Scenario 4: Take the High Ground (2nd go)

 Both combatants are desperate to occupy some high ground that dominates the strategically important North-South Road. Army Black has succeeded in getting a small force on to the hill, however the rest of Black's Army is yet to arrive.

The Battlefield

This game was played using The Portable Wargame rules. Armies were created using the random method in One Hour Wargames (Table 1). As has been mentioned before, the scenarios were written for the OHW rules that allow for a fight to the last man; I therefore modified the PW rules slightly, changing Exhaustion Point (EP) from 30 to 50%.

The Battle in Pictures

A part of Army Red confront the enemy

Red's attack has begun by the time Black's main force arrives

Black feels the full might of Red's cotton wool fire
(Thanks to MaudlinFX)

Dwindling numbers of defenders. Black's Lancers are redeployed 

Black's Lancers tilt with The Guards on the left.
On the right, Red's Rifles emerge from the wood and move to join the attack.

Another successful volley takes its toll on Army Black

Black is under pressure, though his cavalry on both flanks keep the enemy occupied 

Army Red can taste victory!

Black's Cuirassiers have cut their way through the Regular Infantry on the road
 and now set their sights on the Rifles 

Red's advance is cautious, perhaps a little too cautious

With the demise of the Rifles, both sides reach EP

As neither side had unopposed occupancy of the objective (the hill) the game was a draw. Well that didn't sit too well, so I let play continue. Neither side could move however combat could carry on for two more turns...

Victory for Army Black

Scenario 3: Control the River (2nd go)

 The battle forms part of a larger Campaign (see Projects and Procrastination blog for details), and represents a border clash between two states. Army Red (North) always moves first in this Scenario. The game was played using original Portable Wargame Ancients rules. Exhaustion Point (EP) was set at 21SP for both sides.

The objective is to control (have a unit placed on) both crossing points by Turn 15 or when both sdes reach EP. The battlefield has an impassable wooded grid square to the North of the river and a small hill to the South. The river can only be crossed using the bridges (the right hand bridge is improvised as I couldn't find another home made one that would fit the grid square!) Armies were randomly generated; Red has 4 heavy infantry, 1 heavy archer, 1 heavy cavalry and a Commander; Green has 3 heavy infantry, 2 heavy archers, 1 heavy cavalry and a commander.

The opening moves saw Red split is force fairly equally between the two objectives; Green weighted his defence slightly towards the RH/improvised bridge.

Red initially controlled both crossings, having the advantage of always moving first and slightly less distance to travel favoured the attackers. Both sides took hits from archer fire during the early phase of the battle.

Unsurprisingly the game was static until, at turn 7, Red pushed forward to engage the pesky archers that has been slowly reducing one of his infantry units.

It looked very much like Red would achieve the objective, but his cavalry, that had held the RH bridge from the start, finally broke and as both sides reached EP the objectives were split between the two sides. The two exhausted forces withdrew, both claiming victory!

Scenario 2: Pitched Battle (2) (2nd go)

 As there were clearly a few folk interested in the Hyborian setting, I thought I'd do a second game in Howard's World. 

Source: Conan Wiki Fandom

Belligerent Corinthia is once again embroiled in a border dispute, this time with Koth. I have changed the Scenario very slightly; there are still two objectives to capture, but I have replaced the cross-roads with an oasis.

The Army of Koth has not been seen before on my blogs. It's been cobbled together from figures I have painted over the years, some having been rebased to fit with the Corinthians.

Men of Koth plus mercenaries (rear) from the Eastern Desert

For this battle I've used Portable Wargame rules but dropped Exhaustion Point allowing units to fight to the last Strength Point. To win the battle a side must have control of each objective by the end of hostilities (or Turn 15).

The battlefield at dawn

The two armies arrive and advance toward each other

The first clash of arms

Koth sent the desert raiders to take the hill whilst their own infantry and archers would hold the centre ground and oasis.

The mercenary cavalry was quickly destroyed, mainly by arrows
The foot unit made it onto the hill

At the oasis a very stubborn unit of archers fought on 

The centre saw a bloody crush of infantry

The Corinthians began to get the upper hand
They now held the oasis and would shortly regain the hill

Taking control of the hill freed up another unit to join the centre

The Army of Koth fought bravely 

but eventually ran out of men 

Victory to Corinthia!

Scenario 1: Pitched Battle (1) (2nd go)

 For this go at Scenario 1 I used Portable Wargame rules with slight variations. Exhaustion Point was replaced with Rout Point at 50% loss of points, and Generals had Zero points but still added a bonus of plus one in combat.

The armies facing one another were Corinthia and Stygia (from Robert Howard's Hyboria). The scenery was there to break up an otherwise featureless plain and had no effect on the battle.

The Stygian Army (4 Infantry 1 Cavalry 1 Archer) had the initiative and moved forward aggressively. The Corinthian Army (3 Infantry 1 Cavalry 2 Archers) played more defensively.

 Despite being on the defensive, the Corinthians were drawn down on their right and did some early damage to the Stygians.

The Sons of Set fought back and soon the losses on both sides appeared equal again.

The battle was on a knife edge, with the Stygian's being repulsed then attacking again

but in the end, it was the defensive tactics of the Corinthians that prevailed. The Stygian losses became too great, and they routed.

This is my least favourite of Neil Thomas's Scenarios though it still proved to be a fun little game!

Scenario 30: Last Stand

 Having suffered defeat at the hands of the Union Army, the retreating Confederates have left a small (3 units) force behind who will fight to the last man to delay the Yankees. 

The Union force arrives to the South

The US Army rushes the ford to tackle the Irregulars in the wood

US Cavalry veers right to deal with their CSA foe

This gives time for the Infantry to advance unhindered

The US Army crosses the river in force and begins its attack on the redoubt

The US Cavalry are behind the wood attacking the CSA irregulars while the assault of the redoubt gets going in earnest

The attackers suffer heavy losses but have an endless supply of reinforcements

By Turn 11 the CSA are reduced to one unit defending the redoubt

The Last Stand comes to an end on Turn 12

Scenario 29: Shambolic Command

 Army Blue must defend a strategic hill, which, given it's superior numbers (6 units), should be possible. Unfortunately it is commanded by an indecisive General. Only two Blue units may be activated each turn. All 4 of Army Reds' unit may be activated.

End of Turn 1 - Red moves in on the objective

Blue's cavalry move to aid the defense

A third of the way through the day and Blue still have a firm hold on the hill

Army Red begin to close in as Blue's defense falters

Army Red gets a foothold on Turn 8

By Turn 12 Army Red is dominating the hill but Blue is hanging on

Army Red poised to destroy Blue?

Blue's Infantry, driven off on Turn 14, regain a toehold on the hill to draw the battle!

Neither side could claim sole possession of the objective, though Red had the greater numbers at the end.