Gaming - Sands of Sudan

It’s been a while since this collection had a proper large game so last weekend saw an opportunity to get together a bunch of friends and re fight the campaign to relieve Gordon who is besieged in Khartoum. I have use of old friend Gerry’s massive tables  , which would allow for a game with the whole collection using the two 24x6 tables. I used mats created by Tiny Wargames to overlay the tables with some hills under and then a whole load of scatter terrain. I also made use of the gap between tables and made up a 4 foot long river board to drop onto the gap which we could use as the Nile. The game would be played over 3 days with 2 umpires playing the Mahdists and 4 imperial players . 

                                   

The Camel Corps crossing the sands of Sudan 

Gordon awaits his rescuers 

The Suakin field force builds the railway toward Berber.

The New South Wales field battery 

The 9th Bengal deploy 

The river column proceeds up the Nile 

The locals are not happy!

Is that Flashman we see 

The capture of Metemah

The Mahdists come crashing in 

The 19th Hussars are heavily outnumbered by Mahdi’s cavalry 

The Cameron Highlanders Commander orders red coats to be worn 

Khartoum is in sight

Major Kitchener is sent to scout ahead to find a route through 

The Naval Brigade deploy 

 

The city walls are under pressure and the Nile is falling 

 

The city garrison prepares to sally forth as the relief columns approach.

Kitchener finds a way through to the city gates 

The first of relief force arrives in the nick of time as the garrison holds off a final assault. Gordon is saved . Though as Redvers Buller said “not sure the man was worth the camels!”

A thoroughly enjoyable 3 full days of gaming was had . We will do it again .

Gaming - ACW - Battle of Stones River / Murfreesboro.

 We popped along to the Pendraken HQ today to get the ACW collection out. Pendraken have set up a great gaming space with a number of 6x4 tables available. We used two today to set up our game . 

Martin was playing Rebs attempting to destroy 9 Union brigades , and keep the town clear . James had the Union who had destroy 7 Reb brigades or contest the town . 

Gaming surrounded by things to inspire and buy - what’s not to like . 

I have sourced and made up a whole load of new sabot trays - to get them consistent- I think it helps in the look 

Some impetuous Union charges broke the Reb centre 

The Rebs lost more brigades in combat , but were managing to rally them mostly .

 

James crosses the river which was just rough ground for this game .

James get a brigade into the town that saw off the counterattack and that sealed a Union victory . 

All good fun 

Gaming - ACW - Battle of Glendale. Alter of Freedom.

We played another game using the Alter of Freedom rules . This time the Battle of Glendale which sees McClellan’s army already in retreat with the baggage that is being persued by Jackson on one flank , and Lee and Longstreet are about to arrive on the other . It would turn out to be another great game . Table  was 10x6  with 6 of us playing.

 

Ian , commanding Sedgewicks division- managed to roll 6 after 6 for units - utterly blunting Lee’s attack and  keeping the road clear 

 

Martin contemplates the unfolding Confederate attack - and wonders why it’s not working! 

Lee’s flank attack with 11 brigades against the thinly held Union line - all they need to do is capture the road to block the escape of the baggage. 

Jackson’s units attempt to cross the river via the bridge 

Outnumber Union units face off against Jackson

Ian and Stig battle it out - Union dice were hot, CSA were not . The Rebs called it a day on turn 5 of 7 , where they could just not get through the Union divisions - and the Union baggage was heading off table . 

Another good game . The Rebs could and should  have won on turn 2 or 3 as they easily outnumbered the defending units - but a turn of incredible defensive dice made the difference . 

We had 10 of us at the club meet - a record day . It was good to all meet up 

I am finally starting to get back to a little modelmaking and painting . I sustained an arm injury in January that is only just recovering - so it’s good to get back to it - nothing completed yet .