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!