Several of the local Napoleonic’s Gamers are doing a large refight of Leipzig over Easter 2024 with 28mm armies at a 1/100 ratio (so essentially Regiments/Brigades are ‘bath-tubbed’ down to Battalions). Check out this video for the initial deployment and description of the formations…
Continue reading “Leipzig Refight in 28mm for Easter”Tag: French
French vs. Russo-Prussian 321 Game
Last week I got a first look at my friend Mark’s “321 Napoleonic Fast Play Rules” in action with his French versus Matt’s Russian-Prussian Allied army; each of 1,000 points using the rules’ points system. These rules have the Battalion, Artillery Battery or Cavalry Regiment as the base unit and are designed to be fast play so a game of this size can be finished in 2 hours or so (incl. terrain set-up) by experienced players. They are also however designed to be scalable (so larger games on bigger tables with 70+ units a side or more), and more importantly to also allow historical refights, all with accurate tactics (i.e. no Napoleonic infantry pike phalanxes in these games).
Continue reading “French vs. Russo-Prussian 321 Game”Duty And Daring
It was a devastating battle, leaving several French and Spanish ships struggling to remain afloat. Proserpine (a 36-gun Frigate) was not involved in the battle, having been on picket duty nearby. Now having arrived at the scene of the battle to deal with it’s aftermath, Capitaine de corvette Cyrille Léopold Villeneuve (Proserpine’s commander) has been ordered by the fleet commander to assist the 3rd Rate, Commerce de Bordeaux, that has been damaged in the fight. The ship has suffered severe damage to masts, rigging, hull and rudder, and has no surviving ship’s boats. It’s officers and men have taken heavy casualties, have lost their captain, and jury rigged sails and rudder have proved inadequate for her to navigate on her own. The wind and tides are are driving the ship perilously close to reefs and shoals off the enemy coast. Proserpine must get to the Commerce de Bordeaux, take it in tow, and make her way to safer waters before the stricken 3rd Rate falls victim to the rocks or enemy vessels! Continue reading “Duty And Daring”
Un Trio de Batailles Navales (3)
With a second glorious victory for the Royal Navy, we prepared to set sail one more time – the mighty HMS Vanguard set forth again under my command opposed by the French Téméraire Class 74 Audacieux (actually the Sails of Glory model Généreux again) commanded by Joel. Having successfully defeated Généreux and sent her off across the channel with a prize crew HMS Vanguard resumed her close blockade of part of the Brittany coast, and it was not long before a French vessel (le Audacieux) was spotted making a run for the nearby port… Continue reading “Un Trio de Batailles Navales (3)”
Un Trio de Batailles Navales (2)
After our brief but brutal Frigate Encounter we moved on to a pair of SOLs (Ships Of the Line), being a pair of 3rd Rates (74 Guns). Joel was once again the French (commanding Généreux) while I again represented His Majesty’s glorious Royal Naval (on board HMS Vanguard)! “…somewhere not far from the coast of France an attempt is being made to sneak past the British Blockade by a lively French 74, but his majesties navy is up tot he task and intercepts the wayward enemy…” Continue reading “Un Trio de Batailles Navales (2)”
Un Trio de Batailles Navales (1)
As I mentioned in my Setting Sail with Sails of Glory post I’ve been keen to get my teeth into playing the rule set recently, I’ve always been keen on Age of Sail naval gaming, and while I enjoyed playing the Langton Rules (Hoist the Signal for Close Action) – both full and fast play variants – and some other rules (like Fire As She Bears) I have always been looking for something with the right feel for me – which to be honest is something akin to the mechanics in the old Warhammer “Man o’ War” rules from the 1990’s. Sails of Glory seems to offer the feel of “Man o’ War” for the fun side, and obviously a better feel than the latter overall for age of sail tactics, so that while still just a game it contains enough historical content to at least give the impression of having a vague simulation aspect as well! Continue reading “Un Trio de Batailles Navales (1)”
Our Ships Were French Oak And Hearts of Oak Our Men
Contre-amiral Thierry Victore’s ad-hoc squadron has been in pursuit of an enemy Royal Navy ship heading towards the safety of its waters. Aboard the ship was a passenger carrying vital intelligence of great importance to The Directoire. Capitaine Géroux’s mission was to prevent that passenger from reaching the enemy shore, and if possible, to capture him. However during the night fog enveloped both ships, potentially allowing the prey to escape, but as night gave way to day the fog started to lift… When all became clear, Géroux found himself within firing range of the enemy. Dryade was in a position to wreak havoc upon the enemy ship but failed. In the process Capitaine Géroux was unable to sink or capture the english ship nor capture the passenger and gain the critical intelligence. Unable to make clear plans following the disaster poster le brouillard Amiral Victore has dispatched a ship to observe each of the likely ports the enemy vessel has temporarily taken shelter in. Continue reading “Our Ships Were French Oak And Hearts of Oak Our Men”
When The Fog Lifts
Capitaine de frégate Josepe Aurèle Géroux had been pursuing the English frigate for several days now, but finally he had outthought his foe and was almost upon them. His command, the Dryade (a 36-gun Frigate of the Republic) was in fighting trim and spoiling for a fight, and he was himself known in the French Navy for his uncanny aim and the quality of his crew’s gunnery. It was also vital that the English vessel be caught, as it contained valuable intelligence on board and a person of great interest to The Directoire, it must not reach the safety of English waters! However as dawn approaches the Dryade has been shrouded in a thick sea fog, and the enemy vessel is lost from sight – but with the rising sun the fog burns off and the enemy is spotted… Continue reading “When The Fog Lifts”
Setting Sail With Sails Of Glory
Ahoy there shipmates, we’re setting sail with Sails of Glory! That’s right, hopefully there is finally a playable, fun, Age of Sail ruleset – and it features ready painted ships for those who just want to get into playing… After much frustration with numerous rulesets over the years (for various reasons), including both versions of Langton’s “(Hoist The Signal For) Close Action“, “Fire As She Bears“, “Trafalgar“, and others – and flip-flopping between scales (1/1200 and 1/2400) – I’m hoping SoG (Sails of Glory) is finally something fun and easy to play long-term that will have enough historical feel to prevent it getting bland quickly! Continue reading “Setting Sail With Sails Of Glory”
Italeri Church
Following on from my last post (Italeri Country House With Porch) the other model I picked up from Kieran’s cancelled commission project was the Church (Italeri Kit 6129). This includes an attached (custom made) cemetery and is an outstanding model (if somewhat large). Ther design makes this primarily suited to Northern Mediterranean areas (and Southern Europe), such as Spain, Italy, and Southern France, as well as possibly Croatia, Northern Bosnia, etc, and possibly Southern Austria and the like… Continue reading “Italeri Church”
Italeri Country House With Porch
Back at the start of 2013 I posted about my gaming buddy Kieran building some Italeri Kitsets for his WW2 Normandy Games – and that as he did such a great job I might need to get him to build the kits I have in my stockpile for me as well! Well he ended up building some on commission for another AWC member, who then subsequently decided to discontinue WW2 gaming in 20mm scale – and so those completed custom models have ended up in my collection – alleviating the onerous need for me to assemble my existing kits of them! Brilliant outcome if you ask me! The first of them is the Country House with Porch (Italeri Kit 6075). Continue reading “Italeri Country House With Porch”
“Maurice” Reviewed
For those interested but who may not have seen it – there is a fairly comprehensive Audio-Visual review of Maurice on YouTube by Shieldwall100.
Watching it again, its enough to make me want to get back to my WSS project and the dozens of boxes of Plastic Wargames Factory Infantry & Cavalry awaiting assembly! Continue reading ““Maurice” Reviewed”