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