Back to First Carlist War AAR

 So, being my turn to put on a game I thought it might be nice to organise a First Carlist War game, its been a long time since we had one.

Its probably the only collection I can say is finished, I have all I planned to get plus the start of chum Chris's collection more than enough for a 6 player game, so barring new releases from Perry this should be it, although as the Isabelino's have 7 squadrons of cavalry and the Carlists only 3..........

Funnily enough being a War few of our gamers know much about nobody is particularly fussy about rules for a change, Black Powder it is with a few house alterations.

For some time we have played firing before movement but we have found the below can give less extreme results.

For our Game an Isabelino Division has been dispatched to destroy a cache of Carlist Powder hidden in a church, the Carlists were always short of of most things. A brigade of Carlists are defending the area and, getting wind of the attack, Carlist reinforcements are being rushed forward. 

The Isabelino Army commanded by Steve was as follows

The Carlist force is slightly smaller and commanded by Chris C.

Chris has the first brigade in light cover in front of the church whilst the second is on table marching to support, the third will enter move 1 from table edge.

Steves Foreign Legion brigade is a move on table whilst his Militia , line and horse brigades are deployed tale edge ready to advance, the Guards brigade enters as support move 2.

Steve deploys his cavalry brigade on the left with a view to flanking Chris's slightly smaller force.

Chris's supports are strung out on the road, in the end they would take a little too long to get in position to be decisive.

Chris is quick to get his reserve lancers forward and blunt Steve's cavalry advance. This proves a bit inconclusive but the Carlist horse do their job buying time for the foot to deploy.

The Militia brigade has also got forward fairly quickly on the left and the Carlists pull back trading space for time.

The Legion are getting forward but the Carlist supports are quicker to get into position. The Royal Guard are really slow though giving Chris too much time to get prepared.

The first battallion of the Legion charge home on the Carlists and push them back without breaking them.

After two failed advances the Royal Guard are almost near enough for musketry.  Hopeless!

Whilst winning the Legion are now pretty exposed with Carlist units on both flanks and unable to break the unit they are engaged with.

Having bolted forward the Militia brigade is now quite happy to sit things out failing move orders.

The Legion cavalry trys to support the foot with a charge, not a great idea on formed foot. The charge home but fail to break the Carlist foot.

Both flanks were engaged but not fully due to an inability to activate troops that had average Generals, the centre unfortunately never really fired a shot so we didnt end up with much of a game.

A shame we never really got to a point where either side had a clear advantage, although Steve's Isabelinos probably had the edge, there was still a great deal to play for.

Not an issue we have had before with Black Powder but lots of confusion and looking up of rules. Mainly I think because we use Hail Caesar too and this is very similar but different enough to confuse things.

As our lack of progress was a little disappointing and I had left my collection at Steve's, the week after we decided to try a Carlist Wars game with Valour and Fortitude.

I played a game of Sikh Wars at Partizan with them but never really got to grips.

Steve assured me we would fly through a game so didnt need much time, leading us to  squander the evening chatting and chomping Jamaica cake with tea. Need less to say we ended up running out of time!

Still they were quick and I did enjoy them.

We did get stuck in so to be honest I didnt take as many photos, However, despite this being a larger game than the week before the rules certainly allowed us to get stuck. Within 3 moves we were hand to hand on the left flank.

I particularly like that the first unit you try to activate, as long as its in command range of your general, will automatically activate. So as long as you choose wisely you can always get the most important unit for any particular move to do its thing.

Also interesting you get a suit of cards and each one represents something that is specific to the Troops you are commanding, one card randomly drawn each turn.

In the centre one Brigade pushes forward whilst the Guards brigade fails to advance at all. Even with this fast paced game its still possible to have whole brigades not get a move.

The Isabelino Marines charge Carlists who already have a number of casualties and are shaken.

The Carlists break, although the Marines are now faced by a fresh Carlist battalion, this time veteran Guides, these were eventually broken in turn.

This game has left me quite intrigued and I am keen to try another Valour and Fortitude.

Hopefully more soon, thanks for stopping by.

Carlist AAR Mendigora-Ish

Gaming at the barn this weekend and I agreed to put on a Carlist game, As Mark is back gaming I wanted to make sure his troops got some action so picked Mendigora despite not having all the right troops so this was, in true Hollywood style, "Inspired by real events" and thus not really much like them at all!

So with four players a side I needed enough forces for each player. I had to mix things up a bit and make a couple of Brigades a little light to give me 8 brigades a side and therefore 2 brigades per player but it worked out in the end, forces were as follows.

Each sides was competing for control of the town and the ammunition convoy with control of the ridge a secondary objective.

The Liberal forces commanded by Chris Flowers, Steve Shann, Chris Charlton and Mark Stimpson had the below forces available. The French cover the right flank and a brigade of British are occupying the town and redoubt on the left flank.

8 brigades total consisting of the below with the number next to the brigade beign the move they enter:

1st British Brigade 1              2nd British Brigade 1

AVERAGE DE Lancy Evans      AVERAGE  Brigadier Chichester

3 x British Line              3 x British Line

1 x Veteran Lancers      1 x Rocket

1 x Skirmishers tiny

1 x Rocket

Legion Etrangere 1              Provincial Militia Brigade 2

GOOD Colonel Conrad      Poor Brigadier Rendon

2 x Veteran Foot              1 x Line Infantry

1 x Veteran Lancers      3 x Line Infantry Small

1 x Mountain Gun                      1x Skirmishers

                                     1 x Rocket

Cavalry Brigade 2              Guards Brigade 2

GOOD Colonel Diego De Leon  AVERAGE Brigadier Jauregui

1 x Veteran Cavalry     3 x Line Infantry

1 x Light Cavalry             1 x Skirmishers

1 x Line Cavlry             1 x Field Gun

                     

Line Brigade 3                             Guards Cavalry Brigade 3

AVERAGE General Oraa     AVERAGE Colonel Naboa

3 x Line Infantry             3 x Line Cavalry

1 x Skirmishers                  1 x Horse gun

1 x Mountain Gun

Meanwhile Dave Green, Andy Lawson, Jerry Miller and Rich Harris commanded the Carlists with the below:

C in C GOOD General Moreno

1st Brigade 1                         2nd Brigade 1

Good Brigadier Sopelana Excellent Brigadier Villareal

2 x Line Small                 2 x Veteran Foot

1 x line                                 1 x Skirmishers

1 x Mountain Gun                 1 x Field Gun

1 x Skirmishers                 1 x Veteran Lancers

3rd Brigade 1                        4th Brigade 1

Average Brigadier Las Vacas       Average Brigadier Quilez

3 x Line                               3 x Line

1 x Skirmishers               1 x Skirmishers

1 x Field gun                       1 x field Gun

1 x Veteran Lancers       1 x Veteran Lancers

5th Brigade                       6th Brigade

Good Brigadier Alza 2      Good General Goiri 2

1 x Veteran                      3 x Line Foot

1 x Line Small              1 x Skirmishers

1 x Line 

7th Brigade                      8th Brigade

Average Brigadier Iturriza 3   Good General Iturriaga 2

2 x Line Foot                      1 x Veteran Foot

1 x Mountain Gun              1 x Line Foot

So the Carlists would eventualy have less troops on table but the Isabelino entry was quite staggered and the Carlists had slightly better troops overall.

We played on a 14 foot table with a ridge across most of the Liberal table edge and a village and fort in the far corner occupied by the British. The only other features a couple of small woods.

The Carlist second brigade with 2 battalions of Veterans entered opposite the fort and advanced steadily on the earthworks whilst three other brigades deployed across the table edge advancing on the ridge line.

Dave on the left made quick progress towards the French occupying a little dip in the ridge.

Turn 3 and the Isabelino re-inforcements arrive before the Carlists have managed to get into musketry range, Chris however is unable to get the Provincial Militia to advance and so they deploy on the table edge.

The Guards brigade also arrive but are only able to advance one move onto the ridge.

In the centre the wagon train has escaped and the rifles are lining the wood but the lancers wont obey an order for love nor money and sit on the road looking vacant. 

Richard pressed the forts defenders, but with a plus 2 to saving throws in fortifications Mark was saving on anything but a 1 and proving impossible to shift.

In the centre Any was struggling with command rolls and making very slow progress.

On the left Dave was making better progress and had both his brigades in range to fire just as Steve arrived with supporting brigades for Chris and the Legion Etranger.

On Daves right he held a single squadron of lancers ready to deal with the  brigade of Cavalry that had just hove into view.

Fortunately for Dave Chris C was only able to get one of his squadrons of line cavalry forward to press Daves flank. This did however allow the convoy of Ammunition to escape.

Meanwhile the British lancers continue to not respond to orders and sit in the middle of the table and Andy's response from his Carlist lancers is to sit  less than a foot away and not respond to orders either. Funny but frustrating.

The Guards brigade are now deployed onto the ridge and the Carlists are slightly outnumbered whilst still attacking. It doesnt look too good.

Daves Carlist left flank is now engaged with the Legion but he will need to be quick as two brigades, one each of Isabelino Militia and Guard advance to support.

In the centre the Carlists have reached the half way point with a clear ridge to their front, but not for long.

Jerrys Carlist Hussars charge  Chirs's line cavalry supported by Diego De Leons veteran Hussars.

The Hussars send the Isabelino cavalry realign and capture the ammunition convoy, but its in the middle of the Isabelino line, its going to be hard to get it away.

In the centre the British Legion Lancers finally respond to the Carlist threat and see them off with two casualties and a disorder.

Jerrys Hussars keep the ammo moving towards their own line.

Chris's line brigade has deployed across the ridge and the supporting brigade of British Legion troops are marching through the village, Richards Carlists may haverun out of time.

Dave two brigades are finally closing on the Legion and the Guard but slightly outnumbered by the defenders its a tough ask and desolves into a long range firefight.

As Jerrys Carlists reach the bottom of the ridge, Steve has repositioned the Isabelino Royal Guards Brigade to cover them supporting Chris's line.

Thundering into the gap between Andy's Carlists and Daves on the left the Guards Cavalry brigade advance down the ridges slope. They were actually not thta good but they look pretty.

The game is reaching a tipping point with the Isabelino forces now occupying the heights and outnumbering the advancing Carlists they must each punch a hole through or start to consider a withdrawal.

Its seems there will be no withdrawal as Andy attacks the ridge and Jerry swings a brigade in to support Ricards attack on Marks British in the village.

Daves two brigades are pinning three brigades of Isabelino foot in an uneven firefight as the Guard Cavalry advance into his open flank with just one squadron of shaken lancers to stop them.

Andy orders the lancers to advance, needing to role high.......he doesnt!

Andy and Jerrys troops advance up the slope facing a storm of Powder, lead and Iron.

Whilst Chris's light cavalry charges Jerry and retakes the convoy.

The first unit of Carlist foot breaks and runs from Daves left flank. The combined fire of 2 brigades and a gun too much for it.

The Guards meanwhile have charged the reserve lancers in an uneven melee.

The Carlists have finally made it up the hill only to face superior numbers of waiting Isabelino foot.

The first squadron of Guard Cavalry is broken, just two more to go and the flank is covered again.

Jerry and Andy reach the top of the hill and a fierce battle ensues, neither side gives and inch but the Carlists are unable to break through the stout defence. 

With no break through in sight we decide to call it a day, the Carlists are far from defeated but are unable to break through the Isabelino line at any point.

In the end the Carlists had too much to do and it took far too long to try take the redoubt and the village. 

A fun game, perhaps with too many troops allowed for the Isabelinos, still I think we all enjoyed it and its great to get the collection back on table.

Thanks for stopping by, see you again soon.