Jimi and Simon asked me to join in a Dead Mans Hand game at the club, I was happy to do so as my wife was having some friends round for dinner. Now before we go any further here is a big reveal, I am impressed with ChatGPT, now I may be coming late to the party here as I usually spurn modern 'rubbish', but it now joins my hobby as a very useful tool. My son uses it for his work and on a whim and a day before the club game I asked it to give me a scenario for a three player game set in the Old West. Up popped an excellent, well thought out game for a shoot out, and what's more it asked if I wanted to print off special cards and did I require a map?
I was like a kid in a candy store, next up was a WWII platoon level scenario then a Seven Years War battle involving three brigades a side, I had such a game coming up on Friday and although I tweaked the robot's forces a tad I went for it.
Firstly though, in the Cowboy game I was once again the Mexicans as there just happened to be a gang from south of the border down Juarez way, the objective was a large crate in the middle of town which had to be grabbed, opened and hauled away. Jimi was a bunch of cutthroats, Simon deserters from the 7th Cavalry, I figured I could take a chance and just run straight for the crate as the troopers were only armed with carbines and had one shot per turn, Jimi was basically hiding from Simon around the Undertakers large house. I had not figured on Simon's deadly dice, he shot Jimi up and then turned on me, Fat Pedro with the shotgun was a big disappointment (again) and he failed to clear the way, quickly my compadres hit the dust joining quite a few of Jimi's men. Jimi and I now hoped that the crate booby trap would blow the Yankees away but it failed and the troopers had the win. A thumbs up for the robot, now if only it could do something for my dice.
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| At this point I still have some men. |
The Seven Years War scenario had a village in the centre of the table and a large hill nearby as objectives, there was early morning fog as both sides groped towards each other, seemed fine to me. Ian arrived having not played Honours of War before and took the French as he was sat next to them as we chatted and had a coffee before starting. I had the edge having played quite a few games and thus knew I would need my artillery to either defend or attack the village as infantry would have a hard job doing it and deployed accordingly, to support this effort I put my best brigade with the grenadiers on their left. My small cavalry force was also on the left, on my right I had two brigades which I hoped would run pell mell for the hill.
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| French line. |
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| British line. |
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| British army. |
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| French army. |
Ian advanced a lot quicker than me and managed to get a brigade up to the village and his Garde de Francais to occupy it. My centre had a dithering commander and I managed to keep throwing an awful lot of one's and found it difficult to coordinate my forces on the right, so then decided to just hold and ready my boys for the French onslaught. I had more success on my left, my artillery were exceptionally good and casualties mounted on the Garde while my grenadiers led my attack on Ian's right, quality won out and after some time the village was evacuated and the French brigade cut to pieces. On my right Ian had pushed his brigades into the teeth of British musketry and for a moment the result could have gone either way, but in the end the steady fire of the redcoats decimated the Irish, Scots, Germans and French opposite them. What happened to the cavalry, the enemy squadron on my left were sent packing and the one on my right never managed to get in on the fight, terrain and circumstances being against them.
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| The Garde retreats and reforms. |
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| Irish, Scots and Germans move up. |
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| The French left in disarray. |
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| Firefight on British right. |
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| The village is cleared. |
Once again it was nice to get these troops back on the table, the rules are not complicated and may be too simple for afficionados of the SYW but they suit me. Ian was at a disadvantage this being his first game but I am sure things will play differently next time.
My days are flying past at the moment, my presence seemingly being required here there and eveywhere, or it seems that way at least, it is no fun getting old. Club Tuesday, not sure what I am doing or if I am actually going. The coming week will be busy, three games here in the Bunker, Chain of Command Wednesday and Thursday then a large ACW campaign game on Sunday.
Still plugging away with the Roman cavalry, though due to the rain over the weekend I have managed to get them 85% done, probably finish the riders today and have them all mounted and based in the next couple of days. Next up is the last legionary vexillation, this should complete the army but I have enough odd figures to do another close order unit of auxilliary's or lanciarii, not sure. I have a mad urge to finish off with another cavalry and skirmish unit. We will see how I feel.
I am just catching up with all the map work I have, although a couple of projects still linger unfinished. Next week it is the Royal Irish Regiment in Afghanistan, at the siege of Musa Qal'eh in 2006.
On the subject of books, yep, the Malta fiasco has gone, the actual siege seems to have been an afterthought and not the focus of the book. I am on a political book at the moment but am just about ready to get back to normal, Max Hastings' Sword (beach) is waiting in the wings. It has been a good week also for wargaming publications and having influential friends in the hobby (tongue firmly in cheek). First up was a freebie from Simon Miller, a follow up to the Montrose book, secondly a copy of the new Warlord Italian Wars supplement to their Pike & Shotte rules, delivered personally by the author Charles Singleton, look out for names being dropped. Both of these are excellent productions.
Carnforth at least still has pride in Mr. Churchill, during a 1940's weekend this gentleman was very popular photographers.
