Skirmish battle

At the skirmish show we were asked to put on a Sudan game. Everything was left up to Tim. He supplied the figures and the terrain and using the "Men who would be Kings rules by Osprey. I happened to notice they were used by some other clubs as well.

The battle we fought was a combination of two historic battles. With British against the Egyptians. In History Britain won both battles so could the beefed up Egyptians do any better this time?

Graham and Peter had the Egyptians while Gar and myself had the British. (Well at least 1/2 my troops were Indians from the Indian Division!

All photos were taken from my seat so a very limited point of photo view!

 

The Indian Division close to (my best troops)
 headed down the rail track to try to catch the train.
My Other division was to tackle the redoubts.
Gary was to take the redoubts on the far side of the table.

As Graham moved most of his troops up from the town.
I used  the trees as cover and brought fire on the closest redoubt.
Meanwhile as I looked around the show Another club member took control of my forces.
The result was a wild unsupported charge by my cavalry.
I can't say I would have done very much different as the cavalry did wipe out a unit of Egyptian infantry.
It is the kind of rashness  that left them exposed and pinned down under  the Egyptian Infantry riles.
Needless to say they all died in 3 or so turns.

Unable to pull the cavalry back I advanced with all the infantry.
Despite losses I did take a major redoubt and did force the
Egyptians back into a no mans land.
Gary was likewise doing the same and although he lost some marines
I had lost cavalry so was not in any position to feel smug.

He game ended as a slight British Victory.
We had taken 4 of the 6 Redoubts so we were equal on victory points with the Egyptians.
We had failed to take the train and the Egyptians still held 2 redoubts but were not in a fit stare to carry on.
If time and effort and energy had continued, but the show was packing up,
I have no doubt te British would have had a decisive victory. But time was up and we achieved what we achieved in the time.

Conclusion: Hard to finish a game at a show unless it is a skirmish game. But I suspect "Her majesty" would have approved as no awful reports of a British massacre reached "the times!" To make this a very competitive game though the Egyptians should have been given more Omph or at least more reinforcements. But 20/20 hindsight is a marvellous thing.

Peter's flaming pigs!

Yesterday at the club we played "To the strongest" By Simon Miller. A fast play set of "ancients" rules (by "Ancients" I mean Biblical up to late medieval/renaissance!).

WE actually played Romans in Germania. 3 players on each side. The Romans were Graham, bob and Richard, while the German tribesmen were (from left to right) Peter, Tim, and me (on the right wing.) We each had one hidden card which was a special one use tactic! I'll come to tat later.

All terrain and figures were supplied by Graham. Terrain was symmetrical and we had choice of where we positioned the camps. The Roman camp (needless to say) was Fortified while the German camp was not! Oh dear.

Each side had 13 Victory points and it was the first side to take all the Victory points from the other side.

The game looks quits dull and unaspiring but played well.
All Photos taken from my position! (Right wing otf the German Tribes)

Starting positions.
Bob plays his tactic card on me an all my troops
retreat 1 square!

1st turn I manage to get out of the camp
and advance. All the germans likewise advance.
and so do the Romans.

There is a hole in the German line
to which the Roman elite advance
Opps!

First clash is not devastating
The Germans hold all along the line.

We take casualties but still hold firm )
It could be much worse.

While still holding the Fragile Romans
loose heart and with disaterous effects they break at my flank.

I play my tactic card and Flank march my cavalry
Up to this point kept off table and they arrive
behind Richards now faltering line.
The Romans have a praetorian unit on the right wing
but nothing else.
In 1 turn I score 5 Victory points.

Yes my cavalry arrive and while there presence on the boad
 makes the Romans think and ponder
they do not achieve much

The Praetorians were then trapped
with Germans on two flanks.

They kept turning to face the aggressor.
and were played really well.

Over on   the left wing
Peter faced off against Graham a more experienced player.

meanwhile back on the right wing.
I had an aweful run of cards and could not do much.
except threated the camp
but only threaten.

With both Tim and Myself against the Praetorians
Sooner or later we were going to win
Surely we were!
Eventually Tim did!

Peter had a couple of tries to enter the Roman Camp
both tries were unsuccessful
But his troops had for the most part driven the Roman Cavalry off.
It was expensive in troop casualties
but eventually

The last rurns were evenly matched.
Graham played his special card which was an Assassination attempt.
The attempt failed.
But only just.

Time was about up and Peter played his special tactic card.
Flaming warpigs of doom
It was enough to give us the final Victory point and sent a Roman light horse unit running for the hills.

 

Conclusion: I got 5 Victory points all in one turn and the Germans won
quite convincingly in the end. A total of 13 Vp to 6. the rules were good and I can imagine another game in 2 weeks time. But hopefully with some more and better terrain.

Thanks for looking more again soon.

Imperial skies game aar.

Jon's Carrier was not used,
BUT looks so good I had to phonograph it!

Sundy at the club we had an Imperial skies (aeronef) game. Jon a friend of mine from years ago agreed to tear us the rues as he was a playtester before they were published.

Before we started I suggested 2000 points, Jon cut that to 1600 points. When he saw the play area it was cut again to 1000 points. I am glad he did, it made a better  game.

He also introduced us to a pair of house rules. Again these made sense and did improve the game. Rule1: Small ships could activate in a flotilla of three and a single command pip would allow all sips in the flotilla to gain that benefit. Again this made sense as one ship would have seniority and would signal  the other ships.

Rule 2: When firing if you rolled 3 ones in a row then another d6 was rolled. This roll would on an even score be a magazine hit and on an odd score it would represent the gun overheating and cooking of a round in the breach!

We agreed to both of those house rules and play started.

Here is what happened::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Jon's US fleet at 1600 points!

Matt's 1000 point fleet

Jon's 1000 point fleet

Jon's first turn

End of turn 1.
Matt British fleeton the left
and Jon's US fleet on the right

Veiw from the other end. Turn 2 about to start.

The Us Fleet unleashes 2 flotillas of torpedo boats.
They were very successful and
destroyed one of the British Cruisers
in a single turn.
Matt was not happy!

Most of te US fleet has still to get into action.
The Torpedo boats still have "Steel fish" yet to fire.

Devastated Matt continues to push on. But his Big ships are slow.

Disaster trikes the US fleet and a gun overheats
and his aeronef is destroyed by it's own firing>
Remember house rule 2!

The Us Torpedo boats continue to
launch torpedoes claiming a British destroyer next.

Despite Matt losses He does manage to down
some of the torpedo boats and by the end of the turn
is managing to fight back

Turn 2 ends. The Torpedo boats seem to be doing all the work.

From the other end things do not look any better

Slowly very slowly the bigger ships start to get involved.
Jon moves his battleship forward,
but it is still (at this stage) out of 30" range.
(30" is the maximum range of the biggest guns)

It now starts a war of attrition. As both fleets get in range
with their biggest guns.

Turn 3 ends.
The two fleets now start battering each other.

Some ships are now in short or medium range and they
all start to take damage.
Each ship faces several others and each ship
has several targets

it is a case of who will break first.
then the US torpedoes claim another victim.

It becomes a close in ruction and while the US fleet
continues to do well. glimmers of hope are seen from the British.
The salvation comes in two forms.
Firstly the |Torpedo boats have just about run out of Torpedoes
Secondly the British Carrier  is launching wave after wave of fighters

Turn 4 get underway.
The big ships have lots of guns.
Also they are not shy of using them.
The smaller crsers and destroyers fare the worse.

The US big battleship is matched by an equally big british ship.
Worse yet Matt has 2 of them.

I recall being surprised at how many dice
 the US battleship was able to roll.
But Then the British fleet had just as many in return.

Turn 4 ended and turn 5 started.

The British Fleet digs deep
and several of te US larger cruisers are destroyed.
And then Tragedy struck
Fuel was spilt on the deck of the British carrier
and in a single turn it was
consigned to the burning scrap heap.

The game ended.

 Conclusion: It was a fair fight and either side could have one. The US fleet got some early kills due to torpedoes but in the end the British gunnery was up to the task. While the small ships started the game. the big ships ended it. While I was just observing and not playing boh sides played both with élan and fairness. Both admirals can be proud. So who won? Basically it was a draw! Theer was no clear winner. But importantly I got to learn the rules. Which from my point of view was the reason for the game.

Jon has been looking online fore the cheapest and most effective points cost of vessels to counter torpedoes. Matt has been looking online at tenders and planes that are able to carry torpedoes. While I have started to paint "Brunhilde!" but more of that another time.

The game was a success. all players enjoyed it and all players have spoken to me at least about a rematch. (Different fleets though). So all three of us learned something. And while I was going to do the "Taking of Borkum (123)" a straight even match up was better o the day. perhaps next time it will be Borkum. I have a map and have visited the place (twice as much work if you do not speak German!)

So that was Sundays game.