BLACK POWDER Napoleonics

Demo Game at

Cullison's Cards & Games, Jonesboro AR

 

 

 

Got a chance to demo some Napoleonics for some new friends this weekend with a short Hasty Attack scenario.  Will and Cody, pictured with me, and Matthew each got to enjoy a spirited introduction to 28mm Historical gaming.  The guys are veteran Warhammer players, so the principles of you go I go move shoot and melee were already in place.  Lot of fun to see their joy at trying out a new historical period for wargaming.

 

The scenario was simply made up to accommodate my current forces available on the Prussian side.  The layout was a fair to moderately dense area of terrain somewhere between Charleroi and Quatre Bras on the French/Belgium frontier.  Napoleon's forces are advancing to try to drive a wedge between the Allied forces of Wellington and Blucher so he can defeat each in detail.  Cavalry has bypassed the area for easier routes of advance, and the lead brigade of a French Advance Guard has made contact with a Regiment of Prussians that are part of their army's picket outposts.  The forces are well balanced, so it's about who maneuvers to concentrate combat power the best, as well as who the ever present Dice Deities favor!

 

 

Not much action in the first turn other than some ineffective long range cannon fire as the French advance all along the line, pushing their Legere battalion out to get set up on a wooded hill from a position to bring fire along the enemy right and center.  The Prussians return the favor by pushing their Fusilier battalion out to occupy a rock wall position in the center of their line.  The remaining Prussians wait to see how the enemy attack develops before maneuvering to meet it.



 

The Prussian commander has his Volunteer Jager riflemen screen his Musketeer battalions advance on his far right to support the Fusiliers and to meet the advancing French.  He leaves his Landwehr battalion and its supporting cannon in position on his far left.  The "grumpy old men" of the Landwehr punished the French attack on the Prussian middle and routed a French Ligne battalion with musket and cannon fire.  Blucher would be so proud of them! 

 

Things start to get very tense in the middle as the French close in on the Fusiliers behind their rock wall.  Pointblank volley fire leaves them Disordered and Shaken, just one casualty away from having to test morale, but the Fusiliers bravely stand their ground. 

 

The Prussian Jagers rout after being hit hard with musket and cannon fire.  The French Ligne and Prussian Musketeer battalions "toe the line" and pour point blank volley fire into each other.  Casualties are high but both forces hang on, relying on musket fire as the commanders are unwilling to charge an enemy until they are weakened to the point they can't effectively defend.



 

 

Finally, the French win the musket battle.  A Prussian Musketeer battalion routs and another one falls back Disordered and Shaken.  The Fusiliers can only watch as their right flank folds.

 

 

The French brigade commander attaches to a Ligne Battalion and carries them forward to finish off the Prussian Musketeers who fell back.  The Prussian right is broken, the Fusiliers and Landwether have to fall back to their left and rejoin their army, and Napoleon's troops have opened the way to Quatre Bras!

 

Great fight guys!



 Flames of War Mid War Tournament

WOLFKRIEG 2016

Hard Knox Games, Elizabethtown, KY

 

My Army for the Tourney -  US Armored Recon.  HQ, 3 Recon Patrols, Armored Rifles, Sherman Tanks with "Reb" Jackson, and M10 Tank Destroyers.  Fast, hit hard, lots of fun to play!

 

 

Did fine in my first round attacking Panzer Grenadiers with Nebelwerfers, Recon, Panzer III's and Marders in support.   Took on his Panzers with my Shermans and his Marders with my M10's and the .50 caliber MG's of my Recon platoons.  Lost a recon platoon but captured an objective for a 5-2 win.

 

Second round I got all caught up in the game and forgot to take pictures!  Attacking Italian Bersaglieri with German PaK 40's and Panzer IV's in support.  Mauled several of his platoons but didn't kill any, got all shot up and was sitting on the objective for a 4-3 win, but failed a platoon check and then the army check for a disappointing 1-6 loss.

 

Round 3 vs. my buddy Tom's Panzergrenadiers with Recon, Tigers, and Italian Semovente's in support.  Flung myself upon his middle objective where there were no infantry, but a Tiger and a Mk III awaits!

 

 

Lost my Shermans to a flank charge by the Italian Semovente's but pushed deep into his objective area.  Nailed his Mk III, could NOT kill the Tiger, but picked off his Recon for a 2-5 loss.  Great fight, Tom!

 

Day 2, Round 4 started off defending against a Tiger company with Grenadier, FlaK, and Nebelwerfer support.  Shermans racing in from Reserve come up behind his army and take out the Nebelwerfers.

 

M10's and Recon help to destroy his FlaK wagens and his Grenadier platoon.  He could not force my Armored Rifles, Dismounted Recon, and M10's off of an objective with just his Tigers so I ended up with a 6-1 win.

 

Round 5 was defending against a Panzer Kompanie with 88, FlaK, and Recon in support.  My Armored Rifles dug in on the forward objective, M10's ambushed, and destroyed his Mk III platoon.  Shermans finished off his FlaK and his Recon and he failed his army check. 6-1 win for me.

 

Finished up with 3 wins, 2 losses, and some really great games that were a lot of fun.  Wolfkrieg is one of my favorite tourneys as I get to see a lot of friends I don't see otherwise.  Looking forward to next year already!



28mm BLACK POWDER Napoleonics

 

Another fun day of Napoleonic gaming with my buddies Karl and Shawn as we get some French vs. British and Dutch Belgian Allies into a big meeting engagement at Cullison's Cards & Games in Jonesboro AR.  Great new game store in town!  Definitely worth a visit.

 

 

On the French right / Dutch Belgian left the French have 2 Cuirassier, a Horse Gun, 4 Infantry Battalions, and a Field Gun facing the Allies 2 Light Cavalry, 2 Field Guns, and 5 Infantry Battalions.

 

On the French left / British center and right the Allies have 7 Infantry Battalions, a Howitzer, 2 Field Guns, and Heavy Dragoons facing the French force of 4 Infantry Battalions, a Field Gun, Dragoons and Hussars.

 

Marshal Ney leads the French while Wellington, the Prince of Orange, Picton, Pack and Kempt are leaders featured in the Allied forces.

 

The French stand ready to do the bidding of Le Empereur and drive the enemy away from their Prussian allies! 

 

The Allies gain the initiative and begin their attack by advancing forward with their infantry and guns and throwing the Belgian Light Cavalry in a charge against the Cuirassier, who are happy to oblige them and countercharge!

 

The outcome was severe.  Both Belgian mounted units break and, with their follow up move and then charge into the flank of the enemy line the French heavies begin rolling up the Dutch Belgian left as their guns and infantry advance to support the cavalry's flank charges.

 

Marshal Ney attaches to a Ligne battalion and with a "Follow me!" order moves the unit up to and occupy a large chateau complex immediately to the front of the center British brigade.  This unit draws the attention of two Rifle Companies, 2 Infantry Battalions, and a Howitzer and bogs up the enemy's center for the entire battle as the Ligne battalion grimly hangs on with Ney successfully rolling each turn to remove casualties and keep them in the fight.

 

On the other flank, battle lines meet to begin giving fire.  The French Hussars are swept away by cannon and small arms fire and a British Infantry battalion also breaks under the hammering of the French Legere and Ligne battalions supported by a Field Battery.

 

 

 

 

Assaulted on their flanks and rear by Curassier and their front by Ligne battalions, the Dutch Belgian army breaks and the French right flank is clear!  They begin to move up to support the right of their brothers in the Chateau and threaten the British left flank. 

 

On their right the battle lines are holding, but with the French right bearing down on their exposed left the British general orders his units to begin falling back, leaving Riflemen to cover his retreat northward along the road to Brussels. 

 

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.