Desert to Trees

 Busy time coming up for me with a wedding, NHS appointments and a little late year break so possibly the last blog for a few weeks as again the Atlas is catching up with me and proving difficult to finish despite the end of the tunnel being in sight, just.

So this week I travelled the still horrendous roadworks on the M6, with no one in sight working yet only allowed to go at 50 mph, seemingly I must have missed the majestic sweep of a horde of wildebeest, neon signs told of 'Animals on Road' as once again I was slowed down for around 6 miles. I digress, as usual, I went to Matt's and had suggested something medieval, I found myself somewhere in southern Spain commanding an Arab army with some Christian mercenaries against another local Arab Emir. Another lovely set up with two fairly large armies, both mainly spearmen, light and heavy cavalry with plenty of archers, my heavy cavalry were Christians while Matt's counter were heavy camelry.

An oasis.

Good guys on the left, baddies on the right.

We played using Kings of War, well outwith my comfort zone but Matt likes them and ran the game well, giving me the odd advice when required. My first impression was that I would push my cavalry on both wings, especially my left as there was quite a bit of missile troops on that side and massed archery has a power of its own. My right I was trusting to my heavy mercenaries, I would wait and see what Matt did in the centre. He actually came on at a good pace and I decided to push everything into combat I could, a lot of the time I was fighting uphill but the way the rules played I only had a slight minus and I was prepared to weather the storm.

My left flank.

My left centre missile men.

My left flank light cavalry.

Here come the camels.

My right advances.

I was assaulted by the camels but held and it turned into a long to and fro combat, my heavy cavalry on the right could not be stopped and put paid to the enemy horse on that side and then charged some spearmen. On the left my cavalry again swept away the enemy which was lucky as both sides were equal on that flank. My tactic of letting the archers loose was paying off as Matt was slowed down and unable to close while his morale suffered.

The camels are knocked back.

Christians forward!

The camels about to lose.

We arrived at the crises point as my men routed the camels at last while my other victorious infantry closed in on the remaining beasts, it was all over and I received Matt's sword and then returned it as he had fought so gallantly, Mustapha Rest was delighted. Another superb game in the Dungeon, is there a period Matt cannot do, I doubt it and if there is I am sure it is waiting on his shelves. Due to us both having hols our next clash will be mid-September, the BEF might have got over their shock victory by then. 

The next game is in two days time against Erik who has asked to have another shot at Johnny Reb. I have set up a small, but interesting game based around the Reb flank march at Chancellorsville, once again one of Paul Stevenson's, I have found a file with all sorts of scenarios from years ago and most are Paul's, recommended if you ever find some. 

The above was played today, I offered Erik sides and thought he would jump at the Federals but he chose the Rebs, outnumbered with little chance of holding the crossroads objective however I could not stop him getting the wagon trains off the table, so it was down to an old fashioned firefight. We both managed to get our forces on with the Confederates setting up in the centre while I stretched my brigades to eventually take on the Secesh flanks. I had two battalions of Berdan's sharpshooters for the first time ever in a game I think and they proved pretty dismal, once failing to hit an enemy regiment full flank and get a kill.

The forces arrive for both sides.

The Rebs rush forward.

The Federals do the same.

Erik skilfully withdrew his troops and soon I was in a position to force the issue as my men closed in and a furious firefight began. Neither side suffered much at first and I launched my first charge as I was confident I had the numbers, win or lose. More charges followed from both sides while my less than stellar sharpshooters edged around the Reb left flank. Erik was now hemmed in as his line buckled, he threw some more charges in in a desperate attempt to gain time but it was not to be. The Confederate left and right were now in disarray with regiments fleeing and Union troops bursting the line and heading for his rear area.

The Yanks are ready to advance as musketry breaks out.

The Union left move into the woods.

The Rebel line in dissaray.

We called a halt at this but after he left I finished the few moving fires we had not done, these brought nothing new except the 4th Virginia which had stood like a stonewall (as they did at Bull Run) threw snake eyes for a loss of stand and fled, it really was over now.

The Confederates break.

The Rebel right.

The Confederate left.

The New Yorkers get behind the Rebs.

So another exciting game of Johnny Reb under the belt, I don't think either side would have got their objectives so it was down to a stand up fight and although Erik got some rather good morale throws he also got a couple of bummers, my own remained pretty average and that was fine.

I forgot I have one more game before heading for a break, after that it will be mid September before I pick up a set of dice again. 

I was dragged kicking and screaming to the Morecambe Maritime Festival which turned out to be a posh name for four or five groups singing sea shanties for charity. I popped in to the Winter Gardens building and spent a bit of time at a model ship section which had some beautiful models on show, the light was dodgy hence no photographs. I then bumped into an old salt who had his own mini Titanic travelling show, I took to him right away and we bantered about the Merchant vs Royal Navy, fair winds and calm seas old 'un.