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.

 

GOOD TIMES AT ASU GAMING DAY!

 

Polish and Ottoman Turk forces from the 1600's meet in a "By Fire and Sword" engagement hosted by my buddy Karl.

 

 

I am playing Ottoman Turks.  GITSUM!

 

I am attempting to get light cav onto the right flank and infantry muskets on the left flank for fire support while advancing cavalry up the middle.  I'm also hoping to draw off his Winged Hussars with my light cavalry.

 

My lance armed cavalry charge the enemy!

 

The Winged Hussars charge my light cavalry who have gotten too close to evade. AAGGGHHH!!

 

Well I successfully drew the Winged Hussars away from my main battle area but they are now behind the left flank of my comrade to my right.  "Hey buddy.. there's an elite enemy cavalry unit coming in behind your left flank.. just an FYI..." 

 

My Lancers on the far right destroy an enemy unit, ride out of command range, and supposedly off into the sunset thinking all is well.  Meanwhile, my infantry on my left is stalled in disorder and my main cavalry unit's charge against the Poles is disastrous.

 

For our second game, I break out some old school STAR TREK MAX.  A narrow safe passage through the Neutral Zone has a Klingon and a Federation force both show up at the same time.  Sounds like the Romulans have been double dealing as usual!

 

Great seeing everyone yesterday and having some fun gaming!



BRUCE CON!

With our buddy Bruce making one of his infrequent jaunts through town, of COURSE we had to get a game on and he wanted to try out BLACK POWDER Napoleonics.  We go for a modified version of one of the scenarios in the great book Charles Grant did a few years ago.

Here the Prussians, a regiment that's obviously part of a rear guard somewhere south of Wavre, are trying to hold a road that passes through a gap in a wooded ridge against an advance guard division of Grouchy's French forces moving north from Ligny.  Stacy has 2 Ligne and 2 Legere battalions, Bruce has 4 Ligne battalions and his Division Commander has 2 6pd field guns.

 

In the battlefield debut of my new Prussian regiment (ohhhhnoooo we all know what happens to unblooded troops!), I hold the pass with 2 Musketeer battalions and 2 6pd field pieces with a Fusilier battalion on my left and a Volunteer Jaeger Company on my right. 

 

 

"They shall not pass!"

 

Here comes Bruce's brigade (yea, we know they're skirmish order coming through the woods but he was going to form right back in assault column on the other side) and first blood to the Jaegers as the riflemen put a couple of casualties on one of the enemy units!

 

French artillery takes some hits getting set up and they chose to stay at medium range firing at targets to contribute to their side's part of the fight.

 

Stacy's brigade goes into line to keep the Prussian left engaged and Bruce's brigade gets stuck in where Prussian fire hasn't disordered or shaken units.

 

 

"Hold steady, meine Jungen!"

 

"I said Hold Steady!"  Unfortunate roll of a Boxcars for a Blunder roll on a Musketeer battalion, at least I rolled a 6 to blunder into battle.  GITSUM!

 

Two rounds of battle later, even after one of Stacy's Legere battalions had gotten stuck in, I roll morale saves on 7 hits in melee and then another boxcars for the morale check after combat resolution as he had flank and rear support and I didn't.  GITSUM!!  The line holds!

 

For a while, at least.  Finally my right side Musketeer battalion breaks, my left side Musketeers are forced back, and Stacy's Legere unit breaks through to charge my guys in their flank.  The resuling battle is inconclusive as we back and forth a couple of turns in the open ground behind the ridge.

 

My cannon and Jaegers continue to hold, sending two of Bruce's French Ligne battalions to the deadpool!

 

My Fusiliers on the other flank are lit up by Stacy's Ligne and flee the battle in ignominy.

We call it a French victory at this point as a hole has been blown open in the Prussian middle, their left flank is gone other than a cannon, and a Legere holds the road to allow the rest of the French forces to move off board to the north in pursuit of the rest of the Prussian Army.

 

Good fight, guys!