October...

A Half Month of Miscellany...

The first two weeks have seen some house-making (1/72 apartment buildings for my city-based Roman - but basically anything Mediterranean-ish - battles & skirmishes) and boat-building/painting (1:1200 to 6mm to 1/72) while I jiggled family issues, struggled through two nasty cold-flu-type bugs and endured play rehearsals.

I also had to get the kit together for (and fight at) this year's Battle of Hastings reenactment (getting a bash in the eye and some new bruises, but I've had worse). High point: getting maced on the head twice by William The Bastard himself, while his horse tried to push me over... The things we do.... 

I also dug out (and expanded with some Ebay buys) my Advanced Heroquest tile n' features collection; partly for more D&D solo fun, but also for some group play, now we have room at "New House: Working Title".

It's nice to see that there still seems to be online interest in this cracking little game. 

I am also, (of course) tinkering with my D&D House Rules - having stumbled across my home-bashed stuff from the 80s (pic).

Also also; have a friend who has NEVER got to play Space Hulk - despite being desperate to - back in the day. I have promised that this will be rectified.

Oh, and some wee, pre-painted 1/300 architectural model folk arrived for experimenting with as 5/6mm civilians/crew. Look as if they will work well when based.

As soon as I get up to speed health & family-wise we'll be kicking off another campaign. As always, watch this space. 

All Ashore Who's Going Ashore; Part Two

The Action:

The boats proceed up the creek for without incident, reaching the bend and disembarking well before dawn. The boats are hidden with brushwood and the men prepare to wait out the following day. This passes without incident. At 02:30 the men get ready. It is reckoned it will take at least an hour for everyone to get into position, so at 03:00 they set off. All guns are to remain unloaded.

 
[Scale: as this is a 1:1 game - with each figure representing one man, one gun = one gun etc. the ground scale and move length are appropriately scaled. Each move represents approx. a minute of real time. It should take approx. four to five moves to row the laden boats upstream to the bend. Normal brisk walking move for men will be 100 yards a minute, so 25cm on the table. However, the men are in bush, acting stealthily, for most/some of the time, say 80 yards (20cm) for a normal move, 40 yards (10cm) for sneaking.

Oh, and if you read the last post before the 25th Sept. I have tweaked the incident/events procedures a tad.]

Oh, and if you read the last post before the 25th Sept. I have tweaked the incident/events procedures a tad.]

The group moves off and reaches the first track junction without incident. Time is lost confirming orders* and checking watches (again), then the party splits up. 

[*Out comes the stopwatch for this. I literally talk to myself; a hangover from group games where time spent in game-specific talking/activity (i.e. not just banter/skylarking) such as giving and writing orders could mean losing "time" for actual moves on the table. You might be surprised how much time this can eat-up.]

The group heading for the river sneaks away, reaches the river bank without incident, and awaits the time for the assault. 

The main group approaches the enemy picket. Someone is sent forward to scout; a couple of rebels are standing sentry. 

Leaving the Marines, A small party of seamen sneaks up successfully, and pounces on the picket. One sentry drops his gun and puts his hands up. The other hesitates, and is subdued. Three more guys are rudely awakened and pulled out of the tent; none of them make a fight of it. The prisoners are taken down the slope, and a guard placed over them. So far so good.

[The above involved a series of basic 6D tests for the sneaking, and the alertness/reaction of each guard.
If the prisoners are later left behind under guard this means another detached group which will have to be tested for each move. Likely the lesser of two evils, but a nuisance.]

Meanwhile, back at the boat party by the creek, the night is uneventful, well, almost.. They accidentally scare up some ducks - but luckily there doesn't appear to be anyone around to notice. 

The main party now splits as planned, seamen, the prisoners, and the marines will wait at the picket location. The rest will sneak around to the north of the fort.

At 03:45 everything seems to be going well. All groups have moved to their Starting Positions without issue.

But come 04:0hrs things start unravelling at the north end. As the group under O'Tool starts off from the woods, one man trips on a tree root, injuring himself and making a racket [Noise marker.]. Then, just as the sailors quietly approach the fort walls, a pistol goes off accidentally - one of the men has loaded his piece despite orders!

With surprise gone, all that can be done is to attack with vigour. The sailors storm up the slope, where they are confronted with several now alert sentries, who shoot, bringing down a scatter of crewmen but not enough to stem the tide. The sailors overwhelm the nearest guards, cutting them down. 

Meanwhile, at the south end of the fort, and before the shot from the north, a scout sneaks up to see if he can spot any sentries at the south-east corner of the fort. He can see two.

Lt. Reed orders they be silently dealt with. Picked crewmen lead, swarming over the embankment. One sentry, surprised, puts up no fight, and is felled - but the other, more alert - fires his musket before being cut down. This would have spelled disaster - but parallels the debacle at the north.

At this Lt. Reed leads his whole group over the walls. He spots the tent lines - and at once orders his crew to cut guy-ropes and knock down the tents, stabbing at any occupants under the fallen canvas, and to make it clear to anyone under the fallen tents that if any emerge they WILL be killed.

At the same time he orders Sgt. Moon of the marine detachment to form up his men, get their muskets loaded, and shoot at any of the garrison emerging from the tents or nearby buildings. 

About half a dozen disorientated enemy troops come out from the still-standing tent, but are brought down by fire from the marines, or hacked or speared by the cutlasses and pikes of the crewmen.

Outside the fort, at the Picket, Midshipman Burton hears the shooting, and says he wishes to take his men forward to support the action; any attempt at secrecy having clearly blown to the winds. Lt. Harris of the marines, however, defers - preferring to wait. Burton ignores this, and leads his crewmen towards the fight at a run.

Back at the fort O'Tool's command swarms round the northernmost building, from whence tumble a scatter of rudely-awakened enemy artillerymen. A couple show fight, and fall, but the rest raise their hands.

More gunners emerge from the buildings towards the fort's southern end - to be confronted by Sgt. Moon's line of levelled muskets and the blood-flecked weaponry of Reed's sailors. One artilleryman runs towards the cannon facing the river, where he is joined by a game sentry, but the rest either hesitate or simply surrender. However, there are others in the building. These need to be convinced not to fight come out and fight .Reed orders a volley.

He then shouts to those in the buildings that if there is any shooting from within the barracks the cannon will be turned on them - and sends some of the sailors to turn around one of the guns. This seems to take the fight out of the men within.

[Multiple tests going on above for the garrison: all the "rooms" within the barrack buildings testing separably.]

Midshipman Burton's men push into the fort unopposed, but the operation is almost over. 

All that remains is the spiking of the guns and the detonation of the magazine. Seven of the garrison have died in the action, but the prisoners, including their wounded and any survivors from the tents, are disarmed, ushered out of the fort and sent down to the riverbank. Lt. O'Tool has no interest in them; he just wants them out of the way before blowing up the magazine.

After spiking the guns the Recklesses gather their own wounded (ten men), place their two dead in one of the buildings before setting it afire, and move swiftly off as the magazine goes up.

Apart from bumping into some civilians, whom they put with the prisoners from the picket, the Landing Party meet no opposition on their way back to their boats. The civilians and prisoners are left in the woods, disarmed and without boots, and the boats move swiftly downstream to join The Reckless. A successful operation. 

Conclusion: 

That was fun - and it was nice to get the Landing Party (Langton's) out to play.

Because of the fast-moving game timescale different elements of the game in different parts of the fort were fought in "move clumps" of two to three moved each. Obviously I had to make sure event sequences and time-scales met up, but I'm used to this.

Clearly, the actual assault on the fort could have been played with larger scale figures (had I had them, though maybe not on a 1:1 basis), but the joy of 6mm (to me) is that the equally important approach can also be played out.  

All Ashore Who's Going Ashore Part One, the Prep....

Or, "Not The Navy Lark..".

Whether inspired by a recent multiperiod event at Hever Castle, where we did Smugglers, Sailors & Revenue men (I tend to come away with more cuts n' bruises from these than from our medieval fights, due to no protective gear in 18th/19thC.  I hear that apparently the viking group which attends this event - all shields, maille, helms & protective gloves - think that we are mad..) or a recent decision to re-read Alexander Kent's the Bolitho saga (which I think I first started reading in 1970s Iran) I decided this week to do a little AWI Landing Party action....   

So....

The Story:

Fort Gibaigazo, held by the rebels and with its collection of heavy guns, commands access up the Big Snake River. The captain of the British Frigate HMS Reckless has orders to neutralise the threat to allow passage of an important supply shipment to proceed upriver. Clearly to attempt to do so using the frigate itself would be suicide and the cliffs and bluffs prevent landings below the fort itself. Thus, seven boats of ships crew and the frigate's marines are to proceed up Wee Small Creek (from point A on the map, attack the fort from the landward side, spike or otherwise destroy the guns therein, and make their way back safely.

There is no intelligence as to the exact size of the garrison. Friendly local sources indicate it is small, though large enough to man all the guns present. The element of surprise would therefore seem to be vital.  

The Plan:

The boats will proceed upriver, during the night of the 12th, to the bend where they will be hidden in the patch of woodland there. They will rest up here during the day. Come nightfall the force will move along the tack which leads from the river westwards. On reaching the north-south track the force will proceed north to the next junction, whereupon it will split.

A third of the crew and half the marines under 2nd Lt. Reed will move along the track towards the Big Snakey. At four o' clock in the morning they will infiltrate the fort using the spurs of the high-ground, deal with any sentries, and begin spiking the guns.

The rest of the men will wait at the junction while a small group reconnoitres, and deals with, any picket at the small entrenchment on the rise east of the fort. The force will then move to to the next junction, where, again, it will split.

Half the crewmen and the rest of the marines will stay at the redoubt with Lt. Harris of the marines and Midshipman Burton and await any noise from the fort. If there an alarm or shooting is heard they will rush the fort entrance; making as much noise as possible.

The remainder of the crew, under 1st Lt. O'Tool will move north along the track, past the spur leading to the fort entrance, and on to the woodland to the north of the fort. At four o' clock in the morning they too will infiltrate the fort from the north; neutralize any sentries, and begin spiking the guns at that end.

The objectives are:

1) To spike the guns. Once this has been done a colour will be raised to indicate the fact to the Reckless.

2) To blow up the magazine.

The force will then return to the boats and head downstream to the confluence with the Big Snakey, to rendezvous with the Reckless after she has further bombarded the now impotent fortifications.

NO weapons are to be loaded until ordered. This puts Friendly Units at an initial disadvantage if attacked, but prevents accidental discharge. 

                                                           *
The plan is complex and will require stealth and good timing. Officers will check their watches at the woodland before setting out to aid with coordination. Keeping to the tracks is risky, but necessary to prevent parties from getting lost in the scrub in the dark.

In addition to the risks of getting lost once off the tracks (dice tests) there may be enemy patrols and random civilians (hunters/travellers etc.) about. On the plus side there may also be Loyalists in the area, willing to guide, or even join, the force. 

Scenario Specific rules:

1) Night-time Move Tests: Each night-time move a 20D will be thrown for each independently operating unit. Units test even if stationary, but only four tests an hour. On a throw of 20 the Event Table must be checked. This Move Test throw is modified as follows (cumulative):

Unit is stationary -3

Unit is in woodland -2
Unit is moving and has friendly locals with it -1

Unit is moving and has friendly local Scout/s with it -2

Unit is "Sneaking" -4
Unit is stationary and taking cover +2
Unit is moving at full speed +1
Unit is Scurrying +3
Unit is moving on track +1
Unit is within 3" of track +1
Unit has prisoners - +1
Plus 1 for each Wildlife Token in play (see Event Table).
Plus 8 if any friendly unit fires or has fired in last 10 moves.
Plus 4 if any friendly scout or single enemy sentry fires or has fired in last 5 moves.
Plus 5 if any enemy unit has fired during this scenario.
Plus 12 if any gun has fired during the scenario.
Plus 15 if boats have been discovered by hostiles and this fact has been reported to the Fort.

However, an unmodified 20 result always requires a Test for an Event and an unmodified 1 an "Accident Test" (see below) .  

2) Day-time Move Tests: Each daytime move a 12D will be thrown for each independently operating unit. Units test even if stationary. On a throw of 12 the Event Table must be checked. This Move Test throw is modified as follows (cumulative):

Unit is stationary -1
Unit is in woodland -2
Unit is moving and has friendly locals with it -1
Unit is moving and has friendly local Scout/s with it -1

Unit is "Sneaking" -2
Unit is stationary and taking cover +2

Unit is moving at full speed +2
Unit is Scurrying +5

Unit is moving on track +3
Unit is within 3" of track +2
Unit has prisoners - +1

Plus 2 for each Wildlife Token in play (see Event Table).

Plus 5 if any friendly unit fires or has fired in last 10 moves.
Plus 2 if any friendly scout or single enemy sentry fires or has fired in last 5 moves.

Plus 5 if any enemy unit has fired during this scenario.

Plus 12 if any gun has fired during the scenario.
Plus 15 if boats have been seen/discovered by hostiles and this fact has been reported to the Fort.

However, an unmodified 20 result always requires a Test for an Event and an unmodified 1 an "Accident Test"(see below) .  

4) Accident Test:

Throw 1x6D.
On a result of 1 someone dropped a loaded firearm and it goes off. Test for friendly casualty as normal shooting. This occurs EVEN if an "unloaded" order has been given (someone disobeyed). 
Result of 2-4; someone has disturbed Wildlife - gain a Wildlife Marker.
Result of 5; someone has tripped. Dice for injury as shooting. Injured party moves at half speed.
Result of 6; someone has tripped. Dice for injury as shooting. Injured party moves at half speed. Also, the person who fell has shouted. Place wildlife marker (represents human noise but who need different markers?)

5) Movement:

Friendly units have three movement modes "Sneaking", Normal and "Scurry".

6) Accidental Firing:

Each Friendly Force must be designated loaded or unloaded. If loaded a 1x6D test must be made for each Event Test.

On a result of 1 someone shoots. Test for all adjacent stands of three.
On a result of 1-3 they also shoot. Continue this process for every shooting stand. Add 2 to each subsequent Event Test for every stand which has fired.
IF the Event Test results in any human presence test for casualties on that presence. If an enemy patrol/sentry they MUST return fire (i.e. they cannot just run off in the first round). Any Ambush is deemed triggered prematurely and gets NO Ambush bonus.  

7) Event Table:

Should be self explanatory. 



Right, all ready to go.... Watch this space for the fight...

It's All About The Base...

Not a Modelling Tips Post,

More like a little musing.... 

This week, on one of the Facebook Groups to which I still contribute, a member posted some very nice pics of the rather fine bases he was preparing for some 6mm WW2 North African models - specifically for the campaign in N.E. Tunisia. 

Now, he had chosen, quite reasonably, to go for that "spotted dick" look you get in the areas of scrubby vegetation (i.e light-coloured sand/stones, interspersed with scrubby dark green bushes; see pic) - the classic "Western Desert" look you see on a lot of gaming tables, of which there is a great deal along the North African coast (and, indeed, elsewhere; I've seen a LOT of it...). 

There then followed a brief discussion about;

1) the huge variation in terrain, vegetation and land-use in Tunisia alone (let alone across North Africa as a whole).

2) the dramatic different the seasons/weather can make within differing regions.

It was agreed that while one might say "this base model is for this terrain type during this season" - and be right - it was near impossible to have a base "right" for every terrain/vegetation type found in a country, and, in some cases, even in a relatively small geographical area. 

Tunisian Terrain

Pics of WW2 Operations in Tunisia

Tunisian Winter Wonderland

Which got me thinking about my own bases, how this subject seems to come up a lot of fora, and how some folk seem to fret over this (as they seem to over base sizes).

Having had the luck to have worked and travelled reasonably widely (47 counties at the last count - and widely within most of those countries) I'm very well aware of how quickly terrain can vary, the effect of weather/seasons and "micro-climates" and that therefore our figure-basing is nearly always going to have to be a compromise.

That's why I try to keep a sensible head, not to stress too much, and keep mine simple - as the various pics on the Blog indicate......

Except when I don't, of course.. (DOH!).....

NOT a Figure Review...

Well, mid Jacobite campaign I bit the bullet and did something I'd told myself I wouldn't do; bought a load of flats...

Back in my distant childhood there were little shops in a kind of arcade (Google suggests "Brady's Arcade" - pic)in Kingston-Upon-Thames (a good hour away by train and bus, so part of a family day trip*) which sold militaria and associated odds and ends, including painted toy soldiers. I remember looking, fascinated at 30mm (or bigger?), beautifully painted lead/tin "flats" (mainly German-made and 18thC troops and Egyptian court figures I seem to recall) and a small Waterloo diorama.

 

(*Later I discovered a nearby wargames shop in Kingston - where I bought my first GDW, SPI & AH board games; all of which still come out to play and seen now to go for silly sums on Ebay..)

Saving up my pennies, I eventually bought a West German police cap (long gone), a huge Korean War vintage US Army raincoat (a glorious thing with which one could smuggle some 12 bottles of wine into youth hostels etc. I eventually, foolishly, gave that away to one of our labourers in Iran) and a Kriegsmarine eagle, still around the house somewhere. But no flats, or any of the other painted beauties...

Now....... I've wanted a Wars of The Roses army for a long while (heck, I've been reenacting it for twenty years or so), but the lead n' plastic mountain here is so high I couldn't face even buying and painting up a 6mm bunch (even though I only "need" several hundred), let alone the 20mm ones I have squirrelled way......

However....

Several years ago I noticed the Peter Dennis card "flats" in book form (I THINK the Jacobite ones, ironically enough - though I think he was also involved in the very jolly Armada Anniversary  "Battlegame Armada" of 1988, which I still have and have a play with from time to time), but me & scissors don't see eye to eye these days; and the idea of all that snipping - or, even worse, scalpel work - left me shuddering...

Then Wofun came to my attention - with their WOR bods at "18mm"... 

I have my 15-20mm "MAKE THIS VILLAGE!!" (or else..?) Usborne houses..

Other terrain bits I have near enough to scale....

So, as they had a special offer on, I had a punt and....

I LIKE them...

Three games thus far (two made-up ones and a re-run of the Battle of Tewkesbury) - and NO painting !!! A bit of assembly (simple) and off you go.

I find them pleasing. I had wondered whether the flat aspect might be jarring, and if the shiny plastic edges would need work dulling down (and for later periods they might, depending on taste) but for periods where bright helms and spear points etc. are "a thing" the shine actually enhances things I think (gleaming helmets & whatnot). They look nice en mass, have some nice detailing.. AND you can use modelling paints and permanent Sharpies on the printed images to do a bit of customisation if you want to add a bit of variety in clothing colour, to add bends, play with livery colours and heraldry etc...

I can see them working very well on less terrain-fussy tables than mine tend to be. I also see a use for them as board game tokens.

Ordering and delivery (even using DHS - shudder) has been swift, simple and reliable (four orders thus far) and they are nicely, safely packaged. You can even download free rules...

You have to be a wee bit careful pressing out delicate parts (I snapped off two flag staffs -  easily glued back on - but out of several hundred figures that's, for me, a very acceptable casualty rate). The (MDF) guns are a bit fiddly to start with, but you soon get the hang of things. All in all very satisfactory.

Anyhoo, very nice toys, nice price currently - though if you're in UK watch out for the "Brexit Dividend" (Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha... Laugh to fade...), which will mean a hit of +25% in Duty and VAT (sigh), so best keep orders (inc. P&P) under the levy threshold where possible... 

All in all I'm a happy bunny.

  

Takin' The High Road....

 Meanwhile, in Scotland...

With the French dealt with, the Government can concentrate on the Scottish Question. Cumberland has a large mobile army up by the Borders. There are two Jacobite armies operating in the Lowlands. Government Scot units are in the far north east.

The next map moves see Charlie outside Edinburgh; but with Cumberland approaching the Jacobites are wary of assaulting the castle (Councils of War). Instead they move towards Wigtown to join Murray.

While Inverness - the last Jacobite stronghold in Scotland - falls to Government Highland troops, Cumberland moves to block the Jacobite options; these being:

1) To seek battle.

2) To break for the Highlands.

3) To break for the Lowlands. 

While the Jacobites dither, Cumberland moves to Lanark, effectively boxing the Jacobites into Galloway/South Ayre. At another Council of War the Jacobites waver, then vote to seek the enemy - the alternative is to risk being caught on the march. They move on Lanark, and the Government army.

The Battle of Lanark.

The Government army is largely made up of experienced professionals. They are likely to stand on the defensive, but have good guns and cavalry. Any fear of the Highland Charge has been eroded by the Highlanders' lack of success on previous fields.

The Jabobites have a larger army, good guns, but fewer horse, and there are some sound professional Irish regiments, French detachments and a Swedish regiment with the force.  However, many Highland regiments are at half-strength or less, having suffered badly in previous fights, and the rest of the clansmen are largely inexperienced and unblooded. 

This promises to be a hard fight - for both sides. 

What with house emergencies (shower leak, garage door collapse, washing machine breakdown), the heat, family wrangling and a reeactment (Battle of Evesham - where I got a load of new bruises on my shield arm, and hit by three arrows..) I didn't have time to set up a table, so reverted to my old, old system of settling tactical matters with a boardgame. Same solo principles as a table game, using the game tokens from "1745", with a few extras from SPI's Wellington's Victory. Worked very well, and was MUCH quicker.

After a quick barrage I threw my Highlanders at the enemy right, while my slower allies marched on my left.

The enemy first line were mainly in line formation, static and placed on "Overwatch" - not a lot I could do about that - while their guns held fire until they could be guaranteed to do damage to my columns.

My Highlanders crashed in and, despite bad casualties en route, hit the enemy front line. My Centre made little headway, but my Right caused many enemy casualties. My Left, however, was slow (the Irish & Swedish), and didn't manage to engage. 

Also on my Left, the enemy volleys of regiments in line tore apart some of my Highland units and the hand-to-hand did not go our way, sending some of my guys reeling. Not good.

The Irish formed Line, while I tried to reorganise my Centre and right. My Right has a fight with some of the enemy horse; meanwhile, the enemy tried to reorganise their lines. 

Both sides took a breather in the Centre. On my Left there was a firefight between the Irish and Swedes and the enemy Right, including their Highland companies in the woodland.  My men were being whittled away. Then the enemy line on their Left advanced, while their cavalry on their right moved around the woods, threatening my Left flank.  

Again, there was some hard fighting. The enemy Right horse swept away my Swedes (who had already taken casualties from the Highland companies) while their Left horse drove back some on my guys facing them. Prince Charles come forward with the cavalry reserve. 

I threw my men forward in one last charge. 




But the enemy horse on their Right was now scattering my men there, and my own Right had disintegrated. Charlie made off in the face of the Government dragoons. The rest was, as far as the enemy were concerned, just mopping-up. The Irish, surrounded, surrendered. My retreating Highlanders were cut down by the enemy horse. Charlie got away with the cavalry reserve. Game over.

The Prince fled to Stranraer, where, next map move, he would be picked up by friendly ships, and taken back the France. The Rebellion was over..... 

Well, THAT escalated quickly.....

Conclusion

Well, that was an interesting and fun experiment.

The combination of using a board game and tabletop fighting worked really well (again, as with the "1776" game the other year), though this board game had a LOT more chrome and (sometimes fiddly) detail. For those without the time to set up their own "campaign rules" and draw up their own maps this method is a good way into campaigning, I reckon. 

The "Council of War" process worked well again, helping cement a narrative as well as adding some "unknown factors". 

The "French In Kent" interlude, stepping away from the board game, was interesting and fun - made easy with the amazing resources on the Web (old maps and images, topographic sites, distance calculators, Google Earth etc. etc.). We really are spoiled in that regard these days.

Is the game "unwinnable" for the Jacobites (as claimed by some)? Perhaps...
I had a high "French Intervention Level" from reasonably early in the game, the French actually committed big-time, and I still lost (but maybe I'm just a lousy general).

I think the game may only be winnable on points - but that may be a reflection of the reality. Historically there was little or no support for the Jacobites south of the Border (a real pain in the game), and north of the Border the Scots themselves were divided (ditto).

The "What If" scenario - whereby the Jacobites simply secured Scotland and negotiated some kind of independence under the Stuarts  - is fantasy in my book (my arguments being;

A) That's NOT what the Stuarts were after (they wanted the whole UK shooting match) - even if the French did.

B) Once peace on the Continent "broke out" the full weight of the Hanoverian military machine would come back to England, recruit/regroup and swing north; and with Scotland still likely divided (the Lowland bourgeoisie needing the trade freedoms and markets which came with the UK, the Clans divided by local feuds, the "English Gold" factor, the religious divide etc.) I don't see a scrap of paper standing in the way of an invasion.

But there we are..)

A well-worthwhile exercise. What next...?

As always, all queries etc. welcomed and answered....