Some like It Hoth!

Made the journey to Coeur d'Alene two Friday's ago to join Scott in breaking in his recently arrived Star Wars: Battle of Hoth Commands & Colors game.  After going over the rules and becoming familiar with the units and terrain pieces, we dug into the game on a mission to work through the first few scenarios.

Star Wars: Battle of Hoth, rather than by GMT Games, is published by Days of Wonder and offers up a fast-paced, light wargame that recreates the iconic Empire Strikes Back battles using a streamlined Command and Colors system.  Having never played Memoir '44, Scott affirms that Hoth draws heavily from Memoir '44 but with a Star Wars thematic flair.  The miniatures included in the game are actually quite nice although very light being molded in plastic.  I expect Scott will push these figures into his long painting queue at some point.

My initial impression is that play offers a quick, small-sized tabletop miniatures battles with a Stars Wars cinematic theme and a Commands & Colors feel.  Rules are not the same as in CC Ancients, but Hoth's Commands & Colors heritage is certainly present.  With only a handful of units per side in the opening scenarios, setup is quick.  Games are finished almost as quickly.  Our battles were often fought to conclusion in under 30 minutes.  Several were over in about 20 minutes.

While this was only a first introduction to the game, initial impression suggests the system may favor the Imperial Forces.  Imperial infantry can take four hits to the Rebels' three hits and, in our games, the most powerful cards tended to show up in the Imperial player's hand.  Unlike CC Ancients, there is no Battle Back process.  Players attack with impunity so no counterattack possible.  These initial games did not seem to reproduce the same tactical challenges and decision making present in CC Ancients but, perhaps tactics will evolve with more games under our belts?  

In the end, it was a very fun day out and I learned a new game system.  Looking forward to more trials with Hoth.  Did I mention Scott sprung for lunch out too?  Excellent!

This Friday just passed, I hosted a four-player replay of the Zallaqah battle.  Four different players participated in this contest with three "old hands" and a new player.  The game was a real nailbiter right down to the last die roll.  Who came out victorious?  That is a tale for another time. 

I get a chance to try my hand in this scenario in a one-to-one game on Monday.

Framed!

Having hosted remote games via Zoom for several years now, I decided to take up a different tack on how to display status dice for my frequent Basic Impetvs games.

Up until now, 16mm status dice (VBU and Impetvs Bonus) have been placed on the raised cleat at the left rear of each stand.  These dice are big, a bit unwieldy, and occasionally topple down from the cleat during play.  The benefit of these larger dice is that players can easily see these dice from the overhead webcams when participating in remote games.

16mm Status Dice

In the last game with five players (see Zallaqah 1086), I switched out the 16mm status dice for smaller, 12mm dice.  These 12mm dice still occasionally toppled down from the cleat during play but not as often as with the 16mm dice.  As an encouraging bonus, not one player commented about the change in dice.  Now, they either did not notice the swap or could not see the pips to begin with and refrained from commenting.  The Rejects are a very polite group, so the answer certainly could be the latter!

12mm Status Dice

Hearing no open rebellion, I decided to take this to the next level by fixing the smaller dice onto the cleat.  Looking for dice trays or frames, I discovered that Warbases make a dual frame for 12mm dice.  The frames were exactly what I was looking to find!  I placed an order and the order arrived quickly.  This was my first order from Warbases.  Service and product were excellent.  

Comparison 1: Old vs New

Since the Zallaqah battle is up for a replay on Friday, I set to work affixing these dice frames to the stands needed for the Zallaqah battle.  Cutting out the frames and sticking each to a base did not take too long for the 50 stands needed for the upcoming game.

Comparison 2: Old vs New

To my eye, this improves the look of the stand and adds a bit of tidiness and stability to the status dice.  My only problem now is that I have at least three very large collections that require similar treatment.  Hopefully, I bought enough frames to re-engineer all of the bases and bring all of the Basic Impetvs collections up to current specifications.  I think I did but much work lies ahead.  

FPW Prussian Dragoons and Winter Prep

With frost on the ground in the mornings and daylight hours decreasing, time to really think about laying in a winter's supply of black, undercoated figured.  In between various winter prep tasks (actually, prepping and priming figures ought to be added to my list of tasks), the Ready-to-Paint (R2P) box saw a measurable increase in the number of units ready to paint.  The decision of what to prep for winter is always a bit challenging because I must come upon a plan.  This year, the winter theme seems to center around what collection was out on table last.  That would be the Reconquista.  With the recent Zallaqah game, a deep dig into The Lead Pile pulled up enough figures to field several units for both armies.  Do I need more?  Of course not!  Prepped and primed, these handfuls of figures nearly exhaust the tally of unpainted figures remaining in the bins.  Rough count points to about 75 figures plopped into the R2P box.  Also getting attention are several handfuls of figures to expand the Biblical collections.  Of course, some more FPW 15s are heading into the R2P box as are more 18th Century 15s.  The painting queue is getting quite long.

Besides laying in a supply of figures for winter, the painting desk saw some action this weekend too.  The first of these efforts is a 12-figure regiment of Prussian dragoons.  These fellows are from the 7th Dragoon Regiment. 

Figures are Old Glory from 19th Century Miniatures.  With December fast approaching, it is almost time for 19th Century's annual Christmas sale.  I better dig and sift through The Lead Pile to see what I may need to include in my annual restock.  In my recent excavation, I uncovered a number of figures, some from long lost, dormant, or forgotten projects.  Some of these discoveries I set aside for possible Paint'em or Purge'em decisions.  Others, I simply threw back into the hole and reburied to rediscover later.   

Zallaqah 1086

On Monday just passed, five of Postie's Rejects gathered around the remote gaming table for a return to the Reconquista.  Today's action would focus on the 1086 Battle of Zallaqah (or Zalaca or Sagrajas).  The historical battle was fought on 23 October so this fight was nearly an anniversary edition.

Since details of the battle are spotty with accounts varying wildly, I take liberty to interpret and field as I wish.  With player Battle Briefings distributed and any questions answered we tucked into the game.

Ray and Lee chose to fight for the Christian Army under the leadership of King Alfonso VI deployed as below,

Alfonso's Army

while Richard, Steve, and Surjit stepped into the commands of the Almoravid and Taifa Armies under Yusuf ibn Tashfin.

Yusuf's Army

In the historical battle, King Alfonso struck first with a massive heavy cavalry charge into the Taifa infantry.  Would Ray and Lee's Spanish Army do the same?

Let's find out.

Before the battle begins, the two armies face-off across a narrow valley.  Alfonso has all of his heavy cavalry in the first line with his infantry behind in the second line.  The Taifa forces from Badajoz, Sevilla, and Granada form the Muslim first line with cavalry out on the wings.  Yusuf's Almoravids are drawn up in a second and third line behind.

Armies drawn up for battle.

View from behind the Spanish lines.

View looking down the Muslim left.

Rather than beginning with a heavy cavalry charge bang, Alfonso's cavalry step forward slowly.  Both armies begin to close the distance.  Taifa skirmishers, out in front, come within missile range and pepper the knights with arrows.  Taifa heavy infantry backed by bowmen in tercios advance to missile range too.  Their volleys manage to disorder two of the Spanish heavy cavalry.  

Armies close the distance between their lines.

Possibly surprised that his forward positions were not immediately overrun by the Spanish cavalry, Yusuf springs into action.  His light cavalry in the hills and the medium cavalry in the valley descend upon the right flank of Alfonso's Army.  Setting to work, the light cavalry overruns a careless skirmisher and then turns inward to envelop the enemy battle line of horsemen.  Following up in close pursuit, a body of medium cavalry smashes into Spanish light cavalry.  With enemy light cavalry now in its rear, the Spaniards choose to stand and accept the charge.  Overpowered by the Muslim cavalry, the Spanish cavalry falls back taking casualties as it passes in front of the Muslim horsemen.  The Muslims continue in pursuit destroying the enemy horsemen before they can reach safety behind their own lines.

Muslim cavalry charge in...

overrunning skirmishers and...

pushing back enemy light horse.

Enemy is caught and destroyed before making an escape.

With its blood up having destroyed the retreating enemy cavalry, the Muslim medium horsemen throw themselves into a line of massed crossbowmen.  Shot up as they closed, the crossbowmen repulse their attacker but not before taking serious casualties.  Seeing that the enemy is wavering to its front, Muslim light cavalry renews the attack.  The light cavalry cut through the nearest body of crossbowmen before reaching the second mass of crossbowmen.  In the face of such destruction, the crossbowmen are forced to fall back to the safety between two heavy infantry units.  Now, with its flank exposed and no possibility to evade, the Muslim light cavalry is scattered as the Spanish heavy infantry moves up to engage.  

Arab cavalry repulsed.

Light cavalry attacks weakened crossbow
and destroys them.

Pursuit forces the second crossbow to retire...

but a counterattack scatters the cavalry.

The Almoravid cavalry clash is not over quite yet.  Emerging from behind the Badajoz infantry, a body of camelry charges into an awaiting body of Caballeros Villanos.  The camels are driven off and the Spanish cavalry counter charges in pursuit.  After having overrun a body of skirmishers who failed to evade, the Caballeros are put to flight when they smack into a steady body of Almoravid spearmen shooting arrows and bolts into the heavy cavalry on the approach. 

Camelry charges into enemy horse and are repulsed...

while enemy skirmishes are run down.

Having failed to break the enemy tercio in the first cavalry charge, Alfonso sends forward the red knights.  While the red knights concentrate their attack against the massed crossbow to the left, the tercio lends some of its weight as support.  The tercio's long spears also negate the knight's impetus bonus.  In the first clash, the crossbowmen are destroyed, and the knights suffer only light casualties.  The supporting tercio is forced to retreat and falls back into the Black Guard.  The Black Guard give ground and become disordered from the chaos.

Red knights attack!

Pursuing into the gap left by the destruction of the crossbow, the red knights hit the unsupported tercio.  Casualties are heavy with the tercio losing its back stand of bowmen.  With great luck, the red knights pass their cohesion test and only become disordered.  With the tercio continuing its retreat, the red knights follow up keeping the pressure on.  Again, the tercio is hit but this time the Black Guard can offer support.  More Muslims fall.  Yusuf's men are forced back once again. The red knights ignore their casualties and forge ahead against the retreating Almoravids.  For a third time, the red knights crash into the enemy and the enemy is driven back.  While driving back the enemy, knights suffer heavy casualties and fail to pursue.  The attack of the red knights creates a HUGE gap in the Almoravid battle line. 

Pursuit carries the red knights...

deep into the enemy line.

A Big hole opens in the Almoravid battle line.

In an attempt to stabilize what appears to be a rapidly deteriorating situation, the Almoravid right launches an attack.  The Arab camelry hits Spanish heavy cavalry and the camels immediately turns about in retreat.  The Spanish pursue catching the camels in the rear.  Even with support, the camels are scattered and their supporting cavalry falls back.  Still, the Spanish cavalry come on.  As with the exploits of the red knights in the center, the Spanish manage to pass several cohesion tests after each melee.  Having neutralized much of the Arab cavalry on the enemy right, the Spanish horsemen swing in to contact a tercio.  Here the Spanish meet their match and their maker.  The Almoravid tercio stands firm, destroying the Spanish.  For now, the Almoravid Right is secure, but it came at great cost.  

Camels attack and retreat!

In pursuit after pursuit...

the enemy is driven off.

Until, that is, the Spanish meet their match!

With the threat to the Almoravid Right squashed, Yusuf counterattacks in the center against the weakened red knights.  Those heroic Spanish knights are dispatched quickly.  Still, Alfonso sends more cavalry forward.  That body of heavy cavalry forces the Arab tercio to its front to give ground.  Arabs fall back, rally, and then march forward back into battle.  They still have some fight in them!  The Spanish are seen off!  The Almoravid battle line begins to reform and consolidate its position.   

Yusuf attacks and scatters the red knights!

An Almoravid tercio moves up to attack enemy cavalry.

Enemy cavalry retreats!

Muslim battle line reforms.

Battle ends in a draw.

After three-and-a-half hours of play and seeing Muslim line reform with a wall of spears facing the enemy, we declare the battle a draw.  Neither army had broken and there was still fight left in both armies but both sides had been seriously depleted.  With the hour getting late, everyone agreed that a draw was an appropriate conclusion.  The Butcher's Bill favored the Spanish but having lost two bodies of knights is a hard blow.

Butcher's Bill

The points of special note in this game were Lee and Ray's drives deep into the Almoravid battle line.  Lee split the Arab left-center and Ray knocked out the Arab Right in a series of amazing cohesion check passes.  I will spare everyone the probabilities of these two events!  Even with those extreme events, the Arabs managed to stabilize the situation and were prepared to take the fight to the Spanish.

Thank you all for a very entertaining game!  Good fun!

A Pair of Muslim Command Stands

Basic Impetvs (BI) does not require separate command stands since leaders are integrated into a unit.  Not the case for me.  For my version of BI on a grid, I field at least one command stand per army and often one command stand per wing.  My Reconquista games generally do not use more than two command stands per army since many of these games are set for four players.  I can field four command stands.

Well, the remote game on deck later today has five players. That meant I needed to hurriedly push some command figures into the painting queue to field five commands by Monday.  As illustrated by these photos, two command stands made it out from the painting desk on Sunday just in time to field for Monday's game.

Figures are a mix of Black Tree Design, Gripping Beast (thank you, eagle-eye Ray), and Artizan.  One of these stands will take its place in the game today.

I have not had BI out on the table since a few Great Italian Wars battles back in January and have not hosted a remote game since the end of September.  Hope some of this comes back quickly!

Bats Over the Alps

Happy Halloween!

With thoughts of bringing the 1799 Russians to the table for their Baptism of fire and Halloween upon us, I return to Christopher Duffy's Eagles Over the Alps for inspiration.  For today, on Halloween, I will be thinking about Bats Over the Alps.  Checking the Painting Log, the tally shows that I may, indeed, have enough Russians painted from which to build a mid-sized battle.  Cavalry strengths are a little light but in Northern Italy and Switzerland, few may be enough.  I have some research to do.

Before thoughts can turn toward the Alps and a fight in the high country, the gaming table sees a long absent return to the Spanish Reconquista.  This time, my interpretation of the 23 OCT 1086 Battle of Zallaqah hits the table.  I missed the anniversary by a week.  More foresight is needed.  Interesting situation started by a great Christian heavy cavalry charge.

Anyway, battle briefing and QRS have been distributed.  First game is set for Monday in a remote game with five of Postie's Rejects.  I expect a few more iterations of the battle before clearing the table.  In most of these games, there are typically only two commanders per army.  With five players, I wanted each to have a personal commander on the field.  Having only four command stands total in the collection meant hurriedly pushing more command to jump ahead into the painting queue.  With a little luck, this work will be finished before Monday's action.

Last Saturday saw me take to the field as a Redcoat in a five-player F2F Zulu War game using Chris Leach's Battles for Empire II (BfE).  I do not recall playing these rules before.  One player played a game at Enfilade! con back in May and enjoyed the game.  None of the others had played BfE either. 

Despite a general unfamiliarity with the rules, we picked up the broad concepts quickly and fought the battle to a satisfactory conclusion.  Especially satisfactory for the British.  

The British objective was a punitive expedition to lay waste to a Zulu strongpoint. There were two British commanders facing three Zulu commanders.  Both British columns marched onto the field as my column on the left headed toward the high ground opposite the Zulu kraal.  No sooner had I reached the table than the British CiC marching with the right column ordered both companies to go into square and await the enemy.  What?  How can we possibly take the objective with our feet pinned to the ground?  Well, I duly went into square pivoting my square to offer support to the other British square.

British columns form square.

I sent my dragoons up onto the ridge to keep an eye on enemy movements but quickly fell back toward the safety of the square when the Zulus bounded over the ridge.  My dragoons dismount and form into a firing line.

Dragoons fall back and dismount.

The Zulus came on in wave after wave.  The first couple of waves were destroyed on the approach but finally, a wave reached my square.  On my front, casualties were very high among the enemy.  The other British square saw less success against the enemy who began encircling that square.  While fighting off the enemy on my front, I also lent support to the adjoining square to prevent complete encirclement.  British firepower was awesome.

Zulus reach my square!

By this point, sufficient enemy Zulu casualties were inflicted to break the enemy.  Still with time aplenty, the Zulus reconstituted four units from the Dead Pile and brought them back on table.  These reinforcements joined into the fray and managed to break the rightmost square while mine held on, repelling all comers.

British square encircled!

Even with the breaking of one British square, Zulu casualties were piled high.  The battle ended in a convincing British victory.  Saturday sees a return engagement but this time, the theatre moves to the NWF.  Reports of rapid painting of Afghans reach British HQ.