Phil invited us to his house today for an introduction to the Field of Glory: Napoleonic (FoG:N) rules. Four of us had a nice game. You can see the game from the British perspective at the Jackson Gamers blog.
The British center with a French corps deployed in the background.
The Jackson Gamers met today and conducted two hunts using Howard Whitehouse's The Lion Eats Tonightrules. You can see pictures and a report of the two hunts at the Jackson Gamers blog.
The mighty hunters gather for another safari into the African bush.
We played this game at Jay Stribling’s home in Jackson MS. on September 15, 2012. It was a 25mm Semi-Skirmish game set on the Florida Coast, near the small town of Cedar Key. The rules were a second play-test of The Sword and Secession a variant for Larry Brom’s The Sword and the Flame rules set.
A number of years ago, Mark Stevens and Jay Stribling, on a trip to Tampa Florida, took a side jaunte to the charming little town of Cedar Key on Florida's coast. While we were there, we visited the local museum, which had information about a Federal Raid during the Civil War, the purpose of which was to destroy a salt producing works. This secnario is the result of that visit.
The Gamemaster for the game was Jay Stribling. The photos and their captions are by Jim Pitts.
Union Marine raiders encounter Confederate militia
Union Marine raiders advance against the Confederate militia defending the salt works. We used a mixture of Union Infantry and some dismounted cavalry from our "Plains Indian Wars" forces, to portray the Federal raiders.
Confederate militia cavalry rides to the succor of the salt works defenders.
Confederate militia cavalry rides to the relief of the defenders. And yes, there are two dark faces among the militia cavalry, either free blacks or armed servants. We made use of gray-clad mounted figures from a number of armies, including irregular horse from the Zulu Wars!
Union Marine raiders advance against Confederate militia defenders of the salt works.
Federal Marines, landed just up the coast, encounter Confederate militia defending one of the outlying buildings of the salt works. In the misty background, another unit of Union raiders is moving onto the battlefield.
Unfortunately the Federal navy was unequal to the task of landing the troops together, right at the town. Apparently they had been confused by strong winds and currents and the boats scattered the landing party up and down the coast. For each unit which arrived at the battlefield, the Union commander had to dice to see where it entered the game table. The navy’s boats were also only able to land two units per turn.
The salt works are under attack from two Union units, one of US Marines (first rank) and the second of sailors
The salt works in the center of the field were threatend by two Union units uner the command of Ed Sansing–shown above. One unit was composed of US Marines (first rank) and the second of sailors (being played, for this game, by British Victorian naval brigade figures). After suffering from the volleys of the two Union units, the Confederate militia defenders morale failed and they fled from the field.
Confederate militia attack the Union Marines. The Southerners failed to close and fell back into the woods.
Bill Hamilton's Confederate militia charge out of the woods to attack the Union Marine raiders. They would fail their "To close" morale test and fall back into the woods again.
Another unit of Confederate militia, having arrived as reinforcements, exchanges fire with some of the Union Marine raiders.
Another unit of Confederate militia, having arrived as reinforcements, exchanges fire with some of the Union Marine raiders. All of the Confedrate reinforcements (2 milita units were allowed to start on the field) had to come up the road, entring from the exreme Confederate right rear. While the Rebel units were twice the number of the Yankees, they dribbled onto the battlefield.
After advancing closer, the Confederate and Union units trade another volley.
After advancing closer, the Confederate and Union units trade another volley. This time the Confederate attack is supported by a unit of dismounted militia cavalry (right background).
In The Sword and the Flame as well as this variant, 20-sided dice are rolled, one per firing miniature, to determine fire casualties. The brightly colored dice are being pointed to by one of the players: "That's a hit!–No, you are not reading the dice properly…."
Regular confederate infantry advances to recover the salt works from the Union occupiers.
The single unit of regular confederate infantry advances to recover the salt works from the Union occupiers. They are also supported by a unit of dismounted militia cavalry (left background). Between the two Confederate units, they were able to reduce the Union raider’s strength significantly enough that the Union troops could not complete their destruction of the salt works.
Confederate Player Briefing
The blasted Yankees are landing on the coast to destroy the salt works at Cedar Key. You must stop them. Your forces are four militia cavalry units, two militia infantry units and one unit of regulars that happened to be in the area.
Only two of the militia units may be set up on the battlefield, anywhere that you like. The other units must come on from the edge of the table on the road. You may roll a D6 at the start of each turn. If you get a “1” then you receive no reinforcements. If you get “2 – 5” then one reinforcing unit may come on. If you get a “6” then two reinforcing units may come on, again, on the road.
There are three buildings on the table, all part of the salt works. You must safeguard them all. The enemy will try to destroy them. It will take more than one turn of work, as the vessels in which the salt is rendered are quite sturdy.
And the Winner is…
The result of the game was that the Yankees were too hard-pressed by the constant flow of Southern Militia units to destroy the buildings housing the salt works. Their requirements of "Three turns work by ten men" (unkown to the southern defenders) was too much for the Federals. In the future, the salt works will be more lightly constructed!
The Jackson Gamers gathered at Jay's house today, Labor Day, to test a new variant of The Sword and the Flame rules which Jay calls The Sword and Secession. From the title you would be correct in presuming that it is an American Civil War variant.
As Jay states, "This is an adaptation…for use in gaming the smaller actions and raids during the War of the Rebellion." And he further states, "But for every great Bull Run or Wilderness, there were a hundred small cavalry actions, naval landings, and foraging expeditions."
The scenario was very basic – a Union raiding force of cavalry and infantry is sent out from Memphis to try to capture and burn a Confederate supply area somewhere in northwest Mississippi in early 1864. The Confederates, of course, are trying to prevent that from happening.
We had seven players. Phil, Bill, Jay, and I (Col Campbell) were the Union commanders. John, Ed, and Sean were the Confederate commanders. We used a combination of "real" Union infantry and Western Indian Wars cavalry for the Union side and various Boers and Victorian Colonial mounted yeomanry for the Confederate side. The Union force had three white cavalry units and two black cavalry units (the 3rd Cavalry, USCT, formerly known as the 1st Miss. Cavalry (African descent)) and four white infantry units (including the 1st Miss. Mounted Rifles). The Confederates had three cavalry units and four infantry units.
Commanded by Col Campbell, the 3rd Cavalry, USCT, advances on the Union left flank. In the left background is the 1st Miss. Mounted Rifles (dismounted), one of the units commanded by Jay.
One of Ed's Confederate infantry units deploys in a patch of woods, awaiting the Union advance. Behind the woods another of Ed's units advances
The 1st Miss. Mounted Rifles (dismounted) [actually an assorted collection of Western Indian Wars cavalry figures] under Jay's command takes one hit from Confederate fire. The red (and other colored) rings on various figures denote the leaders – 2 per infantry or cavalry unit and 1 senior leader per player.
The Union right wing with cavalry under Phil's and Bill's command and infantry under Bill's and Jay's command advances on the Confederate positions.
Part of Jim's 3rd Cavalry, USCT, dismounts and takes a firing line against one of Sean's Confederate infantry units. The Union cavalry was all armed with rifled, breechloading carbines which could fire twice per turn. It didn't help the USCT much as I don't think I ever got over 3 hits with 18 to 20 shots per turn!
The other half of the 3rd Cavalry, USCT, has dismounted to face off against Sean's second infantry unit.
One of Ed's Confederate and Bill's Union infantry units begin to shoot at each other. In the background, John's Confederate cavalry has begun to advance against Phil's Union cavalry.
Suddenly Sean sends a cavalry unit of Miss. State Troops around the left flank of my USCT cavalry. Needless to say I was a little worried here!
Meanwhile on the other end of the battlefield a huge cavalry melee develops. Both of John's Confederate cavalry units have charged both of Phil's counter-charging Union cavalry units. The firing line in the foreground is Bill's dismounted Union cavalry unit.
The big cavalry melee resulted in one of John's units beating one of Phil's and the other of Phil's beating the other of John's. (Did you follow that?) After the melees were over, both winners got bonus moves and immediately turned on each other.
Back on my end of the battlefield, Sean's MST cavalry was too far around my flank to attack my USCT troops. (Whew!) But he could see Jay's 1st Miss. Mounted Rifles (dismounted) so he attacked them.
In the middle of the battlefield, Ed's two Confederate infantry units are now trading shots with Jay's other Union infantry unit (foreground) and with Bill's Union infantry unit (background). In the far right background, Bill's Union cavalry unit has remounted and is advancing. He wants to break through the Confederate lines so he can pillage and burn their supply area (which is located off the Confederate rear table edge).
Having beaten off Sean's MST cavalry, Jay moves the 1st Miss. Mounted Rifles (dismounted) against Ed's Confederate infantry in the woods while also charging them with his other infantry unit. In the background, Ed's Confederate infantry has charged Bill's Union infantry. In the far background, tape measures are being flourished as John Phil, and Bill maneuver their cavalry.
At my end of the battlefield, one of my USCT cavalry units has broken around Sean's Confederate infantry, trying to reach the Confederate supply area. The other USCT cavalry unit has remounted and is following in their path. Sean's Confederate infantry will be shooting at my cavalry to prevent them from escaping into the supply area.
In the center, Ed's defending Confederate infantry (foreground) has repulsed Jay's Union attackers. In the background, Ed's Confederate and Bill's Union infantry are in a fight.
Ed's Confederate infantry eventually loses and falls back, pinned and "prone." They remained like that for the rest of the game, not being able to rally enough to stand up and do anything.
One of my USCT cavalry units has broken through into the Confederate rear (as has Bill's Union cavalry unit on the other flank). But my other unit, which is leaderless, is trapped. Sean's infantry has just gotten one hit on it and what's left of his MST cavalry is charging my troops from the rear. Surprisingly my troops stand and fight, but lose the melee. All but one of them is able to cut through the surrounding Confederates and escape back toward Memphis.
The game ends at this point with two Union cavalry units in the Confederate supply area, soon to be joined by a third. The Confederate cavalry is reduced to just Sean's six and a few of John's. Both of Sean's Confederate infantry units are intact but they won't be able to interfere with the Union cavalry's pillaging and burning of the Confederate supplies. It was a fun little game although there were some hiccups, as might be expected from a new rule set, even one based on the venerable The Sword and the Flame.
We plan on testing these rules again on September 15 at Jay's in lieu of the Seven Years War game that was originally planned. Jay wants to unveil this variant at the Colonial Barracks convention in early November so we need to test them again.