FIRST GAME OF RANK&FILE

 

Well like the heading states, this was our first game/s. I enjoyed my self very much. As all ways Britt wrote the after action report and i took the pic’s(no pictures of second game, due to me not taking spare batteries :-( )

(Pic: ACW Battle of Possum Ridge) Greg came over today at about 12:30PM for a 1200 point ACW game using the ‘Rank & File” rules system. We had 2 games using four units of 6 stands of Regulars, a Medium Smoothbore Artillery piece (2 in the second game), and an 8 stand unit of Green troops. Greg played the heroic fighting men of the South while I played the atrocity-prone damn-Yankee oppressors in both games. The terrain was a mix of rolling hills, forests, and a small creek cutting through the centre.

   Game One:  Two units fought it out on the far side of the creek to the Yankee left. Although the Rebs reduced it to half strength, they were themselves caught by Artillery which did unspeakable damage and forced its withdrawal. In the centre, the Yankee’s managed to assault the central wood after cutting down the Reb Artillery gunners (most ungentlemanly of them. A typical Yankee trick) which had kept them at bay. The climax of the battle occurred at Possum Ridge itself (see photo). Here a desperate struggle took place, but sadly for the Lost Cause, the Tennessee boys finally gave way to the Wisconsin brigands and the battle lost. General Knight led the rearguard, and vowed vengeance.  

   Game two: The Second Battle of Possum Ridge. This occurred some time afterward, though both sides were the same except for both now having 2 gun batteries.  Confederate soldiers deployed in the central wood and around Possum Ridge. The Yankees sent one unit wide across the creek, but mainly deployed along their right wood and Possum Ridge. Their attempted thrust across the creek was shot up most smartly by those brave Confederate boys, and the Yankees were soon ‘high-tailing’ it back to their own side. General Knight, a true blue Son of the South if there ever was one, now ordered an advance on his left all along Possum Ridge. Some doubted the mettle of the newly recruited 12^th Georgia that led the way as the Yankees rushed to meet them. A wall of flame met the invaders as they stormed the hill. The Georgia boys shot ‘em down like hogs back home and the Yankees were all soon a runnin’. No one doubted the Georgia boys now! The Yankees did the best they could, but it weren’t nearly enough. Soon the bluebellies were streaming back the way they came, runnin’ fer home. Genr’l Knight could well be proud of his boys today. (As published in the Richmond Examiner, August 29^th, 1862).

   A good little game indeed, at about the same level as Rally ‘Round the Flag, lower than On To Richmond. Next week we plan to try another game of it, using some of the optional ACW rules as well as Cavalry.

 

Any ways may the dice roll high for you.

Greg

Another epic bash

As always I take the pictures and Britt did the write up on the battle. Although the camera battery went flat by turn three and so there are no shots from turn four
  Forces: I fielded the same 4000 points that I did in our last game and my fight with James (a.k.a. Lord Nurgle). Bikes,2  Land speeders, 3 Tacs,2  Assaults, 4 Warhounds, 2 Devs, & a unit of Landraiders. Greg had a smaller force but his infantry were in Razorbacks, several units of Predators, Devs, and two Reaver Titans. And I thought just one of ‘em was bad news :-) Turn 1 saw me capture the central town and the hills on my left. Greg seized the hills on the right and the woods near the town. Turn 2 had me trying to take out his Predators & Razorback infantry on my left. My Land speeders did good work, but Greg wiped them out in a counterstrike and proceeded to kill on of my supporting Warhounds there and rout another. My position in the town was never seriously threatened, and I killed some Predators that tried, but soon I had problems here as well. Those %$#!@@! Reavers were “unkind” to my infantry & Devs, pretty much taking them out. They then, with the help of Desestators, took out both my Warhounds in the centre turn 3.
   Things were looking better on my right. I had retaken the VP hill area there with Landraiders & Bikes, and was making my way to contest his entry point VP area, but ran out of time. Great game and lots of fun. The only Victory Point went to Greg for his “Break their Spirit” as he destroyed one unit of my Warhound Titans. He almost killed the other one as well. Victory to Greg, and he certainly earned it.



Next time i will take some spare batteries, :-). Any ways may the dice roll high for you.
Greg

4000 POINT EPIC GAME

(The E:A battlefield, looking west. Dark Angels to the south. Knights of Purity to the left). Greg, Trent, & I had a go at my favourite game today, Epic:Armageddon of course. I’d set up the table as you can see it in the photo. We had decided on 4000 points/side but using Titans for the first time. I fielded 4 Warhounds while Greg had 2 Warhounds and a Reaver. Greg also fielded a large number of Predators and Razorbacks that he’d converted from Rhinos. They looked very nice and were definitely useful in today’s game.
   All went Greg’s way in the early part of the game. He’s blown apart 2 of my Warhounds before they got a shot off. While I’d taken both objectives on my side of the board, Greg was beginning to dominate the centre with a huge line of Infantry backed by the Reaver.  By mid-game things had begun to swing back in my favour. While the Centre now definitely belonged to Greg, I had managed to take his Eastern objective, run off some of his Whirlwinds, and hold his attack in the Western city. I’d also downed 2 of his Warhounds.
   Whether because we were using Titans or a 6’ x 4’ table, losses were growing at an alarming rate with numerous routs on both side and many units down to 1 stand. I still had no answer to his control of the centre though now I was taking both flanks. He continued to pound me in the centre destroying Landspeeders, Devastators, and even Land Raider units. Losses had now hit us both hard, and it was decided to call the game a draw. I certainly had nothing left that could stop that Reaver!
   Excellent game Greg & Trent. Epic:Armageddon continues to be my wargame “ideal”, and provides me with just the right amount of skill and fortune to make it superior to any other game I play. I’m looking forward to fighting another game of it next Sunday.
photos are in order starting from the top left to right

enjoy
Greg

HEAVIES TAKE ON THE LIGHTS

 

This time it was our third crusader game and we had the Romans face the Nunimides. Points value was 2000 pts roughly.

Roman Army.

1 Army commander.

2 units of regular legions of 4 bases each.

1unit of green legions 4 bases.

2 units of skirmish of 4 bases each.

2 Units of Roman Cavalry of 4 bases each.

1 unit of Auxiliaries 4 bases.

1 scorpion.

Nubians Army.

1 Army commander.

1 unit of noble Cavalry of 4 bases.

1 unit of Season skirmish cavalry of 5 bases.

2 unit of skirmish cavalry of 6 bases.

2 unit of Warriors of 6 bases.

2 unit of Trained Warriors of 6 bases.

   Sunday Game: Greg came over a bit before 1PM for our 28mm Ancients game using the Crusader rules. I played the Romans, and he played the Barbarians…mainly Nubians. He had a 500+ point unit of Noble cavalry that died against my Regular Legionnaires, but the rest of the story was less rosy. These Nubian light horse javelin throwers of his were a pain. I kept getting casualties from them but they always retreated when I tried to close with them. In the centre I won a few & lost a few. He finally destroyed my left flank, my bolt thrower hardly hurt anyone, and all my lights were soon dead. Having no other obvious strategy, I tried to force his lighter forces off the table. This actually succeeded in several cases, but near game end I was down to my catapult & 1 Legion. The Legion cut its way off the Northern board edge & the Catapult retired off the south. Victory to Greg the Barbarian!!!!!

   An excellent little game. Luck was about equal. We both managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory on many occasions. Good laughs as well, despite the tragedy of the situation. How can a warband get forced back by a catapult crew? How can Legionnaires die like flies in front of light horse or a disordered armed mob? Thanks for running it Greg, and we even got some “low angle” photos this time. I’ll put them up next week, though doubtless Greg will be faster on his blog( http://au.groups.yahoo.com/group/Bundygamers/).

 

Yes it was a very interesting game and fun, which is want war gaming is about.

Any ways may the dice roll high.

Greg