A Turn Around

 Another month gone, soon be time for the supermarkets to stock up on all that tinsel for Christmas. 

Poor Rob was ill again last week so I missed out on the warmth of the Sudan so at the last moment I played Xeno Rampant based on the Star Wars universe. For a change I was one of the good guys, my loyalties lying with the Empire, any Empire usually, so I donned the drab robes of Obi-Wan-Kenobi and led my troopers to war.

I found it very frustrating only being allowed one action, this meant that if I moved I became a target, if I didn't things were less than exciting, also if you fail with one of your units everything comes to a halt, well it does for you, I failed about four times during the game, allied to being afraid to move and die things did not start well. My Wookies did alright when I did manage to get them into position and Obi managed to knock Darth Vader back for a bit but everything went south when the armoured walker turned up and stomped all the good guys, oh for an RPG.

I had organised a game with Erik and played in the Bunker as the Memsahib needed the car, we have normally played Seven Years War but this time I offered the Italian Wars. I needed a small battle to introduce the rules and period so I settled on Scannagallo, the last battle of the wars. I was going to use the scenario from the new Helion book which looks interesting but as I only have the map I went with Rodolfo Verginella's from his scenario book, I still had to tweak a little bit.

Spanish on the left, French on the right.

Erik commanded the Spanish/Florentines while I took the French/Sienese, the armies are typical of the period but with large contingents of arquebusiers due to the time (1554), the French are outnumbered in infantry. There is a large dry watercourse or ditch along one flank of both armies, I decided this was no big deal and although it slowed movement it would only disorder troops in melee if pushed back while in it.

French pikes.

Spanish pikes.

I wanted to push my French and Landsknecht pikes to the left to even the disparity on that flank while holding the remainder of my infantry on the right behind the ditch, my cavalry gallantly rode forward as French cavalry do. The Spaniards marched straight forward. my left flank bravely threw themselves at the enemy but my French pikes were quickly routed, my Italians put up a good fight but they too in the end succumbed. As there was no room now on the left I turned my Landskechts and crashed into the arquebusiers to my front thinking they would be no more than a speed bump, I was so wrong as these enemy Landsknechts fought incredibly well and the melee went back and forth. Erik was desperate to throw his own Landsknecht pike at mine but the melee and the ditch prevented this, I thought I now had a chance to catch them in the flank with the Grigioni. On the right despite losing my Gendarmes turned things around and routed their opposite numbers, they were then attackd by the enemy light cavalry and routed them also. My own light cavalry moved to get in a position to threaten the Spanish pikes.

French left in action.

Spanish left.

 The crises was now approaching, I was about to lose my left flank completely, in the centre my Landsknechts, almost down to 50% were attacked by the enemy Landsknechts and looked like being beat. On the plus side my Gendarmes were free to attack the enemy artillery while my Landsknecht arquebusiers shot down the unwieldy Spanish pikes at the ditch, my light cavalry had charged the Spanish arquebusiers and looked like winning, I had turned the Grigioni to attack the Spanish pikes giving up on the idea of flanking the Landsknechts across the ditch. We called a halt there as we had run out of time, at that moment we had both lost two units and considering I had been two units down I was inclined to call a draw although being in a very precarious position.

My Landsknechts advance.

I couldn't leave it, so returned to the game on Saturday night, I did indeed lose my left flank as all my units there were wiped out. On the right however it was a very different story, against all the odds my Landsknechts forced back and destroyed their opponents, my shooters forced the Spanish pikes to run, the Gendarmes rode down the enemy gunners and the light cavalry saw off the Spanish Arquebusiers. No one was there in the room to see the grin across my face, the game really was a draw now.

What a great game, initially my luck was bad, my initiative throws were so bad I nearly always went last, this caused problems for my less than enthusiastic allies, especially the Italian shot, who several times simply stood and watched things go to hell in a handbasket. The Italian pikes put up a decent fight but lost out in the end as the Sienese pikes hit them in the flank. The men of the match were my own Landsknechts who against all the odds beat back and routed their opposite numbers, an incredible effort.

I continue with the Romans of course, I have a unit of Roman horse archers almost done, probably by the end of the week, the horses are ready so I am now painting the riders. Again I am impressed with these sculpts they are so easy to paint the officer is particularly nice. Little Big Man Studios transfers are now available again through Victrix, so I ordered and received most of the ones required for my infantry units. I also have another set of figures coming from A&A to complete two Auxilliary units and one more legionary Vexillation, along with some skirmishers.

 Not sure I will be at the club on Tuesday, I do have a Chain of Command game on Wednesday night, a continuation of Robert and I's Road to Bremen campaign, we were half way through when we had to stop the last time he visited. On Friday I have a Johnny Reb game introducing Ian to the rules, there is also the chance of another ACW campaign battle coming up.

Right, that's it for now.

Parthian shot; The Royal Navy has 25 warships, many of which are being refitted or cannot be crewed but it has 40 admirals, one for every 800 men, it also has 260 captains for the 25 ships. So taking a leaf out of Elon Musk's book, what do they actually do all day? Also our latest Task Force has to borrow a supply ship from Norway, yes we do have one but it has no crew.