Sunday 17 December 2017

AWI Black Powder : Our Christmas game at Writtle

Everyone turned up laden with lots of naughty nibbles for this our last game of the year.
Rafael is trying to say how big something is !


This game was loosely based upon part of the Battle of Long Island where British troops have been landed by ship to try and beat the American army once and for all. In the real action, the British had a 2:1 superiority but as its Christmas we wanted it to be a more even handed affair than that !

I won the toss and elected to be Howe's British and Steve ran the Americans (assisted by Rafael for part of the game, Ian provided some support for the British - well he sat there and ate pork pies at least !

This is a view from the river end with Steve electing to hold the ridge line with nearly all of his troops.

This the view from the other end with 17th Light Dragoons on the flank of a Scots brigade.

and they swiftly got into action, charging some Continentals

The British centre was taken up with a Hessian brigade backed up by Hessian and British artillery.

Left of them, a British brigade advances on some American militia

Who disperse leaving a gaping hole in the American ridge line.

Others from the same brigade have retreated off the ridge facing the British Light Infantry.

The Scots have driven off the Continentals, although their stamina level means they are now shaken 

Rafael tries to organise some resistance on the American left flank as the Scots brigade readies itself for another attack.

The Guards right of the Light Infantry seem less keen to get stuck in.

Steve's artillery have managed to disrupt any Hessian attack for now as disorder occurs in the ranks although the Jaegers keep up a niggling fire against the American ridge line.

Here, the Americans have decided to charge whilst the Hessians are disordered

But worryingly for the Americans, the Scots are now rolling up their open left flank

and one American militia unit finds itself attacked from front and flank

The Hessians have lost one unit but are obstinately battling it out with the Americans in the centre.

The inevitable happens and the isolated American militia unit is defeated

Valiantly, another small American brigade tries a charge

But they fall short and end up in the face of the guns which punish them for their temerity

Despite a "blunder" which sees the Guards shift to the left instead of charging to their front, eventually the Guards brigadier gets them moving around the American right flank.

As the Light Infantry gain the heights which had anchored the American right of the line.

With the Hessians at last getting the upper hand, the American lines are crumbling

The final straw being an attack by the Scots into the flank of the remaining beleaguered American brigade.

Game over !

May I take this opportunity to wish all of you who follow NORSEYGAMER a Happy & healthy Christmas.

Roll on 2018 and yet more games !!!

Thursday 30 November 2017

English Civil War : Pike & Shotte rules

Laid low with "man flu" and keeping out of the cold weather, I decided to get the ECW troops off the shelf and have a solo game.

Two evenly matched sides face each other across the battlefield


Which was a bit of a shock for a Gentleman and his Lady who were just about to have a walk around their grounds !

A Royal force with cavalry on the right wing approaches

Hello !  They have even more cavalry on their left !

The Parliamentarians hove into view

With an infantry Battalia intent on capturing the gentleman's house it seems

Royalists advance on the right of the big house, cavalry with dragoons ahead

In the centre, the Royalist Foote have got to the house first after some lucky dice.

and their artillery is set up looking straight down the road.

Left of the settlement, another Royalist battalia is less keen to advance.

The Royalist horse on the left crash forwards aggressively

intent on hitting the enemy as quickly as possible

who are only too happy to oblige !

One Round Head unit has held back, is this wise ?

Parliamentarian foote have charged the Royalists besides the big house

Parliamentarian dragoons have dismounted beyond the house's hedging facing a Royalist Red Coat unit, as the Royalist dragoons continue towards the trees

Plenty of action between the buildings 

A Parliamentarian cavalry unit has broken but the Royalists have to retreat to recover.

That done, in they go again !

The Royalist dragoons have dismounted now, as their cavalier colleagues canter past them

Another breather for the cavalry - but this time, the Royalist commander has a fresh unit at the front.

Parliamentary horse charge the cavaliers

as the Royalist red coats cross the hedge and head for the enemy dragoons

Its a "right old ding-dong" in the centre, with both sides determined to take the dwellings.

At last the other Royalist foote battalia gets moving, albeit slowly

The Parliamentarian cavalry are taking quite a beating and being forced from the field



Undeterred, their foote have launched an attack beside the village against the less active Royalists

So there are now two big infantry battles raging in and around the village and big house

The Round heads are having better luck out on their left, having frightened off the Cavaliers, they have now rounded on the Royalist dragoons and caught them in the rear

They break, just as the Parliamentarian dragoons do too, outnumbered as they are by the Red Coats.

Pikes, swords and muskets crash away against each other - who will prevail ?

Two great shots by the Royalist artillery see the enemy guns hit and disordered.

The Royalist Buff Coats charge the enemy flank




Although the cavaliers lost their first action, their commander is rallying them and they have not left the field.

I final push by the Royalist cavalry sees the enemy firmly defeated


Parliamantarians have broken through the village as the King tries to hold his men together 

A Parliamentarian Blue Coat regiment sees its peril and turns to face the threat of enemy cavalry

Their gunners man handle the guns around too to face this threat

But this does present their flank to the Royalist artillery.

Come on cavaliers - we can do this !

With dragoons gone, the Round Heads now threaten the Red Coats flank

These tough Parliamentarians are holding onto the village and the King's men are wilting

The other infantry melee hangs in the balance

The Royalist cavalry commander rallies his men and turns them to face the enemy foote.

Should be a piece of cake !

Broken ! The King looks on in horror as his foote flee from the village

A Rebel green flag waves in victory.

Attacked on their flank and hearing that the rest of the battalia has broken, the Red Coats prepare to flee too

At least some Parliamentarian cavalry have something to cheer.

The Rebel Blue Coats back away from the Royalist cavalry as their friends battle it out with the Royalist foote.

But its 2 against 3 units

The Purple Coats break off, disorganised

Ha ha ! The Cavaliers have returned and charged the unexacting Round heads

Hurrah for the King !

Aware that all is not well behind them, these Rebel blue coats still stand firm.

Both commanders are trying to get their men reformed ready for the next clash

Its the Royalist blue coats who get their act together first - charge !

The King is relieved that they are doing their duty

just like his gunners who have pounded the enemy guns into submission

A Parliamentarian leader rallies his men behind the village

The Royalist Red coats withdraw to catch up with the rest of their beaten battalia.

But the flank is safe as the cavaliers have chased off the Round heads.

Come on men lets get these rebellious curs !

The Purple Coats are standing waiting as the Green Coats flee behind them

The Royalist cavalry slash at the infantry in front of them

Backs to the wall, aware that the rest of their battalia are behind them

In go the Royalist foote

and the enemy break !

Even though the Parliamentarians have the village, the rest of their force has broken and their flanks and rear in danger - time to withdraw !

Hard fought, but the King wins - just.

Well, that took my mind off the coughing and sneezing for a while.