Holding the Gap of Rohan

The continuing tale of a couple of days gaming with three friends.

Game 2-of-3

Wanting a quick game that we could finish and still get to pub not too late, we opted for a game of Dragon Rampant using my Lord of the Rings figures I'd recently had painted up by Fernando Enterprises in Sri Lanka (see earlier post for details).

The terrain from our previous game (previous post) was quickly rearranged, removing the 15mm settlements and opening up the battlefield a bit.  The two armies consisted of:

The Goodies (Rohan & Gondor): Martin and Me

• 1 x Elite Riders - Prince Theodred
• 2 x Heavy Rider - Riders of Rohan
• 1 x Heavy Foot - Rohan Warriors
• 2 x Elite Foot - Rangers of Ithilien
• 1 x Greater Warbeasts - Giant Eagles 
• 1 x Lesser Warbeasts - Eagles

The Baddies (Isengard): Steve and Keith

• 2 x Bellicose Foot - Uruk Hai
• 4 x Light Foot - Orcs / Goblins
• 1 x Scouts - Orc / Goblin Scouts
• 1 x Light Riders - Warg Riders
• 1 x Lesser Warbeasts - Wargs
• 1 x Greater Warbeast - Cave Troll 

With various special abilities added to these troops the total points value of each side was 61 points.  With our scenario calling for the forces of Isengard to pass through the Gap of Rohan (exit off the opposing table-edge) we should have perhaps given them an edge as they needed to make all the running.

I didn't take a photo of the table set up, but I deployed on the left opposite Steve with, on my left, the Eagles and a unit of Rangers.

And, towards the centre, my other unit of Rangers backed up by the Giant Eagles.

As can just be made out in the above photos, Steve had a band of Uruks, two bands of Orcs, the Orc Scouts and a pack of Wargs.

Martin, commanding the forces of Rohan, formed our right wing.

While opposite him Keith had a band of Uruks, two bands of Orcs, the Warg Riders and the Cave Troll.

While I held back defending a couple of gaps between the impassable rocky outcrops, Martin led forth the Rohirrim; Forth Éolingas!

But some failed activations for Martin, and some unstoppable wild charges by my forces, saw the action begin in earnest on my flank.  The Giant Eagles quickly tore their way through the opposition taking heavy losses but resolutely passing all their Courage tests.

With my Rangers keeping the rest of Steve's troops at arm's length with their archery, Keith's Uruks charged the Rohirrim, who despite counter-charging took heavy losses but returned to the fray the following turn.

This time they were more successful, but the Uruks passed their courage test and the riders fell back.

The next few turns saw several more charges (but no photos!), that saw the Rohirrim drive off the Uruks and Orcs and turn to fall on the last hope of Isengard, the Cave Troll.

At first the Troll held his own but, as the riders fell back from combat and started to pelt him with arrows, the end was clearly in sight for the forces of darkness.  Then, to delight of all, the baddies conceded the field and the players all trotted off to the pub.

Pony Wars in the Baltic?

Three friends came over for a couple of days gaming during which we managed three games.

Game 1-of-3

To kick off the action we went for a game of Pony Wars.  The only fly in the ointment being that none of us have any US Cavalry or Plains Indians figures.  But some time ago we'd adapted the rules to work with Teutonic Knights and crusaders saving the colonists from the rampaging hordes of Mongol raiders.  It changes the dynamic a bit with the 'good guys' not outshooting the raiders but having a big edge in mêlée.

Anyway, not letting this stop us, the table was set with all my Hexon terrain to provide passes that the rescuers would have to pass through (at risk of ambush) if they took the most direct route to the settlements.  A couple of companies of knights can be seen setting out from the walled 'town' at the bottom the photo below.

Smack in the middle of the settlements was the governor's villa.

So, the nearer settlements were ignored in an attempt to reach the governor first, no doubt leaving the occupants wondering where all this heavy metal was going.

But that plan quickly went for a burton when the first two small raiding parties to arrive both headed straight for the villa.  The test for what they did on arrival at a random point on the table edge saw them both electing to cross the table through the centre; which resulted in them catching the governor's villa between them.

The outcome wasn't pretty; the occupants being quickly massacred and the villa ransacked and set alight - the intended rescue party can be seen approaching through the pass.

At this point a few raiders snuck into the hills and started sending smoke signals to draw in more raiders; although with all the smoke issuing from the villa behind it, it's a wonder they could make it out.

So, while the would-be rescuers visited righteous retribution on the bloodthirsty raiders ...

... another company managed to intercept a large body of raiders just before they could descend on another settlement. 

At this point the photos dried up a bit as the action became more frenetic with raiders arriving from all directions ...

... into the middle of which wandered a wagon train of settlers.  These were met and directed to the town, but proved obdurate, at first pressing on regardless and then deciding to circle the wagons to fight off any raiders.  But the knights persevered and eventually persuaded them to head to safety under their protection.

Amidst all this human violence ...

... Mother Nature pitched in with a landslide that blocked one of the passes.

With the Teutonic Order at full stretch and spread across the countryside trying to counter so many bands of raiders ...

... little was left to defend the town, and after seeing off two large bands, the remnants of my command plunged into another small group of new arrivals.

At this point the dice turned against me with my men all slain I was left with no alternative but to place my trust in the Lord and take them on single-handed.

It did not go well.  But, with my horse down I held forth my crucifix knowing that the craven heathens would not dare to assault one so beloved by our Lord ...

... but they did!  

A sad but noble end, as our gallant sacrifice kept the way clear for the rest to escort the remaining civilian settlers to safety.

A quick totting up of victory points at the end saw us with a very healthy positive score, and as the rules call anything positive pretty good going, we congratulated ourselves and set the table for our next game.

Which will be the next post.

A Shiny Scuffle in Valencia

After an epic Chain of Command game (see previous post) we were short on time so hastily set up a quick Napoleonic game using 'Backpacks and Batons', my version of Stryker's 'Muskets & Marshals' rules from his 'Hinton Hunt Vintage Wargame Figures' blog.

The scenario involved an isolated French garrison holed up in a church ...

... which the Spanish hoped to overwhelm ...

... before the two relief columns could save it.

In all the French force should be capable of crushing the Spanish, as they include some excellent troops, like the Imperial Guard Fusilier-Chasseurs led by Cambronne himself in the column led by Lasalle.

Bessières' column, while smaller included the super-large regiment of 4th Hussars.

The Spanish forces, as well as the main body advancing on the church, included two small bands of guerrillas, one of each of the two hills overlooking the approach roue of the French relief columns. 

But the Spaniards chief hope lay with their newly reinforced cavalry brigade, consisting of the 2o Rgto. Dragones de Almansa and the newly arrived Coraceros Españoles, resplendent in their red uniforms captured French cuirassier equipment.

Realising the Bessières' troops had almost reached the garrison, the cavalry were sent off to halt Lasalle's column.

And to ease their way, one of the Spanish batteries opened fire to soften up Lasalle's lead unit ...

... the 3e Légère immediately feeling the effect.

Cambronne, with incoming roundshot and a cavalry brigade coming straight at him seemed unconcerned feeling it was not necessary to put the 3e Légère to deal with this.

He must have felt a bit less sure of himself as, taking only hit from the French volley the Dragones de Almansa, crashed into his men.

And well he should as the melee was a crushing 3-nil Spanish win!

While this was happening the Coraceros had veered off to attack the French 6e Chevau-légers Lanciers, but not quite come to blows yet.

Away from the cavalry action, some orders issued by a commander who seemingly couldn't tell his right from his left, has seen the Guadalajara regiment hopelessly entangled with the Spanish 12pdr battery.  The result of this was the Princesa regiment found themselves advancing alone and without artillery support against the French 44e and 46e Ligne regiments.

The question was whether, with their general down, they could hold until the confusion to their rear was sorted out?

They couldn't!

Also, taking advantage of the confusion in the Spanish line were the 4e Hussards, who charged the Spanish 12 pounders, but paid a heavy price as five of them were swept away in a hail of canister, before they cut down the valiant gunners.

By the time your correspondent switched his attention back to the cavalry fight, he found he had missed the melee, but the Coraceros had been put to flight by the French lancers who were in hot pursuit.

Next turn the pursuit continued ...

... and the Coraceros and their general were 'eliminated'.

The curse of the newly-painted unit had struck again!

Elsewhere, the French hussars had fallen back to rally but it left the Guadalajara regiment facing insurmountable odds.

With time running short, and with the balance clearly in the French favour they were awarded the win.  The French had lost no units (the 3e Légère had rallied), while the Spanish had lost: the Princesa infantry regiment; the Voluntarios de Valencia skirmishers (outshot by French voltigeurs); the Coraceros Españoles; and, the 12pdr battery, not to mention both generals.

The Spanish had paid the penalty for stretching out their force in line as the two outermost infantry units had hardly contributed anything to the fight.  Also, as a postscript the Alamansa dragoons had pursued the 3e Légère who fled behind the Fusilier-Chasseurs to rally.  The dragoons' melee with the Fusilier-Chasseurs was a draw with both falling back in disorder.  

The rules worked reasonably well, but more changes are required including some slimming down.  One bit that did work well were the skirmisher rules which made the Spanish guerrillas a nuisance but not much more.  The main difference to skirmishers as in M&M are limits on independent action and how close they may approach the enemy, as follows:

A/A+ Class & Rifles: effective range in the open; close range if in cover; and, do not require infantry support. 

B Class: effective range in the open; close range if in cover; and, must have infantry support in the open. 

C Class: long range in the open; effective range if in cover; and, and must have infantry support* in the open.

* Irregular skirmishers e.g., guerrillas, are always C Class, they do not require infantry support but must stay out of cavalry charge range unless in or behind cover.

Skirmishers are supported by formed infantry within 6” of their rear.