Portable Wargame Project

Castle Vallejo, aka my shed, had, as expected a few bits of suitable mdf.  One piece already had a piece of wargames mat already stuck on. A few strokes with a felt pen produced my first squared board.

This was, I think, half of a 5 foot by 3 foot (Peter Pig size board) so was 36 inches by 30 inches. This was a bigger than I had wanted. It certainly wouldn't fit on my lap whilst ensconced in the comfy chair. However it was fine on the coffee table.

I have drawn on 4 inch squares with a central dot in each square to accommodate the Napoleonic stuff I have based on 2" squares.  It will certainly be big enough for a corps v corps battle if one base equates to a regiment or brigade.

The shed also gave up a smaller board of 24 inches by 30 inches. Just bare mdf so I will give it a lick of paint or two at the weekend; green one side and desert the other.

I have some where a box of seven years war 6mm stuff, I haven't used for years, which I think I will base up on 4cm squares. The smaller board will give a 15 by 20 grid of 4cm squares plenty for a decent little "laptop" game.

 I may also have some colonial stuff too. Oh dear megalomania strikes again.

Winter plans

It's been a productive few months and I've started and completed the British Empire half of the  KISS Rommel project in about eight weeks. (As expected Richard completed his half too). We had our first game at the weekend and it was excellent. Seven of us played using rules none of us had played before and five hadn't even read. We fought a fun and tense game to it's conclusion in about three and a half hours. A minor British victory too.

I have been reading with great interest Mr Cordery's Portable Wargame project. 

http://wargamingmiscellany.blogspot.co.uk/

 My games at home are dependent upon the dining table, not the most practical solution when it also needs to be used for homework, sewing, drawing and even dining.

I have had a quick go at the portable wargame using a chess board and had a bit of fun with it but felt constrained. The idea is intriguing and no doubt the shed will offer up a larger piece of mdf I can draw a few more squares on.  A two foot square "table" would give 15 by 15 squares of 40mm. This would fit nicely on the coffee table in front of my comfy chair or even on my lap. This could keep me going through the long winter nights.

A few other things..

Only just noticed the time lag between the last two posts  - well over two months! 

Sadly nothing has happened in the Wine and Cheese campaign but I have been busy with other projects.

I have painted a division of 10mm Turks for the Crimea (I have no idea how I fell for that one). We had a cracking game on Sunday, but sadly no pictures. We used Black Powder but may try a Fire & Fury variant next time

Also I have furtled up a Nine Years War army that has been languishing in the attic for years.

A long time ago we bought quite a few painted Dixons from a bring and buy. I tried to touch up the poor old veterans but when I sprayed them with matt varnish I got the dreaded white powder finish. Probably due to atmospheric conditions. Into the attic they went. However when I was browsing TMP I came across a potential solution. Simple paint them with gloss varnish. And it only worked. 

I quite like the shiny look

I have based them up intending to use Baroque Impetus rules.

Finally I am working on a 6mm desert war British army c1941. I am not a great fan of WW2 due mostly to the complex nature of the rules, and lack of tricorns, but Richard has discovered KISS Rommel. A relatively old set resurrected by freewargamesrules. They look very simple and include a nice campaign system as well.

So that's what's on the bench in castle vallejo for October.

These Honeys will instil fear into the D.A.K., possibly.

Elblingberg - the conclusion

The Fusiliers de Brie pressed on but the fire from the defending Schereube Regiment was again devastating. It was all or nothing and the depleted fusiliers charged....

in vain. Closing fire disordered the fusiliers who retreated  in haste. 

In the centre the last throw of the dice for Fromagere and the Comte were ordered to advance and make the advantage in infantry numbers tell.  Georgia of Weinpfalz launched the reserve in the form of the Dragoner Blau. (as I had hoped to see how the rules worked).

Luck (?) deserted Weinpfalz and a third of the dragoons were laid low by closing fire and they would have the withdraw before making contact.

On the flank Weinpfalz also launched their yellow dragoons and broke the Schabzigers who  falling below half strength routed.

The Duke knew the game was up and the bluecoats were fortunate that nightfall would cover their retreat.

Elblingberg II

I had intended to play this game solo but once I began to put the table together my arch wargaming enemy, daughter Georgia, said that she would be pleased to beat me again. I was interested to see if she would pick up the revised rules, which I thought were simple but this would be a good test.

This was to be the first game in the mini campaign, based on a number of Charles Grants’ scenarios, number 40 Dominant Hill.

I want a fairly bare Old School type table for these games and when the crossroads were placed on the table it looked a bit crowded so I removed them and made the two hills and the village the objectives instead.

The scenario called for seven units each. The respective armies were:

Weinpfalz       Horse:             Gelb Dragoner, Blau Dragoner

                        Foot:               Muscat Regt (2 battalions)

                                                Riesling Fusilier (2 battalions)

                                                Scheurebe (1 battalion)

                        Artillery:         Grune Battery

Fromagere      Horse:             Schabziger Chevauxlegers

                        Foot:               Roquefort Regt (2 battalions)

                                                Fusiliers de Brie (2 battalions)

                                                Comte (2 battalions)

                        Artillery:         Alpha Battery

For simplicity I amended the rules to alternate moves; naturally Georgia won the toss and moved first. Without hesitation she divided her force. One brigade marched directly to Elbling town and the other to the small hill on the right. I asked why she had left a battalion and a battery apparently isolated in the centre. “I don’t know which side which side will need their help,” she replied.

Grrrrrrr wargamers using reserves – whatever next?

It became apparent that Fromagere moving second was at a distinct disadvantage. (note to change rules back to simultaneous movement). However the blue coats marched forward in fine style and the battery was deployed on the Elblingberg overlooking the town. And very ineffective it proved to be.  With Count Olaf and the Weinpflaz forces in possession of two objectives there was only one way – “Vorwarts”.

Firstly the Gelb Dragoner needed to be pushed back before the Fromagere infantry could move forward without their flank being threatened. The Schabziger Chevauxlegers were ordered to charge and without hesitation were off. I ought to have recalled Georgia’s dice throwing ability and the poor green coated horsemen lost six to the Gelb’s one casualty. The Schabzigers withdrew in haste but the Weinpfalzers were left having to rally too.

The Roquefort Regt moved forward but rather than charging the well defended town immediately decided on a musketry duel. The Comte 1st battalion were moved forward to support but couldn’t wheel to face the town without presenting their flank to the well placed Weinpfalz reserve.

On the Fromagere left the Fusiliers de Brie advanced towards the hill on a broad front of two battalions They too faced a cavalry regiment as well as a hill defended with the Riesling Fusiliers and two guns. “He who hesitates…” etc.

Count Olaf, with two objectives in hand, simply waited for the assault. The Muscat Regt in Elbling town took aim and delivered a devastating volley taking down eleven of the Roquefort heroes.



On the left the firing was not quite so effective but I had to take away three poor soldiers back to the box.

Round one to Weinpfalz

Dominant Hill - the Elblingberg

With much of the flood plain of the river Wein a quagmire there was only one route for the army of Fromagere, the main highway.

This was of course also obvious to Count Olaf of Weinpfalz and as he and general Bojollay pored over the map it became clear that they needed to stop the enemy at the town of Elbling which controlled the crossroads and the way into the foothills. Simultaneously they pointed to the same spot on the map. "We must get here first." they said.

The Duke of Fromagere had no map but whilst his hussars were mostly vagabonds they did scout well and had effective methods of extracting information from the local populace. A two day march and the heartland of Weinpfalz would open up to him, and Wilhelmina might be more amenable to his suggestion of marriage.

Dominated by the Elblingberg the pretty little town of Elbling grew because of it's position on the crossroads of the main highways between middle and lower Weinpfalz. Wine would move east to the river ports on the navigable Wein and other produce, such as cheese and grain, came back on the same wagons.

In late spring of 1736 the hard working population had piled their own possessions on these wagons and hastily evacuated their homes. For Elbling was the point on the map that was to be fought over.

The Infantry of Fromagere advance towards the Elblinberg

 

...while the Weinpfalz infantry march into Elbling.

 tbc.

The War of Wilhelmina's Hand (continued)

Earlier in the year the invading force of Fromagere routed the Weinpfalz defenders in a short sharp encounter on the banks of the river Wein.  

However a few weeks of heavy rain turned the low lying meadows around the river Wein into a quagmire. Wagons and guns sunk up the their axles. The officers found nice billets in the homes of local gentry, cavalrymen in farms and the poor infantry camped under inadequate canvas.

This has allowed the shaken Weinpfalz forces to regroup and Count Olaf has decided to march his reinvigorated men on the enemy still ensconced on the Weinpfalz side of the river. At the same moment the army of Fromagere is called "to arms" as the Duke of Fromagere arrives in his golden carriage to lead his troops to victory in battle and claim the hand of Countess Wilhelmina and the land of  Weinpfalz.