28mm BLACK POWDER Napoleonics

My buddies Shawn and Karl and I got to break out some 28mm Napoleonics for a good BLACK POWDER dust up last weekend at the N.E.A. Gamer's Guild miniatures day at our ASU Library.  In a tedious and scientific scenario design process, we pushed some tables together, flung down some random terrain, and brought whatever we wanted to play with.  Had a blast!

 

Karl had a whole army of new Dutch Belgian troops painted by our group's favorite painter, Dragon Painting Service.  They have stuff for sale on eBay all of the time and will also do commission work.  Highly recommended!

 

 

Prince William of Orange his own bad self led Karl's armies.

 

 

Beautiful new troops, Karl!  Good to see the DB's taking the field.

 

 

If the gunners aren't careful, Silly Billy will try to get them to form square.

 

My French spread out to meet the Allied army.  Here I have some new Dragoons, also from Dragon Painting Service with a The Flag Dude standard (love that guys flags!), that are going to try out the "move up to a house, dismount, and occupy it to hold the position against advancing enemy troops until help arrives" tactic.. let's see how that works.

 

 

The division commander thinks this is important enough for him to take personal command, and he sends a horse gun up with his Dragoons for support.

 

 

Works great!  The gun Disorders the Scots Greys so they can't advance, evades a Scottish infantry charge that diverts into the Dragoons in the building, and they hold the Scots off for a turn or two of combat until a Ligne battalion can get into position to charge and chase the hated RosBiffs away.  Vive la France!

 

 

In the center, Ney threatens the DB line with a couple of Cuirassier units.  Yep.. Carrot Top red hair and a bald spot.. that's my Ney alright! 

 

 

 

One of my favorite moments of the game was when a DB infantry unit formed square and let my charging Cuirassier re-direct their move to strike the flank of another Scottish unit who were in the process of mauling some of my Legere.  Wooohooo!

 

 

I paid for it, though, as even though the right side of my line was doing well at pounding the British army, the Dutch Belgians were wiping out my units on the left.  Nice job by Karl and his new troops.  Allies FTW!

 

 

 

The Romans and Celts hadn't been out of the box since Jason and I had a bash quite a while ago, so I took them up to Siera Phoenix Gaming in Poplar Bluff and threw down with Josh.

 

In the mid 1st Century AD as the Roman army occupies Brittania, on occasion one of the local chieftains decides he doesn't have to pay taxes to the swarthy little guys from the Med and he sends their tax collector back without a head!

 

This warlord has 5 warbands, two slinger skirmisher units, some cavalry, and even a few old school chariots for him and his favorite guys to ride in.  He's also got a Shaman with quite a collection of the heads of the village's enemies.. one of the fresher ones used to belong to the former Roman tax collector.

 

Well this, of course, just won't do and a vexillation of the Legio LXIX "Hedonis" is dispatched to bring the Celts to heel.

 

Legate Rodnicus Dangerfieldus has arrived with 4 cohorts of Legionaires, a unit of auxilia light infantry, 2 skirmish units of auxilia archers, and some auxilia cavalry.

 

The Celts, being impetuous, say "Heck with it" and come on out to meet the Romans.   Josh is cautious in moving his heavier troops up, but the lines slowly engage with some long range bow and sling fire before the clash.

 

 

Eventually, though, the Celtic wave breaks on the Legionaries.  In an absolutely amazing spectacle of "can't roll an armor saving throw to save his life", literally, the Josh's Romans are defeated and go down swinging in amongst a howling mob of hairy barbarians.  Rodnicus and his escort ride back to Londinium to tell his commander "We're going to need a bigger boat."

 

Good fight, Josh,, better luck next time with the armor saves!

Got in some X-Wing, my first real game other than a couple of learning scenarios, at Siera Phoenix Gaming Club in Poplar Bluff!  Good times.