What if we had a game and no one came?

Not the case with last night's game when six intrepid lads took to the model skies for a game of Wings of Glory in which no one was shot down...

Damn overlapping bases means I don't get a shot in.

It's a straight up encounter between three German Albatrosse (or Albatri to us RFC/RNAS leaning chaps) - "Red Dot" is Stephen N (and all models and terrain are from his collection), the fancy Fokker, eh Albatross D.VA, is Craig and Greg has the other one.  The two camels are Mark B (Red Hearts) and Matthew (Blue Circles) and I'm in the Bristol Fighter.

Lots of firing but my rear gun jams.

No tight turns for me so I loop around out of the picture while the other guys get shot up.  Lots of engine damage and smoke, but no explosions.

Back in the picture and wounded birds have started to dive away.  

The flock has scattered.  Both Camels head for home, each with a dozen of more damage points.

I make a few loops but the enemy have dived or in one case, spun away.  Not wishing to be late for tea and crumpet (actually dash to the airport to pick up my daughter returning form overseas jaunts) I break-off and head for home undamaged.

My plane had two or three shots and did one point of damage.  I had a near miss in a collision with two other planes.  The Germans had a totally of 24 damage points while the British had 25.

Updated leader board.

Kiev to Rostov - Turn 29

After a mighty set up, game commenced.  Took around three hours for one turn (but we were constantly looking up the rules).

This is what it looks like at the start of the campaign scenario.  Unfortunately the action at Kiev is cutoff on the lower right hand side.  The Soviet forces are in a mess and the Axis have supply problems.  

The end of the my first turn as the Soviets.  Pulling back, but also strengthening defenses around the victory point cities. 

A complex game, but beautifully presented.  Hopefully Richard and I will find time to play more of it and that our speed of play will increase.

Quatre Bras at the NWS

Hot on the heels of my solo play test I umpired the same scenario at they NWS last night.  Stephen N took control of the Allies while Mark B took the French, ably assisted by James of the ANF.

I hadn't seen the post of the ANF's recent refight of Quatre Bras, but it can be seen here.  As I now also see it is a treasure trove of information about the battle.

My scenario is for the Napoleon's Battles rules and I use a hybrid of the 2nd addition with some elements from the expected Marechal Edition.  The most controversial of which is that units attacking BUAs use their LN factor, not their current formation factor.  This normally means a quick counterattack can be made by troops in column (which given it takes a turn for troops to fully occupy a BUA and gain its defensive factors, may not be such an issue).  What it does mean is that you can quickly monster a BUA without the delay of going into line.  This is especially so if you have a leader like Ney.

For the record I used the NBII scenario and the map from the NBIII edition (which is in colour and at least legible, but otherwise identical to that in NBII).  The Order of Batte I checked against http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quatre_Bras_order_of_battle and Nafziger and settled on Mark Adkin's The Waterloo Companion in a few cases, mainly around Jerome's Division.  Given the brigade level scale of Napoleon's Battles the OOB wasn't such an issue, perhaps what I should have considered was what forces were actually available/used.  I had a thought that the French dragoons didn't arrive and the presence of the Guard Light Cavalry always seemed a bit of a mystery.

As to the map, I got a bit carried away painting up a play area (actually it is the back of a lino off cut).  I was always interested in this battle as a quick game on a small area.  I need to do a tiny bit of extra work, mainly move the actually BUA for Quatre Bras to the cross roads and check that there are usable gaps between terrain areas (just to avoid doubts etc).

The Dutch-Belgian militia turned out to be expert shots and stopped the French at the stream.  Ney lead an attack that overwhelmed the Dutch-Belgian jagers at Gemioncourt Farm (which I classified as a full BUA)

Next Ney lead some of Jerome's division in an assault on the 2nd Nassau defending the wood while Pire's cavalry moved around the top of the stream, carefully keeping their feet dry.  The Orange-Nassau regiment can be seen holding the crossroads.  That black part of the road represents its sunken nature.

Merlin leads his cavalry against the French Chasseurs a Cheval.  Not sure I can recall the outcome of the combat correctly, but my point in taking the photo was because I like the figure I have standing in for Merlin (a Prussian Old Glory figure).  And yes, I've used British Light Dragoons for the allied cavalry in the absence of proper Dutch Belgian troops.

Guard Light Cavalry have eventually crossed the stream near Thyle.  Kellerman crossed in the centre.  Movement in the streams disorders cavalry according to the original scenario notes, an additional factor that seems a bit harsh given the cost to cross and the negative fording factor if they engage in combat while fording.  Note Ney has been pulled back to rally some troops.  Previously he had been placed in the rear so that the Corps commanders, who have better command ratings) could take over.  I justified this bit of gamesmanship on the basis that he had gone to look for d'Erlon.

The final action for the night, Ney yet again lending his support to the attack on Quatre Bras.  After this it became rather difficult for the Allies to continue given lack of playing surface.

Observations

Having the French commanders roll (and the Prince of Orange do the same until Wellington arrives) seems to work okay.  It certainly is a good solitaire play factor but also creates an element of the tardy French approach to the battle.  The French also benefit from the Napoleon factor (increasing their dispersal numbers) and this also reflects Ney's role as a wing commander.

The Guard cavalry seem excessive and if removed along with the dragoons and also dropping the disorder affect of crossing what is believed to be a minor stream, then it might be a game balance factor although it really swings the points in favour of the allies (344 to 450).

Review the arrival times of the allies and the start time.  This could also be done with the addition of an extra bit of terrain at the allied entry points.  One of the key factors in these rules is changing from march column to attack column.  Another aspect is having plenty of rear area in which routed troops can rally.

Here is the game times:

Here is the Order of Battle (clicking on image should bring up something readable)

One thing to note is that French fatigue is based on Corps while that for the Allies is based on Divisions.  This is something I have agonized over and settled as it seems to better reflect the differences in command structures and will be something I carry over to the Waterloo game.

Quatre Bras Solo

This could be called "Ney comes good".

The 2nd Dutch Belgian division is thinly deployed to face the dense mass of French.  The only thing in their favour is the terrain (that stream disorders cavalry) and that I am factoring Ney as a wing commander, meaning he has to roll for command (with a 40% chance of achieving a full move, or otherwise half move).  The Prince of Orange has a similar handicap (60% in his case), but Wellington is not so limited.

13:30 Ney gets off to a slow start.  The French cavalry also doesn't fit in the deployment area and has to enter from off table.  Ney sends it to cross the stream at Thyle.  The Dutch artillery makes a mess of the 72e and 108e Ligne.

The view from the allied lines.

14:00 and Jerome has massed his division to bring maximum fire on the 2nd Nassau is Bossu Wood, while carefully keeping out of range of their fire.  Thyle is jammed with French cavalry.

14:30 and Ney personally leads the attack on Gemioncourt Farm.  However his commanders, Reille (5), Kellerman (8) and Lefbre (8) all fail their command rolls and the French have a tardy advance. Maybe they don't trust the newly arrived Marshall. No wonder Ney takes things into his own hands.

Jerome's men blast the Nassau out of the woods, but they are soon rallied by the Prince of Orange.

By the end of the 14:30 turn Merlin has arrived with the Dutch cavalry.  The French infantry have been held up by the stream.

15:00 and Picton has arrived.  Ney has lead another successful attack, this time leading Foy's division across the stream and up the rise to disperse the Dutch Belgian militia.

The Guard Chasseur a Cheval are finally across the stream.  I now realise they should be disordered as per the scenario terrain rules.

Jerome advances on the Bossu Woods.  The Orange Nassau Regiment has come up to stop the French.

It is 15:30 and Ney leads the 2e Legere to attack the Orange Nassau.

This is where it got a bit tricky playing solitaire.  The Orange Nassau retreated from Ney's onslaught.  The 5e and 6e Lancers were ready.  They would have run down the newly arrived 8th Brigade which I had pushed a bit too far forward.  I adjusted the Orange Nassau to cover the British and miraculously they formed square and repulsed the lancers. (While disordered they did have Perponcher's assistance, the British being in march column don't have the option to attempt to form emergency square).

The end of the 15:30 term.  Jerome has captured the wood, the cavalry which should be disordered is slowly crossing the stream near Thyle.  Wellington is busy bringing on reinforcements.

The newly arrived British are disordered by the fire coming from the wood.

Not one to miss an opportunity, Ney this time leads the 1e Legere in an attack.

The Brunswickers have arrived just in time as the two Legere regiments in Jerome's division have driven off all the defenders before them.  Worse the Guard Chasseurs (who I was told Ney had been forbidden to use) have ridden down the Dutch cavalry.

Picton, aided by the Brunswickers, takes on the Guard Chasseurs a Cheval in a desperate attack to push back the French and provide room for the Allies to deploy.

Picton succeeded, but at the end of 16:00 turn he looks a little isolated.

Ney leads yet another attack.  Picton and the 9th Brigade are assailed by Kellerman's Dragoons (who I'm also told shouldn't be there) as well as the mighty 2e Legere.

Jerome advances on Quatre Bras.

The end of the French 16:30 turn.

In the Allied turn Alten's 3rd Division arrives.  The Brunswickers inflict significant long range fire on leading French units disordering them and hopefully stalling their attack.

However, at 17:00 Ney begins his long ride to victory at the head of the Chasseurs a Cheval.

Here he is at the end having ridden down all the allied rear area troops

The situation at the end of the 17:00 turn.  Ney is at the very top left hand corner, just a few millimetres of his base can be seen.  Ney's charge has allowed time for the French to regroup.

17:30 and the French attack Quatre Bras and the surrounding defenders.  This time Ney wasn't leading any of the attacks.

At the end of the 17:30 turn the French have captured Quatre Bras, but are disordered by their efforts.  Picton is still holding out.

18:00 and the British Guards go straight into action.

Picton is dissolving under weight of fire.  Wellington had a lucky escape after his horse was shot out from under him.

18:30 and the British have retaken Quatre Bras. (As the French defenders were not deployed, when they were ejected by the 2nd Guards Brigade, the Guards were not penalised by becoming disordered upon occupying the ground)..

Ney launches a counterattack against the Guards counterattack.  Regardless of the right or wrongs of becoming disordered when occupying a BUA after combat, the dice Gods saw that French fire, particularly from the Guard artillery to the east of Quatre Bras, was particularly telling, even though the British did have advantage of cover.

At the end of 18:30 Quatre Bras is back in French hands and the 5e and 6e Lancers have swept round the rear of the Allied forces whose morale has understandably collapsed.  Wellington escapes a close encounter with the lancers with a wound to his sword arm.

Marshall Ney celebrates his victory in Quatre Bras, he had one Free Roll marker left.

Phew!  It hadn't been my intention to play this scenario solitaire, but after a bit of correspondence with James I decided I better do a bit of play testing.  It took most of Wednesday to do and it was a race to get it finished before packing up and getting to the club for the actual game.

Observations and the play of the game at the NWS will be in my next post.

In retrospect the scenario played well solitaire much more so than I expected.  Hopefully that will be inspiration for me to raise the missing allied forces for my collection (as it was, my Prussians filled in for a lot of the Allies).