Getting upto date before the New Year

A final post on New Years Eve to try and bring things up to date for 2020.

Another Austrian infantry unit managed to get finished over the Christmas holiday only a couple more then I will need to order some more !

Some time ago we played a couple of fun LOTR games using Lion Rampant rules, but I hadn’t managed to share them, so here they are

In the first scenario the orc force is looking to burn a Rohirrim village and they have brought a troll with them to help

Stout Rohirrim men hold the line but look behind them for reinforcements 

The orc force moves to the right to surround the farm and to spread their attack

A lonely place to be...hold the line

the Rohirrim Cavalry arrive just in time

But there are a real lot of Orcs

The troll charges ahead

straight through the archers and onto the road

another unit assaults the farm directly pushing the defenders back from the fence

The troll has been wounded and some elite guards charge in for the kill

Wounded further the troll looks for easier kills down the road whilst the farm is overrun

The first barn goes up in flames !

and then a second one at which point the battle ended. This is normally a very hard scenario for the attacker so it was a clear win for the bad guys.

Our second scenario has the lands of Rohan now overrun by Orcs and a force of riders are seeking to escape carrying their belongings with them.

Starting from one corner they must get right across the table which again is a very tough objective

They are immediately ambushed by warg riders

So Eomer rides out to defend the party

With the wargs driven off the riders can advance but the party is getting spread out

And Eomer is still mopping up some of the ambushes

Through the trees the riders must cross the dry river bed

The Orcs have regrouped and are intent on blocking the path to escape beyond the farm

Once more the Rohirrim charge into clear the way supported by archers

Eventually the path is cleared as the final Orcs are driven off or killed

We have played this scenario several times in different periods but rarely do the side escape, not sure how they did it but it made up for the burning farmstead from the previous battle.

That’s it for 2020 and I think I am upto date, happy gaming, painting collecting for 2020 😀

Battle of Matthews Hill : Bull Run 1861 : ACW

For probably the last battle of 2019 we return to the ACW, a small scenario I found on the internet https://www.talesfromawargameshed.com/acw.html covering the morning of the 21 July 1861. The Union Forces are looking to outflank the Rebels along the line of the Sudley - Manassas Road. The confederates have a small Demi-Brigade under Colonel Evans who has taken up a defensive position on Buck Hill just to the North of the Warrenton Turnpike cross roads close to a well built stone House. Obviously I have adapted the scales and squeezed as much as I can in.

For the Union Forces Burnsides’ Brigade is in the lead New Hampshire and Rhode Island Infantry, all the rest of the Union force under Colonel Porter must enter along the Sudley Road but can then fan out as ordered. Their objective is to take Buck Hill and if possible the cross roads to open up the flank of the rebel forces further south on Henry Hill. Evans small force is holding Buck Hill and has called for reinforcements these will arrive at the cross roads determined by a dice roll so nothing is guaranteed !

The confederate holding force on Buck Hill, Evans seems preoccupied looking over his shoulder ? Where are the reinforcements he requested !

The Union troops are in a hurry to sweep the rebels aside, full of naive innocence they rush down the hill

The first unit is met by a tremendous volley and sent scuttling back up the hill

Evans’ men move down to the fence and give a cheer when the first support unit 2nd Mississippi Volunteer regiment runs up the road behind them

By the book ! Burnside starts to deploy and set s up his artillery on the crest of Matthews Hill

A shot from the side showing the steepness of Matthews Hill

.....but it is taking too long to deploy and due to good dice the Confederates are building a stronger and stronger force on Buck Hill

Just one of those period shots 🙂

A small unit of US Cavalry is sent left to try and turn the rebel flank 

But another reserve unit is on the Warrenton Turnpike

The Union Forces are back in good order and looking good at this stage, holding in the centre they are in danger of outflanking on left and right making the defence on Buck Hill useless !

Training, training, training that is what makes good artillery and the Union Forces have had none, they would be lucky to hit the stone house let alone the rebels !

It just requires one strong push through the centre .......

This picture tells a sorry tale, whilst in the distance on their right flank the Union troops are pushing through, they have had two Regiments wipes out in the centre one by devastating grape shot as it advanced across the wheat field in the centre.

Union cavalry now dismounted but all they can really do is harass the enemy flank

A final throw of the dice to break through the New York Zouaves advance down the road

Due to a miscommunicated order they are charged and a desperate hand to hand combat ensures on the road

Union Forces have rallied on the right but are seriously depleted, the confederates on the other hand are still holding a strong defensive position on the hill, the Union right and centre are in rout.

A very fun game, thought it would be easy for the Federals but poor rolling and a lack of speed allowed the rebels to build a strong defence. Their artillery was particularly poor so needs intensive training. Clearly this makes a mess of history with no final decisive battle on Henry Hill. I wonder what Jacksons' nick name would have been perhaps Thomas Jack Rabbit Jackson as he chased the Federals off the field and I guess he would command the Jack Rabbit Brigade ? Oh dear thanks for reading 🙂 and your support in 2019.

Not the last post of 2019 ! Probably......

Well probably not most of the festivities over, as my kids are mainly self sufficient now I have managed to get a bit of painting done that is when we weren’t watching Star Wars films.

 A German 8Rad in the usual early war colours (have had this for ages lucky as I nearly bought a second one by mistake !)

My next SYW Austrian Cuirassier Regiment

Good King Wenceslaus I : A Christmas Adventure

For our last battle before Christmas I chose something with a festive theme. It is the year 934 AD Wenceslaus the Good (also known as Vaclav in his day) has headed out on Christmas Eve to distribute presents and gifts to the local population. Unbeknownst to him his brothers have hatched a plot to depose him. The main protagonist in this evil plot is his brother Boleshaw (Boleslav) who would go down in history as Boleshaw the Cruel !

Returning to his castle keep Wenceslaus and his retinue are ambushed by Boleshaw who has hired a ragtag force of bohemian tribesmen and mercenaries. Wenceslaus must get back to his keep avoiding any distractions on the way !

A view of the village of Stara with the Keep in the foreground

Boleslav, ambushing from the woods

Full of Christmas cheer some of Wenceslaus’ armoured infantry

The Duke himself Wenceslaus, the alarm has been raised and he sends his retinue in all directions

Mercenary tribesmen rush forward intent on mischief even though it is Christmas Eve !

Bohemian light cavalry harry the flanks

Boleslav the Cruel has hired a local lass to distract anybody coming through the village (we had some special rules for her where she would reduce leadership or cause units to be pinned)

The light cavalry have been sent to cut off the route to the Keep

Would you believe Wenceslaus has been waylaid in the village, his wife looking on from the keep doesn’t look very happy !

Boleslav charges in to kill the Duke’s bodyguard

He then gallops towards the Duke to minister the killing blow

But the rebels are too late to stop the first unit of heavy cavalry make it back to safety

and then a second unit makes it home......Wenceslaus is now making a dash for safety

In the end Boleslav earned a minor victory, killing one more unit than escaped, but Wenceslaus made it home safe, unfortunately meeting his wife under the Christmas tree she doesn’t seem to happy and has a few questions about why he is late home !

Also managed to finish off a couple more bits

Another unit of Austrian infantry 

Diminutive 10mm from Pendraken

And some Gondorian  knights who had languished half painted almost since the third age ! But now they are done

If you have made it this far thanks for taking the time to read. I would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas, hopefully Santa will be kind and you get a few more figures. Roll on 2020 😀