Wargaming in 2020 - A Look Forward

With 2019 in the rear-view mirror I wanted to get down on "paper" what I plan to do in the year 2020.

First, Happy New Year to all my gaming friends across the globe!

I'm setting some lofty goals around miniatures and publications for this new year and I hope I can get most of it accomplished!

Miniatures Work

• Publish Vauban’s Wars in the first quarter of 2020. I'm getting the last feedback from blind remote playtesters so I should have a real good idea of where I stand. I can't image this not being shipped by end of March 2020.
• Finish building my PaperTerrain Vauban fortress in 15mm. (Need it for photos for the rules)
• Finish painting and flocking my 15mm Potemkin Russian forces.
• Finish painting, basing, mounting flags, etc for my SYW Russians.
• Finish flocking\labeling my Maximilian collection (I rebased everything last year)
• See if I can finish my Japanese for the RJW 
• Finish painting Taiping collection, then flock them. (28mm)
• Dare I finish my WWI trench boards? Started them 15 years ago! 
• Finish Guns of Liberty 3rd Edition. This will be the last and final ruleset I will write for publication as it is too much work.

Miniature Gaming

• Maximilian in Mexico
• Seven Years War and War of the Austrian Succession
• WW2 Pacific with Jungle Terrain
• RJW
• Get Ottomans on the table vs Russians and Austrians.
• Sure would like to get my 1790s Poles and Lithuanians out of their boxes!

Board gaming:

• Virgin Queen Saturday
• Europe Engulfed Saturday
• Paths of Glory Saturday
• COIN games: Fire in the Sky and another
• Spanish Civil War CDG that Jan picked up.
• Empire of the Sun Sundays with EC
• Play Jaws, Freedom (Ottoman vs Greeks), and Stronghold too.
• Gaming with the family! 

Already got Jaws and Freedom on the table!

A shot of Freedom! Unique game system with nice decision matrix.

Eric

Historicon and the Months After

Hi folks,

Even though I haven't blogged in a while I have been quite busy on the wargaming front.


Historicon

I had a wonderful time at Historicon as usual, but since they are moving the show back to Lancaster, PA, I doubt I will make that 9 - 10 hour trip anymore. It is ok, in that I will focus on my local gaming conventions and my weekly gaming.

You can see a battle report of my Reichenberg game on Peter's blog:

http://blundersonthedanube.blogspot.com/2017/07/battle-of-reichenberg-at-historicon.html

Here are some photos I took and I really like how the terrain come out. The rules I used was Cartouche from Piquet, 15mm figures (mostly Old Glory), and PaperTerrain houses.

Below is the carnage left after the armies left the field. The little black casualty markers are stand(s) lost in the battle.

I also really enjoyed playing in Martin Goddard's "Men of Company B" game (Peter Pig). The Search and Destroy mission was fun and exciting. I'll definitely play that one again!

War of 1812 x 2

I had the pleasure of fighting in two War of 1812 games in back to back weeks. What are the odds of that?!

The first battle was a knock-down drag out fight in 28mm over at Dr. Bob's house. We used Carnage & Glory for the rules and it was a MASSIVE game.

I had to leave to help my parents move before the end of the game, but I was told it was a nail bitter with the Americans coming out on top!

The second game was with Piquet using Brian's 15mm collection. We refought Bladensburg outside of Washington, DC! This ended up as a smashing British victory, although that game hung in the balance for most of the night.

Here are a couple of shots of the game.

This Heroic Artillery move allowed the Americans to bring up their BIG guns from the third line to the second line so they could hammer on the British a bit.

Americans try to halt the advance of the British. My America brigade paid a heavy price that day, but gave the other American commands time to form up and prepare for the big battle.

American forces routing from the field. Washington will fall.

Board Gaming

We have been very active as a group with board gaming. Sometimes I don't feel like setting up a big miniatures battle and it is also hard to get a big group of gamers together each week. Life can get in the way sometimes.

Here is a list of games that we have played over the last couple months.

July 26 - Zombicide: Black Plague (EB, Phil, Wes, Jan)

Aug  16 - Time of Crisis - Rome 3rd Century AD (GMT) (EB, Phil, Wes)
Aug  23 - Quartermaster General:1914 (Mac, EB, Brian, Wes) 2 games played
Aug  30 - Vikings 878 (EB, Charles, Jan, Phil)

Sept  6 – QMG:1914 (EB, Jan, Wes, Mac, HH) two games played
Sept 13 - Nappy Wars (EB, Jan, Paul, Phil, Brian)
Sept 20 - HIS playtest (EB, Jan, EC, Brian, Phil, and Wes)
Sept 27 - Time of Crisis - Rome 3rd Century AD (GMT) (EB, Phil, Brian, Mac)
Sept 30 - Twilight Imperium 4 - (EB, Wes, Mac, Hammer, Victor, Nick)

Oct  4 - Terraforming Mars (EB, Mac, Jan, Phil, EC, Charles)

Oct  8 - Manoeuvre (EB and Phil) x2 on Sunday

Here is the BIG one! We will be playing Here I Stand (GMT Games) on the 500th anniversary of the 95 Thesis and the religious wars of the 16th century..
Oct 21 - Here I Stand (Jan, EB, Brian, Phil, EC, BenS) - Saturday all day game at my house.


Guns of Liberty 3rd Edition

These rules are nearly ready for publication. I have a couple more playtests to work out, but then I should be able to hand off to the publisher for a 2018 release date. That will be the 20th anniversary of the rules too!

Vauban's Wars

I will be making more terrain for this ruleset, and should get back on track for a 2018 release once Guns of Liberty is off my plate.

Guns of Liberty: Battle of McCaskill's Farm

Hi all!

About two weeks ago, Bob McCaskill hosted a Guns of Liberty game that I ran for the local lads.

The game was an introduction for most of the players as only a few had played my rules before.

We were playtesting some minor 3.0 version tweaks to the rules and just had a great time.

The British were on the attack in this fictional Southern Campaign battle. Bob has a spectacular collection of 25mm AWI figures with GMB flags.

The Battle of McCaskill's Farm

Deployment
The battlefield was broken into two fighting locations, with a large wood covered ridge in between the two sections. Players could move units, via trails, through the woods to the other side to help if they deemed it worthwhile. The British are favored to win in this battle, and the American's goal is to bloody the British before withdrawing.

British OOB

I've posted graphics of the Guns of Liberty rosters for those familiar and not familiar with the rules to see how unit ratings are done.

Left Flank (click to enlarge) - Joe commanded the 1st Brigade, and Jim the 2nd Brigade.



Right Flank (click to enlarge) - Royalist Brigade commanded by Dr. Bob.

American OOB

American Left Flank (facing the Royalist Brigade) - Commanded by Mike

American Right Flank - 1st Brigade lead by Leo and 2nd Brigade by Tim.

View from the British Right Flank

View from the British Left Flank

Great shot of De Lancey's regiment with the NC Royalists to their right

33rd Foot advancing

Delaware Regiment (3 stands) awaiting the British attack as a reserve unit

Initial Attack

The British plan was simple, advance on all fronts and punish the American rebels!

The British players deployed their units in Open Order line formation for the attack, with the converged Lights pushing forward on the right in skirmish formation.

View of the British attack on the left flank

View of the Royalist Brigade, Queen's Rangers deployed in skirmish on the right to counter the American riflemen behind the fence.

The American Left flank showing the rifles far left of the line on the fence and Lee's Legion Light infantry on the far right in skirmish formation. The rest fo the militia was held in reserve.

In the middle Joe's brigade of Grenadiers, Lights, and the 33rd advance forward, while Leo's bridage, moves to meet them.

Tim's American bridage "advances to the rear" to gain cover of the rail fence and await the assault by Jim's 2nd Brigade and the dreaded 1/71st Highlanders. 

The Royalist Brigade screened on their right by the Queen's Rangers drives the rebels backwards.

Just before the point of impact

Meanwhile on the British left flank the 1st Brigade smashes into the Continentals (North Carolinians, and Marylanders).

In the thick of it! Love thos GMB flags!

British Lights had fallen back after drawing the Continental's first, and most effective, volley. Then the Grenadiers and 33rd are sent in to finish off the Americans

De Lancey's regiment drives Lee's light infantry back

Queen's Rangers form into Open Order and charge the riflemen! The riflemen are forced to retire and the rangers take the ground.

American light infantry in skirmish formation try to inflict some casualties on the large Highland regiment. They are not very successful.

The small 1st Delaware Regiment is forced to retreat by effective British musket fire.

Good view of the action across the entire right flank of the American line.

Another view

Dr. Bob's Royalist Brigade continues to punish the rabble driving them back from the fence line.

Leo's Continentals give the British a taste of their own medicine and this turns into a see-saw battle with muskets blazing!

NC Royalist regiment clears the fence and steam-rolls into the North Carolina and Virginia milita.

The Royalist Brigade is now completely engaged!

And victorious! The militia are routing, the American 3# guns are silenced, and this flank is well in hand.

British 63rd Foot overruns the American guns! Disaster for the Americans!

Dr. Bob, knowing his section of the battlefield was secure, sends Tarleton's Legion through the woods to attack Leo's left flank. This was the end for the Americans.

Well, the Americans were routing on their left flank and had to withdraw on the right after taking a pretty heavy beating along with Tarleton riding down their flank and then pursuing. It would be a hazardous retreat for the Americans.

We had a really good time and kudos to Dr. Bob for hosting the game and I thought he played the game extremely well.

Cheers!