Belgium Spearhead

A game of 6mm Great War Spearhead as Dave M displays his new 6mm forces after selling off his 20mm plastics.

An early war encounter in Belgium as both French and German forces converged on a railway embankment.

The Price of Glory

Still gaming the Great War, but this time back to Europe and with a different rules set 'The Price of Glory' (or rather a Dave M variant of), which we have played in the past and is at a much larger scale to the previous weeks activity.

The Western Theatre

 It's Early War and the initial French push into Germany has come to a halt as the Germans outflank them via Belgium. The Germans are now launching the counter-attack to grab back their territories

Squeeze

Fistful of TOWs in an early WW2 setting. French trying to hold a river crossing from a German assault, waiting for assistance from the British who are finishing off their tea.

The Germans make swift advance down the table but the German off table artillery suffer loses from counterbattery fire, losing 2 of its three elements.

The British reinforcements turn up to the Germans rear on the right, first a couple of Recce units but soon followed by some proper armour in the shape of A10 and A13s. A French force of 6 CharBis appear on the Germans left flank, as more British armour pours in.

Just in time, the Germans get some reinforcements in the form of some self-propelled guns.

The German attack into the village becomes more frenzied with the slow crawling approach of the CharBis worrying them somewhat.

Finally, the French battalion breaks giving the Germans victory.

(This has been retroactively published a few years after the event based on an old draft, hence no images and scant details)
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Dutch Courage

Another trial of the increasingly refined Waterloo Rules. A French assault on a polyglot force of Dutch, Belgians and Brunswickers.

Matt and Tel lead the French, Tony and Jim the argumentative allies.

The first assaults from the French were repulsed with casulties. A more effective tactic for the French was to stand off and fire in supported line at the defenders. With the assistance of the Artillery the defenders were chipped away.

 Finally a breakthrough for the French on the right as a renewed assault takes the rightmost buildings, threatening the troops defending between the built-up areas. With French cavalry cming round the side the Allies were forces to adjust their positions.

The French lancers initially pushed the Brunswickers back, but numbers told in the next combat round and the situation was reversed, with the Brunswickers then following up and completely routing the Lancers, but at the cost of riding off the table in mad pursuit.
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Sharpe's 'Sharp Practice' Practice

Matt breaks out his skirmish troops from his Napoleonic forces again, but this time to play a rule set that he's just bought, 'Sharp Practice' by Too Fat Lardies, rather than his home-brewed ones. It's a character driven set of rules, with the 'Big Men' being all important in managing the troops.

From Furness Wargamers in Shakos

Tel, Dave M and Jim are the Honourable French. Keiron, Tony and S.O.Else, the Perfidious Rosbifs. A 'Big Man' each, plus one extra to command the forces, Kieron and Dave M doubling up respectively.

With only Matt having the rules, and himself having never played them, he took on the role of referee\rules lawyer. A simple scenario, capture and hold the four buildings on the table, with those holding the most winning.

Wavre

The Battle of Wavre, quite a significant battles of the Napoleonic era. This holding action by the Prussians helped the main body of Bluchers army escape and reach a rather more well known battle, taking place just to the west, at Waterloo. It also denied Napoleon the use of some much needed troops, in the form of the 3 corps under the command of Marshal Grouchy.

The Waterloo rules are once more undergoing refinement, but this time in 15mm, with the figures supplied by Dave M. Prussians commanded by Matt and Tel, French by Tony and Dave M.

Sharpe's Shooters

Another trial of the Skirmish rules after last weeks first run through.

Once again a 'find the lady' scenario, but with the British defending a village and the French assaulting.

The hiding place of the Lady was chosen so as to only have one way in or out. With an internal barricade and Harper with his volley gun at the ready, any Frenchman trying to seize her would be in for some unpleasantness.

French moved in from one side in a two pronged attack. This forced the Riflemen to rush across the village to help out the regulars holding two of the buildings on that side.

A couple of shots from the upper windows of hard-point took down a Frenchman who had previously survived a volley from three others.

After a couple of bad turns of melee, that saw the regulars forced away from the walls they were defending, it looked like the British had chance for revenge. The Riflemen could now pile in and change the odds, bashing the French back in what was the last act of the game.
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Sharpe's Standoff

It's nearing dawn in a Spanish village, and the French commander is interrogating a young lady, believed to be a spy for the nearby British. Little are they both aware of a daring rescue attempt being orchestrated outside by a certain Captain Sharpe.

From Furness Wargamers in Shakos

Terrain, figures and rules supplied by Matt, who has spun off these rules from his home-brew Napoleonic big battle rules so that he can make use of his singly based skirmisher figures. Tel leading the British as Tony plays the defenders.

Blitz Again

A 1940 scenario, with the familiar story of a German assault to try a split the French and British lines. Tony and Tel are the Germans, Jim is the defending British, with Mark as B.E.F. reinforcements and Matt as the French.

Played out at 6mm and using the hex based system as devised by Dave M. This was used extensively in the past, but long enough ago so that everybody had by now forgotten how to play. In these homebrew rules units are rarely lost forever, but it takes time to regroup and at 1/3rd losses no offensive actions can be taken till back up to strength.

From Furness Wargamers in Tanks

Fuentes Warm Up

The final test of Matt's Frankenstein style home-brew rules, before their first big outing at the much delayed St George's Day game.

A small affair between the French and the Spanish, who were instructed to hold a built up area. The Spanish had the much larger force but was up against good quality French, including four high quality Guard Cavalry units.

Road to Waterloo - Again

Another play test of the 'fast-play' rules for next years Waterloo game, as the rules finally settle down after about five iterations. Again it is an hold the village scenario, set in the Peninsular (Iberian, not Furness)

Two brigades of British and Portuguese, lead by Tel, plus some Heavy Cavalry and Guns, defending against the massed forces of the Matt's French.
 

 

From Furness Wargamers in Shakos

Road to Waterloo

Another test game of the proposed 'Waterloo' rules, with the French, consisting of Tel and Tony, assaulting a village defended by the British and Spanish of Martin and Jim. The village spans a river, crossable by troops but with a bridge in place for easier crossing.

Victory conditions are simple... who ever holds the village at the end of the game is the winner.



From Furness Wargamers in Shakos

Baby Blitz

Didn't feel like gaming at the club so watched a 6mm high level game of the German Blitzkrieg into Northern France in 1940. Hexed based with two players on each side, homebrew rules that had previously been used for Eastern front games.

The French inexplicably left their fortifications on their right and centre. The position was doomed but the voluntary vacation allowed the Germans to push forward quicker and prevented the slow moving French reinforcements (including Char B's) from reaching a defensible position.

On the French Left it was stalemate as the Germans continued to bounce off the defences that were constantly being repopulated by the French. To try and break the stand off, the Germans decided to push some units through a minefield as, too quote the German commander 'it's quicker', the results were as predictable as they were explosive.
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St George's Talavera

The annual big near St. Georges Day game. This year was the Battle of Talavera in 28mm.
All figures provided by Matt.

From Talavera 2012

Trial of Eagles

Played a test game of Age of Eagles in preparation for Dave M's Play By EMail kicking off. Smallish forces of French and Prussians clash in a large area, interspersed with woods, and with plenty of room to manoeuvre. A game that saw a small force of battered Landwehr Cavalry take on fresh Polish Guard Lancers. Of course, since dice were involved, there was only ever going to be one outcome in a situation like this...

Cross Road Blues

A bit early for Robert Johnson, as two early Great War forces clash. 1914 French and Germans close upon the ruins of a small hamlet based at the crossroads.

From Furness Wargamers in Trenches