Roman Empires online - Year 1 / Season 3

 Over the last two weeks we've been able to complete the autumn campaign season. A decent outcome for the empire with victories against the Gauls (Roy), Stracuse (Mike), and Carthage (Nigel). Draws were achieved against Spain (me) and the Seleucids (John).

I'm still stuck at Questor while most are now promoted to Aedile, with my irregular appearance as an ally perhaps holding me back a little.

Next week we're switching things up, having proved the technology works, and moving to the ACW for some Ironclad battles

  

   

28mm Ottomans - done at last

This I've completed a project begun right at the start of lockdown to paint a 28mm Ottoman army large enough for decent 3-a-side against the Polish / Germans. The last unit is my second regiment of Tufecki - regional troops of decent quality due to being in constant action.

This final unit now takes me to 12 foot regiments for the Ottomans plus the ability to add about a further 6 from my Arab collection and some German mercenary units. The mounted will all be from my Arabs and I can muster another 12 cavalry regiments.  Capping it off are 7 batteries of artillery.

Finished is never really finished so I may add one more iconic unit to the army on the cavalry side and that's the Deli light horse. 

 

Lutzen - 388 years on

 As Monday was the anniversary of Lutzen 1632 Nigel had a solo game Imperialists v Swedes. Some pictures of forces including one of the great man himself Gustav Aldophus, here very much alive although he was killed at Lutzen.

Take the hill - 28mm Napoleonics

This weekend I dipped my toe into the Solo pool by playing through the first scenario from the revised Programmed Scenarios for Wargames. I used Crusader's Rank & File on this occasion to see how they fare as a Solo set. 

The scenario involved me as the French attacking a ridge-line defended by the Hanoverian / British. Having no details of the enemy and limited view of the ground I loaded my right and refused the left. Once revealed the defenders had roughly equal forces and a fortified farm in their centre. They were however very cautious and so would not leave the ridge to attack me.   

The plucky postman defending the ridge

French main attack in the distance 

I quickly pushed my cavalry forward, forcing the rifles to retreat and the British line on the left into square while my infantry moved up in supported line. 

As my troops reached the ridge the British reacted by deploying their reserves and thinning their right to reinforce the centre. As my troops crested the rise my Leger fired a shattering volley into the British Dragoons who were then caught at the halt by the 12th Hussars and routed. With this threat removed the French were able to destroy the infantry holding the British left and occupy the hill.         

British flank is turned

It did not all go the French way though as the Line guarding the right were shot away by British Light Infantry.  As they were backed by Hussars I was unable to close with them and chase them away. 

The noose tightens

So a win for the French, which was aided by the British being fairly passive on this occasion and not attacking my weakened left.

The programmed opponent worked pretty well with a couple of problems posed by the deployment and plan that I needed to think about. Inevitably you are playing both sides which means no cunning plans or complex manoeuvres, so a much more simple game than usual perhaps.          

Roman empires online - Year 1 / Season 2

 

Season 2 proved much more challenging for the Romans than the first as the barbarians proved much more dangerous when supported by their Carthaginian allies. The results were:

• Wins: John / Nigel vs Carthage
• Losses: Mike / Roy vs Seleucids, Richard / Nigel vs Syracuse
• Draws: Stu / John vs Spanish, Nigel / Richard vs Gaul, Roy / Mike vs Numidians

Nigel's loss verses the cunning Celts was especially galling [oh dear] as the Romans were winning and had to merely stay out of combat to be victorious, but they charged anyway and lost a critical element of horse to lowly psiloi.

   

Netherland carabiniers - 28mm

In preparation for lockdown 2.0 I've been completing a couple of units for my 28mm Waterloo collection. My plan is to play a few games with my newly acquired Programmed Scenario's book.

The first of the two cavalry I need are some Dutch Carabiners. These are depicted as the 2nd Regiment which fought as part of Trippers brigade on the day, seeing service against the French heavies after the Union Brigade has shot its bolt.

The figures are 28mm Perry French heavy cavalry. Its my third box of these over the years have previously done them as French and Prussian Cuirassiers.  

Somewhere in the postal system are some French line lancers and then I'm all ready to go with 2 cavalry brigades a side.