Thursday, 3 July 2025

Killiekrankie with BLB

Another game with Chris trying out Lillie Banners. I am yet to be won over but open minded.

Chris had already had a solo game of Killiecrankie, the battle between Jacobite Highlanders led by Bonnie Dundee and the Government army by General Mackay.

Chris wanted a proper re-fight so has the exact units engaged in the same formations and locations they started the battle in, so three regiments of green troops holding the centre of the line.

Lovely figures.

First thing to note is how close we start, less than 2 feet apart. This is one of the things we have been doing wrong in the past, movement is very short so tables need to be very narrow.

So I don't know a huge amount about this battle so forgive my errors here. The British outnumbered the Highlanders by at least 3 to 2, with a fair number of veteran units present. Mackay. The outnumbered Highlanders flung themselves down a fairly steep hill, taking heavy casualties from the first volley, including John Graham, Viscount Dundee they crashed into the Government lines and destroyed three quarters of the army pursuing the remnants till midnight.

A historical refight does not bode well for me as the Government commander.

The game starts with the Government artillery, leather guns that aparantly fell to bits on the day, firing and as historically immediately ceasing to work. Fab, love History I do!
The highlanders begin to descend the hill, they have movement bonuses built in as highlanders but a further bonus for the scenario to reflect coming down the hill so typically moving at double the usual rate of advance.

The only thing I can do is decide if I am to receive them in six ranks or three. Three gives me increased firepower which is pretty much my only chance of stopping them so for all except two units in the centre of raw recruits I line them in three ranks and wait for the tide to reach me.
Not all the Jacobites are clan, two units of all musket troops, below is Cannons Irish regiment.
On my extreme left a unit of Grenadiers anchors the line, decent troops but few of them.
As the Highlanders howl down the hill the Government troops hold their fire, 8 inches is effective, its going to be tight. Beautifully painted figures by Steve who is about to smash them with the highlanders.
Behind the foot I have two troops of very poor locally raised horse. On the day they ran away without firing a shot, lets hope my dice are better.

The Highalnders are mainly Reiver castings I believe and suitably dynamic.
As the Highlanders close the regulars unleash volleys all along the centre and right of the line. Casualties are inflicted but with the exception of the extreme right not enough to check the Highland charge.
I charge my horse through the guns at the Jacobite horse and we have 4 Melees to resolve in the centre and centre right.
The left is still un-commited as Steve didn't roll enough orders to charge these forward.
All 4 Melees are lost the Highlanders are far too strong with over double the dice in combat. As green troops all 4 automatically rout after 1 lost melee, there goes the centre.
The Jacobite cavalry bounce straight from the Government horse onto the gun and destroy the crew.
Less than an hour into the game and its already lost beyond any rescuing, all that remains is to play it out and see if I can redeem myself anywhere.
Mackay ponders leading the remaining squadron of green horse past all the running infantry and at the Veteran Jacobite cavalry, pretty sure that wont help much. The Jacobites charge the foot before he gets the chance.

The Jacobite Horse scatter  the fleeing infantry and cut them down.
The Highlanders do the same and pursue the fleeing Government foot and annhialate them.
My remaining two regiments on the right have held and carry on firing at the Highland shot, but the clansmen are now on their flank.
Here come the Highlanders to finish off the regulars.
As most of my army is on defend orders I can only move one unit, I push the Grenadiers to the flak to try provide supporting fire to the line troops on my left, the Highlanders charge them and wipe them out.
On my right the Highlanders charge the flank of my regulars and route them. Just one unit remains on the right. Interestingly the same unit that survived the battle intact historically.
Mackay leads the remaining green horse at a regiment of Highlanders with predictable results. 
Still Mackay survives and may just outrun his infantry to escape. He may though have trouble catching up to his fleeing cavalry.
My left has two regiments facing two of Jacobites but with highlanders and Jacobite cavalry behind them and in front of them its not worth carrying the game on to see how long they can last.
Its a bit desolate in the centre with the remaining Jacobites nothing left to do except looting the dead.
On my right the first of the regulars breaks leaving just the one intact regiment. 

So a historical result almost exactly as it happened on the day. You would have to take that as a win for the rules. On a personal note I am still not getting to grips with the rules and struggling with having to start so close together. I am yet to play a game I have enjoyed, but then I have yet to play a game I haven't been trounced so that may be a large part of it.

We plan to try a couple of Great Northern War games, it will be great to get the collection back on table after so many years.

I really hope we can get to a point where BLB are working for me and enjoyable, I would love to love them, maybe it just needs a bit more time.



24 comments:

  1. Keep plugging away with the rules, they are really a great set. Killiekrankie, though is not the best battle to give you the feel for the game, it's just so one sided. You were never gonna win.

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    1. Cheers Ray, had a couple more goes that I will share on here soon.

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  2. I was interested in your thoughts about the rules and hope you let us know if you come to like them. I've bought them, read them several times but have never persuaded myself to actually use them. Perhaps a battle better played collaboratively with two commanders trying to do better than each other.
    Stephen

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    1. As others have said Duke possibly not the best battle to get the most of the rules.

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  3. I recall going to an anniversary of the battle as a youngster, where the Sealed Knot did a reenactment and my dad recorded the events on 16mm cine film!
    Hard battle to make into an interesting game, I would have thought...the BLB rules are OK I think, but I have only played them a few times
    If you have the GNW supplement, the Swedes get a few advantages

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    1. couple more games coming up including Great Northern War

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  4. Super looking table and such a lovely collection of miniatures on show, really superb. I would stick the BLB as they are a decent set in my opinion, Killiecrankie may not be the best one to show them off to good effect though. Hard ask for the government general to make anything off it.

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    1. Agreed Donnie, hopefully a couple of GNW games will help.

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  5. I had played Killiecrankie solo before inflicting it on Roj and Steve. I bumped up the strength of the clan regiments since they proved too fragile first time round. Reckon I need to find a middle ground for the strength of the clan regiments. Third time’s a charm / deciding game required :-) cheers, Chris

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    1. I actually think you got it right, just not the ideal game for a play test.

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  6. A fine looking game and a historical result. I like BLB.

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  7. There's been some debate about the exact alignment of the armies at Killiecrankie, and I think you're a 90 degrees to what is now considered to be where the armies are. Jonathan Oates' "Battles of the Jacobite Rebellion" is the best book out there these days. I wasn't convinced by BLB for Jacobite warfare which is inherently asymmetric, and so published my own rules called "Tricorn and Bonnet", which includes a Killiecrankie scenario. The trouble with a lot of the Jacobite battles as wargames is that they're over quickly, and rely almost on the flip of a coin. If the Regulars stand, then the Clans will take a pasting. If the Clans get close to the Government forces, then it is usually all over in a rush. Fascinating period.

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    1. Certainly is, I agree that BLB2 may not be ideal for Highlanders. We have a series of games planned for Ireland and Great Northern War which may be a better test.

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    2. Added to my Wargames Vault basket thanks Trebian. Cheers, Chris

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  8. A terrific looking game! The two-barrel artillery piece is interesting, who makes it, please?

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    1. I think the guns are leather guns either 30YW or ECW. Will check for you.

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    2. Yep Warlord games Swedish 3oyw leather gun.

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    3. https://www.warlordgames.com/webstore-swedish-leather-gun/

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  9. Great Batrep- thank you for sharing. I always thought that this was an intriguing game to play. It has always proved fast...and in the few times I have tried it....Dundee always wins....... I really like the BLB rules- for small games. They give a nice feel but for larger games ( 20-30 units a side) I tend to use a home grown set that are very fast and unforgiving.

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  10. Thanks John, good to know, I have my doubts for the large battles we have but will go with the process and see how we go.

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