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Quasi-Bras with Square Eagles: Turns 9 – 15

Gepost op door JurjenB in Internetblog

Turn 9: Allies get a big roll when they needed it! They will have sufficient activations for all of their units. French will have to leave 2 units inactive. 

“Me thinks I hear bagpipes!” exclaims the Allied commander. Hearted by dust clouds signaling the arrival of his reinforcements, he decides to hold his ground covering the approach to Quasi Bras. A Nassau light battalion does little damage firring at a French infantry assault. 

However, the French infantry then rolls very poorly (they need 4+ on 5 dice vs 5+ on 3 dice for the LI). Their assault is repulsed!

With the objective in sight, the French press the advance!

The French then see the relief column that arrived this turn – 3 units of Highlanders! (no special properties for this battle, though). 
French LI fire. 

Shooting by the 2 Nassau Light infantry units is more effective!

Turn 10: French seize the initiative , effectively 7 to 2! Orders are issued.

If at first you don’t succeed… this time the French Assault is successful, 

Eliminating the pesky Nassau LI; the victorious unit takes advantage of its free change of facing. 
French units advance again!

2 Highland units use Maneuver orders to advance 45 degrees and change formation. 

French shooting takes its toll on the Dutch Belgium line before Quasi-Bras!

Allied return fire is weak. 

Turn 11 – this time the dice gods favor the Allies, and not a moment too soon! Orders are issued. 

Highlanders advance on Quasi Bras, and the Dutch Belgian line occupies the crossroads. 

Limited French moves. 

Results of the  Allied shooting. 

French shooting is a bit less effective. 

Turn 12: both sides roll high, but Allies retain the initiative (must win by 2+ for it to change). Many orders are issued. Note that the French still have all 8 units remaining, although many are battered, while the Allies have only 5, but 3 are almost completely fresh. 
Gordon Highlanders launch a very successful flank assault!

French defenders are eliminated, and the Highlanders press forwards. !

Allied moves.
French moves – being in the Zone of control of the Cameronians, the French cavalry could NOT assault the flank of the Black Watch. 
Allied shooting.
French shooting – someone let that Legere uinit in the woods have some target practice!

The Dutch-Belgians at Quasi Bras are finally eliminated. 4 Allied units remain to 7 French, but again, most of the French have taken significant losses. In addition to the scenario victory conditions (hold Quatre Bras at the end of Turn 15),  I also decided that if an army reached 75% of it units lost (i.e. only 2 remaining), they would have to call off the battle and concede.  

Turn 13 – French seize the initiative! Orders are issued; the Chassuers a Cheval on the flank of the Gordons are salivating at the thought of an assault!
The slightly understrength Chassuers roll 6 dice needing 3+, and the also slightly understrength defending Gordons roll 6 dice, needing 4+, resulting in – a tie! The assault is (barely) repulsed. 
Remaining French moves – Quasi Bras is taken, and the French general makes an inspiring rally activation. 
British also have a (critical) very successful Rally activation!

Some decent French shooting… 

is overmatched by spectacular Allied shooting!
Turn 14 – Three French units were eliminated as a result of the shooting at the end of Turn 13! French roll a very ill timed “1” for initiative, while the Allies have more than they need. Orders are assigned. 

Allies go first and prepare for an all out attack on Quasi-Bras on Turn 15, plus setting up an impressive firing line. 

One hit is rallied off; the French lacked initiative to do anything with the distant (and very weak – 1 hit remaining) infantry unit near the woods. Their hold on Quasi Bras looks tenuous at best. 

Highland musketry scores 5 hits on 6 dice total!

French (simultaneous) return fire is very accurate as well, but the unit has reached its limit for hits and is removed!

Situation at the end of Turn 14 – both armies have but 3 units remaining, and Quasi-Bras is up for grabs!

Turn 15 (last turn): Allies come up with big win on initiative! There is little point on wasting an order on the distant, feeble 3rd French unit. 

2 highland regiments advance, seizing the Quasi-Bras crossroads, whilst the third rallies. 
Charge of the French Chevau-Leger-Lanciers – The Cameronians are driven back with heavy losses, but the Lanciers are almost spent as well! 

British fire eliminates the Lanciers. 

French fire to moderate effect on the occupiers of Quai Bras, but would have needed 4 hits on 4 dice to eliminate them.

The Allies have won… barely. They hold Quasi Braas, and the French have only 2 units remaining and are thus at their break point. A near run thing indeed!

Quasi-Bras with Square Eagles: Turns 1 – 8

Gepost op door JurjenB in Internetblog
 
I had a week off from work earlier this month, and had recovered enough form Historicon that I decided that I wanted to do a relatively brief solo game. I settled on Square Eagles. It would also give me a chance to test the modifications and clarifications to the rules made back in the Spring. I chose Scenario #11, “Surprise Attack”, from Neil Thomas’s One Hour Wargames. As this one is based upon the Battle of Quatre Bras, Red would be Anglo-Allied and Blue French. The building at the crossroads is for show only, and doesn’t count as cover, etc.; likewise the wheat field. 

I rolled a “2” for the red forces, and a “3” for Blue; adding 2 infantry units to each force gave Red 5 Infantry, 2 Light Infantry, and 1 Artillery. Blue wound up with 5 infantry, 1 Light Infantry, and 2 Cavalry, as depicted above. 

The scenario has 2 red units positioned as above, which I increased to 3, while all the Blue forces enter via the road. With the additional units, Red would get 2 units of reinforcements arriving via the Northern road on Turn 3, and 3 more via the Western road on Turn 9. I determined the composition of each of the three red forces randomly, and only when I needed to know them. Blue’s order of arrival was also determined randomly. Turn1: Red rolls far more activations than needed, while blue fare poorly with 2 (plus 1 for the general =3). Blue moves first by scenario conditions on Turn 1 regardless.

Using the grid and having to start form a single box meant no too much more could have entered on Turn 1 anyway! British artillery scores a hit on the advancing French. The large swamp is impassable. 

Turn 2: British again get more activations than they need whilst the French… do not! British also seize the initiative, having won by 2+!

British Artillery scores 2 hits!  French bring on 2 more units.

Turn3: Allies retain the imitative; even with 2 units of reinforcements entering, they again roll high enough for every unit to activate. British artillery scores another hit on the ? advancing French. 

Having rolled poorly again, French form a battle line and enter a 6th unit. 

Turn 4: French win the initiative, are finally able to activate 7 units this turn! Allies still roll well enough to activate all 5 of their units on the table. 

With British reinforcements approaching, this turn they advance with alacrity!

Cannister fire from the British battery drives back a French infantry unit with heavy losses!

French infantry fire leaves something to be desired…

The Allied general curses – it seems the two Dutch-Belgian/Nassau units put the powder in their muskets, but for got the musket balls!

Turn 5- British seize the initiative in a big way, with the French sputtering.

French infantry suffer anther 2 hits from bombardment.

Assault by the French infantry eliminates the battery (Artillery that is contacted in melee is automatically removed after defensive fire, if any). 

Allied fire; infantry hits on 4,5,6, Light Infantry on 5,6.

French infantry fire is about average in effect. 

Turn 6: French seize the imitative, while the Allies can’t activate every unit for the first time in the game. 

Defensive fire against a French assault scores a single hit. 
French eliminate the defenders (they had only 1 hit left). 

The victorious French infantry takes the 1 box advance. 

A second French Assault is successful (the target had no Order to issue defensive fire). 

Victorious French advance again. 

Remaining French moves. 

“Fall Back!”, orders the Allied commander. 

Situation at the end of the turn. 

Turn 7: French advance loses steam big time, while the Allies have initiative to burn!

Allies pull back to form some semblance of a defensive line, while the General rallies 2 hits off a shaky Nassau Light Infantry unit. The French then use their limited initiative to form up their own lines. 
Turn 8:  Allies retain the initiative but the French will be pressing them!

Allied main body withdraws towards the vital crossroads at Quasi Bras. A Nassau Light Infantry battalion clings to the edge of the woods; too many French cavalry around to risk being out in the open!

Seven of the eight French units advance; straggling unit has only 1 hit left anyway.  
British fire.

French fire. Allied commander asks where are those darned reinforcements. “Hang on, help is on its way!”

Historicon 2025: Mark’s Medley

Gepost op door JurjenB in Internetblog

 At my request, my friend Mark T. sent me a bunch of his Historicon pictures; most of these are games he ran or played in himself. 

Mark played in this game Wednesday night, Crossing the Berezina, East Bank, November1812, using Carnage and Glory computer moderated rules. GM Steven Unbrel. “Marshall Victor and a motley Corps of Germans, Poles and a few French must hold off Wittgenstein’s Russians long enough for the stragglers of the Grand Armee to cross the bridges and continue the retreat.” 
I remember playing Berezina game at Historicon some 20 years ago with Andy Finkel from the UK running it, using their Casquet rules – a mash up of Piquet and Shako!
Brazen Chariots Wednesday night, GM Adam Wine. Battle of Tafaraoui Airfield:
“Nov. 7, 1942, Operation Torch the invasion of French North Africa. The U.S. 1st Armored Regiment, lands on the beaches near Oran and quickly capture the town of Ste. Barbe-du-Tletat. The M3 light tanks are advancing on Tafaraoui Airfield and the French tanks roll forward to stop them.”
Battle of Raszyn, 19 April 1809, Carnage and Glory Computer moderated rules. GM Peter Burke. 
“Archduke Ferdinand and his VII Corps must capture Warsaw. Standing in their way on the road to the city is General Poniatowski and his scratch Corps of Poles and Saxons.” We’ve run Raszyn before (it’s one of the 20+ scenarios in my 1809 Scenario book for Field of Battle) – an interesting and challenging scenario for both sides!
This is Kambula, Zulu Kingdom, March 29th, 1879. GM Gregory Starace, Carnage and Glory (They do fantastic looking tables, don’t they?  “Just a day after the disaster at Hlobane mountain, Wood’s No 4 “Left Flank” Column is ready for the main Zulu impi to turn to his direction. Zulus are spotted to the north. Are they passing by, does Wood wait for the attack or provoke a move, can Ntshingwayo still orchestrate a cohesive attack?”
 Mark is a big fan but I can’t say that I’m much attracted to a computer moderated tabletop game myself, but they ran each of their games multiple times and had no trouble filling the spots, so not everyone agrees with me. So what else is new?  🙂
Dabrowa Tarnowska 1662 Poles vs. Russians and Cossacks. Carnage and Glory again, GM David Bonk. “Russian and Cossack forces attempt to capture the village of Dabrowa Tarnowska in 1662.”
Talk about Tiny Desk…
WW2 Skirmish game
Some of the layout for this year’s Samurai Spectacular! 
Operation Jupiter..
60 mm WW2. 
Falkirk, 22 July 1298, Carnage and Glory again. GM Jeffrey Ball.  “After the shocking defeat of the English at Stirling Bridge, King Edward amasses a huge army to defeat the Scottish general William Wallace. The English knights are hungry for revenge as the army advances on the Scots who are arrayed and waiting on a hill above a bog.”
Mark played in this game himself. 
He didn’t divulge for which side, and or if he won!
Star Trek, based on the classic  TOS episode, “The Doomsday Machine”.  GM Phil Lewis, Starmada rules.  Commodore, this is Star Fleet HQ… Sensors picked up an energy signature similar to a so called “Doomsday Machine” reported by Enterprise decades ago. The Romulans have been very active in this sector recently. You are ordered to assemble a task force and investigate.
15 mm at The Alamo
Iwo Jima
Dark Ages terrain set up
February made me Shiver…
Battle of Bouvines in 1214. Run by Mark himself on Friday AM with Lion Rampant Rules (he ran Crecy with the same rules Thursday).  “King John seeks to retake land in France with the aid of Flanders and the Holy Roman Empire. King Philippe II of France moves his army to a bridge at Bouvines, and Otto IV’s allied forces catch up with the French who turn to face them.”
Mark provides he following description: This photo is after the first 2 turns from my Battle of Bouvines game.  The French (closest in the photo) have 54 points of troops, which includes left, center, and right, each having a unit of elite cavalry, heavy cavalry, heavy infantry, and crossbows.  The left command starts with their heavy cavalry back protecting the bridge over the river near Bouvines, while all the rest of the French units are on the front or second line.
The Allies (Germans with English and Flanders allies) start on or slightly to the left of the low rising ground above (the latter being on the Allies right flank).  They have 58 points, and are charged with attempting to take the bridge which is the French’s route to their homeland. Each of the 3 Allied commands have different selection of units. The left flank and center both have elite and heavy cavalry with a unit of crossbowmen, while the left has 1 heavy inf, and the center have 2. On the right flank are 2 heavy cavalry instead of 1, 1 heavy inf, and they have 1 expert archer unit instead of elite cavalry. In the photo, the two heavy cavalry are pushing to out flank the French.
The following photos are at the end of each of the successive turns for the Bouvines scenario.

The Allies right flank heavy cavalry units continue there progress towards turning the French left flank and heading for Bouvines with its bridge. Meanwhile, the main fight continues in the center, and in the French right flank too.
This photo is at the end.  The Allies are contending for the bridge, and the number of units gone on both sides has started to show on the rest of the table.  However, the French probably don’t have enough to go much further at this stage of the game.
Terrain set up for the Battle of Bunker (Breed’s) Hill; Live Free or Die rules.  GM  Thomas Uhl. 
“On the evening before the battle, Col. William Prescott and 1000 militiamen quietly ascended the heights of Breeds Hill and began fortifying the position. Despite the secrecy, the unmistakable sound of digging could be heard. General Gage determined to strike the Rebel entrenchments in the morning.”
Oak Grove, June 25 1862. Carnage and Glory, GM David Bonk. “On the morning of June 25, 1862 Union forces under the command of Brigadier General Hooker advance through the White Oak swamp in an attempt to capture Old Tavern.” Mark played in this one; photos are from behind his command. 
 Mark’s Union brigade begins making its slow way over the deep and mucky stream.
Make for the Cornfield!
Having gotten beyond the thick forest and watery mess, the brigade begins deploying in preparation for eventual contact with the Confederates.
Contact has been made, firing begun, some retreating has occurred too.
8 of Mark’s 40mm Colonial AWI figures receiving some last minute basing.  The figures are originally Trident Designs, now being sold by Triguard Miniatures.  They were used for his AWI Concord Bridge North scenario. This game was played using the rules called Light Bobs which is a battalion level game where each unit is a company. Although it can be scaled up for big battle play, and these rules are currently under revision for printing a 2nd edition.
Some of Light Bobs interesting features include the idea that during the AWI, at a company level movement into a different formation was performed off of the company commander, and so the individual bases just move into position from the base to their new location.  Another feature is a concept of “return fire”, and this represents a companies ability to rapidly respond to being fired upon in a firing fight.
This is the initial setup where the colonials have reached the bridge, and begun to fan out for an ability to cover both sides of the crossing.  Meanwhile, the 4th, 10th, and 43rd British light infantry companies are lined up back to back in their initial deployment, and 2 companies of grenadiers are in the upper right moving in the direction of the bridge to provide reinforcement.

This photo is from Turn 3, which is after initial firing and positioning.  The colonials have started their attempt to cross the bridge, and the British have begun giving some ground while they attempt to slow the colonials down.

The 3rd photo is after Turn 6 where the British light infantry have left the field in their entirety, and only the grenadiers remain with Smith surveying the scene of colonials in various states of ability, while deciding to return to Concord for gathering his forces for the long, and what will turn out to be a hazardous, march back to Boston. Mark notes that the bridge for this scenario, although repaired and refurbished, is one that he built with his father decades ago!
These next pictures from “Coton Hall”, a fictional fight set in the English Civil War using Carnage & Glory, and by the rules author, Nigel Marsh.   The set up for the Parliamentarians, the cavalry force at the bottom was my command for the game.
The starting positions for the Royalists, the cavalry position being where the forces are opposing my force.
The placard for the game with map and other details.
 After Turn 2 … the Parliamentarians have pushed forwards across the entirety of there front in an effort to take the bridge and hopefully even Coton Hall in the rear of the Royalist line. Note the cavalry unit behind the Parliamentarians in the lower right that has been moving from the left flank to reach the far right flank.
Positions at end of game … the Royalist cavalry attack on left has met with some success, yet it comes too late as the Parliamentarians have used their infantry and artillery in such a way that the center and other flank are collapsing. The traveling cavalry unit has now made it all the way to where the end of the green and white measuring stick is pointing.
Battle at Hartebeestmund (German South West Africa, 1905). GM Roy Jones, Modified The Sword and the Flame rules. “It’s a trap! Nama riflemen in the heights of Hartebeestmund have been waiting for the Germans all along. And now the Germans are trapped between the hills and the river. It’s German Mausers, machine guns, and cannon against concealed Nama rifles and Nama guile, in a brutal fight at Hartebeestmund!” Mark played in this one, too!  Above: The Germans have been crossing the rough ground although Turn 1 starts when they’ve hit the edge if the steep hills, and the Namas have begun firing from concealed positions above.
The Germans attempt to get a foot hold in the center, although begin taking heavy casualties, and some have started to retreat.
The Germans have been significantly repulsed, yet they begin to rally for an additional effort soon.
The Germans make their second attempt at the hills, but it is not successful.
And then to make the matter worse, the Namas launch their attack on the baggage train, machine guns, and artillery pieces, after storming out of the heavy and high brush.  The end of the fight is reached.
All the awards at Historicon 2025, part1
and part 2! Congratulations all; well deserved!

Vauban’s Wars: 18th Century Siege at Historicon

Gepost op door JurjenB in Internetblog

My freind Eric Burgess ran an 18th century siege game on Saturday afternoon at Historicon using his Vauban’s Wars rules. Properly this post should be on his blog, but as he hasn’t gotten around to it, and I have photos from several sources, I did it!  🙂

He used his 15 mm figures (I believe British/Hanoverians as besiegers, and French as defenders). 

First line of circumvallation, and the besieger’s HQ. The game tracks a number of supply types (food and powder) for both sides; I’m not sure if the wagons or barrels were a miniature representation of those supplies or just generic. 

The fortress is 15mm by Paper Terrain

Sapping forward to start the second line of Circumvallation. 
The third line is now well under way.

Trying to breach the walls…
Trench Raid!

Some stalwart Grenadiers getting ready to assault a breach? 
The Fortress in peril!



    Eric said “My Vauban’s War siege worked out great, but another turnout issue. I had 4, two dropped (unknown to me), then one joined in, then I got a walk-up and got Dan from the Vauban’s Wars FaceBook Group to join. (I think he is the president of my Vauban’s Wars fan club! He was very enthusiastic about the gamerules)  Ken graciously allowed half his units to be commanded by Dan. We called it after 5 hours (45 minutes of tutorial as Tom didn’t get any of my pre-convention emails). Rob Dean from the HAWKS group (garrison commander) slid right in like he had played before even though he registered during the convention! I was impressed with his gaming acumen.  Andy and Ken anchored team BESIEGERS, and Andy’s son Sam eventually joined, then Evan joined for the last hour as folks had to drop to go to dinner. Evan ran a Sci-Fi game I played in and just happened to walk by when we lost a player and was a good sport. I believe, based on the response, that everybody had a great time. I gave away the rules (Rob) and Book (Dan) after the game. Some good news is On Military Matters sold out of all copies of VW in less than 24 hours, and PaperTerrain sold more fortresses at a convention than ever before!



Daniel Loych said: “Great game at Historicon! The English did well sapping up to the walls, but we struggled to get our guns up into the forward emplacements due to fierce trench raids from the defenders. By the end, the bastions held but with heavy damage. Eric ran an absolutely fantastic game, and everyone at the table was able to pick up the rules very quickly. ”


There is more about Vauban’s Wars on Eric’s blog (and also here under the Vauban’s Wars tag). Highly recommended!

Battle of Pavia, 1525 at Historicon

Gepost op door JurjenB in Internetblog

 

Saturday morning at Historicon I played in the huge Pavia, 1525, game run by Martyn Kelley and W.A.M.P., in celebration of the famous battle’s 500th anniversary. 

I believe Martin and company ran this game 5 times over the course of the show. 

There were a staggering number of beautifully painted 25/28 mm figures. 

Completely amazing terrain – virtually all of it scratch built from foam!

The total area covered was roughly `12 feet by 16 feet, with an open area in the center.

Artillery emplacements.

Swiss Pikes and supporting shot. 

Pictures of a near contemporary tapestry commemorating the battle were used to inspire the troops and the terrain!

Little blurry here. 
OMG!
Talk about setting the place and the mood. 

On to the game; the roles were divvied up to the various players. I would up being assigned 2 Spanish Colunellas, which included the famous Sword and Bucklers, and their supporting shot. 

The other Spanish player near me had 2 more Colunellas, some shot, and the heavy arquebuses, which were especially suited to shooting down heavily armed French Gendarmes. 

Our plan was that my units would bear left to support a mass of LC in that direction, which were backed up by a huge Swiss Pike block and some field artillery, and a handful of Elmeti (Italian equivalent of Gendarmes (or maybe they were real Gendarmes!). My fellow Spaniard would send his heavy arquebuses into the woods to his right, and the rest of his forces would advance at a roughly 45 degree angle, ready to support in either direction, and also ready to counter any threat from the Mirabello hunting lodge (the cluster of building seen above). 

First clash of the Light Cavalry (Genitors, Stradiots, etc.) to my front. 

More French LC, and a big, honking Swiss Pike block. 

On the whole, the Spanish LC came of the worse in the exchanges of shooting and melee (they were outnumbered, and the French player was familiar with the rules – simplified Pike and Shotte – which we were not). 

Huge crash as the French Gendarmes slam into the Imperial heavy horse. 

Spanish LC pulls back in some disorder. I prepare to meet the Swiss with a hail of shot, and then charge them. If I time it right, my two Coluneallas together will have equal numbers (or better, after losses to shooting) to the Swiss, and will be hitting on a D6 roll of 2+! Hole-y Swiss cheese!

Imperial Landsknechts prepare to do the tough fighting after the pretty boys grind one another down!

Fortified guns shot at one another all game long, with little to show for it… pretty much as the siege of Pavia had been going for quite some time before the Spanish/Imperialists broke into the park on a surprise attack and started the battle. HMGS board member and local gaming freind Kevin Carroll helped out with the rules immensely, and played a few minor forces on our part of the battlefield. 

Meanwhile, there was fighting by the town of Pavia as well. 

The heavy cavalry thin one another out as they become mired in the mud; the pikes move in on both sides, preparing to take over when circumstances permit. 

My Arquebusiers get their timing wrong, and get in only a single shot at the Swiss as they charge. The Swiss attack rattled their nerves, and their shooting was notable for its extreme inaccuracy! 🙁
 In the melee, the shot are driven back with heavy losses, disordered, and are unlikely to be a factor for the remainder of the battle!

My two colunellas attempt to charge the Swiss, but one balks at engaging the fierce mountain men. If only one of the two engages the Swiss, they will be outnumbered 2:1, and be crushed. Discretion was the better part of valor here! Besides, my fellow Spaniard has determined his colunellas are not needed in the massive Gendarme and Pike scrum, and thus swings over to our left to support me on my right. The Swiss, of course, then oblige by charging my 2 units (their front is so wide they really could do nothing other). 

Back over by Mirabello, it’s still Hack! Skewer! Bash!

Between the losses they did take from fire and melee with my Arquebusiers, scant though they were, and my sword and buckler men slipping under the pikes (and some hot die rolling, atoning for the miserable rolling for the shot), the Swiss Pike block took severe losses and failed its break test, dispersing. All of Europe gasped at the defeat of the heretofore seemingly invincible Swiss!  After that, Kevin does an end of game frontal test charge with his heavy cavalry. With their losses from the Swiss melee, they could not resist the shock of the heavily armored horse and are defeated (not an official part of the game, though). 

Landsknecht vs French Pikes at the end of the game – the Imperialists prevail… as they did in actual fact, with King Francis being captured on the battlefield historically. 
I have actually run Pavia myself three times in the past 25 years (with Band of Brothers and [unofficial]  To the Strongest! – Renaissance), and all have been close games. My Pike blocks were a mere 36 figures, though, not 72 to 120 like these monsters! The advantage of the smaller units (and table) was of course more maneuver and more decisions for the players to make. Never the less, the game was successful in allowing everyone to get into combat, roll a LOT of dice, have fun, play with a large crowd of like minded wargamers on a table with hordes of beautiful figures and completely breathtaking terrain, and all in 4 hours. What more could one want?!  The game deservedly won best of show; there was really no possible contest there!
There is much more about this battle and game, and all the work he did over 2 years to prepare for it, at Martyn’s blog:  https://www.collegeofkings.com/.