The Napoleonic WARRE Game (test)

Last thursday at the club John Busby and I tested out the WARRE Game in a napoleonic battle to see if the rule mechanisms would work.

Quite remarkably we found they worked pretty well. Above we see my French right-wing cavalry brigade deployed with supporting horse Artillery.

So the things we felt that needed changing were, faster firing artillery so now actually take one phase to reload.

Here we see Johns infantry centre deploying in battalion columns of attack.

Infantry now may not use the Salvee as per the 17th century.

We have also decided to bring in some different formation possibilities for infantry (column,line skirmishers etc) and are still discussing whether this might be desirable for cavalry.

Here is a shot of John's Light Dragoons who performed outstandingly well that evening. (Damn their eyes!)

The other main change was the provision of Commanding Brigadiers who look after their own brigade (only) This means that their troops are often in command range. We played an alternating brigade command type of game. With dicing for initiative at every turns end.

French heavy cavalry on my left flank.

We are both looking forward to reprising the action with a properly amended set of the WARRE Game rules soon. 

We will write up the results of our playtesting in future blog entries.

The Battle of Lutzen (open day)

The Battle of Lutzen

Staged at the 50th Anniversary Open Day 

of the

Mid Somerset Wargames Club

Using the WARRE GAME RULES developed specifically for this Project

The Battle was fought out at Wells - Seager Hall

 

The Foote an Guns in the centre open hostilities

Meanwhile the Swedish right wing Horse under Gustavus engage in a protracted melee with the Imperial Horse

Centre left of Wallenstein's army

The Windmill hill Battery exchanging fire with the Swedes - note the imperial commanded Shot holding the road

General corm of the centre conflict 

On the Swedish left Flank Duke Bernhardt pressed attacks against Lutzen itself

The high water mark of the Swedish assault

The centre attacks grind to a halt

Imperial centre right and Lutzen

More attacks on the town

The Swedish centre is repulsed!

Players battled all day at the Seager Hall.
  The battle ended in stalemate with the Imperial army holding their original positions.

The War of Duke Cosimo's Perucke - II - The Battle of Cresta Larga

The War of Duke Cosimo's Perucke

II

The Battle del Cresta Larga

Following their success in establishing a beach-head at Granja Gancho, the English tentatively followed the Spanish inland, however the advance guard were caught napping at Cresta Larga by a resurgent Spanish force.

This brisk little action saw three regiments of British Foote opposed by the whole Spanish Infantry reinforced with two batteries of guns.

  Dumbarton's II battalion invested the Piggery defending it all day against persistent artillery attack

 The Foot Guards held the Ridge despite setbacks until the final act...

 Ably supported by the Queen's II battalion

 They held on against superior numbers until dusk..

 Vollies were exchanged until the muskets were almost too hot to handle!

 Eventually the Brigadier had his horse shot from under him

 Close quarters..

 Firepower ruled the day

 The Spanish commander interrogating a prisoner

Eventually numbers told and the Guards and Queen's Regiments fled the field! Soon followed by Dumbarton's who were able to withdraw under cover of darkness.