Wednesday 29 June 2016

Grijó 1809

Today we refought Grijó, where he and the british army come back to the Peninsula for a second assault after the retreat at Coruña. The british (right) have supperior forces, But the french (left) under Soult are well entrenched and have the upper hand in cavalry.
 Francheschi's dragoons move forward
The british light dragoons move to counter 
 While the infantry forms in square (my father had watched Waterloo sometime before and was eager to square up!)
 Dragoons retreat before the squares
 Grijó safely houses the french infantry
 One unit of british foot advanced tentatively forward
 The british amass in the woods
 Francheschi takes this chance and races forward...
 ...charging on a british unit that can't form in a square inside the woods!

 The infantry unit is cut to pieces while their comrades panic and form squares
 The light dragoons come to the rescue
 Only to be countercharged in the flank and repulsed

 Meanwhile in Grijó, two french units face off against a lone british
 The dragoons follow up their sucess by charging the shaky british riders
 Easily routing them
 The shootout in Grijó remains inconclusive
As the sun sets, the british squares slowly retreat under the constant threat of Francheschi's dragoons

Another french victory! Vive l'empereur!

Colonial map

 Based on a map found in the civilitzation forum
Seven years setup
1812 without the american war

Wednesday 15 June 2016

Bucklebury ferry

Another LOTR game, beginning a selection of scenarios from the Shire to Moria beginning with the Bucklebury Ferry one that came in Legions of middle earth.
The scenario's rules are quite straightforward: the hobbits must exit via the ferry and the nazgul prevent this killing Frodo or the other three, as long they remain covered partially by terrain or 14cm away from the river the nazgul can't attack them and is moved by the player with initiative.
 Deployments

 And the ferry itself with a freshly built jetty
 The first turns saw quick movement towards the center of the board 
 With the hobbits hiding with their uncanny ability

 Now, to the ford!
 With the travellers close to the river the nazgul realized that his quarry was about to escape and rushed towards them

The ringwraith cast a spell on Frodo moving him forward and making him put on the ring 
 Sam, Merry and Pippin ran over the wooden planks leving his firend seemingly behind
 Frodo and the nazgul battled it out, all to no avail

 Quick mister Frodo! Quite like in the film
 Frodo shoul have fallen to the river
 But he spent a point of might to pass his roll and jump to safety
The companions row away to the (apparent) safety of Crickhollow and the Old Forest...