Riding the crest.

 Couple of games this week so far, last night it was Italian Wars at the club using Dan's 15mm figures. I organised two armies, the French had excellent cavalry and a large Swiss unit the rest of the army was underwhelming with Italian pike and Old Band pike, the Imperials had average infantry mainly Landsknechts, some average cavalry but more artillery and shot, Dan chose the Imperials.

I set up with my infantry in the centre, most of my cavalry on my right and the remainder including the outnumbered artillery on my left, my plan was to win the right flank while the Swiss hopefully crushed the Landsknechts opposite, my left would take an opportunity if offered. Dan set up with a heavy right flank, cavalry, artillery and Spanish pike, his centre was held by the Landsknechts with arquebusiers, cavalry and artillery in support and the remaining cavalry opposite my right.

Imperial centre and right.

French centre.

Because we were using 15mm figures we simply changed from inches to centimeters but it didn't really work, it took the infantry forever to close, especially as Dan held his Landsknechts back. I tried to make some headway on my left with a less than thoughtful advance and got cut up by the Imperial artillery, I made a mess of my attack and had to withdraw but not before a unit of Gendarmes had been crunched by the Spanish pikes. I had also decided to run some heavy cavalry into the approaching shot in order to sweep them away but my horse lost the melee and were pushed back, they recovered but only just. Over on my right my cavalry had clashed with the Imperials and, yes, lost again, thankfully I had support coming in and within a move had turned things around, but for a time I was very worried.

French cavarly get the upper hand, eventually.

Swiss get into contact at last.

Imperials win on their right.

At last as the clock ticked down the Swiss and Landsknechts came to blows and although suffering heavy casualties initially the Swiss held and turned things around, we halted there and Dan kindly called a French victory although we could have fought for a bit more.

We had the movement all wrong and it took the infantry most of the game to march to contact, made worse by one side, quite wisely, sitting awaiting the onslaught of the Swiss. I know the Swiss were the premier infantry during the early to mid period of the Wars but they are too powerful in Furioso, I think I will drop their combat factor from 5 to 4. Another thing which needs looking at for battles of this size is the command mechanic, with 14+ units a side the game bogs down. I have no doubt you could zoom through it much faster but the game also has to be enjoyable and you have to have time to think, this is possible if you have all afternoon and a spare 4-5 hours but not on a club night or a multiplayer game. Anyway food for thought.

This morning I set off for Penrith and a game in the Dungeon with Matt Crump, we have not played in a while due to real life interfering for both of us so I was looking forward to it. I turned up and found a lovely table set up for an ACW clash, all the figures were lovely but a unit of Zouves caught my attention, beautiful. The Union (me) had to take a hill on the Confederate right, there was a stream fordable in front of the hill only, while the other half had to be crossed using a bridge, I had forces facing both. The Rebs had a couple of regiments and a gun on the hill and some more troops opposite the bridge on their side of the creek. I decided to force the bridge and then turn and assault the hill so my reserves came in on my right to help this attack. My main reason for this was that if I pushed regiments up to the creek they could bring a lot of muskets to bear on the enemy and force him back to enable the reserves to push across the bridge.

A lovely table and figures.

 

Confederate left.

The hill's defenders open up.

To the bridge lads.

As the battle opened I was a bit distraught at Matt's shooting as my men opposite the hill suffered heavy casualties as the plan to overwhelm the hills defenders with musketry went awry. However on the right the Rebs suffered from bad morale and the defenders were forced back, this allowed me to push the reserves up the road and onto the bridge covered by some skirmishing cavalry. Quite quickly it became obvious I was not going to win the fight on my left but the right held out some hope as Confederate units failed morale tests and skeddadled.

The battle for the bridge begins.

Union reserves turn up.

I continued with my assault on the Reb left and managed to beat back the Confederate reserves quite comfortably, my boys on the left had been shot to pieces so I now took the chance to move troops from the right to the left in time to get a foothold on the hill after crossing the creek. As a tide of blue was now heading for the hill and hardly a speck of gray on the objective and with time to bring more muskets to bear Matt surrendered what forces he had left.

Union right does well while the left crumbles.

Now boys!

The last of the Reb defenders.

The rules were Matt's house rules based on Bolt Action and they worked well, the Reb loss of command dice helped enormously in the Union victory. The table and set up was again a pleasure to fight over as ever in the Dungeon. Matt has all sorts spread around, Normans, Naps, 15mm and 28mm figures painted, half painted and some of his lovely Imperial Guard type sci-fi figures, so I mentioned I would be more than happy to play a game with them, so next time in a galaxy, far, far away.

Mapping has picked up now that we have started a New Year, although I did quite enjoy the break over the holidays and after. In the queue is Soviet Central Asian Airpower, Louis XIV Vol 7, two WWI projects, a wargaming guide to the Carlist War and the mini atlas which is 70% done but has now gone to the back of the queue.

I hesitate to post this but here is my take on the now sadly pitiful Senior Service.

West Indies guardship, 1971. I'm on the bridge.

Threat of WW3. Nato Exercise 2024, ah, but I here you say there were another three of them :(