Garibaldi anyone ?

Today's club game was a Sharp Practice Garibaldi game put on by Steve Clarke and Allan Gaines with their figures and terrain.

Steve Clarke, Richard and I divided up the Garibaldi faction amongst us and Allan, Les and Mike had the Neapolitan regulars.

This scenario required Garibaldi to capture the supple dump bottom right of the picture, on the outskirts of this small town, guarded by Les's men.

And here are some of Les's troops in and around the town.

They are awaiting reinforcements under Allan and Mike.

These troops are to enter from the far side of the board.

As Les decides to move a group to guard the right of town.

Allan's men come on in column with light troops on their left flank

The first of Garibaldi's men appear on the road right of town.

and these chaps were under my command ...

The Neapolitans advance continues

Hello, what do we have here - Mike has a nasty looking cannon !

and it unlimbers ready to engage my newly arrived Garibaldi troops.

Les has one unit guarding the supplies dump.

and for now, they seem safe.

My red coated Garibaldians advance as quick as they can

Just as Mike's gun opens fire. Ouch that hurt !

Allan's formations deploy into line so they can concentrate more fire power.

Richard has these desperate looking banditos on the edge of town heading for the supply dump.

My red jackets and Richard's gendarmes in the field are now getting hit badly by both artillery and massed rifle fire.

My men fall back with excess shock just as Garibaldi arrives with our main force.

Richard's bandits exchange fire with Les's troops in town.

But they are outnumbered by the Neapolitan regulars.

Who charge whilst the bandits are unloaded.

A tough struggle ensues

but the bandits lose and are thrown back in disarray.

 Garibaldi now leads his men towards town past the beaten banditos.

He now heads for Les' s victorious Neapolitans.

Because of shock slowing them down, they fail to reach the enemy for hand to hand combat at first and receive fire again from Les's men in the supply dump.

Garibaldi exhorts his men to continue.

This time they get into combat and the Neapolitans are beaten back to the edge of town.

But whilst this was going on, the combined fire of Mike's gun and Allan's infantry had depleted the other Garibaldi units to such a point that their morale broke entirely.

Having hit "zero morale', our army broke and ran, so Garibaldi's own troops were compelled to join them in retreat too - even though they were within sight of the enemy supply dump - it was not to be.

The Neapolitan fire power had proved too much on this occasion.

A colourful looking game which entertained us all marvellously.

Better luck next time Garibaldi !