Tempus Fugit as the Romans say

 Seems to have been a bit since I last posted or maybe that is just my mind playing tricks, which it seems to do these days with increasing regularity. I feel the need to rant against the world but I won't burden you with it here.

A week or so ago I popped down to Erik's for an ECW bash, as usual the table was lovely and the armies looked the part, Erik had also sent me a map and an introduction to the battle which sadly I missed amongst the usual dross I am sent. The action was Highnam House where the Royalists were ensconced in earthworks south of Gloucester and were being attacked by two Parliamentarian forces, one from the city and the other under William Waller who had marched to the rear of the Royalists.

I don't actually have a dog in this fight as I have no love for either side, albeit the modern versions, I digress. All in all things do not look good for the Royalists as they are hugely outnumbered, if I stayed behind my earthworks then I was just asking to be overwhelmed so I decided to quickly engage and hopefully rout the men from Gloucester and then position myself on their ridge and hope for the best. This action went fairly well and for the loss of one cavalry squadron I sent the good citizens back to where they had come from.

Royalist works.

My boys move out.

Gloucester garrison.

I now deployed my troops along the ridge with the cavalry on my right and infantry on the left, a little late I also ordered my artillery in the works to join me as a dust cloud intimated that the rest of the enemy had turned up. Erik had plenty of time to deploy as I was happy to hold the high ground. He eventually began to move his forces forward and as they closed I decided to surprise him by advancing, I expected my large infantry regiments to beat anything in their path and simply crossed my fingers that my remaining cavalry might beat their opponents albeit they were outnumbered.

Gloucester men put to flight.

Ooops, Waller turns up.

More of Waller's men.

Steady lads, steady.

Imagine my surprise when three dragoons and their pet goat routed my best regiment, my second fell prey to the Parliamentarian right wing cavalry while my horse didn't like the odds and ran. I was undone. 

My guns run from Waller.

A tsunami of Parliament cavalry.

A nice little game of two halves, I suppose I can look on it as a draw with one win each, but I cannot spin the fact my army fell apart very quickly with barely a fight, my troops were Welsh and although tempted to make some comments I don't want the Old Bill at the door. An enjoyable evening's entertainment.

Next up was an introduction to wargaming for my grandson, I had given him free reign and he chose WWII, I had talked to my son about it and I set up a Chain of Command game for both of them, this did not go well for the Jerries and James looked perplexed by it all, as indeed anyone new to CoC would. After lunch I offered to change things to Bolt Action on the same table, this was more enjoyable for the lad and by the end of the game he had captured two of the three objectives and contested the third. So in the end he went away happy.

Big cat.

Humber burning.

Flakpanzer.

The end.

Hartenstein Hotel, thanks Matt.

Dynamic duo.

I was at the club last night, first time in a long while, maybe the second this year, health of course has played its part but also a lot of what is played really doesn't grab me and I have been doing a lot of gaming here in the Bunker or at Matt's or Erik's. Anyway, Ashley was looking for a frigate captain and I offered my sword as I had not played the game and felt the need to get out and about. The rules were written for frigate vs frigate warfare courtesy of Ashley, I was Royal Navy (of course) and Mike took the Frenchie with Ashley umpiring.

Both ships were basically equal and as the engagement started Mike came straight for me, while I planned a slower approach, very soon I wondered if I had come up against a French Nelson or Cochrane, I was like a mouse being played by a cat. The Monsieur's also re-loaded faster than my Tars and I was taking a lot of damage, did Ashley know how superior our boys actually were?

Damn, not close enough for a rake!

And then the penny dropped, I had got the wrong end of the stick as to how the turns worked and was basically only taking one action to Mike's two! Once the confusion was sorted we set up again and my boys were ready this time. As we closed though I began to take a lot of hits to my masts, had a fire and a hole under the waterline along with quite a few guns knocked out along my port battery. It was not all one way this time though and most of my hits were on the French guns. As the battle progressed I managed to turn my relatively untouched starboard battery against Mike, who had lost the wind and was a sitting duck at close range. 

As the French got underway both ships collided and Mike attempted to board, although I had lost a  couple of Marines I had more crew left than Mike thanks to dismounting most of his guns and in the first round of melee he also lost his Captain and Lieutenant, this along with being outnumbered sealed his fate and the lads looked forward to their share of the prize money back in Blighty.

Payback.

An enjoyable evening and something different from two large fleets knocking hell out of each other, although we tried very hard to do that. The rules worked well but I am glad Ashley was umpiring.

My Americans now have a full squad ready and several support teams on the tray, I have now got everything I need to finish a platoon with a good selection of support, box, bases, tanks etc. I do not intend to finish these as swiftly as I have done in the past.

I have been spoiling myself again and picked up another couple of books while in Kendal yesterday along with some treats, I am not supposed to eat these of course but you only live once. I now have around 6 books waiting in the wings to start so I must put aside some time to read them, I normally try to do this once a day but lately I get no further than a page before I am out for the count. Perhaps it is not all my fault as a book which grabs me doesn't send me to sleep but you never know until you start.

I don't have a lot on at the moment wargaming wise, I have Erik here on the 19th for American Civil War but am clear until then, doors open.