One of our local Wargaming clubs, Hutt Miniature Wargames Club runs an annual convention which we have been attending and putting on a one day Demonstration Game. Last year was Waterloo, this year was ‘The Wilderness’.

There were 170 gamers in a number of competitions over the 2 day weekend which was spread over 2 venues. We were in the main venue which has parking, an onsite cafe ….but only 2 toilets!

So there were 11 of us playing this year, 6 Union and 5 Confederate players. Each player had 2 brigades of 5 regiments each, 1 battery, 2 brigade commanders and a division commander. Each division commander had personalized attributes to add a bit of flavor.

The game was on a 18ish foot long x 6 foot wide table and as one would expect for the Wilderness…there were a lot of trees. We had some designated clear areas where artillery could be deployed…somehow that morphed into you could unlimber and use guns on the tracks and shoot into the woods…..GGGRRRR. The Confederate side deployed up to 24 inches in from the table edge while the Union were marching on from their table edge. The Union had first move.

The Commands of Grant and Lee meet!

We played the brigades in woods had to order units individually to move, while a brigade order could be used if in open terrain. Below a Union regt blundered(rolled 2 D6 and then a further D6) and advanced in column of march. Sadly the Rebel troops when charging did not quite make it into contact!

Down one end of the table Sheridan(Rebel) and Keith (Union) both advanced quickly and by turn 2 they were already charging into combat.

Below we have the start of an endless number of combats between these 2 all day.

Grant advancing on Lee with Confederate guns in the distance, left behind in the open ground as they cannot move into the woods.

Rebels advance on disordered/shaken Union unit with a battery facing into the woods…grr. The rebels failed the charge order on this juicy target.

Units getting into it in the middle of the table.

A perfect opportunity presents itself to one of my units. 2 shaken Union units face it….if I can get a charge in….with average dice may make a breakthough.

Goldie and I designed the game and we have 3 dismounted cavalry units arrive on turn 3 and move towards 3 division commander’s per side. Each had a different dice….one represented a reserve brigade arriving, the other 2 stragglers that recovered a casualty. The base I tagged as the Union brigade arrived in Keith’s space….while the Confederate brigade arrived….opposite them with Sheridan! Just as well as they were churning through regiments.

One of the Confederate players sadly had to leave early so Mike and Sheridan took over a neighboring brigade. Above is the center of the table where an outnumbered Confederate Mike is having a masterful game.

So my earlier charge had gone off and defeated a regt…forced others to break or flee…..below is Goldie trying to hide the evidence behind a screen of large trees so no one will notice!

And they are still charging….here is another one!

This awesome unit is the 18th Virginia!!

They need a statue.

Keith’s reserve brigade have made a difference and he is driving Sheridan back.

Elsewhere the commander of the 18th Virginia has grabbed another regiment and thrown them into the flank of a Union regiment.

Lee joined in the fun to assist a flank attack.

Mikes defense of the center was now reaping rewards as we started to roll up the Union center.

The bloody fighting in the center had left both sides with many shaken or close to shaken units.

Keith pressing forward on the Union left flank.

Close up of the advance.

So we called twilight and by agreement it was deemed a Confederate Victory. Both sides voted for the opposition player of the day. Keith was adjudged Union player and Mike Confederate. The Club had given all players a pack of anniversary dice as part of the registration and I had a couple of extra packs which these 2 outstanding generals received!

We then adjourned the Brewtown, a local watering hole a minute away to recover!

Above are the pensive Union commanders…..’Oh what could have been!’.

Next year we are thinking of bringing the Borodino Game to ValleyCon and playing for 2 days…will be great fun!!

So it was my partners birthday in April so we popped down to Christchurch for a weekend to celebrate as 2 of our children and their partners live there. It is also where my favorite shop, ‘Whisky Galore’ is……so I picked up a bottle of ‘Infrequent Flyers Release 211’ which is a Glentauchers Distillery. Now this wonderful chap, Alistair Walker takes barrels from Distillery’s and works his magic on them…and I do enjoy sampling his efforts.

This particular bottle is from the same Distillery as the Cadenhead 14 friend Weakley and I rated the best of the 14 we tasted on my bday tasting….. so I had to get it…and I am not disappointed…its is a wonderful drop…not to be shared!!

Notes on it are:

Splendid Speyside single malt from Glentauchers, distilled in 2012 and matured for 11 years, including a finish in a Pedro Ximénez sherry puncheon. The cask was opened by Alistair Walker in 2023, releasing a total of 682 bottles for the Infrequent Flyers collection.

Its a beauty.

Til next time, Terry Out.