Round up of my last three months gaming.

August and September were quiet on the gaming front with a selection of real-life stuff combining to reduce the opportunities for games. Not least of these was the loss of my father in-law at the age of ninety-six in mid-August. A week's family holiday and the unavailability of our club facility due to other bookings also added to this.

The end of September and October however have made up for this with two Friday night games, one Saturday game and last weekend a Friday/Saturday game which I ran, which will be the subject of a further post.

The first game was a fictional Napoleonic Peninsular war encounter using Shako II rules, the second a Seven Years War game based on the Battle of Krefeld in 1758 using the Shako I SYW supplement and the third the Battle of Culloden in 1746 using Black Powder.

I'll just post my selection of photographs for these games with links to the club's Facebook page for full AARs and lots more photos.

Peninsular War: Shako II

Starting positions. British defending a ridge line with a picket forward in a village.

British and Portuguese lights defend the village.

British artillery and skirmishers try to delay the French advance.

British line steps up to the ridgeline and pours volleys into the French.

French capture the village and continue their advance.

More devastating British volleys.

Full AAR on Facebook Here

Battle of Krefeld,1758: Shako I

Starting positions, my Hanoverian command nearest

Time to advance.

Brunswick troops arrive to the rear of the French flank.

French left flank being rolled up.

Full AAR on Facebook Here

Battle of Culloden,1746: Black Powder.

Government troops starting position with Jacobite hoard opposite.

Government force need to extend their line.

Highlanders face close range volley fire.

Government horse try to redeploy as the Jacobites start to make inroads.

Bayonets vs claymores as things get up close and personal.

Full AAR on Facebook Here

Three great games to get the gaming vibe going again.

Isandlwana 22nd Jan 1879, Game at NBHW

On Saturday the 22nd of January, on the 143 anniversary of the battle, we gathered at New Buckenham for our first weekend game of the year, The Battle of Isandlwana 1879. The rules were to be Black Powder and 28mm figures were used.

I was given overall command of the Zulu forces as Ntshingwayo Khoza as well as direct control of the central head or chest of these forces. I think given my run of losses last year it was seen as the best chance for a British win 😆

Initial deployments from Isandlwana hill end.

View from the Zulu right Horn

View down the table towards Isandlwana hill.

We got off to a good start, winning the initiative, and my centre impi charged across the veld towards the redcoats and their blue coated artillery. Unfortunately mine was the only Zulu command that made any significant advance. The right flank refused to move at all and only parts of the left flank moved a measly one move.

The brave centre impi charge in.

The guns are taken!

At a heavy cost.

This left my braves isolated and taking the full force of the British rifle fire. Still they charged in and despite heavy loses overran the artillery before being forced back to recoup. With the right horn still not moving after a few turns Ntshingwayo Khoza himself rode over to "encourage" their commander to show a little more Zulu spirit. This seemed to have the desired effect and the impi, finally, moved off towards the British encampment.

The right horn finally advance.

The left horn engage Durnford.

Durnford's men defend the donga.

The left horn soon came into contact with the advance units of Durnford's command which used their small rocket detachment to cover a withdrawal back to the Nyogane donga where they dismounted and took up defensive positions. The rocket troop were overwhelmed by the advancing Zulus but they had achieved their goal and it would take several turns for the left horn to overcome the effectively dug in troopers of Durnford.

This stubborn resistance was finally broken with Durnford's remaining men streaming back to the main encampment, just as the right horn finally fell upon the British lines. With both flanks of the British now heavily engaged the remains of the central impi renewed their attack, tying up British units from reinforcing the flanks. It was only a matter of time now thought before the impi broke through into the camp itself, suffering heavy losses as they did so.

The right horn closes in.

Fierce hand to hand combat ensued.

The centre survivors join in pressing the British perimeter.

The right horn enters the encampment, Victory!

With the camp defence breached the game was called as a Zulu victory, abet one with heavy loses amongst their ranks.

Another great game, which I managed not to lose for the Zulus 😆

For more pictures see the club's Facebook Album

Thanks.

Tony.

2021 Round Up

So 2021 and this blog, what happened?

I think with the pause in gaming due to various lock-downs and a corresponding loss of mojo towards figure painting and that side of the hobby I just got out of the habit of blogging.

I also tended to write my blog entries during quiet periods at work and these seemed to get fewer last year.

A few wider family matters also conspired to reduce the enthusiasm to spend my free time on this hobby and therefore blogging about it.

This doesn't mean I didn't play any games, on the contrary I took part in several at New Buckenham during the latter part of last year, with rotten luck mind you. I finally came out on the winning side on the last game of the year, I even became the first British CinC to lose a Rorke's Drift game at the club.

Rather than try and post individual articles for each of theses games, even if I could remember enough about them, I have decided to summarise them with lots of my pics and links to the club's AARs.

Gorodeczna 12th Aug 1812 (Shako II)

No pictures from me for this one so Club Album and AAR

Rolica 17th Aug 1808 (Shako II)

Lost this one on the last morale check of the game. I failed, so British stopped exhausted, French played passed his allowing an orderly withdrawal.

Club Album and AAR

Willavera 1809, fictitious scenario (Shako II)

Club Album and AAR

Rorke's Drift 22nd Jan 1879 (Black Powder)

Guess what? yep last dice throw of the game, British morale save...........fail!

Club Album and AAR

Talavera 28th Jul 1809, Laval attacks the redoubt (Carnage & Glory)

Again no pictures from me so Club Album and AAR

Borodino 1812 (Shako II)

Stand by for lots of pics of this three day game:

Club Album and AAR Day 1

Club Album and AAR Day 2

Club Album and AAR Day 3

First Torgau 8th Sept 1759 (Black Powder)

Club Album and AAR

Peninsular War 1808 or 1810 Rearguard action (Shako II)

Finally a win! rear-guard protecting a stubborn engineering officer who refuses to leave his supplies.

Club Album and AAR

In all the above pictures if they feature British or Portuguese Napoleonic figures they are most likely mine, with a few exceptions, hussars for example.

Hopefully I will get back into the swing of it again this year, starting with next Saturday's game of Isandlwana from the Anglo Zulu war.

Thanks and best wishes for 2022

Tony.