Wellington’s Waterloo at HAVOC

Gepost op door JurjenB in Internetblog

Saturday night at HAVOC saw the big game – “Wellington’s Waterloo”, with the “Square Eagles” rules. These are a 3d6 variant of Neil Thomas’ “One Hour Wargames”, based upon ideas by Steve over at the  Sound Officer’s Call blog, and also Malcom Wright (who’s rules I used for my three “Waterloo in Two” games at Historicon last year).  .  

Long view of Waterloo at about the end of Turn 2 – French to the right, Anglo-Allied to the left, (10 mm) Hougomont in the foreground. The risges were custom made my be for this year’s game. 

Light Infantry are especially useful combating defensive positions!  French wisely decide NOT to close within 1 box of the British on the ridge, but rather exchange longer range skirmishing fire. 

D’Erlon advances on the French right, with Picton’s command in his sights. 

Action around La Haye Sainte and Hougomont. 

Ney (Mark T) and the Imperial Guard Cavalry support d’Erlon’s advance, whilst Hill (James S) dispatches his cavalry to Picton’s aid. 

Picton’s command is being ground down.

Reille keeps Hill honest; he can’t afford top strip off too many troops to succor Picton, lest La Haye Sainte and Hougomont fall (results in immediate French victory – never yet accomplished in any of these games). 

Picton was hit at least twice (he died at Waterloo in actual fact); his command is down to the Nassauers holding Pappelotte. In the event, the French ultimately decide to let him keep it!

The cards mean it is turn 9 (of 15), and Wellington has lost 10 units to 7 for the French. Scouts report that the troops advancing on the French right are not in fact Grouchy, but… Blucher!  The French need to step up the pace if they are to eliminate 

Lobau (blue command) has lost some of his infantry, and is awaiting an opportunity to charge with his light cavalry where they won’t be shot to pieces on the advance. 

Uxbridge hold La Haye Sainte, but the French Carabiniers have charged onto the ridge!
Turn 10 – 12 losses apiece! Wellington exclaims, “Give me night, or give me Blucher!”

Hill has moved to hold the Anglo Allied right, but finds himself stuck between d’Erlon (green), and the Guard (white). 

The British maintain a hold on Hougomont and La Haye Sainte, but seeing the defeat of the Anglo Allied left unfolding, they now press the attack on both! It is roughly Turn 12 here…
Wellington’s Waterloo – the Scenario:
The map – the table is 2 feet long by 5 feet wide, and the tabletop boxes are 6 x 6″.

ANGLO-ALLLIED ARMY

Wellington
Army C-in-C; 31 units – 60% losses = 19 units

May
Rally 1 unit per turn

May
Re-roll Firing dice for

one
infantry unit per turn

Picton
(Orange)

2
Nassau Line Infantry – 6 hits

2
British Line Infantry – 7 hits

1
Medium Foot Artillery – 5 hits

3
Dutch-Belgian cavalry 4 hits

Hill
(Red)

1
British Guard Infantry – 8 hits

1
British Light Infantry – 5 hits

2
British Line Infantry – 7 hits

3
British Light Cavalry – 5 hits

1
Medium Foot Artillery – 5 hits

Uxbridge
(Yellow)

2
Dutch-Belgian Infantry – 6 hits

1
Hanoverian Line – 6 hits

2
British Line – 7 hits

2
British Heavy Cavalry – 5 hits

1
British Light Cavalry – 5 hits

Prince
of Orange-Nassau
(Black)

1
British Guard Infantry – 8 hits

2
Hanoverian Line – 6 hits

2
Brunswick Line – 6 hits

1
Brunswick Cavalry 4 hits

1
British Rocket Battery – 5 hits

FRENCH ARMY

Emperor Napoleon I,
Army C-in-C: 35 units – 60% losses = 21

May
Rally 1 unit per turn

May
re-roll Initiative Die for one Command each turn


Ney
– Additional Leader, can attach to any French unit,

giving
it +1d6 in Assault combat, and may command

up
to 3 French units within 2 boxes

Reille
(Blue)

1
Light Infantry 5 hits

4
Line Infantry 7 hits

1
Heavy Artillery 5 hits

3
Light Cavalry 5 hits

Lobau
(Brown)

1
Light Infantry 5 hits

4
Line Infantry 7 hits

3
Heavy cavalry 5 hits

1
Medium Foot Artillery 5 hits

Drouot

(White)

1
Guard Artillery 6 hits +1
die when shooting

2
Old Guard Infantry 9 hits, Veteran released
Turn 6

2
Middle Guard Infantry 8
hits, Veteran released
Turn 6

2
Guard Light Cavalry 6 hits released
Turn 3

1
Guard Heavy Cavalry 7 hits released
Turn 3

D’Erlon
(Green)

1
Light Infantry – 6 hits

4
Line Infantry – 5 hits

2
Light Cavalry – 5 hits

1
Medium Artillery – 5 hits

French
must either take both Hougomont and La Haye Sainte, or reduce the
British army by 60% without suffering the same themselves, in 15
turns. Failing that, Blucher arrives, and Napoleon is defeated. 


What’s that you say?  Who won???!

    At the end of Turn 13, the Anglo Allied army had lost 19 units to 17 French, although they still held both Hougomont and La Hay Sainte.  With Blucher still aways off, Wellington commands an orderly withdrawal down the road to Brussels. “It was anear run thing”, he remarks to his ADC.  Napoleon is happy to get off his horse, having suffered from painful piles (thrombosed hemorrhoids) all day long, which made riding a torture. The game was finished in 3 hours, which was pretty much right on schedule. I may have given a little too much advantage to the French. Next time, I’d eliminate the Napoleon re-roll, and maybe give that ability to Wellington instead. 

Several players and spectators asked about a copy of the rules. I am going to edit them a bit, and then post them to  the blog. When that’s done, I’ll add a link to this post as well. 

Finally, I found out on Sunday afternoon that the game received “The Al” award, for the game with the greatest visual appeal. My sincere thanks to the organizers, who ran a great convention this year. If you live in New England or Eastern NY state, this is a show well worth attending! It has been running for 30 years, and I have been going most years since at least 2007. I really like the new venue of the past several years (The Best Western in Marlborough, MA). Being able to stay overnight on site is a game changer for me, as the drive is about 2.5 hours. It is held in late March or early April  each year, and runs from Friday night until Sunday afternoon. 

HAVOC Rampant!

Gepost op door JurjenB in Internetblog

For a change, I played in as many games as I ran this year! As it turned out, both used version of Daniel Mersey’s Lion Rampant rules from Osprey. That being the case, I actually bought an pdf copy so that I might have a basic familiarity with them!

The first was the Battle of Crecy; I had the archers behind the barriers on the left of the photos, another concealed in the woods on the left, the two mounted units of Knights, and a motley, smelly band of pilgrims, peasants, and camp hangers on to the rear. My fellow “Englishman”, Steve, had the remainder of the forces… 2 Archer units (one concealed in the woods to the right), a unit of Handgunners, and a unit of dismounted Knights in the center. 

Opposing us were Roland (great name for a player in a Medieval wargame, standing in black), and Mike (seated). The GM, my freind Mark T, is standing explaining the scenario. I had volunteered to play either side, knowing that Crecy is a tough act for the French!

A view as the French begin their advance. From the front, the position can only be attacked through the gap in the center, or on the flanks, mostly through the woods. My fellow Englishman, Sir Steven, is surveying the field. 

Mike advances on Steve’s position on our right, causing the concealed Archers to reveal themselves. 

The French advance; Roland had several early turn terminations, greatly hindering his advance. Sir Steve explains to me that in Lion Rampant, Woods are the great equalizer, and that my motley crew would be pretty much the equal of anyone else when fighting therein. So, Tally Ho, they begin their sylvan trek, planning to protect the flank of Sir Steve’s (red) archers. 

The ranks of the advancing French are thinned by the shooting of Sir Steve’s archers. His handgunners prove particularly deadly when they manage to get a shot off, ignoring the armor of the French Knights!
Lord Roland carefully stays out of range of my own archers as much as he can. 
A wave of French have broken upon the English center, but did reduce Sir Steve’s Foot Knights below 50%, so my mounted Knights move up to fill the gap. Sir Steve’s archers have wiped out the Marquis de Mike’s crossbowmen and all of his mounted troops, the Marquis has pulled his foot sergeants out of range of the English arrows. 

My first unit of knights suffers losses in a series of mandatory “Wild Charges”, 
as the smellies trudge s-l-o-w-l-y through the woods. 

My left flank archers finally decided to show themselves in the woods, as everyone knew they must be there anyway! I think they shot once during the game. Lord Roland readies another assault upon the Gap. on the far fight, he Marquis de Mike has stirred, sending his foot sergeants to attack the flank of Sir Steve’s position. In response, the smellies ooze onward through the woods and down the slope of the hill. 

Lord Roland’s attack repulsed, the French foot soldiers decide to try to contest the position, while the sergeants and peasants slowly gravitate towards one another. 

Situation in the woods and the English center. 

The bigger picture. The smellies and the sergeants clash, with the smellies prevailing by a hair, repulsing their betters! “Whenny woody winnie!”

Both units in the woods then proceed to fail their courage checks (not shocking for the smellies, but less likely for the Sergeants), exclaiming “Run away!”. The French conceded the day, whilst the English drool at the thought of all the ransom money that will be coming their way for the captured French chivalry! 
Mark and I headed out for lunch after the game, and in the process discussed ways to balance the scenario more. Mark decided that probably all of the French will start on the table at the outset, and the handgunners were actually meant to be only 6 figures strong instead of 12. 

Saturday afternoon I played in a second Lion Rampant game, this time the Battle of Tinchebray, September 28, 1106. Continuing on y English theme, I took up the cause of Henry I, King of England, and commanded the center of the army, composed of some archers and many dismounted men at arms. Sir Steve commanded the English Left, composed mostly of mounted knights and men at arms, and I believe it was Jim commanding the English Right, once again comprised mostly of mounted troops. Opposing us, under the banner of Robert of Normandy, Henry’s older brother, were Mark T on their right, Eric opposite me, and  I don’t think I got the name of the last player. GM Chris Parker is seen presiding at the head of the table. 

I liked Chris’ “Large Battle” Lion Rampant variant. The gris is not used, but ALL units roll to activate, and a failure doesn’t stop the rest of the command from activating, just the unit it applies to. Chis also changed the hist so that the first hit was permanent, but the second and subsequent hits from any combat could be saved by rolling he target’s armor rating (1 – 4) or less on a D6. The saved hist still counted as modifiers for Courage tests, etc., for that round. Finally we each had three cards that could be used to reroll any activation or Courage test. 

The cavalry boys moved out with alacrity, but my foot men were more circumspect!

Overview of the battle;’ our knights are pressing forward on the right!

The action to our left was more confused!

Our Knights are gaining the upper hand on the right, my men are slogging forward in the center (whe they aren’t hiding in the woods. Eric’s crossbowmen behind Pavises prove to be a real pain for my men to deal with, despite their somewaht slower rate of fire. 

The white dice track hits; a green die means that many hits plus 6!

Sir Steve’s men start to gain the upper hand over Duke Mark on our left. 

Our right is really mopping up the Normans!

Duke Mark’s forces are dwindling as well. My infantry chant “Whenny woodie winnie!”. 

The Norman flanks are collapsing; my contribution has mostly just ben to keep the Norman Center under Earl Eric occupied; my attempts to assault the annoying crossbowmen were generally thwarted! 

Situation at the end of the game; the red chips indicate a unit that had failed its Courage test. Overall, a convincing win for King Henry I… much as in the real battle. More ransom money to come!  
Thanks to all the players on both sides, and GM Chris Parker. I had a blast playing! 

HAVOC 2025 Table Survey

Gepost op door JurjenB in Internetblog

 

Wars of Ozz– Battle for Magic Mushrooms & Power Crystals – Mark Morin

“In Ozz, many talismans & powerful weapons spring up everywhere. A wonderful magical find of a field of Magic Mushrooms near some Crystals of Power – has led to an Ozzian “Gold Rush”. Here, several Ozzian nations are scrambling to take seize & control of them. Factions have teamed up & are ready to fight to get these valuable resources and deny their capture by their enemies, but what will happen?”

Mark wins my award for “Iron Man” GM at HAVOC, running games in all 5 time slots…. again. 

The Pursuit of the Fleeing Gillikins (Wars of Ozz) – setting up for Mark’s Saturday afternoon game

The Gillikins have recently been defeated by the Munchkins and their allies in a major battle. The remnants of the Gillikin forces are desperately trying to withdraw to the safety of their lands. The Gillikins Empress, Arella the Witch, has her Summoning Bell to call up the Undead to join her troops in retreat. Their Munchkin enemies – as well as their Harvest and Impkin allies – are in hot pursuit. Can the Gillikins make it to safety, or will the Munchkins prevail?


15mm ACW Fire & Fury Regimental Rules – Jim Makuc

Second Fredericksburg, VA – May, 1863 Union troops attempt to break through the Confederate lines.

VSF – Raid on Mount Venus -Gabriel Landowski, getting set up. 

Kid friendly – 28mm dinos, steam walkers, and warriors from across the solar system battle it out in 1899!


VSF – The Brotherhood of Intelligent Dinosaurs Attacks! – getting set for the afternoon game.

Kid friendly – 28mm dinos, steam walkers, and warriors from across the solar system battle it out in 1899!

Getting set up for Trilaterum Learn to Play Events

Check out the best 15mm Sci-Fi Miniatures game around. Everything will be provided come and have fun! if you want to bring your own army bring a 500 point force.

The Battle of Soor – SYW – Sept. 30 1754 – William A Greenwald

Austrians, Led by Charles, in a move of surprising boldness, marched on the Frederick’s Prussian camp in Bohemia. They occupied the hills that Frederick, in a lapse of judgment, had failed to fortify. Frederick was undeterred. He formed his forces in columns and lines facing Charles. The initial attack of cavalry and grenadiers was thrown back, but the second line, under the capable Ferdinand of Brunswick, carried the hills.

Battle of Nancy – WWII – Chris Parker

Seventh Corps has begun its attempt to capture Nancy. It had only recently recovered from a severe fuel shortage which had caused it to halt on the Meuse River for five days. During this time G3 indicates the Germans in the area have reinforced their positions, even using hastily assembled Luftwaffe

Last Stand at Metaurus 207 BC – Dave Soucy

It’s June 207 BC and Hannibal’s brother Hasdrubal Barca is finally bring him badly needed reinforcements in Italy. Learning of his approach, the Romans decide to intercept Hasdrubal before he joins with Hannibal. After some skirmishes, Hasdrubal is trapped along the Metaurus River and the Carthaginians make a last stand. The outcome of this battle will determine the fate of Hannibal in Italy. Rule System: To the Strongest!


(I have run games at HAVOC with TtS! or FK&P myself off and on for at least  8 years so I was happy to see someone else do so. I just wish I had been able to check in on the game as it progressed!)

Chain of Command – Jack Breen

Late June in France. The Americans are pressing. The Nazis have sprung a counterattack around a small village. Vital crossroads and intel are at stake. Scenario is: Attack an Objective”.

A New View of The Battle of Crecy, Lion Rampant 2nd Edition – Mark T.

Edward III of England invades France with his army, and King Philippe of France forms a coalition to do battle. Recent research shows the Battle of Crecy was fought in a different location than tradition says.  (More on this one in a future post, as I was one of the English players; Mark used the same recent research as Tim C and Dane K did for their ToR Crecy scenario).

Battle of Tinchebray | Lion Rampant Big Battle – Chris Parker, Saturday afternoon

Normandy was fought between an Henry I of England, and his brother Robert, the Duke of Normandy. Henry returns to pacify Normandy after being forced to leave their the year before due to political issues in England. At stake is control of Normandy itself. 28mm Scale  (I played in this one so more on it in a future post). 

Wellington’s Waterloo – My Saturday evening game, so to be covered in a future post. 

Napoleon must defeat the Anglo-Allied army under Wellington before the arrival of the Prussians seals his fate. 28 mm Napoleonics, using simple rules and a gridded table suitable for youth age 11+ (or younger if experienced gamers), and any who want to play the game with minimal rules hassles! 

First St. Albans, May 22, 1455 – my Sunday AM game, so to be covered in a future post. 

The inaugural battle of the Wars of the Roses; York and Somerset/Buckingham battle in the streets of the village for the control of King Edward VI.28mm, Test of Resolve rules.

My freind, Mark T, ran a mini Lion Rampant tournament on Sunday; setting up for round 2 here. 
There were plenty of other games I didn’t get shots of, including all of the ones on Friday night and many of the Saturday afternoon games. 

All ready for HAVOC tomorrow

Gepost op door JurjenB in Internetblog

I will be running two games at HAVOC in Marlborough, MA this weekend.

In reverse order, I will run the First  Battle of  St. Albans form the Wars of the Roses Sunday at 10 AM. 

Table set up. 

All but one of the buildings are from the Lodestone Kickstarter of a number of years ago. 

The empty space surrounded by the buildings is the Town Square. 

With the troops added – in the foreground is York’s advance upon the Town.

The defenders under Clifford, Buckingham, Percy, and Somerset.

Warwick, “the Kingmaker” is in the foreground, looking for the Gap!

Finally, approaching from the near side, is Salisbury.
Saturday at 7:30 PM is  Wellington’s Waterloo with the Square Eagles rules. Hougomont is seen on the left of the Anglo-Allied ridge, with La Haye Sainte towards the center. 

Papelotte Farm is on the left of the Allied position, with La Belle Alliance seen off in the distance. 

The table with the troops added!

The long view. 

View from the Allied left. 

Now with the hit markers added, color coded by command. 

View from behind the French position. 

“It was a near run thing!” The French must either take both Hougomont and La Haye Sainte, or reduce the Allied army by 60% in 15 turns; failing that, Blucher arrives, and Napoleon is defeated!

Map of the Battlefield.
This year I am actually playing in two games on Saturday, both using a form of  the Lion Rampant rules. First is “A New View of the Battle of Crecy”, by my freind, Mark T, at 9 AM, and then The Battle of Tinchebray at 2 PM. I have to leave by 6:30 AM at the latest to make it there in time for game one. 

13th Portuguese Line, “Peniche”

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 The 13th regiment was recruited in Estramadura province, and quartered in Lisbon. 

It formed part of the 10th Portuguese brigade, along with the 5th Cazadores and, later, the 24th Line regiment. The brigade acted independently for much of the Peninsular War. 
Belonging to the organizational Center Division, it had white piping on the collars, cuffs, turnbacks, and front of the jacket. 
The later uniform had either a fringe to the shoulder straps or British style “wings”, usually shown as green for the light company and piping colored for the grenadiers; the light companies had green plumes, while everyone else had white plumes on their shakos. 

Photography assistant Miss Maddie. I usually take my pictures outside on an overcast day, using the cover of our hot tub for the (grey) surface!

Note the white lace decoration on the uniform of the Fifer. I know that many wargamers don’t like their figures in firing positions, but I always like to have at least some of my Napoleonic infantry in same, so I was pleased that these figures from Brigade Games had firing options. 
And with this unit, Project Portugal expansion is complete. Parade to follow at a date to be determined!