The Hittites Have a King!

After seeing the Hittites and Egyptians out in a seemingly, regular rotation on the gaming table of late, I figured time was due to provide the Hittites with a king.  An actual king.  Today, their king arrives!  Figures are 28mm Newline Designs.

Another round of playtesting for Rein-bow Warriors is planned next week.  Rules amendments and revised playsheets are coming in.  Very interested in seeing what Ian has in store and what modifications have been made since the last round of games.  Rumor is that scouting may make an appearance.  No idea what that may entail.  Before that action can take place, I must clear the table from a second playing of Brandywine with the Tuesday UK group.  Another very bloody affair played out in another four hour session.  With luck, I can compose a battle report this weekend.

On the painting front, more Biblicals are on the way including Sumerians and Hittites.  I have an incoming order of more Foundry Sumerians and Hittites reinforcements.  Enough figures in this incoming order to keep me busy over the winter months even if working on these figures alone.  Work on Battle #5 for the WotR project begins.  This time, John de la Pole.  Two units of Gaesatae are winding their way through the painting pipeline too.

Oh, and with winter descending, I ought to get a winter-sized batch of figures primered to last through the dark, cold months ahead.  Not today, though, it's raining with chance of snow.  Planning for the Winter Painting Offensive requires careful consideration.

Brandywine: Knyphausen Attacks!

As mentioned in Saturday's post, the Battle of Brandywine was set out on the table in preparation for a Saturday remote game.  A refresher of the battlefield topography is illustrated below:

Brandywine layout

Terrain for the battle uses a roughly 5 foot by 5 foot section of game table marked off in four inch hexes. Brandywine Creek runs generally in a north/south direction with Washington's colonials on the east bank and Knyphausen on the west bank of the creek. Sullivan defends Brinton's Ford while Greene defends Chadd's Ford.

Brandywine Creek is only crossable at the two marked fords and is considered ROUGH in melee. Units must stop when entering a ford hex and move no farther that turn. Brandywine Creek, fences, buildings, woods provide soft cover.  American redoubts provide hard cover.

Victory points are awarded for holding key terrain objectives, destroying enemy units, or exiting units off the table.  Largest point total wins a tactical victory. 

Four players participated in Saturday's game with two British/German players (Darren and Ivan) and two Americans players (Steve and Ken).  This game would be Ken's first remote game.  The other three players have at least one of my remote games under their belt.

Without further adieu, let's get to the battle to see how the action unfolded.

Anglo-Germans make their approach march
toward Brandywine Creek.
The Americans lay in wait.

Vaughn's Brigade leads the British column as contact
 is made with Maxwell's light infantry.
Vaughn's infantry deploys into line astride road to
Chadd's Ford.

Stirn's Germans march quickly toward Brinton's Ford. 
 The lead regiment deploys into line.

Vaughn and Maxwell skirmish in front of Chadd's Ford.

Greene orders his command to stiffen the defenses
 at the ford.

Mirbach takes fire from the ford
and the artillery on the hill.

Vaughn attempts to outflank Maxwell.
In the distance, Greene crosses the ford in strength.
What?

Battlefield overview

Greene chooses to take the fight to the enemy
on the west bank of Brandywine Creek.
Is he trying to defeat the British before
they can form up or buy time?

As British regiments arrive, they are deployed
to the left and right of the road in
an attempt to turn Greene's flank.
Casualties are beginning to climb.

The British are working around both flanks
 of the Americans in front of Chadd's Ford.

16th Lt Dragoons swing around to attack from the south. 
 Their attack is repulsed with casualties.
The Americans still control the approaches to the ford
 as more American regiments pass over to the west bank. 

Back at Brinton's Ford, the Germans charge
 into the defenders at the ford and take fire
from the artillery in the redoubt.
They are repulsed with casualties.

The Germans attack!

A second effort sees the Germans gain control of the ford.
The grenadiers are moving up quickly in support as heavy
 artillery unlimbers on the hills overlooking the fords.

In a vicious counterattack,
 the Germans are repelled from the ford.
One German regiment is destroyed and Stirn is down.

Stirn orders a third attack into the ford.

This attack meets success as the 71st enters the fray.
Sullivan's defenders are driven back as British guns take
 chunks out of the American defenders.

In front of Chadd's Ford, the lines are extending as each
 tries to outflank the other.
The American bridgehead is under pressure.

And in a blink of an eye, the American bridgehead at
Chadd's Ford collapses.
Rebels are scrambling to reach safety on the
 east bank of the creek.

Many American regiments are cut down in
their attempt to escape.
Few survive.
Both Maxwell and Greene's Brigades are broken.
Muhlenberg and Greene are hors de combat.

With Greene's Division broken and in retreat,
 the British pick up the chase. 

At Brinton's Ford, the Highlanders push on.
The battle is over.

The Anglo-German forces under Knyphausen claim a convincing victory on the banks of the Brandywine.  In the Butcher's Bill below, the Americans suffered mightily but many of the British regiments still on the field were in a sorry state.  Still plenty of energy left to celebrate this great victory, though.

Anglo-German losses

American losses

Well!  After about four hours of play (maybe four and a half?), battle was won by Knyphausen.  The battle was on the large side with 20+ units per side.  Plenty of troops to command for four players.  Play moved along at a good pace but still allowed time for some hilarious banter among the players.  Rules continue to provide a satisfying and well-paced game.  Of course, a further modification or two may creep in before the next outing. 

Really good fun for me too.  I wish I would have taken a screenshot of Ivan in his ten-gallon pirate tricorn.  The Scottish and German accents were gut-bustingly funny.  From my vantage point watching the big screen TV across the room, I could see all laughing as the comedy routine unfolded. 

What about a battle analysis of commander performance and strategies employed?  I may save that for another time.  

Thanks to the players for volunteering for this gaming session.  For me, this really was great fun.

For Darren's perspective of the battle, please visit Brandywine Online.

OK. Back to the painting desk.

On the Game Table Today

On the gaming table today is the AWI Battle of Brandywine.  The focus of today's action is Knyphausen's attack on the American positions along Brandywine Creek. 

Maxwell's Light Infantry cover the approaches to the creek.

Greene's Division defends Chadd's Ford

Sullivan's Division defends Brinton's Ford

The game is setup for four players in a remote contest.

Can the Rebels block Knyphausen's Division from crossing Brandywine Creek in strength?

Will Kynphausen brush aside the Rebel rabble and move to entrap the Americans between himself and Howe?

Will anyone show up?

When the smoke clears, we will have an answer.

Another Test of Rein-Bow Warriors

Ian and I convened for another remote playtesting session of his developing Rein-Bow Warriors rules.  There were a few changes to the QRS emerging from our last playtest and subsequent group game but no radical changes.  Orders were introduced into this game for the first time.  

Movement rates for chariots were reduced, turn sequence clarifications made, and troop quality and status saw minor adjustments.  Overall, the core concepts remained relatively stable.  That is good.  Rules' stability allows one to begin testing and refining tactics.

Our session lasted about two hours and we fought through six turns with a winner declared.  Again, Ian commanded the Hittites and I took the reins in the Pharaoh's chariot.

Let's see how the battle unfolded.

Arrayed for battle. 
Egyptians in the fore.  Hittites in the distance.

Battle begins with a clash of chariots. 
 The chariots on each wing are opposed but the Hittites
 in the center find no chariot opposition.
Trailing dust clouds mark barriers to entry for foot.

Egyptian chariots are gaining the upper hand on the right

but are evenly matched in the chariot clash on the left.

Hittite chariots in the center pull up and caracole
 into the line of Egyptian bow.
Already one Egyptian bow is wavering.

And it breaks.
  Running toward the rear and safety (it hopes).

Chariot clash on the right sees the Egyptians
wearing down their opposition.
With chariot inferiority, it would be useful to take out
 a Hittite chariot or two to even the odds.

On the left, each pass of chariots causes more damage to both.
How long can this continue?
Not long.  All quivers are empty.

Hittite chariots exploit the gap
in the center of the Egyptian line.

On they storm but their quivers are almost depleted.
Pharoah looks on with concern.

Following up in the Hittite spearhead, infantry clash.

With quivers empty, Egyptian chariots return to resupply.

Battle continues in the center. 
 The Egyptians look to have the upper hand!

Seeing Egyptian chariots converging on the Pharoah,
the Hittite charioteers skedaddle out to safety.

On the far right of the battle line,
 enemy skirmishers are heavily engaged.

Resupplied, chariots return to the fray.

Another infantry clash as enemies pound one another.
  Who will break first?

Actually, the battle is breaking up all along the line
as troops flee to the rear.

When the dust settled and the bodies were counted, Battle Honors rest with the Hittites.  The battle was hotly contested and the Hittites won narrowly by forcing the Egyptians across their Army Breakpoint threshold one unit before the Hittites did likewise.  Congratulations to the Hittite King for a well-deserved victory.

A lot of action packed into a two hour session.  Play moved along at quicker pace as we both become familiar with the capabilities of the troops under command and the rules, themselves.  A number of questions arose and notes taken.  Clarifications and discussion occurred on the fly.  I have unanswered questions out to Ian for further clarification.

Great fun especially to see my Biblical armies out on the table in an almost regular fashion!