With Farthingale Pasha

Three bold British Officers lead an Egyptian column against the Dervish.  What could go wrong?

A 'proof of principle' game set in the Sudan - played with 'Blood and Steel', this was to be a cooperative game against an 'automated' opponent. In the event, the three players each controlled a part of an Egyptian force, whilst I ran the Dervish using an adapted version of the 'Blood and Plunder' solo system.

The sands of the desert... The double line of rocks delineate a khor
(or wadi or donga if you prefer), a potential hidden approach
for the Dervish. Rocky areas are hard cover and patches of thorn
bush scrub are soft cover - both types of cover are difficult going.

The view down the khor from the Egyptian lines.

Egyptian fellaheen in the centre with parts of a Turkish
battalion on the left. The Mahdist hordes appear over the
horizon whilst Farthingdale Pasha stays safely in the rear.

The Mahdists move forward making good use of the khor.

On the Egyptian right a mixed force of Fellahin, Bazinger
and Abyssinian Scouts head for the cover.

In the centre a unit of Mahdist camelry charges forward.

.............and hits the Turks.

The camelry are probably a feint as the main attack
seems to be on the Egyptian far left.

Aside from some riflemen in the rocks opposite
the Egyptian right is largely unopposed.

The Dervish horde seems endless but.....
eventually they succumb to horrendous
casualties, fail the army morale test and break.

BLOOD AND SAND

 Another 'proof of principle' game, using 'Blood and Steel' with my 20mm 'The Men Who Would be Kings' Sudan collection. After the last game, I figured it was easiest to count bases instead of figures, which roughly equates to one 28mm figure represented by two 20mm figures. This, of course means that I need some more figures - I wonder if Newline are having a summer sale?

For the purposes of this game we used empty mdf bases to make up the numbers.

End of turn one and it turns out that we both have the 'Vanguard' mission.
Pea Pasha is having trouble finding a way through all those Mahdists.

While Pea Pasha probes the flank, the Egyptian Gendarmerie hold the centre.

The Mahdist centre comes on in traditional style and head straight for the donga!

What's that coming over the hill.............is it a camel?

Camels make a thrust for the flank - newly painted Bashi Bazouks could be in trouble!

Gendarmerie form a firing line, whilst Mahdists mass menacingly.

Bashi Bazouks take a hammering. Unflocked bases - serves them right.

Turn 4 and I roll a 'Calamity'. Time to 'Bite the Bullet'

That's better. A 'Fortune' on the re-roll but I've used my last 'Bullet'.

Miraculously, the Bashis are still holding on but the Mahdists swarm from the donga.

The Mahdists sense victory as the charge through the village.

End of turn 5 and I have 3 Attrition points. It's time for a Resolve test
and I have no Bullets left to back me up. I pass the test but concede
anyway. There's no way I can win this one - even a draw seems remote.

A cracking game, most enjoyable. I looks like I have my summer project sorted.

Hornblower and the Pirates

 Actually, despite the title, this was two games: the first, the last of our Blood and Steel tests, and the second, Blood and Plunder.

For the Blood and Steel game, we stayed with the Napoleonic period. As the last game featured Sharpe, it only seemed right that this one should feature Hornblower. Once again, we discarded the Missions in favour of a narrative style scenario.

The action was to centre around a British attack on a French shore battery. The French battery would begin on table and the British would deploy from boats. 

A French battery overlooks the Mediterranean.

The French artillery position - I really must get some actual artillery crew!

The Royal Navy make their appearance and a unit of sailors leap ashore.

The landing's underway, with the main thrust of Marines on the right.

The French respond with some accurate shooting and hot dice.

It's only turn two and I've used all three bite the bullet rolls.

Needless to say, my dice are definitely not hot!

Two successive calamity rolls see the Marines flounder on the beach. 

Eventually, a group of sailors doggedly advance up the beach and charge the guns.
Five hits on 4 crew - surely the battery is mine!

Saving on 7s - what could go wrong? French hot dice, that's what!

The French fight back but the sailors hang in there.

The sailors are finally driven off, but a second sailor group take the battery.

Only to be assaulted by Voltigeurs. The Marines have finally made it off the beach but it's too late.
I have 3 Attrition points (1 for not being in contact with the battery and 2 for casualties).
I pass the Resolve test but concede anyway - it's just not my day.

British casualties.

French casualties. At least, I suppose. it's three times those of the previous game.

GAME TWO

For the second game, it was back to Blood and Plunder, with Spanish Militia versus English Buccaneers. We diced for the scenario, and it was to be the Plunder scenario from the 'No Peace Beyond the Line' supplement.

The premise is that the defender has secreted some plunder in one of two buildings and the attacker must recover the loot. We rolled for attacker and, despite the English having a +2 bonus, the Spanish (i.e. me) won. Well, the English did roll a one! Perhaps my luck has turned for his game?

Spanish advance towards the buildings whilst  Milicianos Indios skulk in the trees.

A unit of Hostigadores make a dash for one of the buildings.
Sadly, for photography purposes, most of the subsequent action was to be in the shadow of the building!

The Hostigadores find the loot, first go, but are attacked by Forlorn Hope, whilst attempting to escape.

The Hostigadores are driven off, dropping the loot. Note the hand of the English commander, ' begone foul Spaniard!'

Lanceros counterattack and snatch the loot.

Sea Dogs prime themselves for a charge, covered by fire from the Militia

Sea Dogs charge in but the Lanceros hold on.

Don Lardo appears and orders the Lanceros to keep fighting.
The Sea Dogs are eliminated.

As a final blow, the English commander is hunted down by Milicianos Indios.
The English surrender.

Sharpe's Blood and Steel

 Another Blood and Steel game, but this time out of period - although not by much.

This week we tried the rules for the Peninsular War, pitting a force of French Dragoons against one of Spanish Guerrillas.

The Spanish, led by the notorious Guerrilla leader El Toppo (the hat), consisted of 5 groups of 6 Guerrillas, supported by a group of 6 British riflemen (Sharpe and the Chosen Men).

 For the French, Lt. Plume de ma Tante led 3 groups of 6 Dragoons, supported by 2 groups of 6 Voltigeurs.

The French drew the 'Forage' mission, whilst the Spanish drew an 'Escort' mission. The latter was a modification of the 'Vanguard' mission and required that a British spy (El Mirador) be escorted across the table.

Somewhere in Spain

Another cracking game. How best to sum it up? The Spanish shooting was hot, the French shooting was not, seems to fit the bill. Needless to say, I was the French!

Spanish Guerrillas move up, making the best use of the available cover. 

Voltigeurs oppose the Spanish advance, from the cover of the vineyard. 

French Dragoons gallop towards the right flank objective marker.

Dragoons reach the objective marker and begin foraging. This is going to be easy....

But, on the far flank, El Mirador's escort is creeping forward.

Covered by some crack shooting from the Chosen Men.

Dragoons return to their baseline with the captured cattle - 2 Attrition Points to the Spanish!

 

Dragoons redeploy to deal with the advancing Spanish........

.......only to be shot to bits. El Mirador is half-way there - 2 Attrition points to the French
(including 1 for casualties)

El Mirador is one move away from freedom - but it's the last turn.

However, the French are on 3 Attrition points, through casualties, and must roll a morale test. They fail the roll and the game goes to the Spanish.

The sole Spanish casualty!

The French Butcher's Bill!!

Another great game of 'Blood and Steel' and a severe drubbing for the French Dragoons first on table appearance.