I Know I Said.....

No more posts this year, but yes but no but. Today Dave came over to OHQ for our inaugural game using Black Powder 2nd Edition, we both agreed that we could not let it go unrecorded.
I used a scenario form Neil Thomas's "One Hour Wargames" book, Take The High Ground, which itself is derived from Charles S Grant's "Scenarios For Wargames".
We used my First Carlist War collection for the action, the forces were...…
Carlists Forces
1st Brigade - 3 battalions line infantry - Standard - First Fire, Skirmish
                      1 group of skirmishers - Small - First Fire, Skirmish
2nd Brigade -1 battalion infantry - Standard - First Fire, Skirmish
                      2 battalions infantry - Standard - First Fire, Freshly Raised, Skirmish
To reflect the inherent ammunition shortages all the Carlist battalions would fire with two dice, but to reflect their perchance for close combat they would get the Tough Fighter rule.
One battalion and the skirmishers would start the game occupying the hill.
Isabelino Forces   
1st Brigade - 2 battalions line infantry - Standard - First Fire
                      1 battalion light infantry - Standard - First Fire, Skirmish
                      4 squadrons of line cavalry - Standard
2nd Brigade  2 battalions British Auxiliary Legion - Standard - First Fire, Skirmish
                      1 battalion  British Auxiliary Legion Rifles - Standard - First Fire, Skirmish
                      2 Squadrons BAL Lancers - Small - Lancers
                      1 Royal Marine Rocket Battery
The Isabelino forces must be in unopposed possession of the hill by turn twelve or have forced the Carlist forces to quit the field.

The Carlist Left Advances

The Carlists And BAL Clash

Action On The Right Flank

Stasis On The Left Flank

The Carlists Are About To Charge

While The Infantry Engage In A Firefight The BAL Lancers Enter The Fray

It turned out to be a very to and thro game, one side looking to have the upper hand, then the other making a swift rally, the thing we most like about Black Powder is you can never say you are done till the fat lady sings.

All though the Carlists had some success the superior firepower of the Isabelinos finally led to both brigades becoming broken in turn eleven, so close yet so far from victory.

There are various reviews on second edition now so no need to repeat the glaring mistake and other lesser errors here. We liked the re-roll for commanders, I have always thought it odd that the C in C could command so many other units and do his job at the same time, as it says in the book the first edition approach is more suited to smaller and colonial actions. We did not have any evades to sample this new rule, but the rockets, which we never found very effective in first edition anyway is certainly more unpredictable and dangerous, as it should be.

Are the changes worth forking out for? maybe not, but then I have both Albion supplements, Rebellion and Glory Hallelujah, both of which "I don't need" just because.

TTFN 

Taking A Break

Looking back over the blog it is all becoming a little repetitive so I will be taking a break until the new year when I may have something different to blog you never know 😉. Thank you all for the comments and encouragement over the year.
TTFN

Robinski Routed

You may recall way back in February last year we played the first game in the Rawnstadt campaign, no? me neither I had to look it up.
Well the second game would focus on General Robinski's attack from the south, this would be easy, the Germans were focusing all their efforts on stemming the Red tides advance from the east under General Bikkliski. The southern sector would only be thinly held, Robinski gleaned from prisoner interrogation and reconnaissance reports that the road to Rawnstadt would only be held by infantry so launched his assault accordingly. In the haste to attack, the re-supply of the tanks was not achieved, so only the ISII had a full supply of HE the three T34s had an over stock of AT (I thought it a tad unfair that knowing the scenario I could load up with all HE, so before the game I diced for each T34s ammo mix, I am too kind methinks).
Unknown to the Soviets the Germans were well dug in along a ridge intersected by the road to Rawnstadt, when this was discovered the attack had the benefit of an air and artillery strike, it certainly helped but troops in reinforced cover are hard to shift. The attack started well but I attacked on too narrow a front and too tardily, the infantry held back to long and came under heavy fire and it was not long before several squads were either pinned down or forced to retreat. The Germans launched a pre-registered nebelwerfer strike, from which the Soviets got of lightly, only one T34 being pinned the other was pinned by a hit from the only two effective shots from the German Pak40, more on the second later.

The Infantry Appear Reluctant To Leave The Cover Of The Woods

Meanwhile Their More Enthusiastic Comrades Take Cover In The Corn Field

A T34 Is Knocked Out By A Panzerschrek Shot

Meanwhile The ISII Burns On The Left

The Reason It Burns, I Pull An Ammo Low Chit, Result The PAK40 Has One More Shot Before Running Out. I Don't Belieeeve It!

With Only One Full Infantry Squad Is Left, It Is All Up For Robinski's Attack, Another Chit Pull Confirms The Inevitable And The Attack Is Aborted

Well I can go on about my inability to pin or hit the entrenched Germans and my uncanny ability to roll ones when testing morale, but at the end of the day my tactics were poor. Result the Germans have now evened up the score in the campaign, but due to the poor showing by Robinski, the forces of Bikkliski will no doubt get an influx of troops to continue the main thrust, while a nice desk awaits Robinski somewhere.

TTFN