ACW - Battle of Brawners Farm 1862

Yesterday saw the guys from the "The Old Guard" club get together to play our first 10mm ACW game which has been the group project for the year. We were using Regimental Fire & Fury for the rules. I was doing the umpire role - feeding on the various reinforcements etc.  The battle is a small part of Second Manassas.

I do think 10mm works particularly well for this period - great mass effects

The set up 

James's Confederates at the farm

Stewarts Black hat brigade in the centre and the cornfield

Johns Georgians enter in the middle - I sense a rebel yell coming oN

The firing starts 

James's Crack Virginians units gives fire 

Its find a fence time! 19th Indian took severe punishment - but still stanidng 

Petes Brigade , North Carolina , Atlanta and Georgian appear on the hill opposite Martin

Martin deploys his Wisconsin boys into extended line to face the threat

The blows are being traded - the Union units are however coming off worse as Stewart keeps  rolling 1's 

Johns Georgians are well into the cornfield charging the union defenders in the wood

the union left begins to fall back - losses are mounting - and the union army reaches Heavy Casualty levels  

The union right is under real pressure.... and it finally gives ... 

Happy Gamers - James, John, Pete, Martin and Stewart

Overall a Confederate victory as they had held the cornfield by the end and inflicted heavy losses on the Union. Stewarts dice found 1 a hell of lot - and the rebels seemed to find 10 a lot! At one point it looked like it would be a run away Confederate victory , but the Union guys stuck at it , and the units did not run way and managed to chip away at their attackers , doing a decent bit of damage in the end.

Most of the guys have not played the rules before - but by the end of the game all were well on the way with them. We had used most of the troops the guys have painted (plus Angus and Stig who were not there have some too) . The consensus was we need more troops!! and we are planning a bigger battle for the Battleground show in November.

a good day out

The Other Partizan - The battle part 2 & loot.

As the day progressed the battle grew bigger with more Mahdist forces arriving around the table.

Major Kitchener found the camp commander, with news the  Mahdi had been sighted to the North of the camp !!

The ladies that have been with the Camel Corps had escaped along with the wounded and had raced back to the zariba 

with the sound of drums beating a host of Mahdists appeared ...

make ready lads!

At the village the Camel Corps remnants are forced out , the Australian gunners are cut down to man , but sell themselves dearly.

The Australian gunners are cut down to a man - they sell themselves dearly

The Camel corps camels are captured ...

A huge force heads across the wadi toward the Naval Brigade and the Royal Irish Fusiliers

As the sailors crank the handles on their MG's , nothing happens... that damned sand has caused them both to jam ....a roll of "snake eyes" for each one... ouch - it would be left to the infantry and their bayonets by the look of it

Its "mad minute" time behind the zariba - they drop swathes of the fanatics . One MG stutters into life at short  range , a royal engineer officer had been on hand with his wd40!

The horde pushed on by the Mahdi crash into the zariba ... would the line hold...

The sailors and the Royal Irish threw everything at them - despite being outnumbered they held the line - great dice roll from Martin hitting with every single melee dice - It was desperate stuff. 

The melee continued.. 

The Mahdist continue to press - but their ranks are thinning..

Half of the Naval Brigade fall as casualties , but they refuse to give ground... men of iron! There will be medals aplenty here.

The 15th Sikhs had double marched around and deployed into  line  pouring fire into the Mahdist  flanks.. 

The Mahdist begin to melt...

The Mahdi decides its time to leave with his bodyguards... live to fight another day...

It was a cracking game - a real spectacle - I had about 2/3rds of my total Mahdist forces on the table at one point . The game was played in great spirit by the guys. I was pleased with knock up rules overall - the core bits from Victorian Steel worked well for firing and melee. I am looking forward to next run out. There will be much mourning in the clubs of London.. the Guards Camel Regt  have been wiped out.. anyone want to buy some camels ? One careless owner?


And the loot I hear you say?

ponds for the 10mm stuff

Clump foliage to make load of 10mm hedges

Some ready made walled fields for the 10mm

and a clue to a future project - some cracking pulp miniatures