Siege of Fort Willam Henry - week 2

The second battle of the campaign was a raid by the French on the outskirts of the Fort as they sought to burn-down a sawmill and a boathouse located just outside the defences. The French arrived from the Western edge with the British forces scattered across the table.

It took 6 figures 1 turn to light or put out the fires and damage accrued each turn it was alight. We also saw artillery for the first time - its good on shooting cover but in this case destroying the buildings would have been actually helping the attackers!

The lighter French units advanced rapidly as  British mustered to mount a defence. The plan was for the French troops to attack the village while the Indians sought to set-up a crossfire that would block the British reinforcements.

French regulars

The target 

The French reached the village and occupied the sawmill. We ruled they could not set fires whilst in the building to they instead attacked the British militia based there. Some really good British rolls forced the French back as a Colonial unit approach to reinforce.  

The main British force debused from the fort but quickly became embroiled with the Indians who were able to shoot them from two sides and whittle away the line units.

Eventually some British units made the town only to find the French Regulars had arrived an begun setting fires. Some damage was caused but the French were forced back into cover where both sides began shooting.

With the French mostly in cover and the British in the open this firefight was definitely in the favour of the attackers who managed to break all but one of the defenders. The game has a variable end-point and it concluded as early as it was possible - this saved the British as one more turn would have seen them annihilated and the village raised to the ground.

 A close-fought game that perhaps the French should have one, but on this occasion fortune favoured the British. With 1 win each the French still hold a small lead as they have been more successful in their side objectives.  

Siege of Fort Willam Henry - week 1

For our French & Indian wars campaign we're depicting a series of skirmish actions on the ringes of the siege of Fort William Henry, 1757. The real siege infamously ended with the massacre of the British defenders after the siege by Indians allied to the French. This was famously depicted in the Last of the Mohicans.

Our first game involved a meeting engagement between French/Indian and British light forces in  a heavily wooded area near the fort.

In this game the activation cards played a large role in the outcome of the game, partly due to the limited number of troop types on each side. In turn 1 the French had almost all of the activations first, so they pressed forward but found the British lights were then able to attack them casuing a fair bit of damage to the Indians and Canadian militia.

French attack

British lights attack with impunity

Turn 2 was the same with the French again getting most of their activations first. This time though, with the range now quite short, they were able to launch a devastating series of attacks on the British.

Compagnies Franches de la Marine

As we hit turn 3 the British were surrounded and badly depleted as the French moved in for a convincing victory. So first blood to the French!

Nowhere to run

   

You win some, you lose some

I managed a couple games over the weekend -  a second go at Blood and Plunder and a siege in the ongoing Kings of War campaign.

Blood and Plunder

Saturday was Fishponds for some Pirate adventures with me at the helm of the English (a shooty force) against the Spanish (more fighty).   

The English prepare for battle

The Spanish 

I adopted a good early position enabling me to hold 2 of the 3 objectives and lay heavy fire on any Spanish approaching me. In order to avoid losing the game in turn 2 the Spanish were forced to feed units one at a time into my fire zone to contest the central objective.  

Up to turn 6 it looked like the English would win but a last gasp charge by a unit of spear armed Lanceros secured the central objective. Depsite a turns shooting I was not able to break then and the two remaining survivors secured and unlikely Spanish win by 1 point.  

 

In hindsight I made a couple of key errors - I charged once when I should have shot and allowed myself to be charged whilst Disordered.

The fall of Mhgoroth

Sundays game saw my Basileans in action against the evil necromancer Mhogorth. I was laying siege to his castle in an attempt to destroy his stronghold on the boarders of Basilean territory.

For the game I fielded a full complement of siege equipment - a siege tower, a battering ram, and 3 heavy catapults to bombard the walls. The Ogre Palace Guards were designated to lead the assault on the walls and gate.

The Undead hung back seeking to bait me into charge range. I was able to catch the Faceless One in combat with a lying hero. I stalled him for a turn but was mashed by some skeletons for my trouble. Meanwhile the catapults had two excellent turns of shooting that toppled the walls guarded by the bulk of the Undead.    

Turns 5 and 6 saw heavy fighting along walls and through the gate. The Ogres burst into the castle in turn 6, wining the game.

And as for the Faceless One - well he escaped the carnage and will no doubt return once his forces are rebuilt. The funny thing about necromancers is win or lose, you always end-up with a bigger army. 

Forces of Basilea completed!

After a burst of painting over the Christmas break I've completed another project and placed it on the shelf. The Basileans are a human faction in Kings of War that are an amalgam of the Crusaders and Byzantines. I've mostly gone with a Crusader aesthetic so the units can be fielded as 1st Crusade for historical games.

The Infantry

The core of the battle line are the Paladin Footguards - these are resilient units who can benefit from Elite for greater combat power, but without 12 attacks their role really to hold the line and grind. Supported by healing they are tough to wear down

The Ogre Palace Guards are a unit imported from Vanguard. With Crushing Strength (2) and Defence 5+ they can both give and take punishment. These provide the primary infantry hammer units in the army and always to be found in the heart of the action.  

The cavalry and chaff

KOW V3 has reduced the power of heavy Calvary but the army still benefits from the mobility of two Paladin Knights regiments, here supported by General Gnaeus Sallustis - a Knight regiments worth of pain in a hero sized unit. One unit is painted a Brotherhood unit incorporated into the Basilean army but can also be used on the Green Lady's list.

Gnaeus ready to go

The battle-nuns forming the Sisterhood have lost much of their useful having been somewhat nerfed. The Scouts though provide reliable shooting and cab act as chaff/anti-chaff, albeit costly ones. I can field 3 troops of these.

The speedsters

I planned the army in V2 and so included 2 hordes of Elohi flying knights. They have been heavily downgraded and so no longer provider the primary hammers in then army. They remain useful though for flanks, threat projection, and for grabbing objectives. Due to their cost they now often feature in regiments rather than hordes.

The third unit to cross over from Vanguard are the Gur Panthers. In troops they are fast and manoeuvrable units that can attack as chaff or threaten a flank. At speed 10 they are quicker than other equipment units.      

The Backline

War machines are more reliable in V3 and do provide a way to attack large, high-defence, units before they stomp you. These have been supplied by the Elves as military aid and repurposed.

Heroes, priests, and wizards provide essential support to the battle line, and I've plenty of figures. I'm usually fielding Priests (inspire, heal, and banechant) and Chaplins as heroic chaff. The Priests are especially useful in keeping the core units in the fight.

The flying heroes provide punch as either Ur Elohi or named characters. Samacris provides mobile healing, inspiring and some ranged attacks with her fireballs.

Samacris - mother of phoenixes

All-up its probably about 4,000 points so plenty of options available. I can also add-in units from my Crusader forces to give Men-at-Arms and Crossbowmen when needed.