Wednesday 22 June 2011

InvUSA1863 Battle of Tylers Farm 1


Mid 1863, the Army of Northern Virginia has invaded the North.  Lee sends out a diversionary force in the hope of pinning some of the Union forces.  The lead Confederate force has come face to face with Union forces, supporting British & French Divisions rush to its aid.

The Union forces consist of three Divisions, each to enter on a different road.  One Union Division would start on the table the other two requiring an activation roll.  The main Confederate force would start on the table, British & French Divisions would again arrive only after an activation roll.

In essence each side would have three active commands (Divisional) of 12-20 elements, three PiP rolls. Going against the DBACW rulebook, all Brigade Commanders would have a ZERO modifier.  Only the Commanders would get a PiP modifier.  Confederate +2, Union 0, French +1, British -1.  The horrors took the Union forces, yours truly the Euro Confederates.
 
A Union Division blocks the path 
General McGruder leads forward the Rebs

Good PiPs for the Confederates

The Confederates would deploy first.

More Confederate Brigades arrive.

The Rebel guns are ready.

Union PiPs are poor.

More Union troops arrive

Other Confederate brigades are deployed

GGrr... The 2nd Union Division arrives.. not good.

GGGrrrrr.... 

I hold this Rebel Brigade in reserve.

The Rebel guns cause some casualties.

The Union force starts to take shape

Booo..  First blood to the Union.

Here we go...  Now that they have more numbers, the Horrors launch the Union side forward.

Bring it on!

I send forward a Confederate Brigade in a flank attack.

Attack...

Yes... The British & the French arrive.. Game on!
GO TO PART TWO

Friday 17 June 2011

DBA 15-19K Aztecs vs Spanish Pirates

Aztec Lads ready for a rumble....
A quiet Sunday afternoon in the humble Fazzy abode.  What better than a game of DBA.  Amy helped me set up the table in the back room for a monster DBACW game we've got planned, more on that soon as it will take a few sessions to play out.  As a reward, she picked out the armies for a small game that we played.  Aztecs vs Spanish Pirates.

Cortez is plundering the Aztec Kingdom, however Legendary Spanish Pirate 'la Pequeña Diablo Amy' has located an Aztec city ripe for plunder.  The Spanish Pirate Lads 'AAAaaaarrggh Ole' set off for a spot of plundering.  

Amy took the Pirates 'AAaaaarrgh' & yours truly the colourful Aztecs.   The Pirates 'Aaarrggh' would have a Galleon (firepower range 1000 paces) in their force.

The Battlefield
Colourful outfits abound in the Aztec Army..!
'Altogether....'
The Aztec plan was to draw in the Pirates & hit them in the flank..
Aztec Warband ready for the kill..
The Spanish Galleon
Amy launches her own flank attack.
That Pirate Artillery is exposed...
Bah pesky Amy....
The Aztec Warband evens the odds....
Savage hand to hand combat breaks out...
It's evens in the fight...
I try to maximise the Aztec attack....
Both sides struggle for PiPs to move the armies...
BOOM! go the Pirate guns...
BAH Lucky die rolls for Amy....
Cue the micky taking... 'ONE TO GO' cries 'la Pequeña Diablo Amy' 
Come on the Aztecs!!! 3-3
Nooooo! 
'la Pequeña Diablo Amy' reigns supreme.
One day I may get to master this DBA thing....

Thursday 2 June 2011

DBC Battle of Laings Nek 1881

British Officers enjoying a spot of Tiffin before the Battle of Laings Nek...Hoorar! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiffin
We're off to South Africa now & the Battle of Laings Nek 1881.  No sooner has our intrepid British forces  dealt with the Zulu, then the nasty Boers are raising a stink.  General Colley raises a force of  heroic troops & sets off to give the Boers a sound thrashing.

DBC rules, Amy took the Boers & yours truly the Brits.  We gave the British a 16 point army & the Boers had a proportionate 12 point.  Historically the Boers had a lot more men & gave the British a severe butt kicking.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Laing's_Nek  

To add a bit of spice to the game, we decided that the Boers would remain hidden from view, a British unit would have to get within 400 paces & achieve a die roll to spot them.  Amy had a battle map & eagerly marked her units down, including a sneak mounted Boer attack.  All the Boer troops were 'Elite', costing extra but having an additional modifier.  The mission, General Colley had to take the two hills across the Buffalo River.   Army break point were, Boers 4 Brits 6.

Soldiers of the Queen

Somewhere out there hide the Boers...

Overview of the Battlefield.

Skirmishers & Light Cavalry to the front!

The mounted Coppers go scouting...

Colley leads the chaps forward.

Ouch! The Brits get a shock...

Soon the Boers open up...

Vicious firepower from Amys troops..

Aarrghh!

Bullets fly....

The main body forces the river, this is going to be a tough fight...

Casualties begin to mount, notice the markers.

Bah.. Why did I put the Artillery at the back of the column..? D'oh!

Forward!

An impressive sight, Victorian British Troops advancing!

Who could get the most troops in position?

Recoil Recoil Recoil

At last a Boer casualty!

Bah!

Forward!

Amy's reserves return from a flank attack to block the road.

British Troops are formed to take the hill.

Both sides have taken casualties.

The first attempt is forced back...

Ohhhh.  I'm tempted to launch the Cavalry on the Boers, but I know they'll be shot to bits.

Another attack is readied...

Ha Ha! success at last...

The Boers dismount.

Rahoo! Amy's laughing another attack is repulsed...

Come on lads, you can do it!

Oh the fortunes of war!  NO, it's just that I rolled 6's on the last round...

A superb round of firepower...

.....truly superb!

The Brits take the day..!
Well, well that was a tough one. I'm very impressed with the Boers, they have been the toughest colonial army by far.  Not the historical outcome, but to be fair, if Amy had put more Boers on the hills & massed her firepower, I don't think I would of stood a chance.  Those two mounted Boer units would of made a big difference if they could have been involved earlier.  The points balance was just right, the DBC rules do seem to have caught the flavour of the period, well done to KISR.  Future Boer Battles should be very interesting once we add some fortifications & Artillery.......   


General Colley, not one of Britains best. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Pomeroy_Colley