With MacDuff to the North West Frontier

This Friday night we are planning a NWF frontier game.  Here's the sit rep and map from Charles S Grant's Scenario book (a must have for any miniature gamer).

The rules I am proposing are Ross Mac's "With MacDuff to the Frontier" which can be found on his blog.  A few notes on troop types.

1. British Infantry carry Breech Loading Rifles (BLRs), in this case Martini-Henrys.  They get the +1 for BLR firepower but the range is the same as the MLRs (16", 8" short) as confirmed with Ross.  They also count as Elite.
2. Better Indian infantry (Ghurkas, Piffers etc.) count as British, other Indian infantry aren't as well trained so lose the +1 for firepower and Elite status.  These guys carry Snider BLRs.  
3. Afghan or other Native Regulars carry BLRs but aren't as well trained so don't count the +1.  They might count as militia or regulars depending on the scenario.  They also carry Sniders or equivalents (often surplus British army ones).
4. Pathan or Afghan tribesmen count as irregulars, and carry as mix of weaponry counting as Jezails on average.  They make guns over open fire pits, so get the -1 for inferior equipment.  An evil GM might rank a unit or two as Elite or fanatics, but most are just interested in loot.
5. Imperial Cavalry are regulars and carry carbines (count as MLRs as firepower drill was not great).  Many count as Veteran and lancers obviously carry long pokey things.
6. Mountain guns count as light guns, travel as pack and take a full turn to unpack and set up and prep for fire.
7. Other Imperial artillery counts as rifled (or in some cases smooth bores where forced to improvise older weaponry).  
8. Afghan regular artillery use BLRs (Krupp and Armstrongs that were better than anything the Brits used) or smooth bores.  They get the inferior equipment -1 modifying to shoot.
9. Tribesmen with artillery have smooth bores and get the -1 for inferior equipment.

But it's thin red line of 'eroes when the drums begin to roll....

Battle Report - Aserradero

This week at Curt's saw us trying out Hail Caesar with my El Cid era 25mms.  We used the old chestnut the Battle of Sawmill Village from the first Charles S Grant book.  Curt took on the Campeador's role in charge of the Zaragozans leading from the front with his cavalry while Sylvain was in charge of the Zaragozan foot.  On the Aragonese side, Pedro was in charge of the cavalry and Stacy the foot sloggers.

Forces were as follows (I let the Zaragozans have better infantry than normal to balance out the Heavier Aragonese Cavalry)

Zaragozans
1 Heavy Cavalry unit (Andalusian Cavalry)
2 small  Light Cavalry units (Andalusian Jinetes with Feigned flight)
2 Heavy Infantry units (one Zaragozan, one Berber mercenaries)
2 small Light Infantry units (one unarmoured archers, one armoured crossbows)


Aragonese
1 Heavy Cavalry unit (Hidalgos with lance, eager and tough fighters)
1 Medium Cavalry unit (Caballeros Villanos)
1 small  Light Cavalry units (Christian Jinetes)
1 Heavy Infantry unit (mercenaries)
1 Medium Infantry unit (Aragonese militia)
2 small Light Infantry units (one unarmoured archers, one unarmoured crossbows)

The Aragonese forces consistantly rolled badly on the activation rolls, crawling on one move per turn thanks to the column formation while El Cid had the Zaragozan lights scampering through the village in no short order.  Pedro blames Stacy's infantry column with it miserable collection of priests, women and other baggage for the delays.

El Cid fully capitalized on the delays on the Aragonese side and caught Pedro's cavalry before they deployed fully (Pedro accepts no responsibility for his deployment!).  The Araganonese lights opted to stand and fight the Zaragozan heavies rather than evade off table - and were routed off table!  The Andalusians carried on to hit the Hidalgos.  The initial clash favoured the Hidalgos, but heartened by El Cid's prescence the muslims held.  Meanwhile Pedro flubbed his command roll trying to convince the Caballeros Villanos to charge a unit of Jinetes, which also meant that Pedro could not join the Hidalgos in melee.

While the horsemen crossed swords the foot sloggers made for the objective - the village.  Sylvain's crossbows got there first, but Stacy's militia and archers were not far off, and each side occupied one half of the village.  Stacy's militia fought well and resisted a charge from the heavy infantry, and his crossbows resisted a charge by a unit of Jinetes.  However, the battle was decided by the cavalry fight (as it should be in 11th century Spain!).

The luck of the dice favoured El Cid, whose personal presence turned the tide of the melee.  Victory went to the Zaragozans, who broke the Hidalgos.  However, the suffered enough to warrant a test themselves and were also broken.  Pedro's division now had lost two units out of three so were broken and the Caballero Villanos retired off table.

This was my first game with the HC/BP  system and while I might tweak things a bit I liked the way it worked. Medieval troops should not be to reliable and should be liable to run off ahead of supports or lag behind.  Also the unit system fits the Grant teaser scenarios nicely.

In the end it was a fun game, with honours for most players (Pedro aside).  Photos from Curt are uploaded below.  Curt provided the natural terrain (mat, vegetation and hills), while the buildings, troops and sheep are mine.  Toys are a mix of Gripping Beast, Perry and Crusader figures, with  scratch built buildings and store bought walls.

The Zaragozans enter the village.

The iman looks for devine help - Curt's dice were the beneficiaries.

Aragonese Jinettees

Pedro deploys sleepily!

The lights trade insults before the heavies show up!

Muslim infantry

The key melee

The Aragonese infantry approach the village after the cavalry melee.  The Caballeros are in the foreground, but will retreat off table shortly.

Mercenary crossbows in the village with Zaragozan infantry in support.

It's Official I'll be Heading Back to Wasacastan

The votes were tallied this weekend and Afghanistan 1880 it is.  It's the last couple of weeks of class and I've been knee deep in marking so I've not had much time to post.  Details to follow, once I open up the Rubbermade and find out who's who in the zoo.

Still Time to Vote

Thanks to every one who has voted so far.  There's still time to vote this weekend, but it looks like I'll be heading back to Wascanastan and dusting off back issues of the Peshawar Gazette.

What Armies Should I Use

Playing TTTs (table top teasers) it's all the rage they say.  The best armies for these actions are 25mm+ Horse and Musket (Nappys and SYWs) and I'm clean out of these armies.  But looking at what's on the wargames shelves and unpainted in boxes, here are some potential campaigns I can fight pretty much right out of the rubber maid rough tote (that being my army storage of choice).


I've put up a poll so that you too faithful reader and participate in the home game!


1.  Northwest Frontier/Afghanistan 1878-80
About 10 years (eek that long ago) I ran a series of games using British and imperial forces vs tribesmen and Afghan "regulars".  These appeared as articles in the Peshawar Gazette on Ross' old site.  Every thing's still there.  Has all the right elements unit wise, but balance is always a problem (i,e, how many natives is Brit worth).  Also has the appeal that my great-grandfather fought in the Tirah campaign in 1897 and my daughter's Muslim school friends tease her about being descended from the oppressor!


2.  Spartans Vs Pyrrhus 280BC
These are (gulp) almost 30 years old in some cases.  Two core armies plus enough allies and mercenaries to flesh out one or both sides.  Units are more balanced one side vs the other, but there's another balance issue in that the Horse vs Foot balance differs from say SYW.  Also you have to work our what an artillery unit represents (typically a better unit of lights with longer range weapons - so Cretans or Rhodians instead of bog standard javelin armed psiloi.


3. El Cid Spanish.
Newer than anything else on the list.  There's a core of Muslim and Christian units plus a Norman army to provide mercenaries and allies.  A better balance plus artillery units now become crossbows!


4.  French and Indian Wars
Again about 10 years old and there's two full sides, line infantry, light infantry and artillery.  The two sides are balanced and units are mostly equal, but no cavalry what so ever.  Typically this means a translation to more lights or working out the points/unit banalce and making it work without cavalry.