Rollicking Rolica

 A quick trip to Penrith this morning in lovely sunshine to hide away underground playing wargames. Matt had set out a larger table than usual for the Napoleonic battle of Rolica, I confess I don't know a lot about Napoleonic campaigns apart from a very basic idea. Despite my admiration for Napoleon himself. Matt explained that his French were sitting on a hill which was heavy going for the British to climb and then presumably assault. 

The battlefield.

The French.

My cavalry.

I had forces at the bottom of the hill ready to go while reinforcements would arrive around turn 4. I decided that I would attack the French left and try to overwhelm them while my cavalry and light troops would threaten the right, my centre would march forward and see what happened. As I reached the slopes I was slowed down and began to take casualties, you can shoot or move so it took time for me to get my men into a position where their numbers would count. My cavalry and light troops were doing a sterling job on my left and drove the French cavalry from the field and began to turn the enemy flank.

My left flank.

My cavalry move forward.

My centre advances.

Although my battalions were taking a thumping they managed nevertheless to stay in line and soon more Frenchies were fleeing. I had also now got an attack column on my right into position to assault the crest of the hill, despite everything these brave fellows also routed their opponents. My reinforcements now turned up and I sent them towards my centre, just in time as I lost a couple of battalions here, once again I managed to get an attack column into position only for it to be beaten by some Swiss as they charged down the slope in an attempt to halt the British advance.

Stalwart redcoats.

Chase them off lads.

My right about to crush the French left.

By this time the French left and right were almost non existent and my cavalry were now in the French rear. I turned everything I had against the remaining enemy infantry and another attack column swept away the Swiss, one French regiment remained but could not stand against several redcoat brigades. Matt handed over his sword.

The French right threatened.

More British arrive.

At them lads!

The tables had indeed turned, Matt destroyed me a few weeks before with my own dice, this time however lady luck wore a red coat and I pulled off some nice morale throws which kept my initial brigades in the fight and wore down the defenders. I was more than chuffed. Another excellent game in the Dungeon on a lovely table with beautiful figures. The rules were Valour and Fortitude which Matt enjoys, especially for larger games than Rolica. Next week we will be in the Bunker and back in 1940's France, it has been a while since I had Chain of Command on the table.

I am almost finished the book on Alexander and I have to say he doesn't come across well, the amount of times he promises mercy to forts or towns only to murder the populations once they surrender is quite horrific. I think by the time he returns from India he seems to be losing his mind, at least that is what the author seems to be implying.

I have been hit by the nostalgia bug and looked out some photographs of my time on HMS Sheraton, a minehunter. We were on our way to Gibraltar for deep sea sweeping trials (we could sweep as well) and stopped off at Portimao in Portugal. You can just see the bottom of the black Sandeman's Sherry logo which we used in one pic, the other we had just been to a local vinyard and we are carrying bottles of rose, most of which did not make it back to the ship.

Great day out.

Me, centre back.

Gunnery practice.

I have had my first treatment and spent a relaxing ninety minutes being 'filled up'. 

ECW Braddock Down

 Another week another game. I was invited down to Erik's for an ECW refight of Braddock Down with all his usual attention to detail. The scenario was for an historic action fought in January 1643 and on arriving there was once again a beautiful table set up, I noticed some new troops as Erik's collection continues to grow, they were on my side and we all know how new troops behave.

Anyway I was Parliament and was deployed on a hill facing the Royalists on another hill across a valley, I had an artillery train but it was only just leaving the town of Liskeard and would take quite some time to reach the front line. I could withdraw and meet the artillery or I could simply attack before the Royalists used their numbers to outflank me, I chose the latter.

The Royalists in the background.

Parliamentarian position.

Close up of the Royalists.

Erik had not expected such an attack and I got off to a good start, I sent one reserve regiment to my left and the other to my right along with cavalry to support. My dragoons lost a fight with some Royalist dragoons but I then swept these away with my cavalry, the enemy cavalry looked like they would accept my challenge but decided not to and kept withdrawing from danger. I had now moved a foot regiment to the right but this turned out to be a bad decision as Erik continued to funnel everything into the fight in the centre.

I move forward into the valley of death.

Shot flies.

I seemed to have the advantage in numbers on the edge of the valley and sent two Royalist regiments running for home, however more turned up and I had taken some quite severe casualties by now, but my boys held on. I am unsure now what exactly went on as I forgot to take pictures in all the excitement, but my tactical genius was now the end of me, as my men pursued down the hill they found themselves with enemy on both flanks, I was undone, the pendulum had swung. I was preparing for an early tea.

Things looking dodgy.

My cavalry victorious.

The end.

Two moves later my right wing cavalry had swept away a second unit of dragoons and the Royalist cavalry, riding down their artillerymen in the process. They now threatened the Royalist centre but it was too powerful and they instead turned on the Militia on the hilltop, sweeping these away as well, bravo! But it was not all going my way and I was reduced to the cavalry and one foot regiment. As the enemy closed in my infantry led by my commander in chief put up a stalwart fight while my horse manouvered to threaten the Royalist hedgehog. My guns had now arrived but proved useless while my mounted troops could not feasibly frontally attack the enemy, I called a halt as my last foot regiment collapsed and fled.

Now they turn up, too late.

A very good game, luck was almost even, Erik threw 6's a few times when he needed them and I managed three or maybe four snake eyes at the wrong time. Victory swung too and fro a couple of times and I was pleased overall with my performance, moving the infantry to the right was a bad decision I think it was still a good move to attack. An excellent little game and it was a pleasure to play it.

Nothing on the horizon yet for next week although I believe a trip to Matt's might be on. I am continuing with the Yanks and have completed another squad, the third is now on the tray. I will do what I can with them as I am still a bit busy with the last maps for the Atlas, 14+ to go and around 140 finished.

I was wrong about Alexander: God, King, Man, I thought it was a biography, it is more about his taking the Persian Empire, nonetheless it is a good read with some very interesting snippets spread throughout. Alexander captured 2,500 tons of gold when he took Persepolis, and there was enough left when the Romans took Macedon to cease direct taxes on their citizens for one hundred years. The oldest dirty joke was also found written down but the author fails to share it, and then there was the "A man walks into a pub with a dog" the punchline however is lost to us. Fascinating stuff.

I almost forgot that I took along Matt's super dice to Erik's hoping to have an easy time of it, yes, you are right, they didn't work. Matt is now looking for a discount should he buy them. 

I start systemic anti-cancer therapy (SACT) tomorrow, not over the moon about it but no alternative is available and they cannot cut anything more from my liver, I have fingers and toes crossed that I do not suffer badly from side affects, so, onwards and upwards.

Crushed

 I am still coming down from the great surprise ACW weekend. I was supposed to venture north to Penritha and a Napoleonic game with Matt but I am having a real hard time with our World Beating NHS and could not take the chance of missing an important phone call in the depths of the Dungeon so I offered a game in the Bunker (which is not underground).

I didn't have a huge amount of time due to real life so settled once again on the battle of Ceresole 1544 which is easy to set up and as Matt wanted a larger game than our last one so I jiggled the OOB a bit. Matt arrived attired in suitable summer gear but without dice or measuring tape, I have plenty of both so sorted him out, something I was to regret later. Matt took the army nearest the door so became the French commander, I was the Spanish. Now although the French have the edge in this battle it didn't seem like an overwhelming edge so I was happy enough.

Imperials left, French right.

Imperial lines.

French left, Imperials right.

As battle approached my troops showed a reluctance to get to grips with the enemy, my skirmishers and artillery were less than enthusiastic and merely played at being warriors and for the most part stood still or could not find a match for the cannon. My light cavalry went forward without arquebus support and were destroyed by the French light cavalry tout suite as the Frenchies say, they continued to pursue the remnants off the table for the rest of the game. My infantry painfully slowly moved forward but not before my right wing was crushed, again my light cavalry was destroyed as were some skirmishers and my aristocracy.

Matt's die rolling simply could not be beat, if I got four or five hits Matt countered with six to eight, and my average was two, I knew I should have offered that chicken up, I have won only one Italian Wars game since I put the troops on the table, how long does 'new troop syndrome' last? 

Imperial camp.

Get a move on lads!

The French move forward

The Swiss looking for a fight, in the background.

One group of Gendarmes had flung themselves at a Neapolitan pike block and against all the odds eventually routed it, the other bunch of Neapolitans later met the French infantry and also ran. The Spanish on my right came up against one of the Swiss units and, yes, were cut down without mercy, my Landsknechts whom I had wanted to throw at the Swiss were still way behind. Before too long I only had the Landsknechts left, one was trying to move to defend my non existent right flank while the other went head to head with the second Swiss block. again they were cut down and routed. My whole army had disappeared in quick fashion and one of my commanders had been taken prisoner. One small block of Landsnechts now faced the might of the French army. 

Neapolitans about to be charged.

 

Neapolitans about to be rode down.

Imperial centre about to crack.

Matt has paella for dinner in the Imperial camp.

 

I normally do a map for these battles but looking over the debacle that had just happened the drawing would only consist of French units. Matt's die rolling had been nothing but spectacular, he offered me a king's ransom for the dice but it was no deal. As usual I actually changed my dice near the end but it did not save me. Crushed!

I am being left in Limbo by the NHS so have nothing planned for next week, although Matt is away if I knew what was happening I could organise something but as of this moment I can't.

I have finished Goldsworthy's book on Athens and Sparta, not a great read for me, it is a broad history and not simply a military history so if you are looking for that this book is not what you want. It was also fairly wishy washy with a lot being described as maybe or might or we don't know, fair enough but there was also a lot of repetition, I got it early on that hoplites could be stopped by city walls for instance and didn't need to be told this time and time again. I found it disappointing, maybe I was looking for something different.

'Alexander: God, King, Man' I knew was good from the first chapter, I didn't find myself falling asleep after a couple of pages. The two battles which have been covered already were far better described than the book above and I found myself googling them to find out more. Alexander comes across as a chancer when fighting battles (I have always thought this) and the Persians perhaps just a tad unlucky? The Greek mercenaries at the Granicus did not fight against Alexander and expected therefore to be captured and ransomed, he killed them all, or nearly them all. I can certainly recommend this one.

 Nothing much on the telly these days, I caught 'Obsession' which is being hailed as a marvellous kick in the teeth to Hollywood but I gave up, I just couldn't empathise with the main character or his girlfriend and why do they have to film everything in the dark, put the bloody lights on. I was caught out by 'Sugar' on Apple (I think), Colin Farrell (now he played Alexander as well) stars and is pretty cool as a private investigator driving a beautiful blue corvette, my wife caught the sting in the tail, it was lost on me. But will it have legs, who knows.

 My family north of the border were of course rooting for Scotland in the World Cup, I took the opposite view and knew they would be home on the next plane, but I also take the view that I would rather England win than be beat by foreigners, I am therefore a turncoat, but it was all played out in good humour online helped by Photoshop. In reality I would not watch a sport if you tied me to a chair and superglued my eyes open.

Never.

Now you're talking.

The Band Back Together

 Both my sons have been spending a lot of time with me recently and Stewart, the one who wargames, has made efforts to meet me across the table on more occasions than before. He let me know he wanted to fight a large, probably two day American Civil War battle this weekend, I offered two scenarios and he left me hanging on which he wanted to play. By the Friday I was chomping at the bit to get on with the terrain and setting up, but he still refused to choose, despite coming through early and working from my computer. The Memsahib forced me to go out for a bite to eat then dragged me around a couple of garden centres, then I got home. If you are of a certain age this is where the picture goes fuzzy, some wooooo, woooo music is heard and you appear opening the door to the Bunker.....

 Stewart had started building the terrain on the table and there was another guy standing beside him, I was nonplussed to say the least until my brain identified Mark Armstrong, a JR player from years ago, I couldn't believe it. I was then told we were going to fight Gaines Mill from 1862 by Paul Stevenson, Mark showed me the map and I thought that is huge, too large for three or us, should I try to contact some of the guys from the club, even if short notice. About 45 minutes later Davy, Billy and Robert came through the door, Stewart had teased me with their arrival but I had dismissed it as Robert had only just had knee surgery and I know he was having a hard time with pain. The band was well and truly back together, all in the one place after our last gathering in my loft in Carluke decades ago, I was truly overwhelmed.

The band.

Ready to go.

Even more Rebs.

We spent most of Friday afternoon getting the terrain built and organising the troops required for the battle, 15 Union brigades and at least 18 Confederate brigades, it was obvious quite quickly we would never get them all on the table in two days, but we got ready anyway. Myself, Robert and Davy played the Yanks and Billy, Mark and Stewart were the Rebs. The Union troops were on a plateau and the Rebs had to drive us off, they were going to need some luck as the ground was covered in Federal blue, nearly all behind hasty works backed up by artillery. 

The Reb right (Billy).

The Reb left (Mark).

Reb centre (Stewart).

Stewart and Mark.

The good guys, Davy, me, Robert.

The game started and the first problem from our side was that our left flank was under intense artillery fire which in many cases enfiladed our position, this was made worse by Stewart's green artillery batteries acting as though they were elite and causing high casualties on anyone they hit. Robert took most of this fire and it caused him to pull back in an attempt to straighten our line and try and stop the flank fire. I had the division in reserve and the cavalry, the latter I sent to protect the Union right from being flanked, I then sent one brigade to help Robert if needed and another to the edge of the plateau beside the small stream the third formed a line behind Davy's troops. I had taken command of Robert's right hand brigade otherwise I would not get into the battle for a while, I pushed this forward to contest the woods adjacent to the small stream to my front, with one of the reserve brigades to help. The Yankee artillery now began bombarding their opposite numbers and Billy's artillery battalion on our left was almost wiped out, Davy and I did the same to Mark's battalion on our right, only Stewart's green devils were left as a viable threat.

There Robert, there!

The Confederates advance.

John Wayne and the cavalry move right.

Billy gets ready to assault.

Stewart in trouble.

The Reb infantry now came on with the intention of closing on the high ground, shot and shell flew everywhere, Mark now received a division as reinforcements and began to muster it for an assault on the Union right. At this point the Rebs had no thought of a Federal attack and I thought I could catch Stewart off guard as his brigades were the closest to my line. I threw the 4th Minnesota in a charge down the slope, this turned out to be fatal for Stewart's green brigades as several regiments routed while the attack stopped the advance in its tracks, his dice failed him at this critical moment. The Rebs now tried to strike back against the lone Yankee regiment but things again went awry and although the 4th were dispersed they had shattered the enemy completely.

Around this time we called a halt as none of us, apart from Stewart, are spring chickens and we had the pub booked for dinner. The recrimination phase now began as we supped a few beers and enjoyed our meal.

Pressure mounts on the Union left.

Quicker lads, quicker.

Mark is thrown back.

Union right survives, just.

Traffic jam in blue.

This morning we opened the fight at 0930, Billy was in a fight to the death with Robert, Stewart was trying to recover but was again ignored by Lady Luck as two brigadiers and his division commander were struck down by sharpshooters, maybe even the same one. His efforts to rejoin the fight were now well and truly over as he disengaged the survivors from in front of my line, his artillery though were still a formidable threat and that corner of the plateau was a death trap for my boys. Mark now threw caution to the wind as time was running out and we were finishing at lunchtime, his whole division gave a Rebel Yell and launched themselves at Davy's thin blue line in a series of wave attacks. As the smoke dispersed Mark's division lay wrecked in front of the Union line, the survivors hurrying back to the shelter of the woods behind, Davy and Robert and I sighed in relief as Davy's die rolling only just managed to win the contest. 

We were never going to finish the game but it became evident the Confederates would never be able to achieve their aim of sweeping the plateau clear of Yankees, even if we had played long enough for two more Reb divisions to turn up, on the Union side we could not physically get our fourth division on the table as we had retreated on the left leaving hardly any room for what we had never mind more troops. Despite it becoming obvious the game was too big it did give all the players something to do from the start, we all suffered the highs and lows dealt out by the rules and the dice gods, there were cheers, insults and great banter flying to and fro.

I had my moments but did manage an inordinate amount of double sixes, Mark suffered from some less than useful dice at wrong moments and might have given Stewart a run for the unluckiest roller on the table. Stewart suffered most from the fickle dice gods and could do nothing to stop his brigades from dispersing. I don't know how Billy and Robert fared but from the language it was intense on that side of the table.

Look away now or grab a tissue, maybe a couple. This weekend was a meeting of passionate wargamers and good friends from all over the country organised by my son to give me a game to remember. My wife also deserves a mention for looking after us. We swapped health stories in the pub like the guys in Jaws showing their wounds, we remembered what happened and who did what in games long gone, we have plumbed the depths of despair as snake eyes turned up time after time and punched the air as we led our wee sojers to victory. What great people and what a great hobby. We are not the band after all, we are the Old Guard.

A very satisfied bunch.

 

All over, thanks everyone.