Second game of DUST.

Last night Troy and I mett up for our second 700 point game of DUST. Once more it was a very enjoyable game that went down to the wire, with an Allied win. I promise a better battle report next time when I bring my camera. These pics were taken by Stelios who watched part of the game.

H-Hiour 10mm 1914 Campaign Game

H-Hour is the working title of Kurt's WWI rules, which have been in the works for at least 5 years. Recently Kurt retired and suddenly found time to step up his 1914 campaign in the Ardennes.
Yesterdays battle pitted  Eli and John's German Divisions  against Jim's French Division. I was happy not to be in that sector when the barrage began. Surprising enough the French held the bridges in that sector but that Division was pretty much wrecked.

Here is Kurt's write up.

I'm the game designer. (Thanks for posting Mike).
It's hex based, which allows the easy calculation of area effect against targets in the hex. We apply all the firepower against each hex to every stand of troops in it. One can spread out to save on losses, but winning close combat requires mass. So as an attacker masses to charge an enemy strong point, they begin to draw more effective fire.
The rules are still being play tested so I'm not ready to send them out yet.
Anyways, in our campaign, we are playing an alternate Lorraine 1914 Campaign. Von Moltke has denied the Ersatz Divisions to the German 6th Army, so the sides are close in strength.
In the game shown, the French 30th Division (XV Corps) had approached the rail junction at Bensdorf, southeast of Metz. Crown Prince Rupprecht (German 6th Army Commander) had railed in three battalions of 21cm and two battalions of 15cm guns to the XXI Corps, and had them counterattack. General Espinasse, commander of the French XVI Corps had suspected such a move and dug in, in response to orders to attack Bensdorf "if practicable."
The opening barrage was very effective, the French being baited into giving their partial-defilade gun positions away by a weak opening before unleashing the full weight of fire. Half the French artillery was destroyed and the other half silenced. The whole front line of French positions were suppressed.
The Germans surged forward and over ran the front line positions easily, taking many prisoners and capturing the 30th Divisions HQ. A brave surrounded French battalion at the village of Guebling was the only real resistance keeping the Germans from sweeping down to the town of Dieuze and cutting off large numbers of French. They were wiped out after 2 hours resistance, but the time they bought allowed the French to rally many survivors.
The attack bogged down shortly thereafter at a low ridge. The German guns were at their range limit and at this distance couldn't distinguish friend from foe. Couriers failed to reach the guns in a timely manner, and sometimes German artillery fire held up their infantry advance.
So the Germans held all artillery fire, and tried to cross the low ridge that separated them from the surviving French with rifle battalions and a few MG. The surviving French artillery had recovered and were firing at 1000m from behind the ridge, in a reverse slope position which was safe from counter battery. This fire ended the advance.
A final German infantry attack, again with no artillery support, through the Forests of Koecking and de Bride that attempted to outflank the French ran into large numbers of dug in French armed with MG. That failed too.
So German infantry losses which were initially negligible rose rapidly, until they had taken about 25% losses and called it a day.
The French 30th Division was wrecked, as well as their Corps artillery. They had taken over 50% losses (many of these were POW). The surviving should have routed but their die rolls were exceptionally good.
So that's what you are looking at.

View from German Artillery

ECW Game with around 600 figs.

The last couple of games of ECW have generated interest among a few newer members. So I decided to run another game this month so that any newly painted figs would get a showing. We also decided to roll randomly for raw and veteran troops. 11 players, around 600 figs, game came to a good conclusion in 3.5 hours, when one side reached 1/2 routed or destroyed.  With another Royalist win! I do love Victory without Quarter!
A few pics for the players.

Parliamentary Forces

Royalist Forces

Stevens Force. The infantry Bagut's foot made it across the table!

Stelios' Royalists, with Prince Rupert

Sabrina's Royalists looking on Ricks' Parliamentarians

Ryan's newly painted Parliamentarians.

Rick holding the Parliamentarian Right

Joe's Shock Cav, Parliamentarian Left

Sir John Brock's newly raised regiment in the green trying to hold the Royalist center

Bagut's Foote

Cav running from Joe's Cav

Parliamentarian Lest in trouble

Regiment no one could pronounce

Jim and Dave attacking the Royalist center and right

More Victory without Quarter ECW

Got our third club game of Victory without Quarter in Yesterday. Very enjoyable game, 8 players and finished to a conclusion in just over 3 hours. Aggressive cavalry commanders change the dynamics of the game.

New Terrain cloth and my wife running Royalists.

Aggressive cavalry

All Warlord Plastics in this shot

Getting ready for DUST Warfare and Bolt ACtion Eastern Front

So slowly over the last 2 months I've been preparing Soviets for the Bolt Action and SSU for Dust Warfare. I will probably use the Soviets for Dust Warfare as well.
So here are a few pics. Soviets mostly Blacktree with the cavalry made from Warlord Russians and Perry Plastic ACW cavalry. DUST SSU and some older AT-43 Red Blok armored infantry added .

Warlord Soviets with Perry ACW lower torsos and mounts.

Black Tree Sailors

A little photo play

Red Blok walkers

Warlord Tank

ECW - Victory without Quarter

Had  a rare Saturday off this month so I decided that it was high time we tried out "Victory Without Quarter", by Clarence Harrison, a fine set of ECW rules available on the net for free!
I found them about a year ago and mentioned them to a few of the club gamers. It generated some interest and a bit of rebasing on the part of some.
So this past Saturday we gave it a try.
I used a few modifications. With some 32 units on the table, I wanted to speed things up in the initial movement. So I made a small brigade deck. One card per brigade, 2 artillery cards and 2 end turn cards(both have to come up for th eturn to end). When the cav got in charge range we went to the standard deck. (which still had the 2 turn end cards)

The game really went well, with some very aggressive Royalist attacks. It went back and forth a few times but the Royalist held the upper hand in the end, almost 2:1 in units remaining.

Everyone enjoyed the quick play of the rules. Probably the best ECW game we've had in years.
So units will be rebased as we prepare for our next big game.

Starting Positions

New Curassiers

Facing the Royalist line

Cav battle that went on for some 5 cards

Facing the Parliamentarian Line

 

the Roundheads flee!

Gone South! The Gold of the Sierras,Wild West Game

Down Mexico way, an old prospector had finally struck gold in an old abandoned mine from Aztec times. Unfortunately he was a bit to celebratory about his find and word got out to the local Mexican officials. In particular those loyal to the Republican cause against the Emperor Maximilian and his French bullies. So they kicked out the old prospector and took over the mine, after all the fight against tyranny needs cash!
So after months of digging a large cache of gold is ready for pickup.
A regular Mexican officer and a local leader of the militia have been dispatched to get the gold and take it to Juarez.
But, word of the mine has leaked out to the French, who have dispatched Capt Gerome to pick it up. However, Sgt Schultz of the Legion has decided that some of his Legionnaire friends need to 'help' the dear Capt. and his regulars.
Also on the way, is Cool Hand Eli along with Slim and Big John. All desperadoes from Arizona who have been listening to an old prospector.
But let us not leave out the Mexican Bandit Valdez, wanted by everyone for many many crimes. Who recently ambushed a load of dynamite that was heading for the mine.
Of course know one knows of the missing town folk and the small tremors in the area.

Mexican Regular Officer

Mexican Militia Hero Antonio

Capt Gerome

Sgt Schultz

Cool Hand's boys

The infamous Valdez

The Gang

Game Moves

Valdez smells gold and his nemesis Cool Hand!

Big John's Rowdies ride into town, shootin and hollerin

Cool Hand's wagons roll into town, there seems to be an unspoken truce between the Republicans and the Amrericans

Lots of deliberation among the Mexican Commanders

French Advance

Cap Gerome to Sgt Schultz on his left, "Why are you running to the mine? The fight is this way!

Cool Hand and Valdez fight over the wagons of gold.

The legion snipes at the Juaristas

While Capt Gerome goes after the gold wagons as well.

Sgt Schultz arrives at the gold mine. It is mine all mine!

Suddenly out of the mine, horrors!

Great worms erupt from the ground.

The worms are attracted by the loud fire of the cannon.

And the fire of the gatling.

Get what gold we have and get out! A cry heard throughout the table.

With Worms and horrors everywhere, Valdez's last fighter cannot forget and old grudge against Cool Hand and lights the dynamite. But is shoot down and goes in a great blast that attract the worms.

Gamemaster Mike laughs! What did you expect it is October after all. And the 'Aztec Shrine' was an obvious clue!

 

Ah it was a great game! In the end Sgt Schultz and Cool Hand tied for the most Gold. Though the Jauristas had  preformed well as had Cap Gerome who feared no slimy worm! And the dreaded Valdez as usual had succeeded in raising Hell!