progress.  As they push back the enemy and start climbing the hill, the Dragoons suddenly appear behind them! 

Despite a heavy fire, the Dragoons break the right wing French infantry. However, on the hill, the deadly fire of the French silences the guns. The Brigadier rides over to rally them but is shot. Suddenly the hill is threatened.  

The cavalry, without orders, rest their tired horses and watch the battle on the hill from afar. 
(How many 1's can one roll in a row?)

The French infantry are tired but face the allies. However, the firefight does not last long and the French are suddenly running.

Meanwhile, back at the village, both sides have also taken heavy casualties but when the word comes of the defeat on the hill, the gunners limber up and retreat while the skirmishers cover their withdrawal. 

So? Conclusion? 

Basically, this game met the criteria that I set out.  There were the usual interruptions and splitting the game into two sessions but the game was enjoyable with engaging action and decisions to make. The setup, play to the finish and and the cleanup, added up to about 3 hours.  The 4 stands of 4 infantry were definitely what I wanted and I can't exactly remember why I switched to 3 bases of 6, probably it was to get the flag in the centre and to shorten the foot print of a battalion so I could field more battalions on my 5'x5' table. 

Anyway, that's just one game, and more games are needed before I reach a "final" decision. So, I'll just have to get some more games on the table!  

Ready To Go

 Practice helps! The armies are good to go. There are more battalions, squadrons and batteries to be cast, converted, and painted, but the lads are ready to go as are the stand based rules. 

 Now to settle on a scenario and see how it goes.

Sunday Morning Early Edition.

 Its been a good but busy day, which means this game will be finished tomorrow. 

About 1/3 of the turns played. 

to be continued,,,,,

A Little Canard

Life is returning to normal. For the first time since early March, I have played a game for the pleasure of it, rather than as preparation for running my 2 games at Huzzah!. More than that, the game was once again in my own comfy, (sighhh, I hate this next word but......) "Imagination" setting of Atlantica. 

The first shots have been fired as the armies press forward, eager for the fray.

The scenario was a minor adaption of a War of 1812 scenario based on the first action in the War of 1812 which took place along the Canard River. It was published as "From Battle To Battlegame" in Issue 5 of Battlegames Magazine. 

***Update, apparently issues of Battlegames are now available from https://payhip.com/b/7wO1

Don't know anything about payhip so you're on your own there.

I was going to point interested readers to The Wargames Vault which is the official source for pdf versions of Battlegames, but I see that that issue is sold out 'unavailable'. (No I don't think it was my article on designing scenarios that drew the crowds, Jim Purky's magnificent Sudan pictures in his article on Colonial wargaming in the Peter Gilder style is a more likely draw.) In essence, it is the start of a campaign (a war really) and Blue has launched a surprise attack to capture a bridge over a marshy stream in the woods so that an invasion can begin. (See Duck River Crossing in the Newport News for an 1870's 54mm version of the scenario.)

The Oberhilse forces seem stalled as Faraway's troops rush forward and begin to press their enemy.

The scenario was designed as a low level action with companies as units. (At the time I wrote it, I was still using MacDuff To The Frontier for my 1812 games.) The forces I had at hand had been designed to be able to used either as multi-stand 'battalions' for battles, or single stand 'companies' for small actions, but while both the rules and the scenario, and my troops were all  designed to handle either, I was in the mood to see the refurbished battalions take the field.

With a loud "Huzzah" the redcoats rush forward then hesitated and began firing. (sigh..) The Light Dragoons charged gallantly forward but ran into a field of gopher holes (their story) and rolling six dice for 4 or better, scored 2 hits. (2 !? Seriously?) They needed to inflict more hits AND 1 hit per enemy stand to win a melee, so they rallied back for another try. The Royal Fusiliers had their bayonets on by then though and finished the job on the next turn

During the games down at Huzzah!, I noticed that the play sequence which I thought would be simpler and more straight forward, was actually confusing since it went against ingrained instincts and habits. So I have changed back to what this game confirmed as a simpler, more instinctive, more effective and possible more dramatic sequence. It is now a traditional sequence (ie I first encountered it in Featherstone's Battle with Model Soldiers.) in which the player with initiative moves first then the other player moves, then both shoot, then both resolve charges. Worked like a charm and was faster to boot

The Queen's Light Dragoons, seeing the enemy dragoons about to charge the two companies of the Brooklyn Fusiliers, ambled slowly forward for a better view....(sighhh) General Wavey waved his hat as is his wont, and charged forward at the head of the Red Dragoons. The tired Fusiliers, short on ammo after a lengthy firefight (that's what the survivors told me anyway), fired high then ran, being cut down by the pursuing dragoons (6 dice for 5's plus giving 4 or 5 hits on the already worn unit.....OUCH! The pursuit scattered the remainder.) The Faraway Trading Company Inspector who was acting 2ic, foolishly tried to intervene and was captured....

So, on turn 14, I was predicting a Faraway victory, but had to adjust that to an indecisive draw with both armies rather battered and incapable of further offensive action. 

Once my table is cleaned off and dressed up, ready for a brawl, I'm always reluctant to pack it up after just one game. so its away with the musket and bayonet and in with ........the bow and the sword and the plastic fists of the raiders.

Sighhhh, how did I come to this....

 

One Hump or Two?

Oh! Two please, but could you put them on different camels?

The newly expanded camel corps. Not having time to order more camels I demoted the mysterious Turkish camel artillery to a normal mountain battery using mules. 

When I decided that a multiplayer, constantly growing, game using single figures and my current 'quickplay' version of MacDuff, would never get finished in the time available, I switched back to a set of 'fast play', Morschauser inspired' rules where each 'stand' is essentially a 'unit'.  Worked fine for a game that lasted about an hour, and a  game would probably have lasted longer if I'd painted up enough figures to double the number of stands. That wasn't going to happen.

A series of failed experiments of various sorts followed until finally, while trying yet another approach, it occurred to me to that I was basically writing yet another variation of my Hearts of Tin rules. (duuuhh). They were designed for this sort of thing so I typed up a One Page version using units of 3 stands for infantry battalions, 2 stands for cavalry, camel corps (relax, I only have one), local militia, and light infantry, 1 stand per battery (I don't have time now to cast up and paint double the number of guns and crews.) 

So far the test game is finally achieving my goals. Players generally can act the commander and have control over their units, but not complete control. Combat is quick but units are not so brittle as to disappear on one good or bad die roll. Hits will be tracked by unit rather than stands which reduces the hit tracking dice requirement by more than 1/2.  The players in these scenarios should have enough of a force to keep them in the game unless they are determinedly suicidal, but not so many that a decision can't be reached within the time limits.........I hope.........

The current version can be read or downloaded here: A Whiff of Dice.  

Right, I still need to finish another units of  Mamlukes, and...... 2 weeks and a bit to go!