28mm War of the Roses Game 3rd September 1460 Northumberland.

The Battle of Lee's Pond, near ElderLee Village in Northumberland on the 3rd of September 1460. 

The Earl of Salisbury is beseiging Alnwick castle in Northumberland held by the Lancastrians, news arrives about a Lancastrian relief force on it's wat to lift the seige.The force is led by Lord Roos and various minor nobles but with some good retinue troops lent out by other nobles. The Earl of Salisbury has decide to intercept this force before it gets to near Alnwick castle, so has sent Lord Fauconberg (Salisburys brother) to stop the relief force.

The Yorkists must win the day otherwise they will have to lift the seige, giving victory to the Lancastrians.The Lancastrians must win the day by relieving the beseiged garrison of Alnwick castle, by beating the Yorkist Army at Lee's pond the seige will be lifted and the garrison rescued from certain death.

No pressure then.

The rejects had a war of the roses game on Sunday which involved Surjit (Commander), myself and Richard as the Lancastrians, Ray (Commander) and Smithy as the Yorkists. The troops were already deployed and it was a meeting engagement useing Warhammer age of Chivalry rules but with teaks and house rule included.

There was one other thing that didn't help but was actually relevant, there would be no discussion of tactics allowed between the player unless a meesenger was sent (this messenger was not guaranteed to arrive in time or at all) and this with some incredible tactics used by Surjit was the main reason we lost the game, well that's what Richard said.

Information on the period if interested  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wars_of_the_Roses

Initial deployments with the Yorkists on the left.

Yorkist infantry and cavalry advancing.

Obligatory contractual shot of Postie (self proclaimed leader of the rejects), ringmaster and tea boy.

Yorkist forces start their advance, it wasn't much of an advance for Smithy.

My Lancastrian forces eagerly rushing forward.

Local commerce still continues despite the battle.

Yorkist infantry continue the advance.

Lancastrian cavalry prepare to charge, they died in their saddles due to the withering yorkist archery

Yorkist infantry and bowmen advancing, the archery in this period was deadly especially the better trained retinue bowmen.

An angry mob appears in the village and due to what Ray had done earlier they came on to my Lancastrian side. 

What Ray did to this local (Boo, Hiss).

Postie had bought brand new tiles for this game eeven though he didn't need them but because of Richards shenanigans this was the outcome, I won't show you some of his other mishaps with the scenery but I digress and back to the game. 

After several roundas of archery, handgun and artillery exchanges, the sides are about to clash in meele.

Richard explains to Ray how to use his fecking camera.

My 2 billmen units face a charge of Yorkist heavy cavalry. 

Another clash of infantry.

An overall view of the table/battlefield near the end.

The aftermath of the yorkist cavalry charge, two billmen units no longer on the table, the dice gods and heavy cavalry fecked me over, this last action ended the game and gave the Yorkists forces victory..

Ray being very unprofessional in victory, it put a damper on a good natured game:D

28mm French Revolutionary Wars 1796 Wargame, Pictures and Report.

Myself,  Ray http://onelover-ray.blogspot.com/ and Postie dropped down to Faversham on Sunday for a French Revolutionary Wars wargame with another member of the reject's members Richard in his gaming facility in his cellar.The battle was a meeting engagement between Austrian (Postie) and French (Ray and myself) forces consisting of approx 3 brigades each. The battle was set around the south of Lodi in 1796.

The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states. Marked by French revolutionary fervour and military innovations, the campaigns saw the French Revolutionary Armies defeat a number of opposing coalitions and expand French control to the Low Countries, Italy, and the Rhineland. The wars involved enormous numbers of soldiers, mainly due to the application of modern mass conscription. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolutionary_Wars

The rules were Richard's own called "Making his reputation" and as far as I know unique, they are done on a dice roll for initative and every unit had 2 actions but you could roll twice per game for an entire brigade to get an extra action, an action was moving, firing, falling back, routing etc... so you had to be canny ( myself and Ray were not on several occasions) with your actions the closer you got into melee as if you were charged after using your actions you could not fire on the incoming charges. The fog of war was in effect so no counters were paced on any units or figures removed to show casualties (the umpire kept a record), the only time you knew you were starting to have a problem was when firing dice numbers got smaller or Richard would ask you to do a morale check (this is visually nice but trying to keep track as a player is difficult when deciding to charge but I liked the idea). The game was a slog especially as the opening moves were in fog with the french marching down a road with the Austrians already in the flank and fog disappears. Postie did well with his morale dice but in firing things went to pot and myself and Ray eventually gave him a pasting (even when we're idiots we win was shouted) and caused an entire brigade to disperse and the game was won. It was a great day, great game and great rules that have uses with many other periods. Good job Richard.

The pictures are the usual mix of quality (I'm blaming the lighting in the cellar and that Ray took the bad ones, he brought his own camera but with no batteries or a memory card???).

Initial set up of the table and forces.

French forces blundering through the fog.

Richard our host in umpiring host pose.

View down the road of the French with the Austrians appearing out of the fog on our flank.

French Dragoons.

Austrian cavalry sneaking through a gap in the forest.

French infantry reacting to the Austrians on the flank.

The Austrian cavalry catching my cavalry on the hop.

The view of the same postion after the melee, my dragoons have quit the field and the poor Austrians quit the field in pursuit.

Austrian infantry brigade moving up and a light gun trying its luck.

The battle on the flank turned into a multi turn slog with regiments blowing chunks out of each other with no gain. 

French conscripts deploying in column.

Myself and Ray, I'm obviously the strawberry blonde on the right.

Frustrating hedge fighting or as an inquiry stated interpenetrating while straddling a hedge?

Postie moving Austrians forward for a change but really it's a shot of the bling.

These are the markers place behind units for keeping track, lovely work and work well.

The Austrians push forward against the determined lines of French conscripts and some line. 

The rules themselves.

The Austrians assault with two regiments, but they both get a hiding.

But it all comes to nothing with french dragoons about to hit an austrian column just after an Austrian brigade has quit the field, myself and Ray victorious but it was a bit of luck aswell.

Posties Rejects:15mm Crimean Wargame Report(Picture and word heavy)

BATTLE OF CHOULIOU RIVER,27TH NOVEMBER 1854.

Posties rejects turned up for a game last saturday of an action in the crimea between french and britsh forces facing a russian attack at the chouliou river in the crimea(battle is fictional but river existed at the time and there was fighting near the area).There were 4 players and Postie as umpire(commands were picked out of a hat at beginning of game,
Surjit: French forces (Allied Commander)
John: British forces
Smithy: Russian Commander (1st brigade)
Me: Russian second in command (2nd brigade)
FORCES:
French: 2nd infantry division(part),1st brigade:7th line, 3rd zouaves(elite), 1st chasseurs a pied(elite), a battery each of heavy and medium guns and an attached cavalry brigade of the 1st/4th chasseurs d'Afrique(elite).
British: 3rd infantry division,1st brigade:1st,38th and 50th line,2nd brigade:4th, 28th and 44th line, 2 batteries of medium guns plus an attached cavalry brigade of the 17th lancers, 4th light dragoons and 8th hussars(elite) and a battery of light horse artillery.

Russian:16th infantry division, 1st brigade, Vladimir and Susdal line regiments plus 2 batteries each of heavy and light guns and an attached cavalry brigade of the 11th/12th Hussars plus 53rd Don Cossacks(conscript).
2nd brigade, Uglutz and Kazan line regiments, 6th schutzen battalion(elite) and 2 reserve batteries of heavy and light guns.

The rules we use are a variation of General De Brigade with house rule changes,the ammo on all artillery is limited(especially shell), the russian units were larger(20 figures to 16 of the allies) but all had muskets(9" range) compared to british and french rifled muskets(15" range).
A brief description of the battle, the russian commander in chief did not come off the hill until it was too late, I got bogged down at the bridge and only got over with my schutzen battalion(skirmishers with rifled muskets) my reserve artillery arrived too late to influence anything.The russian cavalry(huge units of 24 figures) got hammered by britsh and french cavalry and left the game/board(all 3 of them).The russian infantry got outdistanced by the range of the french muskets(the british infantry only arrived at the end turn to deliver 1 devastating volley), the french would move out of our effective range and fire back in theirs.The battle ended when we called a halt to the misery and on points they won 10-4, good game but frustrating on a period I quite like.

Initial set up with the russians on the left.

 

My brigade approaches the bridge of death and despair.

Russian 1st brigade initial set up.

The british forces with cavalry out front(part of the light brigade)

My Uglutz boys crossing the bridge with the schutzen in front,the bridge was the furthest my formed units got.

The first unit took 50% casualties failed its morale went straight back through everything else and disordered them aswell(the yellow markers).

Massed russian cavalry heading off to engage the british and french cavalry.

The disaster at the bridge(the green markers signify march column and white signifies first fire)

Before the first round of combat.

After the first round of combat(something is missing).

My reserve artillery pushing forward but too late.

The russian first brigade engaging the french and british but with horrendous losses.

French and british cavalry finishing off the 12th hussars(3 to 1).

A picture at the end of my schutzen behind the french redoubt(far smaller unit by then) but its my only positive for the russians the whole game.The dice rolling was horrendous on our part but we won iniative nearly every turn but a game is a game and all thanks to Postie(I hope you enjoy the report and apologise for any mistakes I may have written).