La Haye Sainte - Set Up And Staged Shots

I went ahead and set up the La Haye Sainte table - just to see how things would look and fit. As I don't expect any in-person gaming anytime soon, figured this is one way I can let folks see what we could be doing once things get better again. Without further ado, here's some pictures I took with appropriate captions below each of them.

View from the east of looking at the Main Gate of the Farmhouse and the Brussels Highroad. In the bottom right corner of the picture is the Sandpit with a unit 95th Rifles.

French Engineers attempting to break down the barricades at the Main Gate. French Legere supporting them in their endeavor. Major Barring directing his KGL Light troops from the gateway. Light Company men of the 5th KGL Line have arrived to support their Light brethren.

North of the Farmhouse KGL Hussars speed down the roadway to assist; 79th Highlanders also advancing in support. 95th Rifles occupying the Sandpit, with an RA battery covering.

View from the south, with the Orchard and Barn in the foreground. The pond is just in view in the lower center of the photo. The Nassau troops had large cooking pots with them and these were used to help put out the fire in the Farmhouse.

A bit blurry, in the center, within the Orchard KGL Lights are exchanging musketry with French Voltigeurs. Another French battalion is approaching. In the actual battle, the Orchard was lost to the French early on.

Scene west of the Farmhouse. Another French battalion is advancing towards the rear door of the Barn. The night before, during a heavy rainstorm, the KGL troops occupying the farm had torn down the Barn doors and used them for firewood to keep warm. A makeshift barricade was made and this area was heavily contested throughout the battle. French Horse Artillery supporting an attack by a French Heavy Cavalry Brigade.

I'm not sure if the Red Lancers were part of this particular part of the battle, they are here for this game - as well as more French Horse Artillery, this one being a Guard unit.

5th KGL Line Battalion in square to meet the charge of French Cuirassiers. The 8th KGL Line wasn't so lucky and were cut down. Scots Greys charging the the flank of the Cuirassiers.

French Carabiniers being fired upon by RHA and Nassau troops.

Looking northeast of the battle with the Kitchen Garden being defended by Nassauers. Scots Greys rushing to save the KGL Line troops. Hanoverian Verden Field Battalion, in line in the distance.

View from the north - this is approximately the side of the battlefield where Wellington and his troops were staged.

Well so much for now. Hope you enjoyed the images and maybe someday it'll be actually wargamed. Until next time best of health to you all!

Black Powder 2nd Ed. First Game - Fun!

Just finished cleaning up and putting away the figures and terrain from a successful first game using the Black Powder 2nd Edition rules. Actually most of the rules are pretty much the same as the original. One exception was the use of the Army General to re-roll failed commands by the brigade commanders. The four players of today's game are longtime gaming buddies, Jim, Gene, Kevin and David. David being a veteran Black Powder player was very helpful in keeping the game flowing. Here's David's "I Live with Cats" blog, and also Kevin's "A Gamer's Tale" blog. The scenario was the same one used at last month's Fix Bayonets game day. Although Victory Points were used, the game turned into a basic slug fest with the French and British trading a lot of shooting and combat. After about 8 or 9 turns, the game was declared a close victory for the British who ended up capturing the bridge in the last round. This was after David had to leave and I took over his French brigade. Sorry David!  Here's the layout prior to the game.

 The Army Generals with ADC - although we didn't use the ADC option during the game.

The British and French brigades - two per side. Having only four players, I reconfigured the formed infantry into 24-man units (except for a 32-man Coldstream Guards "large" unit), but kept the cavalry in 8-figure units. I didn't want the cavalry to have too large a foot print on the 5x8' table. It seemed to work out pretty well. I should mention that we used 2/3rd's reduced movement and shooting ranges; however, we kept the 12" basic command/order distances.

British Brigade consisting of: 1 large unit of Coldstream Guards; 1 unit of line infantry; 1 small unit of 5/60th Rifles; 1 small unit of Spanish Guerrillas; 2 light cavalry units (1st KGL Hussars and Spanish Dragoons); 1 unit of heavy cavalry (Spanish Cuirassiers); 1 RHA battery and 1 RA battery.

British Brigade: 2 units of Highlanders (42nd Blackwatch and 79th Cameron); 1 unit of line infantry; 1 small unit of 95th Rifles; two units of light cavalry (1st KGL Hussars and Light Dragoons); 1 battery of RHA and 2 batteries of RA.

French Brigade: 2 units of Young/Middle Guard Infantry; 1 unit of line infantry - all with Voltigeurs for Mixed Order formations; 1 unit of light cavalry (9th Hussars); 2 units of heavy cavalry (Cuirassiers and Carabiniers); 1 horse artillery battery; 2 batteries of foot artillery.

French Brigade: 2 units of light infantry; 1 unit of line infantry - all with Voltigeurs for mixed formation options; 3 units of light cavalry (9th Hussars and 2 units of Chasseurs a Cheval); 1 unit of medium cavalry (Dragoons); 1 horse artillery battery; 1 line artillery battery.

Here are pictures from the game. Once again I was a bit preoccupied hosting and neglected to get more pictures. I'm glad I remembered to take the ones that I did.

Around turn 2? And yes, chili was served - it later got a bit noisy near Jim's end. Pun intended.

The view from the French right/British left. Those are the light cav units run by Kevin about to take on Gene's French heavy cav. Kevin's Rifles along the hedges in the vineyard having already shot up a French line unit which had to retire back to the side of the hacienda. Gene and Kevin both used their artillery batteries to good effect.

Kevin's 42nd Highlanders trying to shoot up Gene's artillery batteries. The Highlanders ended up breaking after taking too many casualties and failing their Break Test. Note one of the French batteries having been disordered from British fire - I think from an opposing British battery out of the picture. There were a lot of 6's during Shooting - causing a heck of lot of disorder!

Another view of the French right; Gene got a unit of infantry into the hacienda early in the game. The French unit which had retired along the hacienda having removed a casualty after a successful Rally by their brigade commander.

The French left/British right. Jim's British light cav in action against David's Chasseurs a cheval. Poor David had successive bad command rolls - only lately bringing on his cavalry units.

Jim's Coldstream Guards and other units in line ready to shoot up any French advance on the British right.

British 1st KGL Hussars vs. French Chasseurs a Cheval. As you can see the KGL guys are already Shaken. An actual casualty figure is used for the first casualty and subsequent ones use skulls. The idea is the figure casualty is the one which must remain if Rallying is used.

Jim's Spanish Cuirassiers in combat against David's Dragoons. A unit of Neuchatel are in Attack Column to the right.

Again, more cavalry combat between Kevin's British 1st KGL Hussars and Gene's French Heavy Cav.

I must say I thoroughly enjoy playing/hosting Black Powder, but feel these rules are probably not the best for a convention game with the possibility of players with little or no experience. Although the rules are simple enough, there are a lot of little things which would bog down a convention game where players want something easily understood and fast-playing - which as a GM I would also want. It is however, a great game for militarily inclined gentlemen with straight backs, bristling beards and rheumy eyes that have seen a thing or two!

Black Hussar Miniatures - Rude Highlanders

A couple more Black Hussar minis - this time a bit more comical in nature. I plan to use them as casualty markers.

The cheeky guy is with the 79th Cameron and the grinning one with the 42nd Black Watch.

Looks like I forgot to paint a few things - the buttons on the leggings...

And some of the green in the center of the dicing on the bonnet.

On the gaming front, I'm hosting a Black Powder game next Saturday.

Thanks for stopping by, and best wishes to you all.

The Battle of Toulouse - Loosely

The Battle of Toulouse. Wellington commences operations on April 10 (Easter Sunday), 1814. Soult holds until April 11, and then evacuates the city. Wellington enters Toulouse on the morning of April 12, by afternoon he hears of Napoleon's abdication. These are mostly staged shots while working out the scenario using simplified Black Powder rules - removing stuff like Shaken and Disorder which tend to make me think too hard. Basic movement and ranges are reduced, and Blunder and Break Tests are simplified to three results each. The El Perez (or El Perry) scenario in the main rule book could be followed, with the French making the retreat off table instead of the British. However, it could just as well be an attrition scenario.

View of the French cav leading the attack with the St. Sypiere Redoubt to their rear right, and the Languedoc Canal and the outskirts of Toulouse to their left rear.

View of the Allied advance from the north. Their left flank composed of Spanish and Portuguese troops - actually Russians, Prussians, Austrians and several other types as stand-ins.

A view from the east of the battlefield proper.

The French cavalry at this battle actually only consisted of the 2nd Hussars (these are 9th), and Chasseurs a Cheval. But in the spirit of the rules, all available cavalry are thrown into battle - including Dutch Lancers, Dragoons, Cuirassiers and Carabiniers! At least the latter three are in small units.

The British have two good cavalry units - the 1st King's German Legion Hussars and Life Guards; both present at the battle.

The Russians...er, Spanish also provide several cavalry units, including heavy and light cavalry. Oh, and those may look like Prussian Landwehr and Russians, but I assure you they are Spaniards. They were notorious in coming up with uniforms which are poorly documented.

The Spanish holding the Allied left - oh, and check out the spiffy uniforms, which almost look like Bavarians. The militia/guerrillas next to them prove they are all Spanish; Or possibly Portuguese.

The British right - 95th and 60th Rifles out front screeing - as well as Royal Horse Artillery. The 3rd "Buffs" in line, with the Coldstream Guards leading the 79th Highlanders and 28th Foot in column. The 42nd Highlanders in the center in line, with a small unit of Royal Welch Fusiliers behind them; and the 71st Light Infantry in column on their left. All of these units, except for the Coldstream Guards, were present at this battle.

Back to the French. Here is their left flank forward the canal.

Neuchatel Battalion and French Voltigeurs remain inside the city's fortifications, while the 9th Legere cross the bridge towards the battlefield. In the foreground and distance are other French infantry - including the 4th Swiss furthest away. Of course both the 4th Swiss and Neuchatel Battalion no longer existed in 1814. The 4th Swiss virtually wiped out during the Russian Campaign, and the Neuchatel Battalion during the 1813 campaigns.

The 9th Legere, who were present at the battle, cross over the canal. A lone vivandiere, unfazed by battle, plying her wares in the shadow of the church.

View towards the north with the approaching Allies in the distance.

79th Highlander Command Stand

Painted up some "spare" Victrix figures for another Black Powder command stand - this one for the 79th Cameron Highlanders. Since I chose to use only standing figures for the basic unit, this is a good way to utilize the kneeling figures. The kneeling guys were originally painted up as 42nd Highlander, but a simple repaint of their facing in green, as well as adding a few red and yellow over stripes to their tartan converted them to 79th. I've seen the 79th's piper wearing a regular red coat with green facings, but I like the reverse colors better for this unit.

I hope to get in on a Black Powder game next week at game day up in Seattle - Drumbeat.

71st Highland Light Infantry - Ready for Battle

Here they are mounted on Litko 40X40mm plywood bases - for Black Powder. The colours are actually a spare from a box of Victrix. The flags are folded as much as possible to disguise the fact that they're for the 92nd.

Also completed is the Spanish Hacienda kit from Brigade Games. The veranda base is secured with a couple of brass rods. It's suggested that the model be attached to a base to protect it better; I may do this later. Here it is with the Warlord vivandiere as well as some Front Rank Spanish G's.

Next up are the new Perry British Hussars. I think they'll be 1st KGL guys.