Gallipoli: Two Up One Back

The second of our Gallipoli games.  The objective was the double farm building central table, and although we set up the table top randomly the Imperials had some really well located trenches.  Conversely the Ottomans ha s some cover on the approach.

Two up one back refers to the deployment of our platoons here, but also references a fondly remembered Russ Meyer movie.  The barrage of innuendo was relentless.

This was one of the closest games I can remember. 

The view from The Ottoman positions.  The Turks are already infiltrating forward.

But the Imperials filter into their forward trenches.  The first turn is manoeuvre.

The Ottomans advance on the flank.

The view of the Indian Army Regulars as they enjoy a tremendous field of Fire.

Early in the game the RN Division get a section forwards, to attempting occupy the objective.

The Turks also get forward.  The building has two separate sides and one will be Turkish next turn

And The Turks get in, but so do the RN.

The Turks are about to call this "Dead Man's wood." Our Imperial enemies can Enfilade the copse.

The audacity of the Navy!  They come down the gully at me!

A quick scramble and completeness the Navy boys run back to safety.

The view from the Turkish Command bunker

The battle for the ruins heats  up.  The TH flee and the Turks storm in with the bayonet.

The Mountain gun thumps me!  And I discover that a long exposure shot does a nice little video sequence!

My decimated section of Turks are pushed outbursts building by the mountain gun fire.

The TH use the opportunity to retake the railway objective.  Again the Turks make a bayonet charge.  The Game is close to ending!

The right flank is still an attrition battle.

The objective changes hands for the fourth time.  The Turks claim a victory but in all honesty that mountain gun would drive us out again in another couple of turns.

A great game with loads of shooting, Close Combat and that can mountain gun!  Really enjoyable.

Gully Ravine 1915

 

Dawn Raid

0500 hrs 30th April 1915

4 objectives on table.

2 Primary

Boomerang Redoubt, part of British trench line 2VP

The Nest, location of a Turkish Artillery OP. 2 VP

2 Secondary

Twelve Pines 1 VP

The Lone Pine 1 VP

1914 coin toss

Loser deploys first group.

Both sides

Deploy half number of groups in trench line.

Half enter from baseline

Player that occupies  objective for two turns wins. VP.

Empire 

Number 3 gun Jacobs Mountain Battery.

1st Platoon, RN Division, Nelson Bn.

Turks

1st Company 27 Regt 11 Div Turkish Infantry.

Prep for the game.

The Turks crowd into the forward trenches

Limited wire in this battle

Those Indians seem far off

I remanufactUred into !one line and the Nest.  VP held.

The Turks attempt to take twelve tree copse

It's a good looking battlefield

The Turkish advance is battered back

The RN Division come forward

The Indians also begin to push forward and the Turks go defensive.

The Indians suffer.  Pinned up The gully!

And the game ends in stalemate.  Fitting for WW1 but great fun.

BLOOD AND VALOR HOUSE RULES

SHAKEN

Units that receive a Shaken result can opt to 'take cover' (go prone) instead of retreating 4 inches.

TRENCHES

Trenches are grouped into 2 types: shallow and deep trenches.

Shallow trenches are hastily built trenches, scrapes, trenches in difficult ground (e.g. rocky, frozen or muddy ground), ditches etc 

These constitute Hard Cover and are otherwise treated as per the core rules.

Deep trenches

Deep trenches are properly dug entrenchments that are deep enough to conceal a standing soldier.

These constitute Hard Cover. Troops occupying Deep Trenches may opt to use the 'Take Cover' action. When 'taking cover' units are down in the trench and out of line of sight, and hence cannot be targeted by direct fire weapons. (They may still be fired upon by grenades, rifle grenades, infantry support guns, mortars etc.)

Units in Deep Trenches may not fire (including Defensive Fire) unless they are manning the firestep. It takes an action to man the fire step and any cover marker is lost. Whilst manning the fire step, troops are visible and may be targeted.

Troops that are neither in cover nor manning the fire step are considered to be moving about, looking over the parapet etc. As such, they may not fire but may be targeted.

Units may not 'Run' in trenches of either type.

MOUNTAIN BATTERIES

Mountain guns may not move but may pivot with an 'Advance' action. 

It takes 2 actions to mount / dismount the gun from it's mule.

While mounted, the gun moves as infantry but may not 'Run', 'Charge' or 'Take Cover'. Dismounted guns may 'Take Cover'.

Mountain guns have a 'Shoot Skill' value of 4.

If a gun takes more than one hit in a single round of firing, one of the save dice must be of a different colour. If the coloured dice fails the save roll, the mule is killed.

OPTIONAL MOVE RATES

I'm considering this one for solo games.

Replace the 4" move with a 2D6 dice roll. The lower roll is discarded.

The 'Furious Assault' trait adds 2 inches to the move.

Movement dice may be re-rolled by 'Biting the Bullet'.

Further suggestion for Gallipoli.

 A Ravine counts as dead ground unless observing group is on the edge of the Ravine with a direct view down in to you.

Basically in a Ravine you can't be seen!  

This would allow a more interesting game with groups sneaking about.

McPherson's Ridge

Back to Pickett's Charge and some Gettysburg action at McPherson's Ridge.

The terrain and initial dispositions.

The fighting begins

Great looking battlefield

There seem to be a lot of Union boys out there.

The Union mass to our front.  Fighting becomes Fierce.

My dice take a downturn as a command goes Hesitant.

The Confederate left,  under my glorious command push them back.  On the right we hold them. 

Pretty much game over.  Really good looking fight with a Divisional level feel.  

The Zulu War revisited

 Back to the Veldt with Blood and Steel.

Theatre of Operations.

Game one.  The Veldt.

The Zulu come on.

The free headbands of the Natal Native Contingent.

The NNC get into the wadi in the left and the central hill sees a bloodbarh

And the NNC put up a really credible fight the
The Zulu lose.  

Game two.  I've upgraded the scenery!

The NNC are swamped on our right. 

And the Zulu scatter across our front.  The Zulu have little response to the firepower of the Imperials but using the scenarios means they stand a chance.

First outing for my Frontier Light Horse.

And I 've added to the NNC with more riflemen

The defile off on our left is the scene of a massacre.  Initiated unit is fed in until the Imperials break point is met.  The larger Zulu army wins the war of attrition.

Proof that sometimes my dice rolling goes to extremes!

The Frontier Light Horse survive with hardly any casualties.  

After these events my Boer Kommandant Doonold Van Trompe is considering his position.  An uprising seems imminent..