Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Catching Up

Uh, oh, I let my blog writing slip again. Sorry about that. I'll try to make up for it with extra postings in weeks ahead. Fortunately, some of the games I've been playing can also be found at the WFHGS Friday night reports at http://www.wfhgs.com/friday.html and at the GAJO big games blog at http://www.gajominis.com/blog/blog%202012/blog2012.html

Here's some tidbits of the recent past:

Age of Eagles Napoleonic game. Peninsula, 1810.

Games continue on alternating Friday nights with the Wasatch Front Historical Gaming Society (WFHGS). In the photo above Gary (Sapp) and Matt prepare French troops under Massena as the British and Portuguese under Wellington try to extend their thin red lines along a ridge. No doubts left about Gary's college football loyalties.

General de Brigade action, 28mm, at GAJO.

Of course the Saturday Night Skirmishers (SNS) continue to game on multiple nights down at GAJO games in Sandy. In the picture above, Lynn and Gary (Scott) play a grand game of General de Brigade using many of their Napoleonic French and Austrian 28mm collections. They were going through the new deluxe rules before putting on a game for the group.

28mm Austrian artillery prepare to fend off a French attack.

It's not just Napoleonics with SNS, there have been a lot of Flames of War games being played as Gary R has set up a Russian Front campaign. Sorry, no pics of these!

The Afghan Fortress. Rather impregnable looking. Thanks to Dave B for providing the objective of the game. And thanks to Jim for building it!

March saw the long-awaited return of The Sword and the Flame games to our group. Our Saturday game lasted into the evening until we had to call the game on time, so the fortress remained in the hands of the wily Pathans while the British Empire withdrew to lick its wounds. Plenty of casualties due to Martini-Henries and vicious hand-to-hand melees.

Newly-painted Bengal Lancers are driven off the table by ferocious Pathan tribesmen.

One band of Pathans eats lead while another warband breaks through and heads for the baggage!

Might and Reason, SYW in 15mm at GAJO.

Chris keeps expanding his Seven Years War armies for use with the Grand Campaign of Might and Reason rules. Having just finished most of his English, Hannoverian and German allies, it was time to refresh our minds with the rules before the Rossbach game put on by the store. Chris organized a scenario for Greg, Lynn, Gary (Scott) and me playing the allies versus the French. The picture above shows the general dispositions near the start of the game. It was a close-run affair, with great cavalry assaults and heavy musketry until the battle was called off due to the end of daylight (in game terms, of course).
Egads, I rolled a blunder! The British cavalry exceed their orders and charge headlong into heavy French fire. It was tricky getting them out alive.

AOE, 15mm Battle of Vimeiro 1808. At GAJO.

During one of those rare nights when WFHGS needed to use the tables at GAJO, I put on a scenario for AOE in 15mm, the Battle of Vimeiro. This was Wellesley's first victory in Portugal against French General Junot. It's a rather small scenario for AOE, but just right for when you need a shorter game. This was also possibly one of the worst die-rolling nights I've had. I couldn't possibly roll the hits I needed to make. Unfortunately, my co-general also had bad die rolling so it was a most decisive French victory that night! It was a fun scenario though, so I'll be wanting to tweak this game a bit and shoot for a rematch.

This next Saturday promises a large battle of Black Powder in the American Civil War, so hold on for more photos!