English Civil War - 1644

After a gap of many years, we finally dusted off the ECW troops and decided to try 1644 rules by Rick Priestley which have sat on the shelf unused despite our enthusiasm when they were first published.

We decided on a conflict for a village positioned around a vital crossroads - so here goes ...

Royalist Dragoons move up quick on the right of the village

With supporting Foot marching towards the centre

Parliamentary Foot have similar ideas

 Two Royalist regiments reach the first buildings

Whilst a Parliamentary Blue Coat regiment can be seen around the bend to the north as the Royalist Dragoons decide to dismount and enter the barn

 A gun is dragged up in support of the Paliamentary foot

Roundhead horse deploy on their right

As the First cavalry action happens in front and to the right of the Blue Coats

A Royalist gun has deployed and starts firing

Royalist cavalry prepare to charge the Blue Coats

As the Parliamentary musketeers and artillery pound the barn holding the Royalist dragoons

Another Parliamentary regiment flanks the barn

On a roll of a 6 at the beginning of a bound, reinforcements arrive - in this case, more Royalist cavalry

Parliamentary forces push on towards the centre of the village, leaving the artillery to finish off the enemy dragoons

the Royalist cavalry have charged in against the Blue Coats

whilst over on the Royalist right a regiment of White Coats has charged the enemy unit beside the barn

The Cavalry melee over at the back of the village still rages with fresh units joining in

View down the main road during the Parliamentary advance

Royalist red coats attack across the left of the village against Parliamentarian green coats

but the white coat regiment has been beaten back by the Parliamentarians by the barn

and casualties are mounting as morale plunges

Two Royalist foot units are now in action on the left of the village and the Parliamentarians falling back

all the cavalry is getting sucked into the action in the fields north of the village

The King's men seem to have secured left of the village for now

A reinforcing Parliamentary foot unit arrives just as their friends break in the middle of town

a Parliamentary green coat regiment is routing from the Royalists

We finished the game at this point. Overview - cavalry stalemate outside the village, left and centre of village in Royalist hands but Parliament has pushed back the Royalist right.  Pretty much a draw unless fresh forces arrive to tip the balance one way or the other.

So, what did we think of 1644 ?  Not bad but still not the elusive perfect ECW rules we are looking for.  We have a couple of more sets to try out in the future for further comparison. (Fields of Glory Renaissance and Warr Without an Enemie by the Wyre Forest Wargames Club)

More of Borodino

I took so many pictures at the Wargames Holiday Centre, it would be churlish not to share more with you ...

This is early on when units are undisclosed

French line lancers come up in support of an attack

French Guard battery

 Heavy cavalry and limbered guns cheek by jowl with the infantry

With their right flank secure, more and more French units pore forward

This battery has taken some casualties, going by the white rings on the crew

Always a stirring sight - the Old Guard advance menacingly

 Russian cavalry move to head off the advancing French

French allied heavy cavalry look to join in the fray

Bring up the guns !

French Polish and Red lancers anxious to join in

I lost count of how many troops we had on the table !

The gunners have fled and this battery is about to fall

But the Russians never know when they are beaten

Russian Guard Grenadiers arrive on their left flank to stop the rot

Had enough yet ?!!

Borodino at the Wargames Holiday Centre

A four day campaign fought at the WHC at Kingsclere, near Basingstoke, Hampshire

Andreas & I receive our orders from C in C, Herbert.  Andreas & I have the Polish Corps and Ney's troops to attack the Russian left

My boys attack the Russian held village with Andreas's men sweeping around the right

There's plenty more Russians where they came from ... !

Here's a nice shot of a general advance ...

Our French boys have captured the village - time for a celebration !

Masses of French attacking the Russian centre - avoiding the Grand Redoubt though !

A great time was had by all (12 gamers took part) and Mark Freeth who runs the Wargames Holiday Centre is always the perfect host - thanks a million, Mark

Panzer Blitz !

We have now started the latest Eastern Front campaign "Bashyna or Bust" from Too Fat Lardies for I Ain't Been Shot Mum games

and not unreasonably we kicked off with the first scenario with both Germans and Soviets trying to capture and hold the bridge near Osen.  Here are the Orders of Battle ...

Here's an over view of the battlefield seen from the German end ...

and Blinds are now evident

with the Germans getting the run of the cards enabling them to crack on

Three T34s are spied on the hill

so two zigs of Panzers uncloaked themselves and gave fire

with immediate effect

Two T34s "brewed up"

In reply, the Soviets managed to inflict some damage on the Zug leader's Pv.IV

That notwithstanding, he encouraged the others forward

and another round of fire on the remaining T34 caused the crew to bail out and run

More T34s arrived

but the Panzers charged up the hill

got around the flank

and promptly dispatched two more Soviet tanks which exploded killing their tank riding infantry too.

All was lost for the Russians and the German infantry in trucks were able to take the bridge completely unmolested

This was a terrible day for Steve Clarke,the Soviet commander, as the cards and the dice were completely against him - fortunately for me, he shuffled and dealt so no blame could be laid at my door !

Usually, our games are tense fairly evenly balanced affairs, so this was most out of the ordinary.

Still, after two defeats on the trot against Steve, I'll take this one !