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Saturday 2 November 2024

Return of the Rebels

 Today we had a return to our old favourite, The American Revolution, using my own rules of course! 

I diced against Phil for which side we would be on and I returned to being George Washington.

I did badly again in the Initiative rolls, and this allowed the British to deploy in one flank sector of the table.

The table at game start, very little terrain, 2 low hills and a wood.

The British left advanced slowly, though their Light Infantry moved ahead quickly.
Even the Hessians at the far end were outpacing the British Regulars!
The Jäger centre (!) advanced confidently.
My Americans responded by launching a flank attack to turn the Hessians right.
I advanced my Marylanders to drive off the Jägers and break up the Hessian formations.
On my right, I advanced my lights to face the British lights.
The British brought up the 17th Light Dragoons to support their light infantry.
They had a Competent Brave brigadier, he would be hard to fight.
The British centre continued its ponderous advance.
The Hessians wheeled their Fusiliers to face my Maryland Continentals.
Initially, my Marylanders had the advantage.
My 2nd Continental Dragoons charged the British Light Infantry who fell back into a circle and held their own.
My Americans were repulsed!
Lawrence launched his Grenadiers into the wood, where my Light infantry tried to hold them...
In the centre, my Marylanders were being sniped off by Jäger rifles.
The British horse charged my retreating dragoons, while their light infantry sniped at my heavy gun crew.
My lights withstood the British onslaught...
...but they broke off disordered.
On the Hessian wing, the Grenadiers got lucky and routed my light infantry with ease.
The Grenadiers charged into the wood in pursuit.
I swung my German Battalion onto their flank and took some of them down.
My Marylanders were still winning the firefight with the Hessian Fusiliers.
...but the Hessians held and returned a withering fire.
The remnants of my 2nd Dragoons bravely renewed their fight with the rallied 16th, but didn't survive the encounter.
The 16th wheeled to engage my Heavy gun.
The British infantry now decided to attack my centre.
The Hessian Grenadiers wheeled out to face my regiments.
In the centre, the Hessians got a crashing volley into my poor Marylanders.
Of course, I rolled a '1' and they retreated (sigh!)
The British got a good volley against my Pennsylvanians but they held.
My men did well, and got a fair volley off in return.
The British Light Dragoons took out my gun easily.
The Hessian Grenadiers were matching volleys with my Continentals.
My poor Marylanders were a bit the worse for wear!
The British were round my right flank.
...and extending round.
This was the time when I realised the game was up, so I signalled the Continental army to retreat. Very sad, my dice let me down at several points again, but such is war!!!
Fun game though, as usual!

Saturday 26 October 2024

Trying some new troops

 Today, with Lawrence and Phil away, it was just left to Rhod and myself to attend the club.

Rhod was keen to do Test of Honour again, and I was perfectly happy to comply. We ended up having 2 games, which I took a few pictures of.

Game 1: This was based loosely on the 1st scenario in the book, where 2 Samurai fight about getting first dibs on the Budha!


Rhod had finished painting his Samurai, so chose this force. He focused on extra abilities rather than numbers.

I went with numbers, especially in Samurai.
The terrain for this battle.
I began by getting my forces forward, and shooting anything in range.
I got a 'blood drop' on his Archery Sergeant!
Rhod went to hide in a wood.
My Ashigaru spears charged into the wood and killed one of Rhod's gunners.
Rhod's Lord countered them and rapidly dispatched one of my spearmen...
...following up he killed another!
The 2 Lords met, and bounced off each other, but Rhod's Arquebusiers killed my second armoured Samurai (Yes, my dice were awful!)
However I had one action left and charged Rhod's Lord again, cutting him down and winning the game! I was lucky!
The battlefield at game end!

Game 2: This was trying out troops that have not been used before, Rhod had some Ninja, and I defended a teahouse with the relevant box set troops!

The teahouse of the waning moon.
I started on the front porch.
My Watchman had seen the first Ninja approaching and alerted the rest of the clientele.
The Ninja sent one of their number to kill my Onna Bugeisha...she wafted away his Shuriken with her fan, easily!
I moved her back into cover, allowing my Arquebusier to shoot, another near miss.
I then tried to attack again with Madam butterfly and the Buddhist Monk, both bounced off a group of lesser Ninja.
I was slowly getting more troops forward, but the old man never moved all game!
The Ninja were keeping back, throwing Shuriken at my Lady.
I charged my Ashigaru spearman out who drove back the one of the Ninja, but was amazingly killed by a very lucky Shuriken! My Priest took a leg wound from the Ninja group, but survived! -- Then the Ninja leader charged and drove back my Hostess...
... but she countercharged and killed him!
Thankfully, the Ninja decided to leave before I got overwhelmed!

Interesting games, we tried 'Quick Recovery' for the first time this last game and decided it made the game overcomplicated and clunky, we won't be using it again!!!