Marks First Game Back

My good friend Mark has been ill, coupled with the pandemic that has meant we have not had the pleasure of his company at our games for over 2 years. This week saw a turning point that has meant he has been able to get a game in so I took the 40mm over to his place as he hasn't seen them in the flesh yet and we had a wee game.

At the last minute he could only get one table so I dusted our garden table down from the back of the bins and we had a small ridge where mine and Marks met that gave us a 4 x 4 foot playing area so just enough.

Mark loves big guns and as Chris Charlton had just donated a lovely gun position that was perfect for 40mm I thought I would get a gun and small redoubt painted for the game, no time for the crew though.

So the premise of the game is that the French are holed up in a small garrison off table and the Spanish have built a position for their big gun  to batter the walls down. They have however neglected to put  a guard on said position. 

The French sally out to destroy the gun and position whilst the Spanish with some British support scramble to see the French off.

The French have 

4 Groups of 8 line with a Level 2 and Level 1 Officer

2 Groups of Grenadiers with a level 1 Leader

4 Groups of 6 Skirmishers with a level 2 and 2 level 1 leaders

72 figures

8 Leader Points

The Allies have

32 Spanish Line with a level 2 and 2 level 1 Leaders

2 Spanish Guerilla's with a level 2 and a level 1 leader

3 Groups of 60th Rifles with a level 2 and 2 level 1 leaders

62 foot

11 Leader points

So the Allies have less troops but more leaders and much more points, those rifles are expensive.

We start fairly predictably with the line troops slowly sorting themselves out whilst some of the Skirmishers get forward pretty quickly. The French Legere are the first to find both cover and range and start hittign the Rifles.

The Allies are only able to get one unit of Rifles forward initially whilst the French have all four skirmish screns up , with just one target to concentrate on the Rifles take a hammering with 2 casualties and 6 shock they are pretty ineffective for the moment.

The Second unit of Rifles push forward and occupy the gun emplacement just ahead of the French Grenadiers who now have to push them out.

The Spanish line opens a long range volley into the skirmishers causing some shock and casualties but spread across two units, whilst the French line hold their fire for shorter range and advance steadily. 

The Grenadiers volley the Rifles causing casualties and enough shock to force them back out of the earthworks.

Meanwhile the Guerillas have finally got going and pushed up the Allied left, they do not however have any cover.

Before the Grenadiers can capitalise on pushing the second group of rifles out the third group press past them and re occupy the earht work whilst pouring a volley into the Grenadiers.

We are now trading fire as the French line try to get into position to open up on the Spanish line. With small numbers of casualties and shock on both sides.

Behind the Spanish line the first rifle unit is gradually reducing its shock but with a level 1 leader it may not manage to be effective before the game is decided.

I am hittign the Guerillas but not convertign the hits to any damage.

Its a different story on the left another volley from the Grenadiers plus a shot from the Skirmishers sess 5 of the third unit of rifles down and the unit is broken,

The French line is now finally in short range but who will get to fire first. I have played 4 cards to get two goes for the line commander removing shock and beign able to both advance and volley in the same turn.

On the right one unit of voltigeurs is badly hit and takes 2 casualties and 2 shock but they are still in the fight.

The Guerilla's finally take damage from my skirmishers, one dead and two shock but not enough to put them off.

I think it all hangs on the next volley from the line units.

My skirmishers destroy the second unit of rifles and the earthworks are captured.

The cars are playeed and the French line is drawn before the Spanish and they unleash that first deadly volley which decimates the French line, the end group takes 4 casualties and is forced back the central group also takes 4 casualties and a one followed by another one kills the Captain of the Spanish Line. The last unit also takes a casualty and 3 shock.

The return volley doesnt do enough to cause the French pause and the Allies are now in trouble, with the Rifles spent, the earthworks taken and the Spanish line in disaray the Allies conceed, A French victory and a fun re-introduction to Sharp Practice for Mark.

A thoroughly enjoyable day, with Scones, clotted cream and Jam to finish off, thanks Mark.

For those of you that havent seen him for a while Mark says cheers!