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 2: Pitched Battle (2)

A pitched battle again, but this time with objectives that need to be achieved to win the day.

For this game I used the original Portable Wargame rules by Bob Cordery; Exhaustion Point (EP) was 30% casualties. Two identically composed ACW armies were used; neither side had artillery. 

To win, a commander needed to occupy both the hill (known locally as Little Gold Top) and the Road/Rail crossing. In the Scenario Army Red (the CSA army) has initiative for all 15 turns, and arrives at the hill first, allowing a defense with an uphill advantage.

The Federal Army, under Colonel Potter, arrived with 4 battalions of regular infantry and a battalion of Zouaves, and 2 squadrons of cavalry. Potter's plan was to hold the crossing with infantry whilst sending his cavalry, supported with 1 battalion of foot, to take the hill.

The Rebels were led by Colonel Zebediah Protheroe, an ex-mercenary who had fought with Garibaldi. He led 2 battalions of Infantry and elements of his own craze-eyed Bushwhacker Brigade. Protheroe's plan involved leaving his regular infantry to defend the hill whilst he led his Bushwhackers in an attempt to encircle the crossroads. He instructed his cavalry to dismount in range of the enemy and fight on foot.

The Bushwhacker Brigade

It transpires that the back-story to the battle is more interesting than the fight itself. It was a dark and stormy morning as the two sides rushed towards their objectives...

Turn 2 - Rebel cavalry dismounted and firing

The assault of the hill begins

Protheroe's out-flanking shenanigans underway 

The Feds under pressure

The Union Army reaches EP

End of the game - Union just about hold the Xroads...

...whilst the Confederates stubbornly hold the hill

An indecisive action as it stands. Standard terrible dice rolling meant that the fighting favored both the defenders of the hill and the crossroads, though the Rebels inflicted more of the casualties so I'm inclined to give the win to Protheroe. Lessons learned: Repeatedly charging uphill against a determined defender is certainly not a great plan.