Off the coast of Buenos Aires

After a gap of one week normal service is resumed with the weekly “match report”.

Last night saw a “Black Seas” game set during the abortive British attempt to “liberate” Argentina in 1806.  The scenario saw the Spanish Viceroy trying to flee taking his gold reserves and the British flotilla trying to stop him.

The British sailed on to the board from the south-west corner with Malcolm heading East and Phil North-East to intercept the Spanish convoy.  The Spanish entered from the North-west with an objective to sail across the table. Almost immediately disaster struck the British as Phil’s Brig collided with his frigate. Damage to both and a distinct lack of manoueverability next turn. Dave and Tony sailed across them pouring desultory fire into the hapless British, heading for the protection of Rob’s frigate which entered the table further on.

Phil managed to get a semblance of control and gamely attacked before his brig and frigate sailed out of sight behind the island.

That left two schooners and a brig to face a large merchantman, two brigs and a frigate. Things looked dicey but this was the Royal Navy!

Through some deft seamanship the British did manage to catch Tony and eventually force his brig into striking its colours. But the Viceroy sailed on.  Mal then tried our first ever boarding action, only to find that you can’t board a ship under “full sails”.  A defect in my scenario!

From then on the British couldn’t really win. Dave’s merchantmen was really too strong to take the necessary damage, and speed didn’t seem to be an issue. Phil made a valiant attempt to return to the fray but the game was over when Rob’s frigate blew him up from short-range !

A few lessons learnt for me….

Although the sides had even points the British were heavily outgunned. The schooners only have two light cannon per vessel vs a Brig’s four  heavies, and the extra ship numbers never seem to tip the balance. Indeed too many ships can prove an issue.  Next time I will introduce “crew quality” as this is the 2^nd time the Spanish have won.

Anyway next week sees a return to the fields of Normandy in the summer of 1944 for “What a Tanker”.

Simon

What a Tanker, stumble to Arras...

So, last night saw a WAT 1940 game loosely set during the British counter-attack at Arras on May 21st.

Phil, Tony and Malcolm took command of the Jerries. Dave, Chris and Rob led the Brits. Greg watched in disbelief.....

As they were outnumbered the Nazi swine made haste to form a defensive line in the various woods and hedgerows.

The British armour clanked onto the table at less than breakneck speed. Blitzkrieg this was not.

Dave took the south with his A13 and A9, Chris the centre with a similar force and Rob the North with his solitary Matilda II.

Visibility was difficult due to the close terrain, but shots began to be traded. A lucky 2pdr strike on Tony’s Panzerjager I saw three hits and no saves. First blood to the British and one very sulky Tony.

After this the battle settled into a game of cat and mouse. The Germans sniping at the British from the woods, and the British finding it frustratingly difficult to locate targets.

The sole exception were the adventures of Malcolm in the North. Here, a lone Pz38(T) charged the Matilda only to find itself outnumbered . A “fast” tank vs a “slow” tank was an interesting contact. Jerry poured cannon fire into the flank and rear of the Matilda but with 7 defence dice boy that Infantry tank was a tough nut to crack.

 

With the Germans holding their line Chris decided to charge forward. Result, one dead A9 and an exposed A13.

By nearly 22.00 it was clear that the British counter-attack had not broken through, and the Supreme Being awarded the game to the German defenders.

In hindsight it was a frustrating evening for everyone concerned. Shooting had been pretty woeful and the guns and armour fairly well matched.

Next week, a return to the 4th century BC Chersonese for a Thracian-Athenian TTS re-match.

Simon

Infamy, Infamy, Attack on the Tax Collector

In my second game of Infamy, Infamy we had the Germanic tribes raiding into Roman territory as they had heard a tax collector was in a nearby village.

The tax collector's escort was lounging nearby when they heard noise coming from the nearby woods.

As the tax collector looked over his shoulder he could see a mob of ferocious German warriors commanded by Friduric heading straight for him.

 

The auxiliary escort started running to the aid of the tax collector.

 

 

A group of skirmishers meanwhile began firing upon the legion and killed one.

 

The tax collector was too slow and was caught by the warriors.

The warriors lead by Friduric threw spears and luckily killed more of the legion. However the Optio used Signa cards to rally the shock, throw pila and then charged into the warriors.

The fight was brutal but the legion held their own and pushed the warriors back.

However things were looking dire for the Romans as the main Germanic warband under Adalhard appeared in the centre of the table. Where was Centuro Maximus Pilus?

The auxiliary archers appeared to help stem the barbarian onrush and inmmediately their presence was felt as they started skirmishing with the Germanic slingers.

However the slingers were still having an effect upon the auxilia.

The auxilia charged home hoping to save the tax collector.

Meanwhile the warriors under Friduric charged the legion which broke and ran.

The auxilia managed to push the other warrior mob back from the tax collector...

but Friduric turned his diminished mob of warriors and charged into the flank of the auxiliaries, scattering the unit.

At this point it was decided that there was no chance to save the tax collector so the game went to the Germanic tribes. Centuro Maximus Pilus has a lot of explaining about his whereabouts.

Black Seas; The Great Escape...

With the British blockade on Continental European ports ever tightening, the scene was set for the desperate attempt by the Spanish to break through and return one of its mighty 3rd rates to the safety of Cartagena harbour.

The Spanish entered from the NE corner of the table, the British from the SW.  Chris decided to send the behemoth straight across in a Tony-esque charge, albeit at a tardy 4” per move segment. The British sent their frigates to deal with Chris leaving the Brigs to protect the flanks.

Gunfire was poured into Chris, but he just smiled even as criticals were landed. No seeming effect.

The brigs traded desultory cannon-fire. Again a few criticals but no killing blows.

With some deft manoeuvring the frigates even managed to land some stern rakes on Chris, but the 3rd rate could take it. Indeed, all ships seemed to be in remarkably good condition despite the brisk exchanges of fire. Also noticeable this week was the lack of point –blank action. After all, who would want to get close to Chris!

Eventually Chris broke through the British line and the British realised that under sail there was nothing they could to catch him.  Malcolms’ Spanish brig also slipped beyond the horizon leaving Phil’s Brig on-table facing the scattered British forces. However assessing the scene of battle afterwards , even this vessel stood an excellent chance of escape unless Tony’s bow gun could land a spectacular blow.

From the vantage point of the Supreme Being, the game had seemed to go well. Despite Chris’ escape the game had been more finely balanced than it appeared. After battle chat revealed he was only 8 points from potentially striking his colours. One of two more rounds of gunfire could have done the trick. The advanced and additional rules did add a certain “je ne said pas”……as French gamers would say.

Next week, back to WAT and France 1940 , but this time with the BEF ……

Simon

"Somewhere in France; May 1940....."

And so the mighty Blitzkrieg rolled inexorably into La Belle France. The ominous sight of a  force of gray Panzers faced their garishly camouflaged adversaries. This was only matched by the equally weird sight of Chris clad in beret and stripey T-shirt guzzling cheese and wine.

The Germans entered the board. One formation advanced along the Northern edge of the table whilst Tony took his PzII south.

Chris advanced with his CharB and mighty H-39 in the South  whilst the Somuas took centre and North.

With their numerical advantage the Germans began to pepper the French with gunfire, but the Somuas and CharB proved more than adequately armoured. Their guns were also pretty decent, as Rob’s 38(T) found to its cost. Boom!

Somehow the Germans managed to  get a 3:1 advantage against Phil’s Somua but despite damage it fought on. A tough nut to crack!

Tony’s nippy PzII roared into action running rings round the ponderous Char B, but failed to kill the heavily armoured behemoth even when firing from into its rear.

 
Then catastrophe, the pugnacious H-39 delivered the killing blow to the PzII and in the Northern sector Phil’s Somua forced Tony’s MkIV crew to abandon ship due to heavy damage.

Dave’s 38(T) was finally hunted down and destroyed like a dog by Malcolm’s Somua.

The French had won a magnificent victory. 4 Nazi tanks destroyed or abandoned for no losses.

Chris continued his modest repast….

First play of Infamy, Infamy or who killed Kenneth

This is my first play of the new ancients skirmish rules (Infamy, Infamy) from the Too Fat Lardies.

I used the terrain generator to setup the table for a game in Germania, with the Romans foraging.

The Roman deployment zone is in the bottom right of the long edge of the table with the Germans in the top left. With all the terrain in front of them scouted by the Romans the Germans were unable to get any ambush points closer than the rocky ground in the centre of the table.

With his scouts having reported the approach of a large Roman column Adalhard the Germanic warlord deployed his warband in front of the swamp so as to protect the farms. He immediately started to instil fervour in his troops.

Barbarian woodsmen then deployed into the field next to the warriors.

Roman legionaries commanded by Centuro Maximus Pilus deployed facing the barbarian warriors of Adalhard.

Barbarian slingers deployed to the Roman right and shot at the legion with one hit but Roman armour saved the day. The Auxila commanded by Tribulus deployed in a March Column to try and close down the ambush points in the woods to the right of the legionaries.

The Auxilia archers deployed behind the legionaries and firing over their heads causing two points of shock on the warriors, reducing their fervour. Expecting an ambush Centurio Maximus Pilus orders the legionaries into close order and advances them towards the warband of Adalhard.

The barbarian slingers shoot again at the legionaries and cause three hits but the Romans save all three; tough are these legionaries. The woodsmen in the field shoot into the legionaries but they are clearly more used to hunting four legged beasts.

Suddenly there is a soul terrifying cry and out of the rocky outcrop a group of fanatics charges straight into the legionaries.

With no time to brace the legionaries are fighting for their lives.

After two rounds of combat the fanatics fail to breach the legion shields and break. The fanatics having done their job in disrupting the legion the warriors of Adalhard close in.

A blood curdling scream goes up from the woods in front of the Auxilia and suddenly a large warband under the command of Friduric looms into sight and crashes into the leading group which is still unfortunately in March Column. The Auxilia take casualties and fall back behind the second group.

Centurio Maximus Pilus orders pila thrown and braces for impact. The warriors charge in but the legion holds and manages to push back one of the warrior groups whilst killing the leader Hardwin. The German force morale is plummeting fast at this point.

However the Adalhard manages to get the supporting group to "Shift Weight" to take the place of the group pushed back and gets a very good dice roll and adds a lot of shock. The Optio holds the unit in place but the Adalhard can see victory and with another good roll of the dice causes the legionaries to break and leave the table.

Meanwhile the wailing women managed to rally some shock off the group of warriors.

The warband under Friduric hits the Auxilia with spears and causes three shock. The supporting group is now looking shaky although Tribulus uses Signa cards to rally off shock.

The Optio pushes his group forward to join the centurion and the auxiliaries bear down on the warband but the nearby slingers “Darken the Skies” and kill one of the auxiliaries. The Centurio Maximus Pilus orders Pila thrown and then crashes into the warband. Or they would have done if they hadn't rolled a 2 for movement.

Seeing an oportunity Adalhard orders the warriors forward and they crash into the legion with good dice being rolled by both sides. Initially the Optio holds the legion in place but both groups grind each other to a standstill and eventually break.

The warband under Friduric charges forward into the auxiliaries but they hold steady and push the warband back. Geman morale is now at one and thus not looking good. The auxiliaries continue to push the warband back but their morale is still holding. The warband rallies and charges in again but is repulsed and the Germans start to rout.