The game played over the Christmas break

And so the action began, and it was the Russians who got a head start. Their relief column began to  issue from the town. 

The Prussians advanced their cavalry into the plain to the right of the big hill - they looked determined, even scary, but it would not be their day.

Then the Prussian infantry began their assault on the hill. 

The fighting was fierce, and several units of Prussian infantry went down under repeated volleys of musketry and Secret Howitzer canister fire. 

But gradually, they made the summit. The Russians found themselves outflanked and resistance crumbled.

The Prussian cavalry make very heavy going against minimal resistance.

All the while, the Russian reserves are coming into the field.

The Prussians get themselves organised. They are seeking to go on the defencive until their artillery can be brought up.

This gives the Russians time to assemble for a counter attack.

The Prussians look immovable, and soon their artillery is making itself felt (with an extra reload card from the characterisation deck, plus a Brilliant leader card they are firing four times each turn) - the effect is going to be devastating, and the Prussians use all of their initiative to cycle through their deck shooting at every opportunity.

The Russians bring their cavalry over. The Russians are outnumbered and outflanked but the Prussian cavalry has not had its Wheetabix. The cavalry fights itself to a standstill. It opens up the flank of the Prussians on the hill.

The Prussians are out of morale chips. The Russians are running out of infantry. Both sides attack. The Russians are quicker off the mark and the Prussians, being outflanked, throw in the towel. There are too few Russians to pursue. It was a very close run thing.

The game was a good one - thank you Mr. Grant - and we will re-run it again over the next few weeks.

We will change a few things. The lake will be removed and replaced with some broken ground. A few new units will be added to the mix. A new sequence card will be introduced - Shock Cavalry Melee Resolution.

We have another sucker....

Later this week I intend to post a report on the Christmas SYW clash between the Prussians and Russians. But, until then, here are a few photos of another game I played over New Year holiday. They are pics of my son's first miniatures game - he's seven, and his name is Alexander Frederick (I shit you not). Now, he wants to play every Sunday morning - so who suckered who?

The Christmas bash 2013 - Prussians Versus Russians

For this year's Christmas game I decided to use another one of Charles Grant's scenarios from "Scenarios for Wargames". Those who know the book will recognise the scenario from the terrain - it is scenario 15. Reinforcements in Defence (1) On the Table. However, because the game has to span at least two gaming nights (preferably three), I have expanded the force sizes a great deal and changed the victory conditions so that the battle is prolonged and fought 'deeper'.

 The set up is largely based on the original scenario. The Russians are defending with their vanguard and rushing up reinforcements from their main body. The Prussians have arrived on the field after the Russians and must attack to wrest and secure their objectives from the occupying Russians; however, the Prussians have arrived all at the same time and are in full battle array from the start. It is a simple scenario - but the best ones always are.

The main objective, as per Grant's scenario, is the large hill immediately in front of the attacking Prussians. The Russians are holding it with three units of the Observation Corps and some guns. In my scenario this hill is worth two victory points.

 Behind the hill is a large lake (this is a terrain addition). As per the terrain in the original scenario, beyond the first hill there is a farm, a second hill and a town. In my scenario the town and hill count as two further objectives worth one victory point each. This effectively forces the players to fight for at least two of the three main terrain features, rather than just the first hill. There are a few medium sized 'edged' woods that count as terrain features, but isolated trees and fields are 'virtual' - so don't be alarmed if these features move about in any photos of play, they are just there to look good.

Another change to the scenario is the deployment of the Russian cavalry. Both sides have a much bigger proportion of cavalry than in Grant's scenario. This is to make it feel more Seven Years War.

The Russian main force is already issuing from the town and marching toward the sound of the guns.

The Russian infantry are nowhere near as good as the Prussian infantry under our rules so I have increased their numbers dramatically. If they can get organised they will be hard to beat.

Lastly, some pics of newly painted and based troops. We have three units of Cossacks, a unit of Prussian grenadiers, and the three units of the Observation Corps. Oh yes, speaking of new troops, I have some Operation Zorndorf news. All of the units to re-fight Zorndorf, including the Russian light baggage, have now been purchased with a couple of orders using the money from the Trafalgar, and some ebay, sales. After Christmas I intend to get the 20mm high density foam boards for the (under table cloth) battlefield topography.

This battle starts tonight.

Reserve Demolition 3

Last night we started Reserve Demolition for the third and last time (the three of us have played each part in rotation). Yet again, it is a different game. The Prussians (Graham H.) are under  extreme pressure, but their lines are holding - at least so far.

Here are a couple of shots of last night's action.

 

 

New additions

Sometimes, when I have a big chunk of painting to do, I like to lessen the overall number quickly by painting the easy stuff. I find it boosts my morale. Fortunately, for Operation Zorndorf this is easy. By picking on the Observation Corps I can quickly reduce the number of infantry I have to do from 516 to 336. 

Here are the first 108 figures painted since the last Zorndorf post.

 Here are the first three (of four) regiments of the Russian Observation Corps. These are giant regiments, they each comprise a nominal three battalions rather than two, of 36 figures each (in fact, they are 35 figures strong because of what I actually managed to get hold of from Dave Thomas - they are all ebay purchases - but that is close enough). Firing regiments all have extended depth bases to prevent 'bayonet clash', and the bases have a notch to mark the actual size that they should be.

 I will have two regiments in a shooting pose and two regiments in a marching pose. So that I can field them as units of 24 figures if I need to, I have chosen to give one regiment in each pose two flags - to make four units into six, each with a flag. So that regiments can be distinguished I have chosen to do four regiment flags as coloured Ordonnance flags - here are blue for 1st, green for 3rd, light blue for 4th and there will be yellow for the 5th (the 2nd Regiment, red flag, was never completed or mobilised). White flags were colonel's colours. I'm not 100% happy with my rendition of the flags, but I can always plead "hand painted".

 These are almost entirely Foundry figures. These Russians, without coat and personal 'marching' equipment, are possibly the easiest Seven years War figures you are ever likely to paint - fill your boots.

Next up, the last regiment of Observation Corps musketeers and one regiment of OC Grenadiers.

Reserve Demolition - Part 2

This very short report caps off the action in the Reserve Demolition game. The action was over in the blink of an eye. In fact, we were left with enough time to completely reset the battle and get in the first turns of it - which may be reported on later. 

 We left the action with the Prussians (yours truly) out of morale chips but defensively set, and eager, to receive the Russian onslaught.

Then this lot rolled up for their quality. They mostly rolled up as determined (Up 2 to all rolls) with an incredible series of D20 rolls of 20! My goose was cooked.

 And I felt a little surrounded.......

It didn't take long for the Russians to close to point blank range. 

Whilst they blasted the Prussians to pieces, a regiment of Horse Grenadiers managed to break through to the bridge. 

The scattered pioneers, busy preparing the bridge for demolition, were duly slaughtered. With no way of destroying the bridge and, with the enemy everywhere, I said "Bonjour, mon ami" and surrendered my sword like a Frenchman in a brothel. 

Reserve Demolition - Battle Report - Part 1

Last night Peter, Graham and I started the Reserve Demolition scenario (by Charles Grant) outlined in a previous post.

http://olicanalad.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/reserve-demolition-scenario-trying-to.html

We drew lots to decide who was who. There are three distinct commands in the scenario - two Russian and one Prussian - and I drew the Prussians. 

I deployed around the bridge and on the southerly knoll. Then the first Russian command came on table - they chose to attack from the south. 

 The Russians led with their cavalry, which charged under a hail of well timed canister shot from my artillery on the grassy knoll. 

The cavalry were eventually repulsed by Prussian infantry, but not before the guns were lost - honours equal.

 This charge successfully allowed the Russian infantry to get organised. I had hoped to give it a pounding with my guns.

The Russian guns were prolonged forward with undue haste - even further ahead than this shot shows. They were charged by rapidly deploying Prussian dragoons. Before the first gunner could pull the sponge out of his arse the Prussian cavalry was on them - Huzzah! 

 Around the knoll, I formed up to make a stand, reinforcing the knoll with grenadiers.  

Word arrived that the powder train to blow the bridge was en route. Better late than never. 

 With the arrival of the grenadiers, the cavalry turned into column of march to redeploy against a second attack coming in from the north. 

The Prussians would be hard pressed to hold the knoll, and what was left of their artillery was rushed to form a second line of defence - just in case.

 The northern attack force was a strong one, and it wrong footed the Prussians completely - I had banked on at least one attack coming from the east.

 What was more, it came on at great speed, and my eastward facing troops were in serious danger of being outflanked.

The attack from the south was now at close quarters and the musketry of both sides was deadly. 

The Russians superior numbers began to tell. My gallant Prussians were being destroyed.

To the north, as the powder train made its ponderous way to the bridge, and I desperately withdrew troops to form a new northward facing front with secure flanks, the Russians came steadily on.........

To be continued.

All in all, the scenario is proving to be good fun. It will take a Prussian miracle to win though, I'm already out of morale chips. 

Operation Zorndorf 2014 - a demo game in production

The war game planned for last week did not come off quite as planned (the above shot is from the game played solo) so, at present there is no report to post. But we are going to fight it again tonight - Huzzah! - so a report is in the pipeline.

Earlier this year I started to think about the demo-game we will do at Sheffield Triples next year. Triples is a two day show, so a big game is always worthwhile, and we always like to vary the period of our games so that we don't become known for just one thing. It has been years since we did a Seven Years War game at Triples using 28mm figures - Lobositz from memory - and the rebuilding of my SYW collection was in full swing, so I thought, why not?

The 'why not' was not hard to find. My SYW collection was in pieces (converting 16 man units into 24 man units) and, quite frankly, there was not much of it. I had been successfully, if slowly, building the lead pile with purchases from ebay (mostly WF Russian and Prussian - my Austrians are no where using this strategy), but when I totted everything up, re-fighting a historical battle was only possible (with my mix of troops) if it was drastically scaled down. This is not the kind of thing I like to do at Sheffield, so I put the idea on the back burner.

Two previous games at Sheffield Triples - Cerignola and Lake Trasimene

Come October, and with no definite plan, I had to decide on something. Again I counted up my Russians and Prussians, painted and unpainted, new purchases and old. Now, I was quite close, but not close enough to fudge it. Bollocks - time to splash the cash! It will be Zorndorf!

So, now I've decided, here is what I need to do. I will stage Zorndorf using my collection of SYW troops. Each regiment will be represented by a single unit of infantry or cavalry. (I organise my units by the correct[ish] frontages so most infantry regiments will be 24 figures on an 18cm frontage, and each five squadrons of cavalry will be represented by 8 cavalry on a similar frontage). Here is what I need: Got and painted is the first number in black, the total needed is the second number in red, the third number, in blue, is the number of units that I'm still (even after a significant spend) required to purchase.

Russian:
Line Infantry Regiments: 12 / 16 / 2
Grenadier Infantry Regiments: 4 / 0 / 0
Combined Grenadier Infantry Regiments: 0 / 3 / 0 (Representing 6 Btns)
Observation Corps Infantry Regiments: 0 / 4 / 0 (36 man units)
Observation Corps Combined Grenadier Infantry Regiments: 0 / 1 / 0 (36 man unit)
Cuirassier Regiments: 2 / 4 / 2
Horse Grenadier Regiments: 1 / 0 / 0
Dragoon Regiments: 0 / 2 / 2
Hussar Regiments: 3 / 5 / 0 (Representing 4 regiments - one of 10 squadrons)
Cossack Regiments: 5 / 8 / 3 (Representing 7 units)
Artillery: 8 / 12  / 4 (guns - a slight fudge on numbers, this represents 17 batteries)

Note: On the day, not all cavalry regiments will be fielded at full strength, but they will be collected as such to future-proof.

Prussian:
Musketeer Infantry Regiments: 10 / 1 / 0
Fusilier Infantry Regiments: 1 / 4 / 0
Combined Grenadier Infantry Regiments: 2 / 5 / 0 (Representing 9 Btns)
Cuirassier Regiments: 4 / 6 / 0
Dragoon Regiments: 3 / 6 / 0 (Representing 5 regiments - one of 10 squadrons)
Hussar Regiments: 1 / 6 / 0 (Representing 3 regiments - all of 10 squadrons)
Artillery: 6 / 12  / 2 (guns - a slight fudge on numbers, this represents 18 batteries)

So what do I need:
I need to paint: 516 Infantry, 144 Cavalry, 14 Guns and crew.
I need to buy: 48 Infantry, 56 Cavalry, 12 Guns and crew.

Now, that's a mouthful. I'd better get chewing.