It's that time of year again. The League of Gentlemen Wargamers meet three times a year to play a two day game. It's the only time I get to play in a serious multi-player game (typically 12 - 15 players plus an umpire) and I can't tell you, given the game length, what a difference that dynamic makes. This game was organised by Dale S. and his organisation and umpiring was, to say the least, very clever.
This was not the only big Napoleonic game going on in Scotland this particular weekend. In Glasgow a hundred player 22,000 figure Waterloo game was being played to break a world record. We only managed 12 players with 12,000 figures (apparently). I provided only 300 French infantry, but I was on the train.
I'm not going to tell you that I won the day on this occasion, as my table fellow Corps commander was the ever lucky Charlie Grant. We broke the allied left and swept round behind their centre. We did it with gusto and a fair amount of bluster - much to the chagrin of my host Steve R. who was kind enough to put me up again. It says a lot when you can kick the living whatever out of a man on one day and see him cooking you bacon for breakfast the next!
Anyway, the original game frontage was 48 feet (three 16 x 6 tables), with a reserve 16 foot table (which, guess who got to fight on) used to represent the allied centre rear. So, without much explanation, the pics.
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Here we see the French centre and right tables. The far table is the French right. The line of buildings on the centre table is Dresden. |
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The Young Guard, thousands of 'em. The allies don't stand a chance. It's a wonder they last as long as they do - fighting up to the call of play. |
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The Old Man 'CS Napoleon' sticks a tape measure up his nose whilst my host examines some paint jobs. |
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Charlie Grant, the wonder boy, examining his logistics support. Later, he'll throw it away because he can feast on his dead. |
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I'm on the left. My reserves arrive on turn two. Steve is buggered. |
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Overwhelmed. |
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The second table. |
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Peter N. surveys his ever shrinking perimeter. He and Kev C. were facing the Yound Guard - thousands of 'em. |
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At the end of the last Sunday session the Reserve Guard Cavalry Corps starts to arrive (Four regiments of sixteen, each 24 figures strong, arrive by the end of play and the game is called - for the French!). The allied reserve cavalry rides to meet them but, they are about to be swamped. |
And the French won.
I'm a very lucky boy to get to play games like these with the LOGW.
6 comments:
Brilliant looking game!
Far more impressive than the Waterloo game imho
Great stuff; I have done Dresden twice but with 80% less figures; still impressive! really the last of Napoleon's great victories, but as Marmont had prophetically stated (paraphrased), "I very much fear that your Majesty shall believe he has won a great victory, and then find that he has lost three more elsewhere."
Great! This is just an amazing game!
A very fine looking game.
Brilliant stuff!
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