Stuart Asquith Memorial Game

My buddy and I played a colonial wargame today to honor Stuart Asquith who made so many contributions to our hobby. We used his Big Wars rules which are purposely simple and straightforward, but which delivered an historical result for our game. The scenario was from the 2nd Anglo Boer War battle of Elandslaagte, an early, but costly British victory. The British outnumbered the Boers by greater than two to one and had to advance with no cover against Boer positions on a ridge of hills. The game started badly for the Brits with the Boers knocking out one of their four guns with counter battery fire. After that, the British took many casualties from the superior Boer marksmanship. One British unit of Gordon Highlanders was completely destroyed while advancing. But despite the telling fire, the Khakis continued to advance in rushes, as they did historically. The Brits' two mountain guns destroyed one of the Boers two artillery pieces and then the infantry went in with the bayonet. After that three of the four Boer units went down before the onslaught. We called the game before the British were able to unleash their cavalry against the retreating Boers.

Two Gunfight Games Set in Australia

Last week I ran two back to back games at my club. The scenario was based on Australian Bush Ranger Ned Kelly's last stand at Glenrowan in 1880. Ned and three member of his gang, wearing homemade armour, planned to derail a train carrying State Police, meanwhile holding twenty or so civilian hostages in the railway hotel . The derailment was foiled by a hostage who escaped in time to warn the driver of the train. The police constables immediately laid siege to the gang in and around the hotel. When firing at the gang, there was a small percentage chance that a missed shot would enter the hotel and hit a hostage, as actually happened. In our two games, this did not seem to effect the police ability or desire to fire was much and as often as possible! I used two popular rules sets for 1 man = 1 miniature shootout rules, first Fistful of Lead and second, Dead Man's Hand. Both delivered exciting and quick games. Dead Man's Hand is a little more complex and the six players seemed to enjoy the extra complexity. In the first game, the game ended when one of the Kelly gang and Ned Kelly himself were killed. In the second game, Ned Kelly survived and managed to kill the leader of police, so we gave that game to the Kellys. In the photos, the ones with playing cards next to the figures are from the second, Dead Man's Hand Game. Note: when in the bush, the State Police wore civilian dress, so I was able to leverage my Boers for another period.

aanbod figuurtjes

Willy Callebaut <callebaut.willy@gmail.com>
4 nov. 2019 12:59 (1 dag geleden)
aan mij

Beste mensen/mannen/liefhebbers soldaatjes

zijn er  liefhebbers die soldaatjes zoeken 1/72 , heb nogal wat ter beschikking ( niet geschilderd ) , heb uw mailadres gekregen via Steven
verzamel zelf alleen 1/32 , vandaar deze aanbieding , heb ze zelf goedkoop op de kop getikt en doe ze ook goedkoop van de hand
indien interesse laat maar weten met dank bij voorbaat
mvgt
Willy Callebaut

12 & 13 October, Plastic & Steel, two of our games

A fictive game of the Peninsular campaign in 54mm

A British Portugese- Spannish force

Facing a French - Swiss army

A 1/72 Pegasus Bridge game

Russian Ottoman war of 1806-1812 : Tatariz October 10th 1809 in 54mm

For his Birthday, my godchild Kristof had asked to stage a wargame for him and his friends.

They shoose the Russian Ottoman wars as theme.

I did find an appropreate battle in this book (higly recommended)

I boosted the number of batalions and units involved to have a balanced big battle.

Russian players: 

from left to right

Dirk as col. Prince Trubetskoy: 7th & 14th jäger regt + battery

Kristof CIC as General Bagration  controling forces of General Kusknikov : Ukraine & Novgorod Inf regt + battery & Col Count Pahlen  force: Starodub & Dept Drgoon regt + horse battery & 2 Cossack regts  Bert as Gen bakhmetyev: Voronezh & Arkhangelogorod Musketeer regt + battery

Alwin as General von Mecklenburg : Moscow & Malorossiski Grenadier regt + battery

Ottoman players: 

Gaetan as Mahmut Tiran Pasha, comming up as reinforcements on a 6 in the first turn, 5or 6 in the 2nd turn, etc.  4 units of Nizam-i Djedid (westrn style infantry) 2  units of Albanian infantry, 3 units of Albanian Suvarleri (veteran medium) cavalry + horse battery, 

Thomas 2 redouts with medium batteries, 2 orta of jannisaries, 1 unit of Albanian infantry , 2 units of Bulgarian rayas (skirmish) infantry + 2 units of Balkan delis c(light)avalry

Marnix CIC as Mehmet Pasha 2 redouts with 2 heavy batteries + 3 orta of jannisaries + 2 units of Anatolian sekhans (skirmish) infantry

The fire of the heavy batteries drove back the forces Alwin and Bert over and over again in the first rounds

The dragoons and delis cavalry fought a number of battles without important results except wearing down each others strength

The central redout was assaulted time and time again by Kirstof 

The outflanking manouvre of Alwin was frustrated by the sekhans skimishers and musketry of the jannisars.

Dirk split up his force, halve taking on the Albanians the other part taking positions behind the stream.

Kristof did send the cossacks to the left as reinforcements.

In the woods, the cossacks did find excelent terrain for their tactics. An enemy force  in trouble or showing its flank or rear led to a mandatory charge, no order needed.

Finaly the jäger had a foothold on the central hill.

Kristof also managed to take the breastwork and one of the batteries. However his reserves were running low.

Bert & Alwin changed tactics and went for an ll or nothing frontal assault on the main Ottoman position.

They also took the breastworks, it seemd the Russians were taking the opper hand, one of the heavy batteries even destroyed. Victory was imminent

The jägers on the far left stood ground, the Suvarileri cavalry failed to break them and the Ottoman cavalry was hit in the flank and  swept away by cossacks .

The same fate for the Albaninan infantry. The Russian left was holdiing against the odds.

But Marnix and Thomas, with their last reserves were able to drive back the Russians from the breastworks. 

Withe the forces of Alwin, Bert and Kristof on breaking point, another Russian atempt was impossible.  Victory had been so close

Mehmet Pasha,  victorious, as happend in reality