28mm Thirty Years War game with ‘The Warre Game – 17th Century’.

A classic encounter between the Swedes under Gustav Adolph and the Imperial forces under Albrecht von Wallenstein. This was a ‘test game’ set up to explore a set of rules new to the club. This is the second edition of the ‘Warre Game – 17th Century’. I had the previous version but never got around to playing it. This summer the main author, Steve Jones, was discussing the new version coming out on Face Book and we were intrigued to give the new edition a go.

You can finds out more about the rules, including a free download, here https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Warre-Game-17th-Century/100063546461771/

We had to adjust the size of some of our typical units to fit with the scheme in the rules, and also cut out some of the counters required for the game. There are also ‘special dice’ but Steve had provided the bare dice and stickers in the printed sets we’d bought from him.

A definite ‘thumbs up’ for the first play through. Some thoughtful mechanisms to reflect TYW warfare and we much much enjoyed the command and interrupt system. Makes for a very thoughtful game that feels like you are making 17th century tactical decisions. We’ll be playing these again.

6mm Cold War game with Cold War Commander

An attack v. defence game set in the late 1980s with Russian tank formations assaulting a dug in West German force.

The West Germans certainly had a tough challenge with hordes and hordes of Soviet armour advancing towards them. As well as the myriad armoured vehicles and infantry, the terrain looked really nice with the German built up areas modelled with lots of interesting details. I spent a lot of time looking for someone having a sneaky smoke behind a portacabin that was allegedly on the board!

The West Germans finally succumbed to the massed Soviet firepower, and the Soviet tanks trundle inevitably forward further in to NATO territory.

28mm Napoleonics with Black Powder using The Clash of Eagles supplement

An interesting encounter with a mainly Austrian force fighting their former allies, the Russians. More investigations in to using Austrians and Russians in Black Powder with Clash of Eagles. A nice change from the classic British and French encounters we have focused on for a long time.

10mm World War 1 1914 game with Black Powder

A game set in late August 1914 during the Mons Retreat. A rear defence by the BEF as it seeks to recover a battery of guns and battalion of infantry under heavy attack by the German 1st Army. Using a modified version of Black Powder, each unit represents a company of infantry, a squadron of cavalry, or a section of artillery / machine guns. The British undertook a skilful withdrawal, with well timed counter attacks to throw back the approaching Germans. The guns were rescued and the battalion saved, in no small part due to sword, and rifle, skills of the British Dragoon Guards.

15mm World War 2 1939 game with Blitzkrieg Commander 2

A plucky Polish counter attack during the September Blitzkrieg. Hordes of Polish infantry, supported by some very cute tankettes, attacked a force of Germans in a 1939 game.

28mm Napoleonics with Black Powder

A tester game which pitted Austrians and Russians against Imperial France. Trying out the Clash of Eagles supplement rules ahead of the club’s ‘Big Christmas Game’ planned for 10th December.

15mm World War 2 with Blitzkrieg Commander

A game set in 1940 during the retreat to Dunkirk. The 8th Worcesters are trying to hold off elements of 3rd and 4th Panzer Divisions. It was a tough game for the plucky Brits with the Germans fielding plenty of panzers, even if they were early-war variants. Despite doing well against the German infantry the Worcesters finally succumbed to the German armour.

Correction! The original version of this post incorrectly claimed this was a 10mm game. It was in fact 15mm – doh! My humble apologies; the editor’s only excuse is that anything smaller than 28mm looks the same 😝.

28mm World War 2 with Bolt Action

Somewhere in North Africa, elements of the 8th army have to hold a desert village against an attack by veteran German infantry. A game in which both sides sought to out do the other in their appalling dice throwing, in which the Germans ‘won’ the contest but lost the game! Three ‘Foo Bars’ with Friendly Fire meant that the Germans almost did more damage to the Germans than the British did. A highly entertaining game with plenty of thrills and spills.

28mm Punic Wars with Ancient and Medieval Wargaming by Neil Thomas

A classic match up of Republican Romans versus Carthaginians, with their elephants! A hard fought game with the Romans eventually victorious, in part due to the Carthaginian nellies rampaging through the Carthage’s best infantry.

28mm Napoleonics with Valour & Fortitude

An 1809 period game with Austrians attacking the French. Simon’s absolutely fabulous collection of Connoisseur (now Elite) miniatures. Our second run out with the rules, and still a learning game, so it was a case of throwing all of the figures on to the table and seeing what we could do.

All four players enjoyed the game and we felt the rules ran well. Once you have the mechanisms in your head then it is pretty fast. The only thing we’re not sure about with the rules is cavalry v. infantry interactions.

Simon will be decimating his dice to encourage them for the next game, but it was fabulous to have these collections of classic figures on the table.

28mm War of the Roses – with Ancient & Medieval Wargames rules

The battle of East Stoke, the last major battle of the wars, and one with a great selection of different troops types. Ancient and Medieval Wargames by Neil Thomas were used, and they played out well for a fun game.

Henry VII successfully defended his throne and will be putting poor Lambert to work in the kitchens as per history!

Valour & Fortitude – 28mm Napoleonics

A first try out for the new Jervis Johnson and Perry Twin rules (available for free on the Perry website: https://www.perry-miniatures.com/valour-fortitude/). British v. French in the Peninsula. We found the rules very interesting and they will certainly play fast once you’ve got used to them. Definitely worth another run out, and we wait with hot anticipation the ‘official’ British list (we had to make one up ourselves for today’s game).

The Charge of the Light Brigade with Black Powder – 28mm Crimean

A test out of a scenario currently being written to allow a refight off the famous charge. There was much quoting of Lord Tennyson! Figures 28mm mainly Wargames Foundry. The scenario provided an entertaining game for British and Russian players, and in this run through the heroic Light Brigade made it to the guns. It wasn’t any easy ride. Noble six hundred, indeed.

‘Delivering the Gold’ with The Sword and The Flame – 28mm North West Frontier.

The Indian army must deliver the gold, packed on mules, through this suspicious looking valley. What could go wrong? Well, quite a lot when the valley is teeming with Pathan tribesmen. A bit more Kipling rather than Tennyson in this game.

Black Powder 28mm – 1813 Napoleonics

The French were fighting a coalition of Russians, Prussians and Hanoverians in this game, as some of the club collections start to expand in to the 1813 era, rather then just focusing on the 100 Days. Nice to see some different troops on the table.

Strength & Honour (printed armies) – Romans v. Britons at Watling Street AD60/61

A first try at the club for the new Strength & Honour rules. We used the printed card armies on a gridded cloth, and used scenario 9 out of the book, Boudicca v. the dread Roman legions. Some interesting mechanisms and will bear further investigations!

Tangiers 15mm Black Powder – 17th Century Colonial

Very close run Tangiers game with the plucky Moors stealing a win more through luck than judgement. We played one more turn after the Moors broke the 2nd British brigade in which the remaining British brigade broke 2 moorish brigades: so a very close run thing!

Pike & Shotte 28mm – Battle of Alford 1645

Refight of Alford in 1645 between Montrose’s Scots Royalists and Baillie’s Scots Covenanters. Montrose’s troops attacked quickly and managed to avoid a prolonged firefight. The Covenanters managed to hold off the rushes of the highlanders, but were finally broken by the reliable Irish brigade infantry.

Black Powder 28mm – British and French Napoleonics

Classic Napoleonics set up as an introductory game of Black Powder for a new Friend of General Haig. Much fun was had by all, even though it was a win for the French!

British v. French 1808

A 28mm game using Black Powder. Set during the retreat to Corunna. A British force of two infantry and two cavalry brigades has orders to halt the French pursuers until ordered to retire. The French were attempting to engage, and then encircle, the British detachment.

Eighth Army v. Deutsches Afrikakorps

10mm game using Blitzkrieg Commander. An encounter in the North African desert.

French v. Prussian

A 28mm game using Black Powder set in the 100 Days.

British Imperial v. Zulus

A 28mm Black Powder game set during the 1879 Invasion of Zululand.

Qing Chinese v. Burmese

A 28mm game using Crouching Tiger rules. Figures and rules from Tiger Miniatures (https://www.tigerminiatures.co.uk/).

Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth v. Swedes

A 28mm Pike & Shotte game set in Prussia during the late 1620s.

A very busy day at club today, probably due to our special guest. It was great to have Dan from Wargames Illustrated visit (the world’s premier wargames magazine – https://www.wargamesillustrated.net). (The biscuits were much appreciated, Dan!)