Fox-Blue - with Battlegroup D-Day - D-Day to Berlin series game 1

Last year we played a series of Battlegroup games on the Eastern Front, from Barbarossa to Berlin, one battle from each of the Battlegroup supplements for '41 to '45. Then we repeated it in three desert battles from '41-'43. So, that just left the ETO. Getting back to some WWII action, we have decided to play a series of games using all the Battlegroup books that cover the ETO, '44-'45, from D-Day to Berlin. The plan being to vary the scenarios and the army lists used, and get 5-6 different game (often with the same models). So, to start with, D-Day then. I have the stuff and tabletop for an Omaha-ish type game. Time to dig-out the LCVPs.

This was an 800 point Attack/Defence game using the Beachhead scenario from Battlegroup:D-Day,  US Amphibious Assault force vs a Resistance Nest. 

Approaching Fox-Blue in low swell.

The forces, in brief were, roughly:

US: assault boat team in LCVP, DD Sherman tank platoon, Engineer Gap team and Sherman bulldozer in LCM, support weapons boat team in LCVP, M7 Priest, shore fire control party and HQ in LCM, with a PRTP and off-table 5” gun fire. BR 51.

Germans: Ost infantry platoon and auxiliary conscript labourer/kriegsmarine platoon, 152mm coastal gun bunker, 150mm infantry gun bunker, 75mm AT gun bunker (under farm outhouse), reinforced trenches for all infantry, lots of barbed wire (40”), a mined beach with beach obstacles, OP bunker and off-table 120mm mortar battery, plus a few timed strikes, a HQ and comms truck, 50mm mortar team. BR was 31 +6 for their ‘Deserters will be shot’ bonus, the max.

Time to hit the beaches "Let's Go!".

The US approached in three waves, with the gap team and DD Shermans leading, followed by the infantry and M7 Priest and change, at the back. The first turns were quick, as the US landing craft and DD’s all ploughed through low-swell towards the shore and the 5” guns plunged fire onto its PRTP, amidst the defences on the hill on the left. I had decided it would be a mistake to just go up the centre, and take fire from all sides, so chose a flank, here left, as the objective was on the high ground there. The PRTP was then placed to soften up the hill here… but the concrete proved strong enough to resist just about it all, except a lucky direct hit on a MG team that wiped them out… first losses of the game.

The Germans had very few orders, and so fired a few shots out to sea, causing some pinning on landing craft (but as per the special rules, then can still move if pinned at sea), and this was rallied off anyway. By turn 3, the first engineers hit the beach, ramps down and rushed to blow gaps in the obstacles for those DD tanks. It went OK, 1 gap formed, but two gap teams stepped on mines and became pinned. First losses on the beach. The German mortars rained in to add a bit more pinning, the engineers suddenly were fully pinned down. Only one DD tank could get through as the others fired HE up from the waterline, all smashing off concrete to little effect. The M7 Priest was firing en route in as well, but again, the coastal gun bunker was a monstrous bit of reinforced concrete, and the 105mm HE wasn’t denting it.

As the first LCVP arrived, the infantry assault team piled out, rushing up the beach for the single (soft cover we decided). The team HQ stepped on a mine and was KO’d, the LT was the platoons first loss. Soon added to that was rifle fire from the high ground and 50mm mortar bombs, but teams made it to the single and got their bangalore torpedoes out to breach the barbed wire, before assaulting up the slope. The flame thrower team drew fire and were quickly wiped out. Meanwhile, the Sherman gun fire had pinned down the 150mm infantry gun and more 5” shells had smashed the hill top, but the German observer team inside their little bunker called in 120mm mortar fire, and did some damage to the parked landing craft. The Germans suddenly realising their were vulnerable, targeted then and a 152mm shell hit and sunk the empty LCVP… the LCM began backing out to sea.

The US would continue to press, and cleared another gap for the next DD Sherman, which moved up the beach, taking HE hits and shrugging them all off… the Germans lacked for AP, as the PAK bunker was far back and if it could get a line of site, needed 6s to hit. The DD, and bulldozed Sherman which had now cleared a mine-free route up the beach for engineers to follow, could well be the key (no panzerfausts for the infantry here). They continued to HE and MG left and right, but had to be careful, with no resupply for the HE ammo.

The US assault up the hill began, but the first rifle team failed to assault and instead got pinned on the bluff, then wiped out by rifle fire. The Sherman bulldozer through got up the slope and through the lines, behind the infantry gun bunker, which it again pummelled with HE. The Sherman need infantry aid, and engineer teams (demo charges used) pushed up, only to again be cut down by rifle fire (even the German 2 man OP team was shooting with rifles from their bunker now). BR counters were really mounting. Back on the beach, under mortar fire, 80mm and 50mm, the last engineers just couldn’t get the gaps blown and the last LCM, with the M7 Priests to unload, was repeatedly pinned. The last LCVP was raking the trenches with .50 cal fire, as the support infantry weapons team disembarked, humping MGs and their mortar. They again reached the single in force, and found a gap in the wire to assault the trenches and wiped out an MG team and then an Ost infantry squad, they were in the trenches, but pined down, until a unseen Goliath appeared, rolled up, exploded, and wiped them out in a big bang. The German position was cracking… and their counters jumped up too. The US also pulled an Air Attack counter and rolled a 5… USAAF P-47 incoming.

It was close, US losses far higher, but we had the BR to absorb the losses, but was it enough? Well, after the P-47 roared over and rocket attacked the farm, destroying the comms truck parked in the yard, it seemed it would be. The last US infantry were clambering up the bluffs, as Sherman HE continued to try and pin those bunkers. The 150mm sIG had run out of ammo (mercy), but the 152mm coastal gun final hit and penetrated a DD Sherman, leaving it a smoking wreck (first tank loss). 120mm mortars also sank the reversing LCM… and a US MG .30 cal team on the shingle firing into the trenches, as spotted and return fire wiped them out. After rallying, 4 counters left the US on 52 BR total… broken.

The Germans had raced to 27, well short of their 37 (but close to their 31, before the additional bonus). They had held out. ‘Fox Blue is not open’. We’d just have to hunker down and wait for aid.

So, game 1, and its 1-0 to the Germans in the series. Next, into the bocage with Beyond the Beaches.

The tabletop, so nice to get my beach boards out... they don't see much use.

German right and centre, in the gap (draw). This was the auxiliary troops, but they got off lightly.

Coastal gun bunker and infantry trenches beyond.

US disembark, engineer gap teams work on the obstacles just before the armour arrives, just as planned.

Sherman DD lends fire from the waterline as the support weapons boat team arrive.

Assault the high ground, only the engineer's Sherman made it up. The infantry trenches proved too tough for the GIs, even after 5" guns had pounded them. We needed the flamethrower team to clear them out.

 

The Battle of the Wyrhta, with Soldiers of Rome

Back to putting down the revolting Britons again... one of our occasional SoR games, a 300 point pitched battle for a few hours of fun.

Something a bit different, as in most games I’m on the attack with my Romans, just because I usually prefer to be active take the battle to the enemy, and not sit back too much. This time, I took the opposite plan and went completely defensive,with a Hold the Line battle plan, with solid infantry to do it and a centre built around missile fire (with a Loose card behind), to make the Britons pay on their way in. I’ve not used war machines in while, so it was a chance to get my scorpios (and a borrowed onager) on the tabletop. The barbarians are usually aggressive too, it’s what they are best at, but this time I’d wait the charge and do some serious damage on the way in.

That wasn’t it though. The plan was more cunning, because their is a special event card to change battle plan (Romans only) and so, if I got that card, I would use it to suddenly attack. So, first draw the enemy in, battering them en route and, when the came to the melee, sudden go on the offensive and get some charge cards behind my infantry to jump them and pressure them. (I coudn’t just sit back for good).

All good, I picked the legion’s units and deployed them, with a useful small hill in the centre for my war machines (terrain was randomly generated). The Britons would be attacking in the centre with harassing units on the flanks, a mob of slingers and archers and javalineers on their left, fanatics leading them on their right, but the nobles, mercenary spears and chariots were in the centre as the main strike force.

Time to go, and on Turn 1 I got the new battle plan special event. I held on to that card (and would for several turns) because it was too soon. Still, card in hand, the plan would come to fruition whenever I judged the time right. The celts advanced en mass (of course). The four war machines opened fire with great effect, scoring hits and direct hits and hammering the fanatics, but a lucky Rally card saved them, then did it again in Turn 2.. drat! Still, the scorpios fire was punishing… and the Romans waited, discarding cards to rally of any disruption (not much) from arrows etc. ‘Steady lads!’

After the first few turns, the lines had closed in. The fanatics had rushed in, but my fresh legions withstood the rush and started the grind… always back a legion in the attritional fights. His skirmisher heavy (very heavy) left was not going to charge (they ain’t mad), just fling a lot of rocks and arrows, so I started to push forwards a bit, hoping to get into charge range for when I switched plans, a rude shock of the Briton’s youths to suddenly get pilum and then gladius back. My cohorts were weathering the rock storm well. ‘Shields up!’

In the centre, things looked worryingly weaker, I had  single legion cohort to hold him up, behind which were the auxiliary archers and war machines, so that cohort had a big job on. I diverted a cohort from the left and right to turn in and move into the centre, like pinchers, but a lack of March cards made it so slow (even slower than heavy infantry trying to manoeuvre, this might have been a better job for auxiliary spearmen). Anyway, the Celts rushed in and suddenly one poor cohort was fighting 4 enemy units, and getting ground down. How long could I keep them in the fight? Time for the change of battle plan…

.. expect, with just 2 cards left in my hand the Barbarians played a Confusion card, taking one of mine and, in the 50-50, took the new battle plan! and discarded it. What? I was just going to use that, next play or two. Arghh! So, cunning plan out of the window, and  it would now be a close call. I had to fight it out with what I had.

My right kept marching as they could. But the light skirmishers fell back faster than the legions advanced, I wasn’t going to catch them, and so just stepped on in a hail of missiles each time. Still, Rally it off, and keep going. By the end of the game, they had advanced well over halfway, but never caught the skirmishers.

On the left, fighting off the fanatics, wild dogs and then warriors, I lost one cohort but the auxiliary spears stepped up and did a good job holding the line. It was a stalemate, especially after the annoying dogs were dealt with.

So, to the crucial centre, where my hard pressed cohort broke and it seemed all would be swept away. My archers were charged and chariots rushed on, their chieftain reaching and destroying a scorpios. To save the centre my feted leader rode into the fray to slow them down, fighting alone, but two cohorts were on the way… quicker… never has a man needed a March or Charge card more. Somehow, my general survived and just in time to get my first cohort across and into the fray. From the other side, the second cohort (veterans) were still trying to get there, and only did so late in the day, but did catch a unit of armed civilians in the flank and butcher them all in a gory massacre… no mercy!

In VPs it was very close… the Romans had 7 left, the Celts 4. In the final turn it was tense again. My leader was cut down, but the auxiliary spears final killed all his crazy fanatics… and that was just enough to win the day. Celts reduced to -3 VPs, Romans had 3 left… but it could have gone either way on the cards and dice. My centre had just survived the crisis, and the scorpios crews did a good job defending themselves (I thought I’d loose them all, but 2 survived). My heroic general would be carried from the field of his victory… his cunning plan ruined, but selling himself in the end to help save the day.

Another great game, so close, really dramatic and unreadable, so many interesting card plays, but stealing my new battle plan took the biscuit… the barbarians didn’t even know they had wrecked my plans until after the game (serious poker face was required). But ‘Roma Victor! ‘. Another corner of Britannia conquered.

 

The legion's lines, cohorts and auxiliary interspersed, war machines in the centre. 

Slingers and archers, lots of them, form the Celts left. A deluge of rocks and arrows to withstand.

Roman centre, just 1 legionary cohort to cover the missile troops, not enough (or they should have been veterans).

Briton's right, advance over the Wyrhta stream and through the village. fanatics rushed off... as they do.

The naked nutters, wode proving little use against scorpios bolts and onager rocks.

Steady lads await the onslaught on the Roman left.

Fanatics wave closes in, having somehow (by Rally cards) survived the war machine barrage.
Still, a wall of steel awaits them.

The Roman right, step-on, into the rock storm and drive their flank back, beyond the hill behind them.

The fighting the centre as the cohort is overrun. Archers and general are next in line. The archers didn't last long, but the general sold his life like a hero.

The left flank must hold, and does, despite having their arses bitten by damn dogs...

They kill off the first wave of fanatics, but the legionaries go under too. Dogs won't die (yet) though.

Chariot chieftain breakthrough to the war engines hillock, but the onager crew aren't giving up easy.

The long and fruitless pursuit of the skirmishers... they had most of the tabletop to retreat back into. They carried the Aquila across the table... 'forward to glory, for Rome and the Emperor!'.

 

Before the Walls of Acre, with Soldiers of God

 One of our semi-regular returns to Soldiers of God for a one-off pick-up game, an open battle with 300 points aside. We both went for the same battle plan, both double-enveloping and both with our cavalry strike forces on the flanks and infantry in the centre. So we both though this might not take long, a quick charge to impact in turn 1. My cavalry, ghulam, the al-halqa guard and a few small units of horse archers in support, for archery really would try and smash his flanks, but these were knights, mounted men-at-arms and some supporting infantry in armed peasants and Turcopoles. The Saracen centre was mujihadeen and Sudanese mercenaries with rank and file infantry as a second supporting line. They would press in the centre, but try not to get wiped out. The crusader’s centre was men-at-arms with crossbows and two light war engines behind to lob rocks over.

Both deployed and we set-to with the furious action.

First, the ghulam on my right rode up, three ranks deep due to the village in the way, to meet his knights coming the other way. here would be the first melee, in front of the gates, at it by the end of turn 1. More cautious on the left and centre, they just moved up, whilst one horse archer unit tried a flank march, eyeing his baggage or the true cross in his centre rear (if they turned up again).

So, by turn 2 a long attritional melee in the front of gate had begun, ghulam with support vs knights with armed peasants rushing in behind. This fight swung both ways, but by the end of the turn, both the first ghulam and the knights had broken… advantage Saracens with the mere peasant now holding the line against my ghulam. His left was in some trouble, as the mounted men-at-arms had ridden off and got involved in a fight with Sudanese mercenaries, which used repeated Fear cards to intimidate them, and see them off – routed by scary foreigners!

The left was stand-off, both had Charge! card behind them and could attack at need, but to move up was to invite a thunderous charge, so both lurked, awaiting the cards to come right or for the other to blink first. No great rush to battle here, in fact the opposite. Hold! Hold! Let’s not be too hasty.

So, into the next turns and the battle seemed to be going the Saracens way to start with, just. But now things changed. The armed peasants but up a huge fight, against 2 ghulam units and, aided by the command stand boldly piling in, they held their ground and forced the ghulam to rally, then used a ‘God Wills It’ special event… inspired by their faith. The flank would not collapse, and this gave time for another unit of mounted-at-arms to gallop up and aid them. Damn, the chance to turn a flank was dwindling.

In the centre, my infantry moved up and took some incoming and accurate rocks on the head. The Crusaders finally broke the stand-off on my left and their knights charged, catching some horse archers that had been harassing them. The horse archers would be easily broken, but the Saracen counter-charge was now on, and the ghulams lowered their lances and rushed in. That prompted a ‘one-in, all-in’ cascade and in came his hospitallers to be met by the Al-halqa and one huge cavalry melee began. Here, the battle would surely be decided.

The melees on the left and right were fought out over the next few turns, eventually the armed peasants finally broke, but so did another ghulam unit, a good trade for them. The third (and last) ghulam unit was now facing the mounted men-at-arms and commander.

Both fought and rallied on the left, the Al-halqa a rock, but the Hospitallers not showing themselves as very elite (an unerring ability to roll 1s and 2s for Resolve tests). More infantry joined in and the big fight saw a ghulam unit beaten and broken by his knights… and advantage Crusaders here.

On VPs it was close, but the Crusaders had just edged ahead.

The end of the game came in the left’s big melee. Many cards played and discarded, saw Sudanese infantry cut-down and the Al-halqa now under a lot of pressure. Meanwhile, after all these turns, my flank riding horse archers had failed to turn-up and obviously just gone home! More VPs for their failure, for the Crusaders. I was loosing, so threw everything at breaking his weakening Hospitallers, and it almost worked, 1 more hit would have done it, but the men in black just survived in some exciting, critical dice rolls.

Adding up the VPs, the Saracens had fallen to -1, the Crusader still had 7 left. A win for the forces of Christianity then… but 5 of those points were the roll for the True Cross at the start of the game, so without that handy relic, it would have been very, very close.

Another great game, always love a ‘duke-it out’ game of SoG… nice to play without relying on horse archery for once, and it almost worked, a few better rolls (mostly from my rubbish ghulam on the right, failing to deal with armed peasants for 2 turns) would have changed the outcome.

Some pics of the action…

The battlefield, Saracens deploy from the right (pink), Crusaders from the left (blue), both with cavalry forces on both flanks, both advancing into a full attack.

The Saracen lines, two cavalry wings with an infantry centre.

The Crusader's line, two cavalry wings, with some infantry support, and infantry and war machines in the centre. This is their right, knights and knights hospitaller leading.

Saracen right, ghulam column, with some horse archer support (not shown here)

Clash in front of the gate, ghulam vs knights, with armed peasants moving up to aid in support.

and ghulam eventaully meet knights meet on the other flank too, again armed peasants moving up in support. A lot of armed peasants today... and inspired by their faith too.

Mounted men-at-arms plunge in to stop the Saracen centre from coming round the village to aid the ghulam. The Sudanese infantry's 'fearsome reputation' would prove too much and the men-at-arms eventual fled like cowards.

Still at it in front of the gates, the third ghulam unit, now against mounted men-at-arms, having lost two units, but for the return loss of the knights and the armed peasants - tribal cavalry have just arrived to help too... the baggage train guard sent to fight.

The big clash, as Al-halqa guard cavalry and hospitallers finally meet and both players throw whatever they can into a big melee... this will surely decide the day.

The Saracen centre kept pushing up, led by mujihadeen fanatics, but without a charge card, they just can't press home and instead face war machine rocks and crossbow bolts. Still, dying for Allah is their thing...

 

LA ROTHIERE, 1814 with SOLDIERS OF NAPOLEON, GAME 5

Well, this is a bit of an problem. In a 'senior moment' of clearing pictures off my phone, thinking I'd already transferred them, I mass deleted all the pics of the game from it. Gone!  I have 2 left... oops! So, La Rothiere ends with little record of it, but it did happen. 

The final scenario is for the last action of the day. The Russians had almost captured the village, of La Rothiere, so in the evening the battalions of the Young Guard were called up to counter-attack and take it back, throwing the Russians (Prussians standing-in in our games), back and allowing time for the French to withdraw from the field. As the snows fell and gathered, and darkness approached, the French counter-attack encountered, coming the other way, the full force of a Russian grenadier division (2 brigades)... so good infantry against good infantry here, and almost no cavalry (French have 1 weak unit of Guard lancers that were guarding the road and did advance into the village). All set for guns and ground-pounders then... 'Forward the Guard! '

It opened with some sparring around the village buildings, the Russian guns being dragged up and deployed and French skirmishers starting their work. One French battalion occupied the first buildings and that would later prove useful in fulfilling the 'tale a stronghold' objective. There would be skirmishing around the buildings for the rest of the game.

In the open fields, the Young Guard brigades started to advance and came under galling cannon fire from the big Russian batteries. The round-shot pummeling was short lived after ammunition ran low, saving the guard and allowing the really attack to begin unmolested. This attack would come on the far left, as Guard columns moved 'at the quick' against a weakened line. Skirmisher fire did not deter them and on they came, before charging in and driving the Russian line columns back in melee. One broke... the other two were hanging on, but the pressure was buildings. The French had had a good start and build up a healthy VP leads.

This continued as the Young Guard pressed home on the left and broke another battalion, then overran their supporting battery. The entire Russian brigade was wiped out next turn and the French VP raced to a big lead, 22 to 7. The Russians were looking at rapid and hefty defeat. They needed some help, and, thanks to the arrival of their Corps commander, and then the swift arrival behind him of two grenadier brigades of 8 strong battalions, in the centre and on their (now destroyed ) right. The grenadier columns marched up to face-off the Young Guard, who had already been in combat and were rallying for the next push, but here would be the climax of the fight.

And it was an epic clash of infantry. The French pressed the attack again, holding a 'grand assault' objective card and keen to win it with those VPs, they moved up, exchanged volleys and tried to press home. It didn't work, only 3 columns charged (not the 4 required) and the others came up short... allowing the grenadiers to unleash heavy firepower back and close range. The grenadiers also held their own in most of the melees and threw the Young Guard back... a hefty reverse and one Guard battalion broke and fled. The Russians were back in it on VPs. Next turn, they went for it, declaring their own charges and countering the Guard. Every battalion ordered charged (5 in all) and in the mass bayonet fight and brawling, the Young Guard could not hold out, losing four of the five melees. The Russians broke another battalion too, and suddenly, from a dominant French position the Russians had pulled it back to even-stevens. But, they had also completed their own 'grand assault' and rolling for the VPs scored the max, added to this, the punitive VPs from the French for failing their own... oh dear!

The Russians had, somehow, won it! From looking like a huge defeat, the last-ditch arrival of the grenadier battalions had turned it around and won the game. The French still needing 3 more VPs to break them, but completing the objective (after the French had failed the turn before, which would have won it) was the difference. A narrow Russian win, pulled out of the fire...

Great game, so close at the end, and an epic final turn of close melees. The marginal Russian win in game 5 means the campaign ended with a French narrow win at La Rothiere after 5 games. The French took 3 games, the Allies 2... so we are done. I shall now add this of the pile of work to turn into a SoN 'Great Battles' supplement, available as a pdf from Gripping Beast in the next few months (hopefully). 

The only surviving pics of the action... lesson learn, double check you have the pictures before deleting them!

 

La Rothiere sits between the (P)russian and French lines, lots of skirmish fighting. Young Guard deployed are to the left, to attack around the buildings. Here, faced by some line regiments, awaiting aid from grenadiers, en route

(P)russian lines, a big battery hammering the Young Guard, but ran low on ammo. Huge infantry brawl building to a climax. Prussians up against it, but grenadiers deploying at the quick.

 

LA ROTHIERE, 1814 with SOLDIERS OF NAPOLEON, GAME 4

It has been a while getting to this. Other stuff, games, work, summer hols, etc... but finally, game 4's AAR. We've already played game 5.

The Austrians and Bavarians are launching an attack on the French left wing at Morvilliers. The French must hold on and prevent a breakthrough. The French force is two infantry brigades with 2 small, weak cavalry brigades behind (dragoons and light cav). The Allied force is 3 infantry brigades (1 Austrian, 2 Bavarian, here with stand-ins from Wurttemberg - which is close, and more Austrians), and 2 cavalry brigades behind (light cav and a mixed one of dragoons and hussars - an oddity, but how they had it on the day). The Allies had the steady advance order to breakthrough enemy lines, and the French defend... to hold the line.

The Allied main attack was to be in the centre and their left, but with the Austrians first launching a holding attack on the right, to get the French busy there, then hitting on the other side to breakthrough. This 'sort of' worked to start with, but the French in the buidlngs were tough and skirmishing well, and the attack in the centre was soon in trouble, and countered attacked by charging marine infantry yelling 'Vive L'Empereur!'. The Allied best hope was on the left, passed the church, but the French light cavalry arrived here to block the route and threaten the infantry columns. When their hussars boldly came forwards, they met a furious fusillade though, and broke (we don't have much luck with hussars)... it seemed the time to strike was now... but the infantry dithered and waited for the their own light cavalry to move up behind and clear the French chasseurs first, enduring cannon fire as they did so. It had reached a bit of a stalemate.

That was broken by the arrival of French dragoons on their left, to rush up and threaten the Austrans, in fact, quickly smashing one Austrain column into ruins and forcing the others into squares. To counter this, the Austrian reserve dragoons and hussars galloped up, and the hussars charged and defeated the lead dragoons heavily. Payback!. There was fighting all along the board, cannon fire, skirmsh fire, volleys and cavalry charges and both sides had taken damage. On VPs it was close, French maybe just ahead. Theywere aided when 'Boney' himself turned up himself to make sure the line would hold at Morvilliers.

Into the final, and it would be settled by the cavalry, dragoon on dragoons as the Austrians charged in. They won but needed a more decisive victory to claw back the VPs and snatch the win. It wasn't to be. In the end the French had just edged it and the Allied breakpoint was met, with the French having just 3 VPs left. So close, but a valiant and desperate defensive effort from the French. Napoleon's presences on the field might have been just enough to swing it! Great game, loads of action, all 5 brigades in the thick of it at some time or the other, swinging back and forth.

After 4 games from the 5 planned at La Rothiere, the French have a slight advantage and are currently just winning La Rothiere by 1 VP. The finale, game 5, might well change that. That's coming soon, as the Young Guard counter-attack at La Rothiere village in the evening gloom...

Pics of the action...

 

The French line up to defend Mortiers village, the Austrians and 'stand-in' Bavarians ready to go... to start with, an all infantry affair. 

Austrian column's on the Allied right, for a 'demonstration' attack

The French columns and battery facing them, just need to hold the line.

The skirmishers out front stall the Austrian columns, but their not looking to press to close quarters anyway, just pin the French in place, keep them nice and busy. 

To the Allied left rear, light cavalry gallop on, in columns of march.

The centre, 'Bavarians' embroiled with more skirmishers and veteran infantry holding the buildings.

French dragoons gallop on behind their right, sent by the Emperor himself.

Vive L'Empereur!'. The biggest boss turns up to make sure the left flank doesn't cave.

The Austrian hussars storm forward to meet the dragoons, who have just sabred to pieces a Austrian battalion, other all form square - quick!

The left flank try to get forwards but encounter the French light cavalry. Their own moves up to counter them, can they win the battle here?  Err - no.

A finally cavalry clash, dragoons to dragoons... a marginal Austrian win, but not decisively so.

 

Warhammer - Tor Helethion campiagn, game 7 – Across the Stream

Campaign map as it stands.

 

Game seven of the Tor Helethion campaign, it’s been a while, so a ‘so far…’  recap might help.

Phase one of the campaign was the pre-invasion efforts as Dark Elf scouts, corsairs and dark riders arrived on the island and cleared a way for the main force to land on the Isle of Tor Helethion, in a few smaller engagements and border patrols, mostly vs the High Elf patrols of scouts of shadow warriors and reaver cavalry. The dark elves were largely successful, and the shadow warrior captain was killed in battle, and the main force DE could then attempt to land.

The Dark Elves then managed to successfully land a large force on the northern coast of the isle in an amphibious assault, wading ashore across the beech. After landing, they were getting their forces all ashore and constructing their various war machines. As they did so, they sent out a raiding force east to capture a coastal watchtower, but the raid was defeat by its defenders, under High Elf Noble Elendaer, who is currently commanding the High Elf response, trying to delay the invaders and awaiting aid from the Tor Helethion citadel in south of the island.

Defeated at watchtower Ayrel, the Dark Elves tried again to the west, at watchtower Aldreas, but this time summoned their allies for the task, using the daemonic pact their high sorceress has forged with a daemon-prince of Khorne, now under her command. The Khornate daemons attacked the watchtower and overran its defenders, slaughtering them all.

This left the Dark Elf Dread Lord commander with a choice, to push their invasion inland either westwards (the long way round to their ultimate target, the citadel), or go east and ignore the garrison at watchtower Ayrel, which would then be behind them. He decided to send another raiding force west, to the next watchtower around the coast at Orris, and a vanguard force east (so a bit of both). That vanguard is moving down the coastal path on the east coast.

Coming north to meet them are the HE reinforcements from the citadel. They’ll meet in the next battle, but the garrison at Ayrel, with Noble Elendaer, could choose to either sit tight and await aid to reach them, or follow the Dark Elves southward. They chose to go south and try and aid in the battle to come, abandoning their watchtower to the Dark Elves rather than be besieged inside it.

Game 7 is the clash as the Dark Elf vanguard meet the High Elf reinforcements blocking the path south, but with Elendaer’s flanking force to aid them, arriving at some unknown point after Turn 1, it’s random.

The scenario is then set. 2,500 points aside, with the High Elves split between the blocking force and the flanking force. The Dark Elves have to breakthrough, cross the fast stream (open terrain at 3 fords but dangerous terrain everywhere else) and get into the High Elf deployment zone (for extra VPs, so they are encouraged to attack - but I don’t usually need much encouragement). We’d be using are unit-by-unit house-rule activation and action system (the green disks in the pics). 

The tabletop. High Elves deploying block the stream (right) and with flanking force arriving from top left. Dark Elves all deploy into bottom left corner (except ambushers). 6 terrain pieces: stream, old elven ruin, rocky ground, gorse thicket and 2 'tors' – impassable big rocks.

Here are the army lists:

HIGH-ELF BLOCKING FORCE
DRAGON-MAGE FAYLAS - Level 1 - 300 pts
Lore of Battle Magic (Pillar of Fire) with Giant Blade (S+1, Armour Bane2, Magical Attacks, Multi-wound2) and Seeds of Rebirth (Regen 5+), mounted on a Sun Dragon

24 SEA GUARD    305
with full command

24 SEA GUARD    305
with full command

8 SILVER HELMS    235
with full command, shields, war banner (+1 combat res)

11 SHADOW WARRIORS    165
ambushers

FLAME PHOENIX    170

2 REPEATER BOLT THROWERS    160

2 GIANT EAGLES    120

HIGH-ELF FLANKING FORCE
LORD ELENDAER - 100 pts
Noble with full plate armour, shield, lance, barded elven steed

ARCH MAGE ERALIS - Level 3 - 254 pts
Lore of Battle Magic (Arcane Urgency, Oakenshield, Hammerhand) with Loremaster’s Cloak (4+ Ward vs magic missiles), Sigils of Asuryan (Auto Dispell, 1 use), Obsidian Lodestone (Magic Resistance1), on Elf Steed

DOLDIR'S SHORE RIDERS     176
8 Ellyrian Reavers with Harbinger, short bows, skirmishers, scouts
Campaign Experience: +1 BS (now 5)

FAYNION'S COAST GUARD     209
16 Sea Guard with full command
Campaign Experience: +1 WS (now 5)

Total: 2,499 points

DARK ELF VANGUARD

HIGH BEASTMASTER ZELDETH OF HAG GRAEF - 271 pts
High Beastmaster mounted on Manticore, with heavy armour, shield, sea dragon cloak (5+ Ward vs missiles), cavalry spear
Spear of Might (+1S, -1 AP, magic attacks), Healing Potion (recover D3 wounds).
Campaign Experience: May include a Wild Manticore as independent monster with a beastmaster

SORCERESS NALVIMU - Level 2 - 149 pts
Lore of Daemonology (The Summoning, Daemonic Vigour), with Talisman of Protection (5+ Ward save), mount on Dark Steed

SORCERESS LLIVHIDA - Level 1 - 125 pts
Lore of Elementalism (Storm Call and Black Horror) with Tome of Furion (+1 spell), Lifetaker staff (R24”, S3, AP-1, MultishotD3+1, armour bane1, magical attacks, poison attacks)
Campaign Experience: Severely Wounded (-1 WS, BS and I)

HOTHSUR'S CROSSBOWS    115
10 Crossbows with champion
Campaign Experience: +1 BS (now 5)

BLACKHEART REGIMENT    195
20 Spearmen with full command
Campaign Experience: Eternal Hatred (High Elves)

20 SPEARMEN    195
with full command

10 CROSSBOWS    115
 with champion

10 CROSSBOWS    115
 with champion

24 WITCH ELVES    310
with full command, with Banner of Har Ganeth (all attacks AP-1)

8 DARK SHADES    150
with champion, light armour, additional hand weapons, ambushers

8  COLD ONE KNIGHTS    301
with full command, full plate armour

2 COLD ONES CHARIOTS    250

WILD MANTICORE        130
with 1 Beastmaster

REPEATER BOLT THROWER    80

Total: 2,501 points

The deployment, High Elf blocking force line up to face the Dark Elf vanguard.

 Ready for the off then. I won’t go into every move and dice roll, but here is the overview and highlights. It broke down into three fights or ‘hot points’ on the battlefield. The eastern crossing and ford where the witch elves, leading in suicidal fashion, charged straight ahead into a ‘kill zone’ of sea guard archery and repeater bolt thrower crossfire (someone has to go first!). Behind them, the second wave, came the Cold One Knights, hopefully benefiting from the witch elves dying (by not). Behind the enemy lines the shades would hopefully appear and try to take out a bolt thrower and aid with rear attacks. Facing this was a line of Sea Guard, both bolt throwers the and the Silver Helms.

The west ford was trickier, units in march column moving quickly, but the chariots led and a stupid lead chariot slows everybody down, oops! This was both chariots, a spearman block and a crossbow unit, with beastmaster Zeldeth and his manticore, and handy spare manticore, ready to flap to whenever they were needed most. Facing this was the ‘air force’ of both eagles, the phoenix, and the dragon-mage. Behind was a reserve block of sea guard, in march column, to quickly deploy either left or right if needed.

The last ‘hot-zone’, was where the flanking force arrived, which was screened by a crossbow unit and the Blackheart spear regiment of renown. They’d just hold-up or stop the flanking force getting behind me.

The Witch Elves’ assault was a slaughter, hit by missile fire and with 4 wild-women swept away crossing the stream (into the sea which was just off table to the Dark Elf right, I imagine the fast stream plunges over a waterfall into the sea, in fantasy-world style). Only 5 made the charge to the Sea Guard lines, and were duly butchered. But, the Cold One Knights were right behind and ready to follow-in, having lost just 1 to a big bolt en route. A hard charge should smash those Sea Guard. Meanwhile, the Silver Helms had turned around to intercept the Shades, arriving at the start of turn 2, so on time. But, on turn 3 when they charged the bolt thrower, needing to cover 7”, they rolled two 1s for the charge distance and only got 6”. A failed charge, which allowed the Silver Helms to come in, lances down, and massacre them. The survivors fled the field… utter rubbish from the Shades.

At the eastern ford, the chariots got through it, harassed by longbow shots from the shadow warriors that had arrived to aid here. Then the dragon-mage’s dragon lost it’s cool and was forced to charge the lead chariot. It did, and in a couple of rounds of combat, had smashed it up and eaten the crew. The other chariot though raced passed and got a long charge into the shadow warriors, squishing them and they fled the field too, so much for the ambusher units (note here, new house rule, half impact hits vs skirmishers, they can surely get out the way easier). The flaming phoenix was busy ‘fire bombing’ the spearmen and crossbows behind. One eagle was killed by a spell (the summoning) the other launched itself bravery into the wild manticore, which only had a coupe of wounds left after accurate reaver short bows hurt it. The big bird’s talon and beak finished it off. Meanwhile, the beastmaster and his mount turned to face the arriving the flanking force.

The flanking force arrived straight away, Elendaer on time on turn 2. The moved on, reavers flinging arrows into the manticore and sea guard trading fire with the crossbow line ahead of them. Noble Elendaer decided on a rash charge into the crossbow line, but the hail of bolts was too much and he fell as he charged in. Brave, but, well, foolhardy. The Blackheart spear regiment moved up a charged the Sea Guard in a battle of the spear blocks, which was so close, both sides winning it twice, by 1 each time and just pushing the line to-and-fro – stalemate there. High Beastmaster Zeldeth lost control of his manticore and it just rushed down into the reavers, pursued by an eagle, pecking its backside. The following melee saw the reavers break and flee the field, whilst the eagle was also killed, but not before the mighty Beastmaster had taken 4 wounds in return. No problemo, potion of healing and all was well(ish) again - umm yummy!.

To the finale… it was close so far. The Cold Knights smashed home and hammered the Sea Guard line, which broke and ran, to be destroyed. Job done, but the Silver Helms had reformed and were coming to stop them. Their fight would be the climax of the battle.

The dragon-mage, rampaged into another spearman bock and rolled terrible attacks, it looked like the DE would actually win, until the dragons stomps killed 6 (excellent tail lashing). The little dragon did it again next turn, and the next (3 x 6 stomps in the row!), crushing the spearmen block utterly.

The phoenix swooped over to face the Beastmaster and they charged and met in, what I imagine to be, a very cool aerial fight. Both then missed, failed to wound or made armour saves and zero damage was done. Not so dramatic.

The final melee was the Cold One Knights, charged by the Silver Helms… and in a disaster the Silver Helms won and the Knights then broke, fled and where run down - good grief! More rubbish dice! The Silver Helms had mopped up behind the lines very well.

So, we called it a day, and added up VPs. In all, 1,422 points of damage done by the High Elves. 1,304 done by the Dark Elves, very close. We’ll call it a draw… edged, maybe, by the High Elves.

Story-wise, the Dark Elf vanguard is halted and will retreat back north to the main force, thwarted. But the High Elves are also weak too and must also retreat south. Post-game, rolling for damage to units and characters, and to gain campaign experience, the High Elves gained a magic level for the dragon-mage, so now level 2 for next time. But Noble Elendaer was dead, not injured, just dead. The heroic noble that had led the resistance to the invasion so far was slain, skewered by many barbed bolts in his bold lone charge. No units gained any experience, but the DE crossbow regiment of renown ‘Hothsur’s Crossbows’ had met a flaming end this time – only 5 men remain for any future games.

Next, for game 8, we’ll deal with the Dark Elf raid on watchtower Orris, maybe by the daemons again. Or, thwarted here, the Dread Lord might summon the daemons in force to do the job his vanguard couldn’t. 

The Dark Elf vanguard about to get spread out from their corner deployment zone and cut their way across the stream.

The High Elf line, 'air force' on their right, dragon mage, 2 giant eagles and the phoenix.

Witch Elves rush to ford the stream, and loss 4 swept into the sea away in doing so. Pillar of Fire and Black Horror vortex are conjured up, not doing much.

Flap flap, the air force comes forward...

Dark Elf columns, led by both chariots, march up and cross the stream to their left, via a safe ford.

Last of the Witch Elves about to charge to Sea Guard, only 5 would make it through the stand and fire.

Sneaky, behind the High Elves lines the Shades appear, to try and jump on of the bolt throwers.

Flanking force moves on, Ellyrian Reavers first.

Led by Noble Elendaer, who lance down, charge alone at the repeater crossbows, through a hail of bolts and was shot down.

The Cold One Knights follow, where the Witch Elves failed, about to unleash hell, and dinosaurs, on the hated foe.

The sun dragon gets all impetuous and swoops down on the lead chariot (closest target).

Meanwhile, the Beastmaster and his angry manticore charge to Ellyrian reavers. Green gem is for their spell in effect, handy 5+ ward saves.

and a giant eagle swoops in behind to try to help - careful, that's the stingy end of a manticore.

Sea Guard vs Spears, a grind, too even for either side to win.

Cold One Knights break the Sea Guard block, but are out run in the pursuit. Slow cold ones today... but next charge finished them off.

Phoenix continues to swoop about, using its firey wake - incendiary bombing a crossbow unit to destruction. A flaming end, trapped between the phoenix and the pillar of fire.

The Silver Helms, having dealt with the Shades, have turned about and charged the Cold Ones.

Beastmaster and Phoenix clash... and cause 0 wounds each. Stalemate, and we call it a day...