Yet More Infamy

This time with Rafael.

I'm persevering with the Roman force, having realised I had failed to fully appreciate their inherent abilities last time out !

The German Barbarians have managed to get plenty of units on before the Romans arrive - enemy slingers most visible in the village

and more are building up their fervour in the woods !

Javelin men and slingers pepper the Roman lines 

The Romans rise their shields to get some protection

Worryingly for the Romans, enemy war bands are advancing either side of the village

Gaul warriors allied to the Romans appear and advance towards the right hand war band 

Despite raised shields, the Romans have suffered death and shock from the enemy slingers and archers but the Centurion sends forward his senior Optio with a formation to attack the village

The enemy skirmishers withdraw to be replaced by warriors and battle commences

The German war band right of the village has seen off the Gauls and now attacks the Romans

On the left, the Romans pursue the retreating slingers who now are well supported 

The Romans are being hit badly

and are being overpowered by the sheer numbers of enemy

and attacks come in from all directions

The Roman ranks are thinning out rapidly

but few in number as they are, the Romans fight on stubbornly

The big gaps in the German ranks show they have had to pay dearly too

but with only the remnants of one unit left, the Romans face defeat 

The last of the men die - leaving the Centurion

 and Optio fleeing for their lives

The use of the Roman drill and shield skills did help and remembering to throw some pilum

but still finding that if the Barbarians are able to concentrate their forces, the Romans are in big trouble.

This game will be wheeled out at Essex Warriors again on Sunday for a select few to have a trial go.

I must say, it does feel right for the period and we are enjoying ourselves trying this early version out.

Another go at Infamy ! Infamy !

The other day, Steve C and I managed to fit in another game of the play test version of the rules under construction at Too Fat Lardies.

Some low winter sunshine played havoc with the war-games table, so apologies for the quality of the pictures !

Terrain has been diced for and force morale established. The Ancient Germans will come on from this end, the Romans from the far end

Roman advance troops are harassed by German skirmishers near the village 

Roman archers and Gaul allies decide to tackle them

but they will be difficult to catch !

Now a German chieftain with three war bands arrives

and others are deploying behind the far side of the village

The Roman centurion brings on his troops in column and head straight for north of the village where slingers are annoying them

The Gauls throw themselves forward but fail to reach the enemy skirmishers

Indeed, two of the Gauls have been killed and shock is mounting

The skirmishers retire as German warriors approach

The Roman column has chased off the enemy slingers and now heads around the village

German skirmishers continue to taunt them so the Centurion keeps after them

but now he espies the German war bands and they become his new focus

The German leader has managed to get up his warriors "fervour" for battle so they are pleased to fight the Romans (the green numbers indicate fervour)

The fighting is fierce some - the little pellets represent the shock mounting on the Romans - but big holes are appearing in the German ranks

The Gauls have pursued enemy skirmishers into the henge. This time they are caught and destroyed 

The Romans and German war bands fight to the death

but the Germans have the weight of numbers and attack the Romans from three sides 

In the end, the Romans are destroyed - they were far too over confident and reckless in their headlong charge

Still learning and these rules have a lot of development ahead of them before release to the wider wargaming world - but we are enjoying what we have seen so far.

Having another crack at it tomorrow, this time with Rafael.

Rebels and Patriots

Today's club game was "Rebels and Patriots" with Allan.  He supplied all the French Indian Wars figures, terrain and buildings.

Its a fast and easy to learn set of skirmish level rules. We managed to play two games, one in the morning and another in the afternoon.

For the first game, Allan had a British force trying to get to the fort at the other end of the table. My French and Indians had to stop them ! 

No sign of any activity at the fort !

The British have 5 units - a small light infantry section leads the way, followed by Highlanders, two units of regulars and some skirmishers at the rear

Allan's column proceeds cautiously

Suddenly two units of French regulars appear behind the column and open fire

and on the flank Indian tribesmen and some French woodsmen

The Indians dash forwards 

Allan decides to deploy his light infantry into the tree line facing the Indians

so now the Scots lead the column

The Indians attack the British light infantry

The British take casualties and they retreat

now Indian marksmen have crawled into position ahead of the column

The British main body receives fire and a man is down

and the Indians have hit a Scot too

The French regulars continue to pursue the column

Now the Scots try to engage the Indian skirmishers but they evade

but the Indian tribesmen emerge from the trees and attack the Scots

The Scots retire with casualties - indeed, the British leader has to test to see if he is hit

as the Indians take the ground

Yes he is ! The British commander is down.

This is not good at all.

With casualties mounting all through the column and the commander dead, Allan concedes the game.

After lunch, Allan has a force of American provincials defending the fort against my French & Indians attacking.

We assault from three sides - the two French regular units from this direction

Indian tribe from the left

who immediately charge forward !

lose casualties on the way in

and fail to climb the walls

this does egg the French regulars on though and they send forward a unit

at the same time, Indian skirmishers attack from the right

The tribesmen have retreated back to cover

but the French now have both their regular units charging the fort

One makes it to the wall but they are taking casualties

but a determined effort sees them ascend and defeat the Americans facing them

however, fire from the blockhouse sends them reeling back at the wall is retaken

Meantime on the right hand wall, the French woodsman have managed to shoot down most of the Americans facing their way, encouraging the Indian skirmishers to charge 

but wouldn't you know it - the sole remainng American in that wall beats them off !

Undeterred by their earlier failure, the Indian tribesmen charge the left hand wall again

as the French keep this side of the fort busy

now the last of the defenders on the right hand wall has been shot so the Indians are free to return

These red capped Frenchmen have been amazing shots out on the right

Things are looking precarious for the fort now

The Indians have scaled the wall on the right which is now unoccupied

the American commander tries to get other men around to face them

but now the French are over the wall and the Americans have been forced back with casualties

the Indians have taken the left hand wall, so now the Americans have lost three walls

and the American commander has been surrounded by Indians - guess his scalp will be worn on a belt by someone !

so that was it, the fort had fallen !  Here's the rule book cover for those of you not familiar with them

Very entertaining little games.