ACW Meeting Engagement

Working through Steve's ACW  rules again, this time a meeting engagement with a few more figures on table.

Each side had 12 regiments, the Federals with larger units generally and the Confederates with slightly better quality. The Reb's had two 2 gun batteries, the Union one 3 gun battery.

Steve and I commanded the Rebels and Chris and Chris the Yanks. The Yanks had a couple of regiments deployed forward, everyone else on both sides was marching on.

In the centre I had an average Brigade with a regiment facing them, I decided to get forward as quickly as I could as I didn't like the look of the 3 gun battery heading my way, 

On my right a small Brigade of Veterans with smoothbores. I figured these were my best bet of punching through the Union lines so again getting forward as quick as may be.

Chris and Chris had pretty much decided to push up to the line of the two forward Regiments and then hold, hoping to push us back with superior firepower.

On my right we close with the leading Union units who have been reinforced to close up the gaps in their line. My front unit has taken some hammer and done relatively little damage in return. 

Unlimbering the artillery I have put a couple of rounds into the Union regiment to my front and Chris pulls it back to avoid it taking too many casualties.

My infantry continue to push forward hopign to get in amongst the Union foot before the artillery can deploy.

Back to my right I pass my reserve regiment through the damaged lead unit and charge the green Federals in the wood. Badly mauled the Union troops retreat in disorder. Their retreat also forces the retreat of two other units, frustratingly this puts them out of range of the rest of my veterans.

Steves second battery opens up on the Zoaves, he needs a 4 on a D6 to re-load and fails 4 times!

My right hand regiment takes casualties from a volley, a double one morale result is really not what I wa hoping for at this the high water mark of our advance. They fall back.

On the right the battle as disolved into large firefight. one of Steves units is pushed back as are 2 of Chris's but neither side makes any real progress.

In the centre the Union artillery deploys before I can progress and begins to rip holes in my foot.

On my right my successful Veteran regiment try to charge Chris's reinforcements to their front left before they can deploy, I only need to charge two moves to hit them, my dice fail me at the last and we dont reach them, in the last move Chris deploys into line and charges my Veterans in flank destroying them, disaster snatched from the jaws of victory, damn!

The dice have been extreme, double sixes when morale seemed broken and double ones when victory seemed certain. Fun game, another good test of the rules which work well.

Thanks for stopping by.

The Deluge Anyone?

Is that a groan I hear? Not another project? Not really a new project as such and probably one some of you have heard me mention before. 

Steve is planning Thirty Years War at some point anyway but I also have lots of Poles and Cossacks for the Great Northern War I had considered using for the earlier period. The Deluge refers to a period  at the end of the Thirty Years War when the Swedes invaded and over ran the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth whilst a Civil War raged between the Cossacks and the rest of the Commonwealth. So not only did the Poles fight the Swedes during this period, but both other Poles and the Ukraniane Cossacks and both Brandenburg and Transylvania invaded as well, the Poles were later supported by the Crimean Tatars and Imperialist forces. Both sides had a fair number of European Mercenaries fighting for them, all of which sit really well with having some Thirty Years Troops, particularly Dragoons.

The tipping point came for me when reading the latest Helion title on Ukraniane Cossacks who at different points had thousands of "German" mercenaries fighting for them. particularly during the rebellions in the mid century. This at the same time as reading Griff Hosker's Horse and Pistol novel set in the Thirty Years War has got me back interested.

So I decided to try a game with the Irregular Wars, aimed at this time frame, we have used them successfully for Elizabethan Ireland, before trying any new rules I wanted to see if they gave a feel. 

Worth mentioning that at the same time I am having a look at By Fire and Sword and whether these are a game I might try with amends to make them suitable for 28mm.

I decided to run a medium sized game with Ukranian Cossacks vs Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth troops, for the latter I added some mercenary Pike and Shot along with a light gun.

The Cossacks have 7 companies of foot, each of which is a single base. They had one unit of Hetmans bodyguard foot with 2 pike and 4 shot units supported by 4 light Cossack horse, another 2 light Cossack horse waited in ambush behind the Poles.

The Poles have two forces, the First has one unit of Winged Hussars with 2 Pancerni, one Cossack and one Dragoons supported by 2 mercenary shot and one mercenary pike. 

The second has again one winged Hussars, one Cossack, One Dragoon but 3 Pancerni supported by a   light gun.

On paper the Poles have the advantage but they are attacking and the Cossacks have a bottle neck to force the Poles through.

The most disciplined troops are the mercenary foot, these are unfortunately at the rear of the Polish force and moving the most slowly.

As soon as Chris moves his registered Cossacks into range the Ukranian Cossacks charge them.

As it is alternate unit movement Chris charges his Dragoons into the flank of the Cossacks who are in turn charged by more Cossacks in their flank. Each unit charged in the flank immediately takes a deduction to its resolve 

The Dragoons and another unit of Registered Cossacks drop to one resolve which is wavering and are forced to retreat. The registered Cossacks then break as the Dragoons touch them and the Dragoons lose their remaining resolve for being within 5 of a unit that breaks.

The Poles are suddenly not doing so well.

The Pancerni push forward into long range and fire their various weapons at the Cossacks, receiving a volley of musketry in reply.

The Cossack ambush fails dismally but it does hold up a unit of Polish Cossacks and all three Mercenary foot, allowing the Cossack defenders to concentrate on the advanced units of Polish horse.

Steve's plus 1 in initiative has meant that when it mattered he was able to make the first move and gain the advantage in melee's, as he could also decided which Melee went first, which could then impact other units when a unit was defeated he had a significant advantage over Chris.

The Winged Hussars with the Hetman are the last unit to go down fighting suitably enough against the Cossack Hetman and his biodyguard.

Despite initial outlook the Poles have been soundly beaten and the untouched European Mercenaries beat a steady retreat.

A fun game, I do like the rules for Ireland but not so much for Poland.

Hopefully By Sword and Flame will give me something with a more period feel.

Back to Mexico and Spain mainly

With Partizan done I can take a break from 1920 and have a re-visit to Ol Mexico and other projects. Plenty still to paint for the wider Russian Civil War projects so will back to them soon.

I wanted a unit of the Imperial lancers in green jackets, there is a picture of them in the Osprey, but of course nobody does them.

However they are wearing simple uniforms, stable jackets and boot trousers so there are plenty of troops I can use if I am prepared to do a little surgery on the heads

This British Intervention force lancer from Perrys is ideal.

The advice I had with heads was to twist them off with plyers rather than cutting them off, this worked great and the pin vice added a small hole for the numb of the head.

I had already picked up a  couple of packs of ACW havelock heads which are ideal from Steve Barbers range.

The end result is spot on.

First bunch of new figures and I still of course have the odd figure to finish off for RCW.

Here is the conservative Mexican green lancer painted up. the quality of photo is not great but I am happy with the outcome.

Five more of these to paint and I will decide if thats enough for a tiny unit.

40mm Spanish Perry miniature. aiming to get a good 16 over the line fairly quickly.

I have quite a few Mongolian cavalry for Ungern Sternberg and the extended Russian Civil War, this chap makes in roads into a new company, another Copplestoen casting.

Copplestone red cavalryman, that 2 of the next unit of 8 done.

In other news I have a few bits and pieces coming off the workbench, still a little shiny here as they need another layer of Matt varnish.

Finishing off bits I had planned to do for Partizan, this Red Cossack will sit in a box until I can get around to the rets of his Sotnia. STP casting from Russia.

Polish MG for my partially completed regiment of Hallers Blue Army. Woodbine Miniatures.

This Battlehonours 3d figure is printed at 40mm, they have very full range for Peninsular so a good way to fill all the gaps left by Perrys. This is an officer of the 88th Connaught Rangers.

This guys will all go to fill the ranks of my third Spanish Regiment with red facings. With far more French than Allies, important I get stuck into the Spanish and British troops.

Thats it for now, some decent progress.

Thanks for stopping by.

Operation Blockbuster WWII Legendary Wargames

I was invited to play a large Rapid Fire game at the fabulous Legendary Wargames this weekend, based on the race for the Bridges as part of Market Garden.

5 players would be the British and Canadians trying to break through and 3 the Germans trying to prevent them.

The tables are both 23 feet long and 6 feet wide so this is really is gaming in a grand scale with fabulous terrain and models.

I would play from the very far corner from the door and be gradually pinched in from the table edge by the flooded fields on my left.

To my right Peter commanded a Canadian brigade with Ian, Brian and John commanding further brigades further around the table.

Richard H, Richard C and Tim would command the German forces, no doubt in some force in the ruined town to my front.

The first obstacle just 6 inches from table edge would be this village right where my first brigade came on.

To the right of my entry point was this factory facing Peters second Canadian brigade.

Move one sees a double round of smoke in front of the first Canadian brigade. I realise quickly that this is not really that much use. It can only be centred 12 inches in front of me, meaning on a template some of the smoke is less than 9 inches in front, it stays on two turns and I cant drive through it. All its really done is slow me down.

On the left my first brigade marches on and immediatley attracts reserve fire heavy damaging my lead Stuart, as the fields are flooded each move we have to test for bogging down, inevitably a full third of my vehicles dont move at all due to the mud. 

My lead scout car races down the road through the smoke and is hit in reserve fire by a waiting Stug. This survives the limited return fire and retreats into the tow.

The rest of the recon company push to one side of the smoke racing for the ruined town.

To my right Peter has his troops well spreadh ou and advancing towards the factory at the edge of town and the woods.

On my left, slow progress as the British brigade bog down their tanks in turn getting not very far at all.

A sneaky Tiger gets a shot off but misses and pulls back behind the ridge.

Elsewhere the British are making steady progress.

Tim's Germans caught between advancing brigades pulls back to support Rich C and Rich H.

Back to me and as we push forward the flail is knocked out by anti tank fire, as my only mine clearer with two big minefields I am going to have to change tack and drive around them, mainly through the town which will be slow work. 

A further hit on my armoured car sees the whole squadron fail morale and retreat.

Meanwhile two companies of infantry de-bus in town and a short range firefight erupts with the German Para company opposite them(building on the right in this picture.)

On the opposite table, John and Brian are also making steady progress.

Next to me Peter is approaching the factory. This turns out to hold a company and supported by an anti tank gun which between them take out one Sherman and Heavy damage another.

On my left my carrier company has raced up the road to be hit by defending artillery, the troops de-bus and open short range fire on the crews.

I forget to take photos for a little while but for the next few moves its taking the town house by house, each time I find some Germans I get as much fire power onto them as possible and swamp them. Its a slow slog and the British and Canadians take casualties but the Germans typically take the worst of it, artillery proves to be the difference, we have a three gun battery of 25 pounders and when they hit together they make a mess.

As my reinforcements come on the road into tow becomes very congested. I am trying to push essentially 4 small brigades through one ruined town.

Move 7 and I am behind schedule (needing to be back home to start the BBQ) I drop on the reinforcements 5 Churchills, a bridging tank and an AA tank.

Oh and two Achilles to support the Canadians.

One last shot  from my armoured car squadron sees a heavy damage and a light damage on Richards Stug. Hopefully Peter and Malcolm can make good use of the work I have started tomorrow.

Cracking game thank you gents, good luck to the guys taking over for me on Sunday.