With the coming game of 7YW with Jeff's minis, the plan was to use Scenario 11 in "Programmed Wargames Scenarios" by Charles Stewart Grant. So I decided that the likely last tabletop game here (move still in a limbo) would be to learn about the scenario before doing it in front of folks at the AJs game store.
panorama of the field
one of the Scots arrival road
the other
mostly a straight forward sort of scenario
set up as two advance guards 'meeting engagement'
I did up a Royalist force
and a Scots force
Fun time to share with my eldest son, he commanded the Scots and won a straight forward victory!
Scots Command stand
Royalist Command stand
again the 'clip 2 comic' feature is fun to use
Next up will be the much anticipated return of Jeff's Seven Years Wars game set. Then likely a final painting project completion from this location, another few space ships for my middle son's collection.
Found the time to get the ECW collection out onto the tabletop.
Also the new red and blue command tags and commander ID sabot were used, along with some all new teddy bear fur bases.
Combine that with a time-lapse camera and some clip-2-comic images and I had a great little game and show on the go.
I put together two asymmetrical forces: Royalist had 6 gallopers and 5 pike & shot with two cannon, while the Parliament had 4 trotters and 7 pike & shot with two cannon and two field pieces.
I then used my random terrain cards to set up the tabletop battlefield and then started the time-lapse camera.
I decided to go with mostly video for this posting as everything came together so nicely.
Here are a few stills that I did not use in the video
from deployment, the KING
early in the action, the right wing of Parliament
showing off most of the Royalist foot in the village along with the two 'pieces' firing
wider view of the Royalist right wing at deployment
Parliament center firing in early action on the day
Royalist horse push on the flank, yet cannot muster up the courage to charge (read three failed charge morale rolls)
a closer view of those horse note the 3 of spades tag I put my 'deck of cards' system to use this game
with these very cards here is the end of game as the KING for the Royalists must decide to move or not (read the fight does not go well, losing 4-1 at that point)
lights are all repaired in my display case
including a close-up of some of the Napoleonic large models and my own 28mm Bonaparte
Next up will be some new 'frosthaven' models that I have a commission to paint.
Along with the Shiloh Confederates, likely a move upstairs to painting spaces that are warmer as the weather shifts here on the wet coast of British Columbia.
Our first face-to-face tabletop game since the easing of restrictions.
We were able to make another move in the western campaign of the ECW.
terrain for the battle as Rob starts to lay out the Royalist attackers
This time Monckton Farleigh, 3 July 1643.
Parliament forces have assembled in a walled orchard, with foot and guns, while a small hillock has the Parliament horse. Royalists must cross the stream to the rear of the Parliament in order to score a victory.
troops fully deployed Parliament rookies near the stream
a Royalist double line faced them
reverse view
a 'replacement' officer was needed for Major Dowett of Waller's Horse as the one in our campaign was killed at Stoke Lane only two days before (see AAR)
Royalist dismounted Dragoons (their horses now stolen?) lead the way towards the Parliament line
their formation comes under immediate fire from hidden Parliament Dragoons in the woods line
the main lines then open fire on the same Dragoons
cutting them to pieces in the process - new casualty markers by Rob -
The opening step did not go well for the Royalists, though it is most of the Royalist horse that wins the day ... so they would be put to use now.
now the horse of both sides goes into action
immediately engaging
while the foot assembles forward to better reach musket range
though that will take them into better artillery range ...
the horse tangle goes mostly for Royalists though some are wounded and actually held up by the Parliamentary pistoleers
the horse battle
turn three starts
more cannonade and musket fire exchanges
Parliament horse hold up more Royalists - keeping them in ideal artillery position
Royalist re-enforcement arrive
Parliament horse linger ...
the Parliament dragoons make good use of the woods continuing to fire from cover
making the flank wary of any advance, thus forcing one regiment to take the brunt of the fire coming from the orchard
turn 4 was mostly fire and recovery with turn 5 it became an attrition match
Royalist horse re-engaged and drove off the Parliament horse
the Parliament dragoons were routed
Parliament horse recovered on the hillock, their 'replacement' Captain, now himself replaced after bravely leading the delaying action
now a decision moment for the Royalists, do they press on the horse alone, or can they manage to bring a gun into action and drive out the Parliament from the orchard?
firing was chosen for the orchard
a more 'supported' attack was made against the horse flank
guns maneuvered again behind the lines
while a fresh regiment was moved ahead on the flank
turn seven would be pivotal ...
masses of fire coming from Royalists did not dislodge the Parliament
while the Parliament fire did slacken due to powder running out on one gun (the black smoke)
Parliament forces were still a solid wall
horse view of no mans land
the orchard filled with men and guns
a wider view (yes we were using a motor garage)
one last throw of the horse
flash on
flash off
this battered regiment would not last much longer
maximum casualties and in disorder their fire was degraded to the point on worthless (the red coated man alone -disorder- 'chicken dancer')
Royalist horse commander blew a roll and the horse stood still
from the rear of the Royalist lines
on the far flank of Parliament in the walled orchard
Parliament Colonel Burghill managed the battle from the hinge point of the horse and foot
now the decision might be made
Royalist foot take another pounding
at last the artillery is ready, though still masked by Royalist foot
could the Royalist commander still squeeze out a victory?
in the event, the Royalists did not have enough stamina to overcome the well set Parliament in the orchard
more casualties stacked up
Parliament horse had one more flank pistol attack that manage to drive off the Royalist horse
while at the verge of the wall, Parliament held firm saving throws (mostly due to the wall) were able to keep less casualties than the 'in the open' Royalists
with casualties mounting on two regiments now
the whole battalia was at risk of breaking
Royalist horse
the remaining Royalist forces longer view (tool rack seen beyond the curtain)
it was great to get in a face to face game again
I used the background curtains from our other broadcasts of the past year and this past spring in order to limit the background clutter in images.
I hope everyone is able to get back to the tabletop soon.
In a uniform from the age of 13 to 30, learned much of 'military life' and after a decade of travel have settled down to start a family. Started with boardgames and RPG's in the 1970's and added tabletop miniatures in the 1990's. Now with a family of three boys, seeking to turn this sometime hobby into more of a lifestyle.
.JPG)
