Scenario 18: Counter-Attack

 The Blue Army has been ordered to take the bridge, whilst also holding the town. The Blue General is unaware of the other two crossing points (fords marked here by trees).

Army Red is initially only represented by one unit that is guarding the bridge.

To win, an Army must hold both the bridge and the town.

Initial positions

The Blue General sends his cavalry to take the bridge

Army Red has arrived in full and Blue's cavalry have not broken through

The two sides start shooting across the river as the bridge is blocked

The Red General sends cavalry across one of the fords

Red's cavalry attacks 

Blue holds the bridge but is fighting now to front and flank

Blue's infantry have fallen back but the Heavy Cavalry still hold the bridge

As the day ends Army Red's counter-attack has failed and Blue holds the objectives

Scenario 17: Encounter

 In this scenario, which was played using the original Portable Wargame rules (for late 19th Century), both sides began with a random unit locating a strategically important hill. The remaining units of each army would then arrive (randomly picked), one each turn, on the roll of 4, 5 or 6. This rule was to prove decisive.

The objective was the hill; to win, an army must have complete possession of the hill at Turn 15, or when both sides reached Exhaustion Point (30% casualties).

The scouts arrive (note the trees are just there to relieve the flatness)

Blue is first to grab the objective but are already outnumbered

By Turn 5 Blue still hold the hill but have yet to receive reinforcements

Turn 7. Red now hold the objective and still no fresh Blue forces have arrived

Finally the Blue forces begin to appear, but is it too late?

Turn 11: Red have total control of the hill though Blue's forces are building up

Blue begins to damage Red but time is running out

Time runs out for Blue and the day is lost

Army Blue's commander will have to explain why it took half a day for his force to arrive on the battlefield (dice issues again).

Scenario 16: Advance Guard

Forward units from both Army Green and Army Tan are approaching a border town, unaware of each other's presence..

The Army that has occupied the town at the end of the game wins - there are no morale rules. Again I used a gridded version of Neil Thomas's OHW rules (for WW2).

The two forces spot each other as they arrive at the town

The armour moves to let the infantry enter the town

Army Tan loses their armour early

Army Tan's Mortars (out of picture) are reeking havoc

Army Green loses control of the town

Army Green are back in control

but not for long

At Turn 15 Army Tan is holding the town and have won, though there are very few troops left to celebrate!

Scenario 15: Fortified Defence

 The Blue Army has fortified two villages and has orders to defend both but must hold at least one to win. Army Red has been ordered to capture both villages and must do so to win the day.

The side holding either village must garrison it with a unit that, once installed, cannot leave it unless being replaced by another garrison unit.

The villages have guns that can be used by the occupier. The Officer figures are only there for colour. 

The game was played using Neil Thomas's Rifle and Sabre rules from One Hour Wargames, modified for use on a grid. There are no morale rules; it's a fight to the last man.

Army Blue's opening position 

Army Red attacks the first village

Casualties mount

The Red General has achieved objective 1, if he can hold it

The attack on the second village begins

and continues

Army Blue hangs on

Army Red's last desperate attack

Battle's end. Army Red has only captured one objective.

I've tried this scenario a few times and the attackers have yet to succeed. Good fun all the same!

Scenario 14: Redux

 When I played this scenario last, Kaptain Kobold quite rightly pointed out that I was making the job of the attacker more difficult by using rules that required the game to stop once an Exhaustion Point was reached. Yesterday, after a small delay to deal with 2021 related issues, I played it again using a version of the OHW rules for Horse & Musket, set on a grid. The rules are only really changed by using a grid to measure movement and range.

The tactics and forces were identical to the first attempt, except this time there was no requirement for a figure to represent the Commander of either force. For anyone unfamiliar with the scenario, the Commander of the violet coloured force must hold both the hill and the town (keeping two units close to each); the Commander of the yellow coloured army only needs to capture one of the objectives in order to win.

The Battle underway - Violet's Skirmishers occupy the woods

Yellow's cavalry unable to attack Infantry in Square go off to bother some artillery

Artillery and Infantry fire have cleared the hill, at a cost 

The race to reoccupy the hill

Army Violet regain control of the hill

before being reduced to nothing

Although Violet held the town, they had lost the battle

Yellow are victorious, though they have lost half of their numbers

Scenario 14: Static Defence

The Violet Army General has been ordered to hold the ruined village AND the hill and must keep two units within two grid squares of each. The Yellow Army General must take either objective.

I used the Portable Napoleonic Rules; 15 turns maximum and Exhaustion Point (EP) at 30% casualties. Apologies for the poorly lit pics, shadows etc. It's dark here, even in the daytime!

Violet's opening position

 

Army Yellow arrives in column, concentrating on the hill

Turn 1

Turn 2 Violet was able to bring 1 battalion from the village

Turn 3 Yellow's artillery opens up

Turn 4 Fire fight begins

Turn 5 Violet's guns are hitting Yellow's flank. cavalry are sent to silence them

Turn 6 Violet's Infantry battalion emerge from the village to meet the cavalry

Turn 7 Yellow's cavalry, already reduced by artillery fire, charge the enemy

Turn 8 With their cavalry lost and infantry battered Yellow are perilously close to EP

Turn 9 Yellow are at EP. The attack has failed

It took until Turn 13 for Army Violet to reach EP and the Game's End.

Despite throwing his whole force at one objective, the Yellow General proved (once again) that a frontal assault like this requires more troops (and better dice rolls).