So as New Zealand moves into lockdown from midnight Wednesday….its time to check if I am prepared.
Coffee machine and coffee? Tick
Whiskey? Tick
Books? Tick
Troops to paint? BIG TICK
Wood for fire? Tick.
Exercise organised? Double tick.
Yep they seem ready!
Just have to do some work while at home….there’s always a drawback!
On the 28/29th March 2020 the group is refighting the Battle of Borodino over 2 days. At this stage it looks like 7 or 8 players aside with the game being played at a 50% ratio to actual orbats.
This event will be gamed at the Seatoun RSA/Bowling Club in the suburb of Seatoun in Wellington where we have hired the bar area which is large enough to cater for our 3 x 24 foot tables! It also means we have free access to the bar and there is a cafe and boutique pub next door. A perfect location.
The amazing Paul Weakley has been diligently working away making terrain boards to cover the central table which will be 6 6×4 foot boards. Early pictures of 2 of the boards are below.
This is part of the board around Gorki with its fleches.
And this is an early look at the main Redoubt , wolf pits to the front and one of my 12lb batteries positioned inside it.
We are fortunate that friend Peter of Von Peters Wargaming Madness https://vonpeterhimself.wordpress.com/ has a selection of Russian Buildings which I have confiscated for the game.
Fo the Bagration Fleches I have souced some resin fieldworks from Paul’s Modelling Workshop. Paul has been wonderful to deal with in helping me sort out which pieces I need. They are winging there way to NZ at moment , but here are some pictures off the website. http://www.paulsmodellingworkshop.com/
They will come unpainted, you can order them painted but I need to match them to the terrain boards.
Thats all for now, future upadtes as we get closer to the big game.
Terry
So managed a trial game of Hail Caeser, its been a few years so we took it slow, made incorrect rulings which the post game analysis picked up, but thats the idea of the game!
Here are some pictures.
Pete and I used early Imperial Romans and we played against Craig using scratch force of Macedonians with Galatians and Alan and his Carthaginian force.
My Romans got severly smacked……serious inability to hit or make saving throws. Pete blundered his legionaires off table but returned to do some decent damage on Alan, but my Romans in the end were goneburger.
Lesson learned……warbands have 5+ saves and not 4+!
Lesson learned…..Elephants are unpleasant.
Craigs Macedonian/Galatian’s
Petes Romans
Alans Carthagians
Terrys Romans
Alan advances with Petes troops blundering off table
Craig charges into my Archers…manage dto hold and hit warband in flack with cohort…didn’t go well for the cohort…Warband held…and the follow up unit hit the cohort. Pop!
My cohorts…who did not hang around for long!
There were more pictures but..can’t seem to load them……if succeed will add in.
Will play some more games in October(time for Fiji holiday in the sun!)
Its been a while since the last post, but MANY battles have been fought!
The army lists have been refined and added to, and we have settled on 220 points as the points value of armies.
The scenarios have now been developed(big thanks to John Hutton and Matt Fulmer) for these as well as the refinements on the army lists.
My latest game was using a Russian army v Keith and his French list. The Scenario being used was ‘Feeding the Grinder’ with set up and scenario rules below.
Description
This is a meeting engagement scenario where both sides have encountered each other and continue to commit more troops as they come available.
Reserves
Starting with the attacker, both players nominate half (rounded up) of their brigades to be placed into reserve. Starting on their 2nd turn, players will bring on one brigade per turn through the assigned area of their table edge. Units arriving from reserve make one normal move, measuring from the edge of the table. Charges, multiple and special moves, are not allowed. Troops arriving from reserve may shoot as normal after making a single standard move. All units must enter the table from a length of table edge equal to the diameter of their commander’s command diameter (i.e., we imagine that they were under command as they march to the table. They may move freely after that point as desired. Units may be in any legal formation with the exception of artillery, which must enter limbered.
Objective placement
The defender chooses a long table edge for their deployment zone. Starting with the attacker, each player places one objective no more than 12” from the rear edge of their opponent’s side of the table. Repeat with a second pair of objectives. A player’s objectives must be within 60” of each other. Objectives may not be placed within 18” of the side edges of the table.
Deployment
The attacker and defender will both deploy within 24” of their table edge, as shown on the diagram. Starting with the attacker, players will alternate placing down full brigades. All units must be within command range of their brigade commander and may be in any legal formation. After both players have finished placing all brigades, starting with the attacker, both players place their CiC.
First turn
The attacker has the first turn.
Turn limit
There is no turn limit to this scenario.
Victory conditions
Capturing an objective or breaking the opposing army will end the battle. If neither side achieves a victory in the time allocated then the match is a draw. Consult the scoring section to calculate tournament scoring.
I ended up being the attacker and Keith the defender.
My Russian force was:
Brigade 1 – 4 bttns combined Grenadiers plus battery
Briagde 2 – 4 bttns combined Grenadiers plus battery
Brigade 3 – 4 bttns small Jager
Briagde 4 – 2 regts Hussars plus a Cossack regt(CC8)
Brigade 5 – 2 regts Dragoons(CC8)
Keiths French were:
Brigade 1 – 5 bttns French Ligne plus battery
Brigade 2 – 5 bttns Ligne and 1 small Ligne plus battery
Brigade 3 – 2 regts Hussars and regt Lancers(CC8)
Brigade 4 – 3 regts Dragoons(CC8)
Keith chose to set up on the table side securing flanks on a hedged farm and a wood.
I got the open terrain.
Above is initial Russian deployment. Russian artillery get 2 shots at long range so I set up at long range to get shooting advantage over French.
French setup, such a copy cat!
First turn and not surprisingly, I just fired my artillery which did some damage. Keith then advanced his columns and on my right, started moving one into line behind hedges.
Turn 2 and my Jager move on. I think they were exhausted as didn’t do much else.
I ordered the left hand brigade to charge the French columns….one was disordered and had casualties so good odds beat it. Naturally they didn’t move…the whole game.
More shooting, more wounded and disordered French columns.
Keith has gotten very gung ho – he charged my right side brigade! I managed disorder one with closing fire..from RUSSIANS!
Keiths reserves flow onto table, light cavalry brigade.
Combat and my right hand unit draws while the left loses but stays.
OMG! Half the Jager have moved!
The combat continues. One French bttn has popped and the other lost but stayed. Its supporting unit to its rear has suffered fire from both batteries and is shaken and disordered.
Russian light cavalry arrive, the Hussars behind the guns and
the Cossacks(ok.. Austrian Hussars, my Cossacks still on paint table).
French light cavalry charge Jager forcing hem into square.
French move 2 units into line.
An after battle shot…the battle photo was a failure unfortunately. A unit Russian Hussars charged the column that had been shaken/disordered by gunfire in previous turn. It formed square, the Hussars charged in….inflicted 5 casualties, already being shaken and disordered, it popped. The Hussars then did a sweeping advance into the small line unit, it popped. Break tested resulted in others popping or running. Brigade was broken!
Before breaking however the French lines had shot up the left Jager square…and it had Lancers looking at it…. not good.
So Keith charged in, did..nothing…and bounced off. There after it all went pear shaped…my Dragoons charged, the right hand Dragoon charged Hussars…beat them..and swept into the Chasseurs. Beat both..who retired…but no one popped and I was shaken. Left hand unit charged Lancers….dear oh dear….did…1 wound..they did..3…..dear oh dear…..we retired but Lancers sweep into disordered square….which popped…but not before shaking lancers. Dragoon brigade now broken.
French Dragoons now had some fun. Charged my Hussars who had beaten up the infantry. We lost and retired, but they were shaken so also retired. Next unit of Dragoons now charged the guns. They got in with 2 casualties, wiped out guns, but suffered a 3rd casualty in the melee. So both batteries popped. But 2 units Dragoons now shaken.
End of game which on scenario rules was a draw with 1 broken brigade each. My left hand brigade had still not moved all day. The right hand brigade was still intact but bit battle weary. The Jagers had suffered 1 lost unit but were free to move up on the light cavalry who couldn’t hurt them as no firepower or infantry.
It took around 2 hours to play so at convention would be a couple more terms at least available.
So test games of 250 point Napoleonic armies have been carrying on. One particular game between my Austrians and Paul Weakley’s Russians was fought and refought 3 times before Paul eventually beat me. Paul was adapting his army after each game!
So decided to report on one from last week where Goldie and his French played Simon McBeth using British. Goldie was supplying the figures, however he left his Portugese at home so we subbed in some of my Austrians and called them Hanoverian’s. The army lists were around 200 points each and as the unbiased observer I did feel it made for a better game than a 250 point game.
Below is Simon McBeth who was having his first game in the Garage!
Welcome Simon 🙂
And here we have the illustrious Mr Paul Goldstone(aka Goldie)
Simon’s British brigade. Rear 2 bttns in column which they aren’t allowed to be. We don’t normally play British so not til later we realised this. Gun line to right rear…it remained there all game…I think it even got one shot in.
The crazy ‘Gallop at anything’ and ‘Reroll all misses in first round of combat’ British Dragoons!
Goldie’s French force.
Turn 1 and Goldie decides he will sacrifice his Dragoon brigade against Simon’s. I say this having seen what happens. Both attackers get 8 dice and hit on 3’s, save on 4’s. Each side gets a +1 to the combat result and Goldie adds +2 having flank and rear support. Simon gets to reroll any misses.
And here we have the conclusion of the action. Goldie loses the initial combat, and his beaten unit retires with 3 wounds shaken. Simon then proceeds to ‘Gallop at anything’ in the sweeping advance phase. He obliterates the stationary French Dragoon regt which stands and takes it. The British then rally back a little battered but having dealt out some serious damage. The reroll is a killer and leaves one to think you have to take on these British heavies with Cuirassier’s.
Simon’s moves his left flank light cavalry forward. There left flank is the table edge.
And the other flank the British cavalry are still slapping backs.
Goldie moves his left brigade up rise with wood covering left flank. Simon is marching the Austrians pretending to be Hanoverian’s forward.
Picture down the line…..sides slowly coming together.
Goldie’s an intelligent chap, but, this move was just suicide. He charged his non damaged Dragoon unit back in against the fresh British Dragoon regt.
The British Dragoons are shaken, the French… no where to be seen.
French right where Hanoverian light cavalry are disordered in front of a French square and battery. Not a great position to be in. Lovely block of 4 bttns in column in the middle. Oh for a howitzer battery. And that’s the British artillery in the top left of picture!
British left moves up whilst on the right British start to swing left now any threat from the departed French Dragoons is now gone. The British foot artillery is still on the start position…it didn’t move from it.
British line swings towards French skirmish screen on rise.
Goldie throws French columns into the Hanoverian line. Line holds.
On left flank, French columns attack line with skirmish support.
Hanoverian lights move up and charge guns, guns pop, lights then wheel left and position on flank of French column.
Position on British right. Hanoverian light cavalry still milling around, spent game as a target for French shooting, then kept failing ‘Follow Me’ orders when French units had open flanks. Hanoverian line locked in combat while other units have retired. Light infantry still on flank French column. British line sin centre are closing in.
French have charged British line on the rise, combat continues v Hanoverian line.
On other flank, British have retired from French columns which are both disordered. The horse battery by woods refused number orders to swing and shoot columns.
British won fight on rise, and a bttn has moved around flank to shot up retiring unit.
French bttn pops.
Its not looking good for the French. The Hanoverian infantry are holding on. The Hanoverian cavalry are still sitting on the flank, and doing nothing, but, they are still there. The British infantry are taking control of the centre.
British Dragoons charge the shaken square, it was disordered but the cavalry got the order confused previous turn and didn’t charge. The dice gods were on Goldie’s side and the shaken unit beat back the cavalry.
In centre the British are charging in again.
End of game and British/Hanoverian forces have taken the game. French have had Dragoons and one infantry brigade break.
These 2 French columns have done well, but with a horse battery, 2 bttns and 2 regts Dragoons against them, there seconds are numbered.
And that was the end of an entertaining game. Both sides had some great, and not so great dice throws. Goldie insisted on using my Blue French dice, and they carried on there ability to roll what you did not want.
The game did show in these point games, artillery is probably a poor choice of points and you need a strong cavalry force to beat up the enemies cavalry and then press home the advantage. But in 2 hours we got a result which was the aim.
Until next time…..
So Goldie enjoyed the ACW Matthews Hill scenario so much, he insisted we play it with Naps.
So I took the Union role in the Guise of 1813 Russians, and Goldie the Confederates as Austrians. Same scenario and set up rules as the ACW game applied.
Turn 1, Russians march onto the field of battle. The Austrian Avante garde can be seen up ahead.
Close up below of the waiting Austrians.
Russians, sllloowwwwlllyyy advance.
Still advancing…still slowly.
So have set up small advance brigade to hold centre while larger brigade moved up onto my right flank. For some reason I now decided to send my Hussars off marauding to other flank…theory being to distract Goldies attention with threat of cavalry moving around his open flank. As events will show, dumb dumb me.
Russian still slowly moving onto battlefield.
Russians so slow, Goldie got bored and advanced!
At last! On left Russians charge the grenz, who do the evade of evades and run away 36 inches! On right column goes into the Austrian line with 2 supports to help out. This be easy peasee.
So inflicted 3 wounds, taken 1 back, have 2 supports but they still won’t run away.
So now I charge the guns on the road, beat them, throw unit into flank on the right, but in distance, Austrian reserves marching onto table at last. Still no sign of my Hussars…misinterpreted order… retired 2 moves on my left!
Close up of fight on the right. Both units are shaken, I have supports, and have charged into the flank. Should be an easy victory now!
I had 7 attacks, needs 3’s…got a single 6, he saved the wound. I had that sinking feeling now. Going to be one of those days.
Okay, game bit further on, pesky line bttn is gone…..have larger brigade going forward again, in centre smaller brigade is mucking around, won’t move, can’t get its guns up and as for the Hussars…there they are in the top left!
And here are the Austrians…nice big bttns just waiting for me.
So have managed to move further forward…but….game was done…..to slow to get moving ay start of game, couldn’t win combats quick enough and just keep either failing orders, or moving only 1 move! Even Goldies reserves turning up late didn’t help me!
Austrian victory 😦
I found a nice scenario on line so organised a game.
Goldie would play the Union(he has blue bellies) and Russ would be the Confederates(he has rebels).
The game was played down the table(was 12 feet) with the map below.
Deployment:
Troops:
The Union player has first turn.
Confederates roll a die on each turn from turn 2 onwards. Result:
Turn one and Burnside marches down Sudley Rd. Russ has painted up some dinky diorama pieces, here we have a photographer in the foreground.
The long blue column marches down the road. In distance the rebel road block on Buck Hill can be seen.
Russell’s blocking force on Buck Hill.
Goldie has sent his cavalry ahead on his right flank and lead column has formed into line on road…Russ has responded by moving a unit toward to fences to secure flank.
Goldie’s forces flow forward, Burnside to centre and Porter to the right.
Perry horse batteries are quite cool, here is one entering table and heading right.
Russell has managed to some Mississipi boyz to arrive!
Goldie continues to advance
Overview of Buck Hill where Russ still holds it.
Goldie’s forces moving closer to Bucks Hill. Russell’s unit by fences not in an envious position really.
Rebel unit is disordered, taking casualties, has dismounted cavalry and infantry shooting at it and units advancing on its exposed flank.
Goldie takes Buck Hill. On right Union units are flowing forward.
Those Mississipi boyz moving to cover the Unions flank march. Evans demi brigade retiring on the farmhouse.
More rebels arrive!
Russ takes up position
Goldie’s view of the attack.
End game. Union are pressing along the whole line. A lot of shooting was going on, the Union benefiting from the longer ranges and Goldie had achieved his objective marker.
Union victory called.
Next report is the same scenario…moved to 1813 and my Russians are the Union and Goldies Austrians are the Confederates.
Latest game was scenario from Black Powder supplement ‘Glory, Hallelujah!’
The Union players were Alan and Keith while Robert and Moi(Terry) were the Confederates.
The game was played down the table with the following terrain rules:
Scenario:
Troops:
Union:
Confederates:
Below is the set up as viewed from Confederate rear.
Confederate set up with briagdes 1 and 2 in forefront(both rifled muskets). Terry commanded these and the cavalry. Robert had brigade 3-5.
Turn 2 and Keith appears in Confederate rear.
Confederate left flank where large unit surges forward…no one else wanted to join him. This cowardice continued for a number of turns.
On right flank, Robert lined up in cover of trees and fences.
My large unit all alone! I was trying to press forward to pin the Union flank for when my cavalry arrives in their rear.
Robert surges his troops forward, well one anyway!
Keith’s attack form the rear, 2 confederate brigades have turned to punish him for his impudence.
Union advancing.
Alan’s left flank……many failed ordered…blunders backwards…all highly amusing.
Oops… here come the cavalry!
I found this more exciting than infantry….Keith failed orders to turn troops to face…so in my turn I dismounted the cavalry with the rifles and charged 2nd unit into rear. POP go the infantry…the guns POPPPED as well…..
And still can’t get rest Confederates to attack!
Guilty…the measuring tape is mine. So much for 2 Confederate brigades taking care of Keith’s attack from rear. His tiny dismounted cavalry would not die…..he shot me to bits with his infantry and guns…I couldn’t hit the side of a barn….
But more fun was Ala rolling a blunder and charging across the table! Robert got very excited.
Sigh… the tapes still there…..was distracted by my cavalry charge!
Last turn….Union right flank is gone…..cavalry in in their rear and a brigade in lining up a charge down the line of the flank(I played a pretend turn as we packed up..it was glorious!)
Another shot……Alan and Robert hard at t on other flank but Alan has no managed get any supports up so his bluebellies are not going to last much longer.
And that was it….Union right flank gone…holding in centre but that’s about to get steam rolled and on Union left things not looking good. Conversely…the Union attack in the Confederate rear is going well…but am sure they will retire!
So dear old Goldie(Paul Goldstone) announced he would like to celebrate his 50th Birthday with a game at our local club, Wellington Warlords. Said game to be played on Saturday 6th April 2019.
The Coalition forces would be commanded by Goldie(Paul G) supported by me(Terry), Alan and Paul W.
The forces of evil would be commanded by Russ, supported by Simon, Rob, Robert, Von Peter and Grant. At the last minute Simon had to withdraw so Russ took over his command.
The French set up first.
The French right commanded by Von Peter’s Poles with Young Guard to right.
Young Guard stretching across the open terrain.
Grants troops from the village on left to ridge and then Roberts troops from ridge to village to table edge. Robs cavalry in rear in conga column of march column. Now that was different.
Another shot of Roberts troops.
Allied turn one, Terrys troops march on in checker board formation. I had to bring the reserve grenadiers on early as Goldie managed to get his Avante Garde on…but nothing else and were rather exposed.
Unfortunately my camera photos of centre and other end of table from me tuirned out very poor…hall lighting and sun effect so limited shots can be used.
here we have Alan’s Prussians arriving in force and the start of PaulW’s Russian attacks.
Alan’s Prussians
The Allied right where PaulW has a conga line of Russian infantry along with massed cavalry brigades.
French cavalry watching from rear of ridge.
What a mess. Picture from French side of my Austrian on right and centre and Goldies on left. The buildings of the village have been removed as street fighting going on. At this point I announced Goldie was walking home due to his ineptude as a commander. he had lost 2 brigades in an ill fated charge on village. A review of rules showed he had not if applied new support of units in combat rules correctly. But it stymied his attack for a while.
The mess in the Austrian centre. Goldies Avante Garde going for it…my Grenadiers going for it…my Cuirassiers going for it…Russ throwing in Young Guard……it was really rather bloody.
Village to Goldies front where he got in…Grant then counter charged and a lot of dice seemed to be getting roled for some time.
PaulW’s conga line supported by cavalry. French now moved Dragoon’s to support the infantry squares. I understand the poncy Russian Cuirassiers felt combat was beneath them for most of the game and just sat and watched.
Austrian left and I am in part of the village and fighting for the rest.
On open ridge to flank and a few units from both sides been cleared out. It was a meat grinder.
On the right the Russians look very pretty.
On the left the Allied cunning plan is coming to fruition( we decided this after the game). Russ committed his reserve of the Middle Guard and Guard cavalry/artillery to this sector and not where the Russians were crushing Robert.
On left Austrians have both parts of village, Russ thru some Young Guard into flank but were held and then countered to their flank by more Austrians…Vistula Legion then charged into village form far side but were held. In the end the Austrians held the village.
On ridge the Young Guard were eventually broken as were the Guard cavalry. A final charge by the Austrian grenadiers broke the Polish infantry brigade but in turn were broken. Polish Uhlans and Cuirassier’s had a wee tussle as well. The Middle Guard thankfully picked on Goldie!
The far flank village…buildings removed as units all over. Robert has been pushed out.
Goldies village….holding it at this stage but has a lot of damaged units and Middle Guard closing in. Grant has been pushed back.
Right flank….last waltz of the French Dragoons. Gather French Cuirassiers other side of village weren’t keen on combat either. More ponces. At least my Austrians were good keen men.
And that was Goldies Birthday Bash…successful win for the Allies who held most of villages and had broken more French brigades than they had lost.
Footnote: My new units of Vistula Legion and Austrian Grenadiers all broke…shameful performance.
So the Xmas and holiday season is well and truely over and as its nice and warm we Kiwis tend to go on holiday then. In my case that was several weeks at a lovely small beach side town called Whangamata on the Coromandel Peninsula where 2 weeks of sun, no clouds, no wind and days around 30 degrees celsius were enjoyed. I did take my Xmas present from my beloved along with me, a Warlord Games Roman Army box plus an extra legionnaire and auxilia unit and managed to assemble all but the Praetorian figures.
These figures will be painted gradually over 2019 to counter the expected losses in campaigns to come.
The expansion of my Napoleonic armies has continued.
Pictures below plus pictures of the brigades they have now joined.
My Austrian light cavalry now number 2 regiments of Chevaulegers and 2 of Hussars.
Picture of new unit and then the 4 together below.
The Russian horse battery and 2nd half of the 8 squadron Hussar regiment join my light cavalry brigade.
Picture of new units and then the brigade below.
Below are a Wurttemberg horse battery to accompany a light cavalry brigade.
A few years ago we did a refight of Waterloo. I decided to paint the Dutch heavy cavalry brigade for the battle(mainly because I love the Front Rank Belgian Carabiners uniform). However not liking the Dutch uniform, I painted Wurttemberg Chevau-legers. I rally like the 3 regiments together. Am treating the Belgians as Hesse Darmstadt Dragoons when playing as French allies!
The French horse battery joins Jacquinot’s brigade of Montbrun’s light cavalry division attached to Davouts 3rd Corps at the battle of Wagram along with the 7th Hussars and 1st and 2nd Chasseurs-a-Cheval. The foot battery is an addition to my infantry division, Friants.
Picture of new unit and the brigade above. All figures Front Rank.
The French foot artillery bring me to 3 foot batteries. I have another base for next battery completed and figures/gun for next gun/crew on way from UK. These are on 75mm wide bases which was my initial size based on a bttn having a line frontage of 200mm and my reading saying batteries tended to be 2/3 frontage. Rest group started on 50mm bases, so I made the Austrians/Russians 60mm to fit in and they have now moved to 75mm bases! I ain’t changing them as quite like my bases.
Below are 2 bttns of Austrian Grenadiers(2 more to go…1 below painted by me, 1 from Sri lanka. Shite paint job so have been heavily touched up. 2 more shite units to be touched up plus some surgery…lost quite a few broken metal muskets in transit.. grumble grumble)
And lastly my small Polish force. 2 units of Uhlans(that normally play as Russian Uhlans until get real Russians) and 2 bttns Vistula legion. These are Warlord Games figures which friend Keith decided he would like to paint. Need 2 more to finish brigade. Somehow lost the metal command figures…then ordered some nice Front Rank ones with a small order did last month…..but did not click on the save selection button so did not get ordered…next order! Idiot.
The new units were painted by moi, plus Keith and of course Goldie. And Fernando Enterprises in Sri Lanka… who vary between great and crap.
Currently on paint table have packed away all Napoleonic’s and have a 10th century Byzantine army under construction.
terrysgaragegaming 