Three small battles for the price of one 🙂

In amongst the real world I have still managed to play to odd game, just not managing to keep up with posting them anyway here are a brief selection of three games played over the last couple of months. First up whilst over in the NE and whilst my wife spent a happy few days in Gateshead Hospital in February Martin kindly invited me over for a Saturday evening game.

He set up a small skirmish somewhere in the mountains, the Russians have sent a small expeditionary force to patrol the area but the local Afghan warlord has sent a force to raid the village.

Splendid tribal cavalry, the sun glinting off their silver polished shields

The Russian infantry dig in around the village whilst their very exuberant cavalry charge off to death or ....well death actually

Many mothers back in Moscow will be weeping for their lost sons but their sacrifice has gained some time

Looks like they are going to be outflanked ?

Yes completely outflanked !

The tribal cavalry have charged through to the village but, dug in behind fences the remaining Russian infantry are able to hold their ground just

When the sun set.......the Russians had held on with a single unit much singing and vodka to be drunk

Our next game in the dungeon was again a time constrained small skirmish to get some of my Arab forces on the table, I didn’t take many photos as it was one of those unfortunate situations where the scenarios we played just didn’t work. However, nice to get some newly painted Arabs on the table

I had also just completed some new banners to add some sparkle to infantry units 🙂

Arab infantry searching and finding the Spanish commander on turn one !

Despite a spirited attempt the spanish had little chance the Arab horsemen being very mobile and able to escape

But a sting in the tail as the Spanish heavy cavalry cut through the enemy infantry like butter !

And finally we tested out the new Warlord Bolt Action fantasy rules. Two reasonable skirmish forces with Goblins vs Beastmen, again I didn’t take many photos as we were focussed on the rules. 

The beast herd in full advance

Goblins who are meant to be weak and useless in combat and of course turned out to be devastating !

A final shot of heavily armoured elite Beastmen hiding from a small unit of little goblins with small pointy sticks.

The dice rolls were a bit wild in the game so it was a fair test, we try them again definately, the game is very mucha. Cross between bolt action and warhammer fantasy, significantly more detailed/complex than dragon Rampant for example. Sorry I didn’t take many photos but at least you know the dungeon is still active 😀 next up a battle form Greek mythology .........

Another Confederate Infantry unit

Quick update to share this weeks’ unit. I am working my way through the last couple of plastic confederate units. I think there is one more after this but I am likely to get side tracked before I get round to them 🙂 I have some more interesting bits and pieces together with a metal rebel unit in shirt sleeves to work on for some variety.

Will try and post up a couple of battles we have played soon.....

Regiment No 3 : SYW and Shiloh Scenarios

With life quite busy at the moment I haven’t headed south to Salute this year. In lieu of this I treated myself to a Shiloh Scenario book by Brad Butkovich. I have found a couple of his maps on the web but it is great to actually have the book. Scenarios are generally too large for my 28 mm collection but most can easily be split down to something manageable. So hopefully we will see some more Shiloh battles this year

Second up I thought I would pick off another Prussian infantry unit, they really don’t take too long but I need quite a few 😬

Eagle eye will notice I have used one of the Pendraken paper flags and one of their generic colour bearers. In the background you can see the alternative cast version.......on balance I prefer the paper version so will try more of these.

Limbering Up : ACW

These are the second half of the ACW limbers I painted a few months ago. I had bought them as a set of 4 then with the addition of some extra plastic limbers made them into 6 actual units. These are the galloping versions which if necessary will be used as light artillery units. The ‘light’ guns have been based separately for flexibility and I still need to do some extra crew which will be individually based  again for flexibility.

At some point I will try and pick up some more seated crews, not sure where from though so if anybody knows ?

Here are all six of the limbers finished.......nice to look at and of course adding a lot to any battlefield. Bit of a pain to paint and base etc.......interestingly painting them in two batches means the horse colours have developed. Pretty sure they only had dark horses, but I have allowed myself a little licence.

Thanks for looking 😀

The Battle for Stylos : Blood in the Sand

The desire for empire and wealth runs strong in the blood of the King of the Medes Cambyses, with his previous incursion into Lydia turned back at the Kizil Valley he immediately looked for other lands to bring under his dominion. The Island of Crete would be a powerful staging point for his future plans across the Aegean. A small exploratory invasion force has been dispatched to test the resilience of the inhabitants before a full scale effort is made. Unfortunately for the Medes, Crete lies close to the small but powerful military state of Lakonia, who on hearing of their trading partners need have despatched a small but powerful force of Lakonian warriors to supplement the local Cretian army. The two armies having manoeuvred for several days have now clashed on the coastal plains near Stylos.

The plains of Stylos

Mercenary Horse archers and hill tribesmen fighting on the side of the Medes

The core of the Median army archers and spearmen

The Lakonians holding the centre of their line

Both generals are looking for a decisive win so advance into combat

Arrows turn the sky black but still the Lakonians march forward 

You can hear the crash as the phalanx crash into each other

Median cavalry attempt to flank to combats

The better trained and more heavily armed Lakonian Hoplites are getting the advantage

You can almost smell the sweat and hear the crash of spears on shields

Gradually the Lakonians are getting the upper hand but the cavalry might just get a flank charge

Desperate hand to hand fighting at the other end of the field, the Medes are more used to long range fighting with bows

The ferocious hill tribesmen charge in against some of the weaker Cretan hoplites

Having brushed aside the Median spearmen the Lakonian Royal Guard brace for the charge

..and the Medes are forced to flee

The battle is over as the final Median infantry pulls back only to be surrounded on the high ground, history has not recorded what epic last stand was or wasn’t made here or how many of the Medes were captured into servitude, suffice to say the Lakonians have secured the western end of the island for themselves.

We played this battle back in January I think but it was a shame not to share the photos. 😀

Battle for Harrison’s Farm : ACW

Well behind on blogging but needed to get something onto the blog. High time we got the ACW collection back on the table but rather than a historical battle we arranged a fictional scenario, based somewhere in the Shenandoah Valley in 1862. Two small forces fighting for the junction between the Harrisonville Pike and the Valley Turnpike. With roughly equal forces we have arranged a slightly randomised deployment, both sides will initially send advanced guards down the Valley Turnpike. A second Brigade will then enter along the baseline at the commanders discretion. The third and final Brigade on both sides will enter randomly along either the Turnpike or Harrisonville Pike. Out of interest this was the first time we played with Skirmish rules and they seemed to add a little something to think about.

The union advance guard gallops south along the Turnpike 

The objective for both sides is to capture the two cross roads, from the south the Rebels advance at pace, beyond the Wheatfield is Copse Hill and the ‘Blue House’

The Union 1st Brigade come on in strength past Harrison’s Farm

Sending a regiment of Zouaves through the farm buildings.....

These are at5empting to outflank a small unit of confederate cavalry who have dismounted at the road junction to await reinforcements, dismounted Union cavalry can be seen in the distance 

As soon as they can confederate artillery opens up

And the Zouaves send out a skirmish line

The whole of the confederate 1st Brigade comes on over Copse Hill and likewise send out a skirmish line

Turn three sees the arrival of the rebel second Brigade who enter along the Harrisonville Pike close to the Blue House

Union troops in this area are very thin........

and somehow mixed orders bring the Union second Brigade on in the wrong place causing an immediate log jam on the Pike

The rebel plan is set, hold the centre, then turn the Union left flank and ‘roll them up’

With too many troops trying to get along the Harrisonville Pike the Union Forces are slow to deploy in the ploughed field and around Harrison Farm

But they advance with some panache 

The first clash of hand to hand fighting, outnumbered the rebels hold their ground for two turns

But the Zouave unit is now looking to outflank the combat as well

Confederate general is hurriedly pulling troops form the second Brigade across Copse Hill

The road junction is now clear save for bodies clad in both blue and grey !

On the rebel right flank there is little to stop the advance if they can just push across the road the Union army will be colmpletely undone

In the centre it turns into a battle of attrition, both sides are gradually being worn down

The rebels are looking like they will break through on their right flank, their first regiment having been destroyed but grape shot the sole cannon on the hill has been knocked out by counter battery fire, but in the nick of time units from the Iron Brigade in their Hardee hats close the gap

Somehow a small company of remaining union cavalry has managed to charge through the cornfield to eliminate the rebel gun.

All confederate reserves are now in play and the line is looking increasingly thin

Whilst more front line units flee the field due to failed morale tests

And then the final nail in the Confederate coffin as the Union right flank pushes the remaining rebels back away from the Blue House, the confederates are now out numbered and outflanked and forced to concede the field, pulling back from Copse Hill, which of course will in due course be renamed ‘Bloody Hill’

A splendid game well fought....reminding me why I like wargaming.🙂 feeling slightly indulgent the next morning (Sunday) and whilst packing up the forces I took the liberty of putting my full Union force on Parade. 

Next up for this force is some more artillery then some sharpshooters 😀