Thursday saw a double-header at Fort Williams, with an ECW game in the broiling heat of the afternoon, and a Sharpe Practice game set during the Indian Mutiny during the evening. Maybe the timings should have been reversed for added climate realism!
The ECW witnessed a second foray with Simon Miller’s “For King and Parliament” (FK&P). This week’s scenario was bigger and more complex, with additional troop and terrain types. The battle of “Lessie’s Moor” was a fictitious scenario written by the author during the development of the rules. Rob was much confused by the Archers-inspired unit names and the setting of “Borsetshire”. I guess having been raised in a grim Northern Mill town, Rob’s exposure to Radio 4s daily tale of honest yeoman farmers in rural England was pretty minimal or non-existent. Dave appeared more knowledgeable.
Anyway, on with the game. Both sides adopted a conventional deployment with an infantry centre and cavalry wings. Following Rob’s initial and ineffectual artillery salvo, Dave’s Royalist cavalry charged hoping to take advantage of Rob’s lack of experience. However, the attack on the Royalist left faltered, leaving one Royalist unit dead and only a disrupted Parliamentarian regiment of horse. The Royalist right had more success charging round the enemy flank but found a determined enemy holding their hedged, defensive positions frustratingly easily.
Back on the left Dave witnessed a second cavalry unit receive an attack from the rear, plus a unit of “commanded shot” ridden down. Ouch! Cue five more Victory medals go the way of Parliament, plus the resultant morale tests further worsened the Royalist position.
Dave’s momentary sense of exultation when a Parliamentary cavalry unit pursued off the board was dashed when a closer reading of the rules revealed that unlike TTS he received no Victory medals.
Things went no better in the centre as desultory musket fire brought several double-disorders and another foot unit broke.
Having inflicted no unit losses and with only three coins left Dave conceded to Rob as it seemed inevitable that a further round of fighting would see the rout of more infantry. A second defeat in a row for Dave, and an ecstatic if somewhat bemused Rob.
Once again FK&P had given us a fun game that seemed to model quite well tactic of the ECW. The mechanics are obviously different to TTS with some nice touches such as the “pursuit” rule. There are still a few things to clarify our understanding of, but we reckon we now have understood most rule mechanics. Next, I need to persuade Mr Banks to complete his Scottish “Montrose” army which is apparently languishing in a box fully painted but unbased. Why he doesn’t finish this but instead is seen painting Goblins and Orcs is beyond the wit of man…
The evening saw a Sharpe Practice scenario loosely based on the second attempt to relieve the British Residency at Lucknow in November 1857. The game was a straight “Encounter” scenario played across a 6 x 4’ table. As the British advanced through the Dilkusha Park to the East of Lucknow, the Mutineers sallied out of the city, across the Grand Ud-Din Haider canal from the direction of a local landmark known as the “Bank’s House” to attack them. Greg and Dave commanded the British, with Tony and Rob taking the Mutineers led by the Ghazi of Kazi.
The British moved off from their two deployment points with Greg taking the HEIC force of Gurkhas and HEIC infantry, and Dave the Regular Army force of rifled musket armed infantry and light troops. The Indian side witnessed the usual chaos of too many troops trying to deploy from two deployment points. We can’t make it too easy for them! Tony took the various Badmash and cavalry in a long detour to the North, leaving Rob to contest the centre and South of the table. Dave pushed his lights into a small wood to threaten the Indian force in the South, leaving his powerful infantry to try and dominate the centre of the table.
Greg’s problems began when Rob managed to manhandle his artillery piece into action. The British were surprised to see the Indian artillery enjoyed “Sharpe Practice” which of course enhanced their effectiveness, and soon troops began to die plus receive multiple shocks.
Tony was struggling to move his Badamash, especially as he tried to send them through a swamp.
Several single inch moves did little to improve his mood, although he brightened up when his cavalry charged home into the unit of Gurkhas. The cavalry won, but it proved a Pyrrhic victory as both units retired heavily depleted.
The centre saw Dave’s musket fire finally force two Sepoy units to retire, but the deadly Indian artillery finally did for Greg’s HEIC troops., with one unit breaking and the other retiring out of the artillery’s firing arc back towards Dave’s regulars.
Although neither sides’ Force Morale broke the umpire decided it was a Mutineer Victory as it was almost impossible for the British to continue their advance as planned. It was noted by Greg that the British Regulars had let the HEIC troops bear the brunt of the fighting and the losses. Dave remained silent on this point…
Sunday apparently sees myself taking on Tony in a game of Bolt Action. Chris has stupidly signed himself and Tony up for a Bolt Action competition in September, and both are in need of some game time. Indeed, Tony claims he has never read the rules. Be prepared for a full de-brief at 17.00 on Sunday!
Simon
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