Faint recall of Songs of Drums and Shakos

No sooner had I finished the figures then I got them on the table for a game of Songs of Drums and Shakos hoping to play based on memory of playing Songs of Blades and Heroes and Galleys and Galleons.

Hmmm, my guys seem to be falling over.

Mark B is getting lucky running the Prussians.

Vengeance!

However it turned out to be short lived.  The Prussian commander got backup and after a few stumbles by the French commander the Prussians came up tops.

I used the same quality and combat factors for both sides and forgot about needing to reload.  We also didn't use the group rules.  So it was very simple but lots of fun.  Must read the rules again.

Napoleonic French force ready for skirmish

These seven figures have taken me so long to finish.  Purchased at least ten if not twenty years ago at a Cancon jumble stall and languished in a lead pile as part of a crazy plan to build a 24 figure unit with then.  Songs of Drums and Shakos came to my rescue and I had a set of rules I was happy to use for Napoleonic skirmish that just need a few figures.  That was a good number of years ago, but at least within the life of this blog.

Anyway, they are finished now, ready for a game.  I've based them 15mm wide and 20mm deep so they can form up, but I only ever expect them to be used a singles, however, never say never.

Eustache

On the base was the number 129

Bastien

On the base FN3

Corentin

On the base FN3?

Adrien

On the base CR1980

Gaspard

On the base the Hinchcliffe symbol and FN4?

Fabien

Same figure as Eustache

Damien

On the base NP22

So I think they are mostly Hinchcliffe, but they are old whatever they are.

Early Macedonian Successor versus Burgundian Ordonnance

On Sunday in what is a first for me I had a game of Impetus in which both armies were from my collection.  I ran my Burgundians against my Mark B and Stephen N who took command of the Macedonians.  There are 1,000 years between these armies so it was going to be interesting.

We played with a different terrain set up to usual and on a longer table.  We were testing out some new hills that ended up having a quiet an unplanned effect on the game.

The Macedonians sheltering behind the ridge.  I think they were channeling Wellington.

The Burgundians ready to open fire.

And on the first move the Macedonians choose disorder.

(Result of shuffling sideways - we had a bit too much terrain on the table)

I became concerned for my right flank, as while I have two very powerful units of knights stationed there, it looked like over half the enemy army might be heading for them.

Did I say the Macedonians were disordered?

Not helped by slipping and a sliding on the slopes.

The Macedonian right advancing, perhaps a tad too fast with their cavalry.

Burgundian archers are ready to greet the rash Macedonian cavalry

Back on my right and the Macedonians seem to be keeping their distance.

Stephen's command gets a boost.  We're all experts now.

(Well my CinC is charismatic, but he's modest).

The main Burgundian force has stayed put, but a screen has been pushed forward 

and is just about to get in range.

The Thessalian cavalry charges and just doesn't make it...

The Macedonian centre is coming under bombardment.

Their right wing cavalry has routed after a few volleys from the archers.

Still a good distance between us on my right.

My right as seen from their left.

Looks a bit congested for their heavy foot and cavalry.

The Macedonian right wing looks more orderly.

Bird's eye view of one half of the battlefield.

The two sides have finally clashed.

The Left wing Macedonian pike block is maneuvering through the brindi patch.

Mounted crossbowmen face off against Thracian light cavalry

Most of the Peltast screening the Macedonian right have now been eliminated.

The Thracians have broken through...

The Macedonian right about to run the gauntlet.

The Burgundian centre starts to move.

On my right the Thracians have been eliminated.

Only now my CinC is stuck in combat against some mercenary Hoplites.

The enemy attack on my left by their Hoplites is a failure.

It is tricky on the right, but my CinC managed to disengage.

On the left the Macedonian pike have broken through, 

but my knights are in position.

Further combat on the right does not go well for the Greeks.

And on the left the pike block is shattered by my knights.

(must check that sideways interpenetration is not prohibited/restricted -

the knights had to charge through the crossbowmen).

Amazing to see both my armies in action on the one table.

Thanks guys!

Romans versus Gauls in 6mm

At the NWS Games Day I took part in a 6mm Impetus game.  I was a Gallic commander using Graham's almost finished army.  Together we took on Mark Woods's new Roman army.  Micheal made up the fourth player on the Roman side.

The Romans as seen by the Guals on their shinny white bases.

And the Gauls as seen by the Romans. 

And the game gets off to a good start as the first activation roll by the Romans

 sees their commander down rated to poor.

(The is actually their second roll, the roll to see who had major control of the battlefield had been a double one as well)

Each side has four commands.  I had numbers 4 and 1 on the left flank.

We were unsure how to use our chariots.  I had mine out front, Graham had his out back.

The Parthians had lent us their fabulous camp.

Any enemy of the Romans is a friend of the Parthians I guess.

Oh dear.  The Gallic general of our third command turns out not to be an expert.

But it can not get any better for my general and CinC

In what seemed to be a developing theme of the game

another Roman general is down graded.

Skirmish time and my chariots wipeout a lot of Roman skirmishers with their first shots,

The Gallic command number three starts its advance across the broken ground.

The preliminary fighting on the left is basically my cavalry trying to keep out of trouble.

The Gauls are through the broken ground and ready to pounce.

I'm keeping my guys back, but now realise I need to move to the left a bit.

The fourth band of Gauls enters the woods.

Their commander is not feeling an expert today either.

The Roman camp

The view from the Roman side

The Romans have lost a lot of their skirmish screen

The fourth Gallic commander now considers himself to be an expert.

He commands the left wing cavalry and has mostly kept out of trouble.

The Romans are not amused.

The fourth Gallic command is through the forest.

The third Gallic command is just about worn out.

The Gallic CinC is looking at the sundial.

The main body of Gauls has now advanced.

And halted...

The third Gallic command has broken.

The Gallic cavalry on the left has lost a few units, but there are still plenty of them.

The chariots are now fighting and proving to be lucky.

The Gallic CinC wants them out of the way before he launches his main assault.

This also gives time for the Gallic fourth command to work round the Roman left flank.

Yet another Roman general is down graded.

Not surprising as his command is about to break

And we're in!

The final Roman general seizes the day and decides he's the expert round here.

The charismatic Gallic commander is fighting for his life.  

His unit has suffered heavy casualties, but he must keep fighting.

A second Roman command breaks and that's game over.

Phew, what a blood bath.

Time for the Romans to go home.

From the sheet recording breakpoints, the Roman army would be lost at 31 while the Gauls would hang on till 55 (and for the Gauls their chariots and cavalry were three points a loss).  If the Gauls had lost one more cavalry unit from their left flank (which easily could have happened) that command would have broke and the game gone to the Romans.

Excellent game and fabulous to play in 6mm.