Difficult time for the British at Lucknow

Last night saw our indefatigable reporter travel from the Balkans in the 4th century AD to a sweltering and humid Lucknow in the Summer of 1857. The “Indian Mutiny” or “First War of Independence”, depending on your point of view was in full swing and a mixed force of Sepoys and local Badmash converged on the Lucknow Residency intending to repeat the barbaric acts being perpetrated all across Northern India.

Dave and Chris commanded the British, with Greg and Tony trying to command the Mutineers. The Indians started by deploying and then charging their cavalry across the table. The British got lucky, as Captain Banks, recently arrived from public school, deployed their gun and immediately fired canister at short-range into the Indian horse.

Tony hadn’t spotted the location of the 2nd British deployment point! Carnage followed as the Indians broke and ran, and force morale plummeted. Loyal Sepoys flanked the British gunners, turning the position behind the wall into a veritable redoubt which dominated the left side of the table.

The Mutineers decided to give the British artillery a wide berth and concentrate their attack on the other flank. Tony persuaded Greg to charge his Badmash musketeers into Sir Henry Lawrence’s civilian volunteers.

Miraculously the civilians won the encounter and the Badmash retreated losing their so-called officer in the process. Things were looking grim for the Indians, both as regards troop losses and command harmony!

Major Buchanan, the gnarled Scottish alcoholic deployed his line of three HEIC units in the centre, blocking the road to the Residency. Tony responded by creeping his Sepoys forward hoping to stay clear of the withering artillery fire.

Eventually the Indian numbers started to tell. The Commissioner’s civilians lost men and took shock, whilst the Indian artillery deployed and began to pour round-shot into the British units holding the centre. British casualties mounted, whilst the Indian units accepted their losses but continued their business. Life is cheap in the Indian subcontinent.

After its initial success, the Naval gunners proved less effective as a “Random Event” happened and they found themselves shrouded in smoke. Tony was emboldened to start an advance through the centre and Greg began to make progress on the Indian right. Musket and artillery fire continued to weaken the HEIC infantry who eventually retreated losing force morale.

After two-and-a-half hours gameplay the battle was deemed an Indian win. Despite their inauspicious start with the destruction of their cavalry in the first turn, and the fractious command discussions between the Indian leaders, somehow the Mutineers snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

All in all a fun game which everyone seemingly enjoyed. I sense more Indian Mutiny figures will soon be on order.

End of report.

Simon

Rome vs the Goths, a reprise

After missing last week’s Gothic humiliation, our seasoned reporter donned his walking boots and hot-footed it to the Balkans to witness the next episode in the Gothic-Roman wars. This time Chris and Tony took the all-conquering Romans with Dave and Simon trying to restore the sagging morale of the Goths.

The Goths lost the scouting and set up first. They went infantry-heavy on their right, with the cavalry evenly distributed I the more open centre and left. The Romans countered with a cavalry-heavy right, legionary-heavy centre with the Auxilia and some lights taking the Roman left.

Battle commenced with a brisk Roman advance all across the line. However, they couldn’t quite get into bow range. The Goths responded pushing the infantry forward to occupy the high ground to their front, and bow into the woods. The Gothic cavalry pushed forward into the teeth of the Legions and Roman cavalry. This would be a tough one with very little room for manoeuvre.

Chris on the Roman left instantly drew a “1”. His cry of “General re-roll” saw another “1” pulled from the bag. Chris wept and everyone else laughed. We didn’t know that Greg’s powers were so strong. His influence obviously stretched all the way from Malta. Tony took the Roman cavalry into action and managed to send lights round the Gothic flank, his normal tactic.

However, the Gothic commanders wondered if he had noticed that the Gothic camps were on the other side of the table? The Goths replied with an arrow storm from their infantry that killed Chris’ light infantry and disrupted two Auxilia.

The next turn saw more of the same. The cavalry battle between Dave and Tony intensified with disruptions on both sides but no decisive “kills”. The Gothic cavalry and Legionaries continued their sparring with the Goths electing to throw javelins rather than risk a charge into the serried ranks of heavily armed and armoured Romans.

On the Roman right Chris failed to rally his Auxilia and two units fell to more Gothic archery. The morale test saw a light cavalry unit also break. Things were looking distinctly “sticky” as the Roman left all but collapsed, and the Gothic warriors surged off the hill towards the enemy.

However, the Romans finally managed to kill some of Dave’s Gothic cavalry, but too little too late. Chris’ left-wing command was completely wiped out and a lone unit of Gothic light infantry marched through across the board to seize the camp.

Wow! A real beating for the Romans.

The Goths celebrated the victory of Arian Christianity over the heresy practiced in the Roman Empire, or was the Roman General still secretly pagan?

Simon

Strength & Honour – Initial Game, Watling Street

This was our first run-out with TFL’s new Strength & Honour rules. We decided to keep it simple, so used the Watling Street scenario, straight out of the book. Dave took the Romans and I took the Iceni.

From the deployment, it was clear that the Romans were going to be outflanked, having only 4 units, vs the Iceni 9 units. The Romans placed the 2 legions in their centre, with the veteran Auxiliaries protecting their flanks.

The Iceni placed their best warriors (the Iceni warbands) overlapping the Roman right and the light cavalry and chariots overlapping the Roman left, leaving the Artebates & Trinovanti warbands, to face off the legions, in depth (which turned out to be a bad move!).

The barbarians led with a fairly spirited move forward, but to their surprise, the Romans also quickly advanced. This actually led to the barbarian right over-shooting the Roman Auxiliaries there, causing some delay in getting them back into action.

While the Roman Auxiliaries were having a bit of a hard time of it, on the flanks, the Roman legions closed with the centre. Unsurprisingly, the Legions were getting the better of this, pushing back the warbands.

However, then things then started to go awry for the Romans. The Roman Auxiliaries on the Iceni right, were pushed back and disordered, by the chariot stiffened Trinovanti warband. Then the Iceni light cavalry started aggravating the flanks of the Roman XX legion. This, plus the annoying Iceni habit of rolling defence saves, stalled the XX legion’s drive forward.

The XIV legion on the Roman right was fairing little better. Boudica had driven off the Roman Auxiliaries guarding the flank of the XIV legion and now the Legion was suffering at the hands of supported and flanking warbands.

Things were not looking good for the Romans, but over-confidence overtook the Iceni. They called Homunculus Est, but shock, horror, not enough points!

Then Roman discipline started to tell. Reforming a legion, with a Discipline of 5+, was not that hard! Even Reforming the Auxiliaries on a 6+, away from the warbands, was quite feasible. Thus the Roman units rallied and pressed back into the fight.

The run of luck on Iceni defence saves had also passed and soon the warbands were being driven back. A couple of critical Discipline check failures and first the light cavalry was routed, then a warband. The Iceni then also discovered that Recovering a warband, on a Discipline roll of 8+, was a tough ask! The Roman legions started to press forward, looking for revenge for the earlier reversals.

The Iceni, now snowed under by Setback and Disaster cards, were forced to face Homunculus Est. Only 34 points, vs a Break value of 18!! Guess you call that a win!

It was now only left to the Romans to mount a bit of a victory parade at Wroxeter!!

Overall, a good first game. This will be back on the table again.

Rescue the Intelligence Officer - Sharp Practice 2

 

Major Holdon has been injured, while reconnoitring French positions. With the help of his aide and daughter, he has made it back to the church at Sante Marina. Captain Blunt, with a party of 12 Riflemen, has managed to link-up with Holdon, taking up a defensive position around the church (from Deployment Point 2), while they await the British relief column (deploying from DP1, when the British commander rolls less than or equal to the current turn number).

A local informant has told the French where Major Holdon is hiding and they have sent a force to capture or kill him (2 groups of Voltigeur skirmishers, 4 groups of line infantry + one medium gun – all deploying from the French DP1).

Captain Blunt and 6 riflemen started to edge Westward from the church, covered by Sgt Scarper & 6 riflemen, sheltering behind the wall surrounding the church. Protected by this screen, Major Holdon started to edge slowly Westward, toward the British deployment point.

The French responded by deploying their Voltigeur screen against the Riflemen, while the main infantry column marched on, aiming to deploy behind the voltigeur screen, with the gun prolonging to the East of the main infantry column.

The riflemen had just started to pick off the voltigeur screen, when suddenly the British relief column arrived (rolling a 2 on turn 3!). Not only did they arrive early, but in their next move, they moved 17” down the road! This rapid move appeared to wrong-foot the French. Their infantry column had been wheeling right, toward the church, when suddenly they were forced to redeploy against the British column emerging to their right flank. Their gun also now found itself of the wrong side of the infantry column!

However, Colonel Dubbious rose to the challenge. He managed to get three infantry units into line, on the difficult terrain on the hill. He also manged to get the gun, with a viable field of fire, from the right of his line. Capt Biddet then brought up the forth infantry unit, on the far left of the line. This gave the French a very formidable firing line!

The British infantry column responded too slowly, only managing to get two units into line, before the hail of French musket balls and cannister hit them. The British ranks started to thin rapidly, so Capt Scarlet formed up the next two infantry units behind the first line. However, the cannister from the French gun was cutting swathes through not only the first line, but also through the second.

The right of the British first line broke under the hail of 32 muskets and cannister from the gun. These men streamed back through the second line, causing them to withdraw. But in the midst of this maelstrom, Major Shortfawl managed to detach himself from the broken first line, just in time to steady the faltering second line. By good fortune, the British also found themselves out of musket range of the French, so the men steadied and Major Shortfawl started to remove shock.

While this mammoth firefight was going on to the West, Capt Blunt’s riflemen had driven off the voltigeurs and had also managed to take pressure off the British line, by causing the gun to withdraw. But in doing so, Blunt had taken his eye off Major Holdon and his party.

Capitanne Opeless had managed to get the surviving voltigeurs back through the stable and into the central orchard and was now stalking Major Holdon and his party.

Almost too late (lucky chit pull), Capt Blunt realised the danger and led his men, in a mad charge into the orchard. A vicious melee ensued and after 3 rounds, both sides were down to one man and a wounded officer, but the French had enough shock to break them. Opeless strikes again!

The wounded Blunt then struggled out of the orchard and into the arms of Major Holon’s daughter!

The British now had a race to finish. Could they get Holdon off the table, before the huge French infantry line advanced into range again? Major Shortfawl steeled himself to withstand another French musketry onslaught. But, it never came! For some unaccountable reason the French simply continued to blaze away into empty space! Between the volleys, all that could be heard was the plaintive voice of Col Dubbious yelling, “Stop firing you bl**y idiots” (in French of course!).

Behind this rolling wall of powder smoke, Major Holdon, Capt Blunt and the remaining riflemen, snuck away, off the table, via DP1. An unexpected British win!