Travelogue XVI: French Army Museum V Vauban

The entire top floor of the French Army Museum was
dedicated to topographical 3D maps of Vauban fortifications.

the models were gorgeous

filled with many details

 One particular fort, outside Marseilles caught my attention as a prospective siege and landing game location.

Chateau d'If

I could imagine a large landing force game
played out on a games table

perhaps a challenge to our
in house terrain master?

My bride rested as I walked around the many exhibition tables,
most of them 12'x20' or more in size.

Eventually I was ready to move on to the next part of Les Invalides
The Dome

Siege Warfare primer

The games tabletop is dominated by the field battle, for the simple reason that it is much more exciting and both sides get to 'take actions' that provide an entertainment.

Yet to simulate the period, the siege is far more prevalent.

This is a new video discussing the siege warfare of the period.

FIRE & STONE a simple rules set

Hello everyone.

I have been asked by a few to see the simple set of rules I put together for the Fire & Stone game.

It is based on the work of Duffy so I take no credit there.

Trench line from the Salute 2019 game

Here I attach the two page document.

And then a quick reference sheet.

The one addition that the players agreed upon was 'order of move' and a simple dice off to move one unit then another in chess-like fashion each tactical turn of 15 minutes.

Fire & Stone Game at Trumpeter Salute 2019

There were a full five players, two on defense and three on offense for this tabletop exposition of the Fire & Stone game system.

I was most pleased that the players were fully engaged right from the start and had the system figured out within the first two moves.

I had a couple of 'changes' that were suggested and players agreed, at the table, for one of the move changes.

attackers liked the ability to dig their own plan of saps & trenches

the defenders took a fully hold-back plan ...

the visuals of the developing trench works drew in many attendees

my oversized flags drew in some to see the spectacle

cards laid out to 'cover' the actions overnight of the digging of trenches by the attackers

by the fifth day of siege the third parallel was done ...

on Day Six the DEFENDERS under Lord Lacey came out to assault and mounted artillery on the walls

The defense was creatively set up and managed to include a mine that took out one of the attackers artillery AND engineer team along with some of the troops digging in the planned third parallel.

view from the Investment line, with Parliament Dragoons hold back in reserve looking towards the wall and across the siege lines

caught digging (they were working on a tunnel of their own) the attackers rushed to stand-to in the trenches

two regiments formed up in the third parallel

Then movement in the assaults began.

attacking players move their troops to counter the defenders having come out from the walls

even the Colonel Marsh moved forward to bolster the attacking line!

a good overview of the game table in progress, and the other games nearby in the busy game room at Bonsor

the full line was in range of the defender's artillery, indeed they were taking casualties from the fort guns

There was a series of exchanges and the Lacey horse fell back behind the walls ...

While the foot in white, had to retreat via the other side as the attackers Dragoons had now blocked the escape route ...

the Cornish foote retreated along the wall

followed closely by Colonel Marsh's Dragooners

Straight into another MINE!  The defenders had set a strategic trap that was executed very well ... sadly they rolled a dreaded '1' for damage here in the mine explosion and having lost many men in retreating they only had a d3 shot from the regiment ... again rolling a '1'.  Bad luck in the damage, brilliant strategy and tactics in getting the chance to do damage!

Now the defenders tried to end the tactical day by pulling back from the wall and leaving the attackers with nothing to shoot at ...

powder supplies had been used up by the attackers as well

while many casualties had been taken, they still had their 'ladders' to scale the walls with

so the attack continued with the troops surging out from their trenches to 'touch' the walls and scale them with the ladders in with the pikes

two moves, half-hour simulated, later they were over the wall in one section (just barely as the regiment was one casualty above 50% = when a morale roll could have ended the assault) and held back by Lord Lacey himself in another section, while the third regiment (the red flag with yellow blaze) had pulled back from the wall failing morale and Captain Leckie had ridden up to urge them OVER THE WALL!

Captain Leckie with the dismounted Dragooners and trained band push the wall

Colonel Marsh keeps the pressure on.

The armored leader of the Red-Black with cross regiment gains the wall, with the Lacey Horse troop having failed morale must fall back

the moment of capture of Arenskirt Castle ... only a few more casualties and a failed morale roll could have seen the opposite outcome ...

the carnage outside the walls

I have saved the best part of this tale for the end.

Rob and I put this together with the intent to show what could be done with siege works and have a game resolution in a four hour time period, with the potential for fun on both sides.

We also would like to have won a best of show for Trumpeter Salute, which was announced at the 4 pm mark of the 2 pm to 6 pm time block.

WE WON!  Second year in a row for Trumpeter Salute Best of Show in the 2 pm - 6 pm Saturday time block.

So this time, as I did not have the boys with me, Rob agreed to my using the gift certificate to expand the planned Pirate collection:

winning put towards PIRATES

the swag