French and Indian War Battle on Snowshoes 1757

 We played one last game of 2023, a "Christmas" themed skirmish in the snow, based on Rogers Rangers First Battle on Snowshoes. Each of the five players controlled five miniatures and the Rangers were outnumbered by the French and Indians by three to two. Historically, the battle started with a successful ambush by the Rangers on a party of Indians, however the Indians were soon reinforced by a much larger force of French Marines, Militia and more Indians. The fighting continued until darkness allowed the Rangers to withdraw, having lost half their number. In our game the Rangers had to perform a fighting withdrawal while carrying their wounded. The Rangers used snowshoes in the four foot deep snow, while the French and Indians did not, so the Rangers were able to move six inches compared to the French and Indians' four inch moves. We used the Fistful of Lead Horse and Musket rules that force the players to spend a whole turn reloading their muskets. We represented the reloading with black markers. Other markers were used for Shaken and Wounded. It was a fun game, played to a conclusion in four hours. Casualties were about equal, but the Rangers were able to slip away off the end of the table, allowing them to fight another day.

Fictive battle of the Finnish War of 1808-1809 played on 26 December 2023

We played a fictive battle of the Finnish War; De invasion of Finland and Sweden by the Russian empire under Tsaar Alexander. More about the war one Wikipedia : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_War.

The battle: Steven and Peter are the Russians. Dirk faces them with a much smaller Swedish force.

Both sides have reserves under way. However, the snow is really hindering movement, certainly advancing in line is very slow. This makes the swedish jäger units with their long range fire and mobility a big problem for the Russian players.

Peters division advances following a riverbed as a road. The frosen river being a rather good way to advance. Something the Russian army did in this conflict. This way, the Swedish force is surprised and faces very difficult odds.

Peters force tried an outflanking move 

The cossacks move faster than the infantry.

First Russian reinforcements.

A first and second attack of the Russians near the bridge fail, but it is the Russian players tactic . Wearing down the Swedish force that cannot aford losses. 

The Swedes have also reinforcments, but the winter conditions , are also for them a problem to maneuver.

The attack over the bridge is forced back

But more reinforcements coming in. The Swedes are outnumbered 2 to 1.

The cossacks have attacked the Swedish jäger and destoyed them. 

Bad command dicing resulted in no order reached them to pull back in time.

Nothing can now slow down the Russian outflanking force.

The battle is lost for the Swedes.

The avoid total distruction, the Swedish force starts a retreat.

A final charge of the Russians in march column is driven back, enabeling the major part of the troops to retreat.

Nice fun battle for  a winter condition fight in de Napoleonic era.

 

Western shootout game - 54mm on 19 November 2023

Steven, Adrien , Peter and Ronny joined to play a westerngame.

There were 4 scenarios to select , each scenario was for 2 players, with 4 figures each.

Steven choose the Dalton brothers, facing Lucky Luke and the army, controled by Peter.

Ronny had drawn Jodge Carter and his bountry hunters, opposing them the Jessy James gang, the team of Adrien.

The Daltons had to collect their mother who works in the Saloon and pick up the booty of their robberies that was burried at the cemetery. Lucky Luke and the soldiers had to stop them.

The James gang had the ambitious plan to rob the bank and the post office. Judge Carter was looking for the gang to eliminate them.

Jesse Jamesmen , at the start, faced briefly Luke and the army men, in a short exchange of shots witth no harm done on both sides. In the second round Lucky Luke hurried to the other part of town were the Daltons were arriving.

Starting from the sherrif house, the last player to move was Ronny, who had misunderstood his instruction sheet and went straight for the Dalton brothers; eliminating from the first turn Jack Dalton.

Furious, Steven did send the remaining Daltons to face Judge Carter and his bounty hunters.

That didn't work well, and with the newly arrived Lucky Luke , all the Dalton brothers were eliminated in the next two rounds.

Wondering why Ronny had helped Peter with his goal, Ronny relaized he had taken on the wrong gang, lost one his figures, and the others wounded. Adrien, with the Jesse James gang, was very prudent, but had done the first part of his objectives and did rob the bank. Shot one of soldiers, and tried to shoot Judge Carter, who was waiting for them at the post office.

But the Daltons were not all done yet. Ma Dalton, heard what happend to here boys and went to the roof af the saloon with a winchester and started shooting at the law enforcements guys. 

A random event was drawn: 4 mexican horsmen would be crossing the town, shooting at all figures in sight. Another bounty hunter fell.

From the tower of the sherrifs office, Lucke Luke,  one soldier and the remaining bounty hunter started retuning fire at ma Dalton. When she went down, Peter had wone the game. Adrien, with, one part of his obective a success, came in second, Ronny third , and Steven as last.