Gaming - Gettysburg at The Other Partizan

 The weekend saw our group trip to Newark for The Other Partizan show. We put on a Gettysburg game using the 10mm collections. A good team effort with contributions of kit, time and effort across the group.

We were playing out day 2 of the battle 

View from the North 

 

The table was 12x6 with 3000 figures involved altogether 

View from the South with James and Martin 

 

The Plum Run with Devils Den and the Round Tops

The first of many assaults on Culps Hill 

Longstreets troops advance at the Peach Orchard

Devils Den falls and Union troops retreat 

The assault up Little Round Top fails 

The Union troops push back down the slopes

Cenmetary Ridge still has a mass of Federal troops in reserve.

The 5th Reb assault takes Culps Hill , the Counterattack pushes then to to back of the hill

 

The Union held the ground successfully 

Having played it , it really showed the challenges . We will play it through from Day1 some time soon I think 

A good day was had. Lots of interest from people , lots of chatting .i topped up my MDF mountain with bases and box inserts . A quick whizz around the fantastic tables . I need to look out for blogs and videos to see them all .

Gaming - 7 Days to the river Rhine - Bridge fight

 We have played a few games over the last few weeks with 7 days. With a lot of game play under the belt , it’s started to show up some of the areas we think need improvement. Mortars and Artillery need a proper system and we will work one out . Another change is that you cannot rally off all the accumulated morale hits , we will always carry one . It’s been a little too points focussed , so will move over to scenario and actual unit battles . Overall happy with the system it gives a decent game just needs a little house rules. Hopefully there will be an updated version 2 in the wings . 

The Soviets race toward the bridge 

 

It was a good excuse to get the extra big bridge completed - this was an e bay purchase of an MDF bridge I found for model railways - it’s a full 2 foot 6 long. 

The Soviets didn’t manage to take the bridge - a little too much focus on a helicopter born assault and not enough ground troops .

We added in using hidden deployment for the NATO Dutch and French units . 

Gerard blown up by Soviet Paras , though the helicopter had been shot down . 

 

Overall some great gaming has been done .

I have a few items to add to my French battlegroup coming up . Some more Gazelles with 20mm cannon and some AA AMX13s . 

Plus there seems to be a good sale price  on a few French boxes , these will arrive in due course . Leclerc tanks and some VABs transport and support unit . 

Gaming - The Soudan

 I have just had a fantastic 4 days of gaming with The League of Extraordinary Kriegspeilers . Steve had organised a campaign system and players and with a combination of collections of troops the Mahdists being mine  and and using Steve’s superb terrain . 5 great battles fought with great spirit and lots of laughter.

Here are just a few pictures - as I was so busy all the time I forgot to take loads . Some are Steve’s.

The assault on Khartoum 

 

  

 

 

Gaming - 7Days to the Rhine

This weekend saw the usual monthly meet up. 7Days seems to have really caught some of the guys interest with new forces being raised - one of the good things is that you dont need loads for a game . We used a 12x6 table with a capture the bridge scenario - this would see Bren and Dave using the newly raised Soviet paratroopers and their air assault helicopters , with a force of Soviet armour racing to the bridge . 

My French would be deployed as the advance screening force and Stigs  new West Germans defending the other side around the industrial complex . 

 

The big guns dealt with advancing APCs 

 

AA and then APC autocannons dealt swiftly with the coup de main attempt after the initial assault had looked like it might just work 

Leopard 2 crossing the bridge to reinforce the French who had sold themselves dear .

Who doesn’t like a flight of A10s 

The Soviets didn’t manage to take the bridge , we had enough time to run it again and they tried a more aggressive approach which also failed . They want to play it again ! 

Gaming - Sword Beach

 Today saw the 4th of our 5 D Day beach themed games this year . We did Sword beach a few years ago , though this included the Pegasus bridge area . This time we did if further west and with an L shaped table to allow a bit further inland to allow a potential counter attack . 

Looking west along Queen Green Queen White 

Inland from Lion-sur-Mer to Hermanville 

 

The full width is 12 foot , and 8 -10 foot deep foot - yes long arms and shive stick required at times 

The RAF buzz the beaches 

The bombardment starts 
 

DD’s hit the beach - we had about 1/3rd losses with sinking or swamping in the surf 

Breaching teams arrive on LCT’s

 

Infantry have arrived - the tide has also started to come in - denoted by the ribbon moving up the beach 

 

AVRE’s work on clearing the obstacles and breaching the sea wall .

 

Artillery hits the beach , starting to hurt the invaders 

The defenders knock out Crabs approaching the minefield

 

Lion sur Mer is liberated - and the Brits are heading in land 

The build up continues with forces pouring ashore

 

WN20 is over-run 

Photos from Roy the Brit commander in this area 

Time to head in land 

Brigade command , thinks there may be a German counter attack coming . 

We are planning a more detailed counterattack scenario in the future , for now we assumes 21st Panzer had got out of the blocks early and attempted to throw the invaders into the sea here rather than further west as they tried 

Wolverines AT have disembarked 

Panzergrenadier advance 

Pz IV’s trade blows 

Sherman’s , Firefly’s , and “Bring up the Piat” - put a stop to the counter attack . 

A really fun game -mad all of these D Day ones have been 

All the troops are by James Mac , a bulk of the terrain is mine . We used Pendraken Miniatures HQ gaming room - a great facility .

We have Omaha left to do later in the year - I need some consistent dry warm weather to sort out Point du Hoc