Carry on follow that March or ten tall legionares (?)

Right this gets me back for now to posting on my normal ever other day. Bet that does not last long. Unfortunately I will not be able to do a detailed AAR from Sundays Club game. But I will talk though it as best I am able.

All figures are IT miniatures 20mm ( http://www.frontlinewargaming.co.uk/) All the terrain is scratch built by me and the rules were an adapted "Songs of Blades and heroes!"

We played "Songs of Blades and heroes" BUT not a fantasy version a Riff war version. Firstly I did muck up the rules a little but not enough to ruin the game and the next time they will be better. That is a promise.

A total of three games were played. (I was only in the last game as I took over from Richard (aka Dick)).

All the photos are from Battle 2.

Battle 1>

Game one was that there had been a sandstorm and the baggage mules had run off. Both sides wanted them. The FFL to resupply the fort and the Riff to have some loot and also to deny the fort any supplies. I was ref. Bob and Peter played the Riffs and Dick and Tim the French Foreign Legion (FFL). The games started slowly with all players taking single activations and getting used to the rules which no one had played before.

 However things soon changed. Each board had 2 pack mules so a draw was possible. Peter quickly nabbed on of the mules and took it off table thus denying the possibility of a FFL victory at his side of the board. But 3 mules in total remained so still everything to play for. Tim (FFL) tried to circle around Peter (riff). But realistically too little and far to late. His troops  just took too long to circle around a building complex.

At the other end of the table Bob (riff) again slow to get going but using the long move of his camel mounted troops and managed to steal both of the pack mules. Dick (ffl) did his best and killed enough Riffs to get morale checks working. (WHICH I mucked up by having instant removal rather than retreats) However with all 4 baggage mules in Riff hands the fort was going to have a tough time in the next few weeks being both short of food and ammo!

Battle 2>

The guys decided on one big battle rather than squabbling over mules and supplies. Both Riff players decided to concentrate on Tim (FFL) and leave Dick (FFL) mostly alone. Yes I know Peter did send a small force to hold the FFL under Dick up.

The FFL did considerably better this time. Only Tim took any casualties and the FFL inflicted almost total wipe out on the riffs. Bob and peter did put Tim on a morale check at the same period BOTH of them were also taking morale (Which I am doing right at last). As Tim had about  2 times as many attacking him he was faced with few options .  He defended well with even the Arab guide fending of a savage Riff not once but twice. If he had not defended so well it could easily have been very different..But the writing was in the sand and the Riff lost decisively

Battle 3>

I played the Riffs against Peter (now FFL) and we went for speed back to the baggage column and pack mules. Knowing now how the rules work. I charged a single riff up the road and grabbed a mule and mad it of the table by turn 2. Before Peter got most of his troops on the table. peter tried the same thing and sprinted legionaries after the remaining mule on his table. They made it forcing me to send my leader (hero) straight into a melee with them.

A rugby scrum of a melee resulted with each side sending in more and more troops. Until neither of us had any left to commit and all the troops were in one big brawl.

At the other side of the table Bob (Now FFL) grabbed a mule and shot Tim to pieces. Tim was now lacking sufficient troop strength and despite some heroic last actions te FFL managed to not only secure a second mule but with a mixture of sword and gun fire manage to whittle the FFL down to a few men.

While we did not finish I did offer Peter a draw. Being a gentleman Peter did admit he was not in a position to win and that eventually I would win. (I had not lost a man and Peter had lost 3 at this stage This gave me weight of numbers and I was almost able to have 2 men attacking each one of his).

So the Results were

Bob 2 wins     1 loss
Clint 1 Win. (Only played 1 game)
Richard  1 Win     1 loss
Tim 1 win and 2 losses.
Peter 1 win and 2 losses.

Riffs 3 wins FFL 3 wins.

That being the case it was an even day with the winners being the ones who had the most fun.
Just as it should be!

I feel we will play again and that Tim will make a few more FFL figures He has admitted to having started a Hotchkiss and crew (Machine gun), Like wise I have enquired about FFL in shirt sleeves and FFL with Lewis guns. I doubt anything will come of the later 2 ideas (yeah my ideas) but the Hotchkiss is a possibility.

Maybe I will even make a FFL fort. (No not the airfix "Fort Sarhara" as that would not be large enough). Only time will tell. Whatever it was a fun day and I really did like how the rules worked and also how the terrain looked.

My position in the final battle
at the end of play
although I did not win and it could have turned around
Peter refused a draw and clained I had won

To me the the last battle was undecided.

Thanks for reading and more again soon. maybe even a steam tank. 1 Have now been started.