LOTR (Lord Of The Rings) Battle of the 10 armies

We played a mega LOTR game using a variant of the About Ceasar wargame rule.

On the Evil side 

left : commanded by Thomas

15 units of goblins one being reinforced with a cave troll :

2 units of skimmish (LI (s)) 12 close combat (LI) units and the one with the cave troll (MI) with 2 extra dice in close combat.

center - command by Kristof

center left 7 units of veteran Uruk Hai :

4 units of pikemen MI (p) V

3 units of sword and shield men HI V

center right 8 units of orcs 1 being reinforced with a battle troll:

1  skimish unit (LI (s)) 6 close combat units (MI) one with the battle troll (HI) with 3 extra dice in close combat

right - command by Siegfried

a mixture of wargs, Easterlings and Haradrims:

2 units of skimish Easterlings (LI (s) V) 3 units of pikemen (HI (p) V)

2 units of Haradrin skimish (LI (s)) an one of pikemen (MI (p))

3 units of wargs impact cavalry (MI (i))

On the Goodside 

right : commanded by Alberik

7 units of Elves:

6 units of Elves (elite) , each unit having 50% of  bowmen with longbow (MI E)

1 unit of elite spearmen with shield ( HI E)

center - right command by Alberik

3 units of  elite Warriors of Numenor with Sword (HI E)

2 skimish units of Gondor (MI (s)) and 4 units op spearmen (HI)

center left - command by Dirk

7 infantry units Rohan:

2 units of skimish bowmen (LI (s)) 5 units of close combat infantry (MI)

left - command by Dirk

4 units of  veteran Rohan cavalry impact (MI (i) V)

5 units of vetteran Dwars:

1 unit of skimish bowmen (MI (s)) one unit of veteran pikemen (HI (p) V) and 3 units of close combat infantry (HI V)

The commander of th Evil side Kristof wasn't happy with the great number of elite wariors on the good side and also them having longbows, giving a greater range.  He considered the nummeric superiority (43 vs 32)  of the evil side didn't compensate this. It troubled him the whole game long, loosing the overview of the course of the battle.

On Evil right side, Siegfried charged with his Wargs the Dwarf pikemen, and agaist all odds sweeping them away, the breaktrough also destroying the Dwarf bowmen unit. A real bad start for the good side. 

On the Good sides' right, the Elves were atttacked by the goblins but stood ground, and even more, took the initiative themselves advancing on their thurn, pushing the goblins back. But then came the cave troll unit. inflicting casulaties.

In the center, Kristof advanced with part of his orcs and only his pikemen Uruk Hai.

Dirk charged with 2 units of Rohan horse towards a unit of Haradrim bowmen, but they manged to retreat before umpact. The next round, this cavalry unit charged the Haradrim pikemen, but didn't succeed in a breaktrough, the close combat continuing the next round.

The Gondorians came under presure from the battle troll. One unit gave way , it's place taken by Numenorians.  To releave the presure from the Elves on the Goblins Kristof did sent  his swordmen Uruk Hai agianst the Elves.  Some Elve units were by now isolated against huge numbers of Goblins. Some Goblin units were already destroyed, but by now also two Elve units ceased to exist.  One Goblin unit attacked a unit of Gondorians and... retouted them. The good side line was pearced. 

Hoping for a second major success, Siegfried ordered his wargs to renew their attacks against the Dwars, but failed painfully, one unit destroyed on impact.  Another unit of the Dwarfs attacked a bowmen unit of  Haradrim, and destroyed it after two close combat turns. The melee of Rohan cavalry against Easterlings pikemen turend in favor of the former. Another Rohan unit charged  Easterling bowmen, the latter evading.  

The Uruk Hai pikemen were also able to destroy a unit of Gondorians, but theid advance bogged down against the Numenorians, their second line only giving support to the first two units. 

The Orcs, except the unit with the battle troll were driven back, enabling the Gondorian archers to target the battle troll unit, and destroying it.  Dirk advanced with his Rohan infantry against the remaining orcs to keep them away af the Gondorian weakened position.

The Elves started to retreat from their to advanced position to save their depleated units and saving their wing. 

Another Warg unit was destroyed, as were also a the two 2 remaining  units of haradrims and  a bowmen unit Easterlings. 

With more than halve his units routed or destroyed, Siegfried command was broken, 

The good side triumphed

Conclusion

Both The Evles and Goblins armies were at one unit from their command being broken. 

A very close run.  With the Evil side center only lost 2 units of Orcs, it is clear Kristof had not been agressive enough, and should normally have broken the Good sides' center. Siegfried could have used his Easterling pikemen in first line with the bowmen behind on the hiltop, giving support and having a clear view for shooting.

Fresh Boer guns in the Veldt

Second muster for General de Wet

Please leave your feedback at the bottom of this posting.

About four months ago I started my 54mm Boers wargaming project covering a Boer commando, a Commonwealth quick reaction unit of mounted light infantry and appropriate terrain elements. A former review on this work was posted in this blog around September 2014. Here some new elements are presented.

The strength of the Boer forces is in their enormous mobility and quick response time. They were   excellent horsemen and had a keen eye through the aiming sight of their carbines and rifles. Harsh life in the Veldt learned the Boer boys to make every round count. Their fighting forces were organized in so called commando's. And their swift and often veiled actions got this name into use with the special forces of Western armies. So... more horsemen it must be for my project.

The rider to the right was described earlier on. Here a second one (in the middle) is nearing completion.

Chinese copies donate most of the lower- horse riding legs. Revolvers  are NOT the hand weapons of the Boer.
Mauser rifled guns were the favorite. So it's cut and paste. Turning cowboys into Boers is in the details.

Hats and coats (collars) can be adapted. Facial hair added.
All using greenstuff putty.

After converting actions I spray the whole figure white (GW Skull White) and let dry. Then a diluted Sienna tone is dabbed all over, showing all necessary details before final painting. Above figure are in that phase. They can individually be found in several steps before, in my two posts on the subject.


The Boer commando columns were self supporting 'moving villages' and amongst them was their finest (mainly German source) artillery. It's hard to find the appropriate pieces in 54mm. I've obtained some around 1900 muzzles through  'Toy Soldier Depot'. With a shield added and some work on a ammo cart and traction, it will serve it's goal; victory points for either side, escape or capture!

A potential Boer artillery crew (must still undergo serious conversion), the piece and an outlined set-up for the cart and 6 horse traction part (oxen were preferred but since I do not have these ;-(( )

Actual Boer artillery 'in situ'

I'm on the search for some specific Jean Hoefler mounted cowboy poses:


http://pmcd-mobilisatie.blogspot.nl/2015/01/old-toy-soldiers-never-die.html

I hope you all enjoyed this posting once again. Please leave comments folks!

 Facebook: The Batavian: painted toy soldiers 

A sneak preview of a posting to come soon:

THE RETREAT

On november 18th 1812 the day after de battle of Krasnoe, we set out very early from our bivouac. The march was a sad and weary one, and terrible tiring. There was a thaw; our feet were wet through; and all day the fog was so thick we could see nothing.

The Imperial column passed.

Adrien Bourgogne
Ex-Grenedier of the Inperial guard, Chevalier of the Legion d'Honneur

As the Starks would say: "Winter has come" (but is gone already)

pics of 28/12/2014

Austrians vs Württenbergers in a 1809 fictional battle (26/12/2014)

We played a battle with the figures of Siegfried.

He and his brother Jochen were the Austrians, in the offsensive against A Württenberger force defending a village, played by me (Dirk) and Ronny. 

Ronny defended the village itself with 3 battalions of line infantry  and one of elite jägers. My troops consisted of 4 line battalions and of elite jägers.

 The Austrian force was on the right against the village: Jochen with 3 battalions of veteran grenadiers and 2 light cavalry Hussar regiments. Siegfried had 5 battalions of line infantry.

 Notwithstanding the small forces the game took almost 2 hours of play, due to very tactical fighting.

 The grenadiers went in the offensive against the village, but the leading battalions took losses from skirmish fire and rom the units in the buildingds and had to fall back after a while, but not before the Würtenberger jägers were driven back into the village.

I had deployed my jägers on the hill with an attached office. Siegfried, as a counter messure did send 2 battalions up hill and advanced with his other units towards my lines.  I was in a comfortable situation. The only thing that bothered was the cavalry that was a constant threat.

 My jägers kept the 2 oposing units bussy, inflicting flags, but not much losses.

But Jochen did send also one unit of grenadiers my way.  Ronny did  charge a weakend grenadier unit with his elite jägers that had reforemed to battle column, but notwithstanding the much higher number of dice only inflicted two casulaties and receveiving the same number. The next round the jägers were targeted by all the grenadier units reducing the unit to 3 figures.  On my side the firing casulaties were in balance. 

Finaly the Austrians played their gamble with a cavalry charge, which had a negative result for me, with higher casulaties my unit driven back. I was able to restore my defensive line, but the situation was deteriorating.  I had to gamble myself: attaching my general to the only unit in full stength and making a charge: A catastrophical outcome: my general had fallen. A renewed cavalry charge agaisnt one of my units resultated in the destruction of the charged unit and the supporting unit driven of the field. My command was broken, the battle lost.  Ronny leaving the cover of the buildings with his units far to late to make a difference. 

Conculsion: I a was beaten with my own tactics: creating a superiority in numbers while keeping a large force of the oponenet pinned with infirior numbers. Ronny stayed to long in the cover and should haven attacked the weakend grenadiers in full strenght but mostly my mistake not the advised him to to this.

verjaardag einde van de Amerikaans-Britse oorlog 1814 (War of 1812)

http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws/regio/oostvlaanderen/1.2148886

best wishes for 2015