What's on the Workdesk?

So hopefully the start of a weekly feature. In the wake of real life impacting far more than normal, gaming gets put to the side.

Currently waiting on some spray paint to get on with the big Baroque/Restoration Project. In the mean-time you always need those small projects that fill a hole quickly and easily with a sensible goal.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Outremer-Skirmish-Wargames-Crusades-Osprey/dp/1472823966

Anyway, having been tempted since Xmas by the new set of rules from Osprey, Outremer, looking at small warband actions along the Pilgrim Road to the Holy Land, I finally decided to take the plunge. With groups of 5-15 miniatures a side, can have a warband/retinue painted up in evenings in about a week, with achievable goals.

So first off Norman/Franks/Bretons or if you want maybe some Anglo-Welsh thrown in there for good measure.Those of you in the know will understand. Colours taken from a previous reenactment group. Pont-Steffan!!!

Late 11th-early 13th century is quite a good period to wargame, in terms of gear there's quite a lot interchangeability, with technological changes only really discernable for sergeants/Knightly/Lord classes. So some priests, and maybe cavalry next. And Knights with Greathelms/surcoats :)

But before that about 2-3s through making up a starter warband of Seljuk Turks to face them. More anon.

Battle of Newburn Ford, 28th August 1640 Pt. 1: 1300

So finally got soldiers on the table. It’s going to be a long process, but going to be well worth doing. Goal: to play every single battle of the English Civil War. Madness-probably. Impossible: Probably. But I think, well worth it for giving purpose towards further writing/modelling projects.

The battle is set out as a mini-campaign around the only major battle of the Bishops War, at Newburn Ford. the battle will be played out over five games, with each game feeding into the other-so that if a unit of two dragoons appears in the first scenario, get killed off, but i due to appear in the 5^th scenario, they remain dead, thus sewing a seed of doubt at the back of the commanders mind needing to conserve troops for later use.

Background

Amid widespread opposition to Charles I’s imposed Episcopalianism and New Book of Common Prayer on a dominant Scots’ Presbyterian Population in 1637, the population of Southern Scotland signed the National League and Covenant and raised an army. Outstripping anything the King could raise, its officer corps blooded in Sweden and the Low Countries, the Scots’ emerged victorious from the short lived First Bishops War, with two ignominious standoffs at Kelso and Duns Law. However Charles was not one to sit idle for long and conflict would continue. To pre-empt Charles, the Covenanters must invade first.

Reaching the lowest crossing point on the River Tyne, the Covenanter forces under Sir Alexander Leslie could effectively bottle in the coal trade coming out of Newcastle, from the weak southern defences, hampering any Royalist opposition before it could even muster. Outnumbering their Royalist opposition by 7:1, the Covenanters held all the negotiating cards.

A Royalist detachment from the garrison of Newcastle under Lord Conway, had initially ensconced themselves at the ford. He had been ordered personally by the Earl of Strafford to give battle to the Scots by any means necessary. John Rushworth wrote;

... were drawn forth into a plain Meadow ground which was near a mile in length, close on the South side of [the] Tyne, called Newborne-Haugh or Stella-Haugh, to hinder the Scots from passing the River in the night time, where were two several Sconces or Breast-works raised by the English against the two Fords, which the Scots might pass over at Low water, for till then they could not pass the Tyne, and into each Sconce were put four hundred Musqueteers and four pieces of Ordinance.

The Horse were drawn into Squadrons in the said Haugh at some distance from the Foot, in this posture Horse and Foot guarded the River all that night and the next day, till the engagement.

The Scots all the forenoon watered their Horses at one side of the River, and the English on the other side, without affronting one another or giving any reproachful language.

Sir Alexander Leslie

Captain Thomas Dymock wrote;

Their army appeared marching on the hills above the ford when we were drawing into our miserable works in the valley, where we lay so exposed to their battery, that their great shot was bowled in amongst our men, to their great loss.

John Rushworth on the Scot’s dispositions;

The Scots, having the advantage of the rising ground above Newbourne, easily discerned the posture and motion of the English Army below in the Valley on the Southside the River, but the posture of the Scots Army the English could not discern, by reason of the Houses, Hedges, and Inclosures in and about Newbourne.  The Scots brought some Cannon into Newbourne Town, and planted some in the Church Steeple a small distance from the River Tyne, their Musqueteers were placed in the Church, Houses, Lanes and Hedges in and about Newbourne.

 At midday on the 28th, Leslie sent forward a herald to give terms, assuring Conway of no ill will on his part, wishing to petition the King. Conway agreed to a small party, but not the whole army. The herald was taunted away by the Royalist pickets.

Looking from the Scots positions at Ryton, down onto the battlefield

At 1pm, with the tide falling, a Scottish officer, wearing a black feather in his bonnet, rode into the river. He was shot down immediately. This prompted Leslie into an initial advance led by 300 Covenanter horse.

How it played out

Played out on a 120cm² table, victory depended on routing the other army from the field. Caught in an immediate crossfire, options were limited to the four units of Covenanter Dragoons. Note, you will notice many of them depicted in redcoats throughout the article, this was due to the 1640 issue for Monroes Scot’s Army for Ireland being issued with them-they are likely to have worn out very quickly.

However initial initiative failures on the part of Conway’s forces, commanded by yours truly, meant that ample time was provided for the dragoons to find cover within the ample tree line on the far side of the Tyne. But, still being too far away from the Royalist earthworks, no pot-shots could to be taken at their opposing gun teams. Any river crossing will slow down an army’s progress and this would be no different. Call it Cole’s crossing, 17^th century style.

However, succeeding on initiative the following turn and successfully rolling to fire, a round shot barrelled into Leven’s unit. Only one casualty was inflicted, but this was crucial when rolling to inflict a lucky blow, it became apparent that Leven had had his head taken off-curtailing any further military reputation at Marston Moor! All subsequent units passed their initiative, but with their commander out for six, stopped for that turn. A further shot barrelled into Leven’s dragoons, taking out another three, but they remained intact.

The following turn, provided a bit of welcome release to the Covenanters, with both guns now reloading, and the Royalist foot trying to invert, to provide covering fire once the dragoons got across the Tyne. However failed initiative from Monck’s company meant this was only partly achieved. However initially this would not matter, advance now being slowed by the dragoons wandering from the woods and venturing into the tide.

This would be most felt as again a raging crossfire, forced all but one unit back across the river, Leven’s own dragoons being wiped out. But rallying, Montrose’s successfully got across and in and amongst the earthworks, delivering a point blank volley at Monck’s company and wiping it out before the guns and infantry could pivot to meet this threat. Applied use of massed volleys and hailshot being used to wipe the Covenanter threat from the field.

Will they have a chance to build a successful bridgehead to finally take out the guns? Find out next month.

Sources:

Guest, K and D. British Battles: The Frontlines of History in Colour Photographs (HarperCollins/EH, 1994)

Leck, M. “Weapon’s for the Rebels: The Swedish Influence on the Battle of Newburn” Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy 87 (Karwansaray Publishing, Zutphen, 2016)

English Heritage Battlefield Report: Newburn Ford 1640 (London, 1995) DOI: https://content.historicengland.org.uk/content/docs/battlefields/newburn.pdf

Pikeman Rampant: A Review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPZ3gXPC6n0 

So don’t say he’s behind the times. Only just got around to having a go with these. Anyway here are my thoughts. 

So to start off with, I expect big things from these. Lion Rampant is certainly my go to set of rules for the medieval period 1346-1530. They are quick, easy to pick up, hard to master, there is a minimum of stress and complicated mechanics, it is very much a set of pick up and play rules, that does get a modicum of period feel (although formations are not part of their gamut-need to look elsewhere for rules on using the herce). That said though, they are a set of pick up and play rules, that require no previous experience to play and can be over and done within a good 2 hours maximum. 

So onto Pikeman’s Lament (and not common campfire song on many an SK campsite). Pros wise, they do what they say on the tin, they are easy to learn, basically transplanting the Lion Rampant rules into the 17th century. Emphasis is on violent, destructive melees and shooting phases. Nothing wrong with that. 

The problem is that it feels like too much of a derivative of LR, without the period feel. In fact, if the player had no feel for the 17th century, it would just be another LR game with different models. While certainly they have tacked on an honour system for your officer/general, allowing him to issue special orders, accrue rank and honour, to match with the common perception of swashbuckling daring doe associated with The Three Musketeers, it might well have just been me, but I felt that while it was nice to have, it did not automatically change the game play at all, and merely felt tacked on to make it a different product. Maybe I just didn’t get a facet of the rules. Whatever the case didn’t really add anything. 

While 12” and 2” command and cohesion radius are applied, little is given over to regimental rank and file tactics of the period. The rules on just looking at the cover, do not make it 100% percent clear it is a skirmish set. From the size of the rules, I would put it as large skirmish, or company scale. As such, bodies of pike and shot are required to choreograph in cadence, according to a set order of battle, or dignity, so your most experienced soldiers, file leaders/markers, are on the right, all other companies dressing off their example. There is no concession made to this-it would certainly make a clear difference to command and control at this scale, placing it apart from its rules counterparts. 

As well, where cannon and musketry come into play, the rules make no concession for the difficulties of rain, user error, smoke, or other reasons why such weapons wouldn’t go off. Indeed it felt little different than dealing with archery in LR. Artillery is just put into the rules, without covering how they limber, unlimber, reload, crew error, or use of hail shot. These are the things that make Pike and Shot warfare tick. 

Now I am not saying the rules are bad. It’s a tried and tested system, it is easy to learn and for someone starting off in the 17th century, it’s a jumping off point. Personally though, for anyone tried and tested in the period though, I found myself tacking on rules from WECW, Pike and Shotte and The Kingdom is Ours, which shouldn’t be the case. All rule sets are meant to be guidelines, but certainly further concession was needed to make this a true 17th century rule set. Might have to go and have a look at Sharp Practice’s derivative. 

Now have still to try out rules for pike, that weight for my next Solo campaign game on 10th, (another post upcoming soon), but I would argue the rules are very good for small outpost work, and beating up quarters. Certainly not suited for large battle encounters. Will try one more game for Newburn campaign and then might switch to P&S 

Score-3/5

Solo Wargaming Mechanics

Let the sofa be mountains, the carpet be sea,

There I’ll establish a city for me:

A Kirk and a mill and a palace beside,

And a harbour as well where my vessels may ride.

Robert Louis Stevenson

Well what better way than to start this edition, than with poetry from one of the early dabblers in the hobby-certainly of the HG Wells crowd. 

We all get to that stage, when getting any gaming time, in between real life is a chore. We work 9-5, we endure the commute, we go to the wargames club, we’re tired, and we want a nice quick game with minimal preparation and hassle, not too demanding on the noggin, so we can get away in time to make it to last calling at the club. Tiredness brings down the game, we can’t wait for it to finish, our attention isn’t there, so we make silly moves and then overly worry about the minutiae of rules mechanisms and whether we are doing it right. The game has no narrative, so it feels repetitive and unfulfilled and if your local wargaming fix are of the wargames magpie leaning, (aren’t we all), you will have to learn a new set of rules every week. It sucks the fun out of it.

Now obviously, we come into the hobby to game in two ways-simulations and game. Games are easy to do-they are sit down and play-with the humdrum of everyday life, this is what we mostly achieve, without the thought process. But simulation, playing a game in the manner of the period you’re portraying, often gets left behind in favour of speed and efficiency.

So naturally resources and simulation wishes had gone out the window for me. When I last looked, it had been almost two years since I had properly played a wargame. That needed to change rapidly-it provides a purpose to other pleasure pursuits. Terrain wise, that wasn’t a problem; enough terrain has been built over the years, and while needing some TLC recently due to various moves, setting it up over bed, with blankets, books and stacked boxes, solved that issue.

Down and out, in terms of getting to the local club, pursuing my own gaming wishes, the logical next step is solo wargaming. Now many people veer away from this very quickly, with the perception it is just you, playing toy soldiers with yourself. If anything, that is far from the truth. The things you need to focus on are randomness. The way I get around this is by firstly assigning a set of indoctrinations drilled into every army. For example, a unit of 95th Rifles sole purpose is picket duty and skirmishing. Therefore they are going to try and find as much cover as possible, from commanding positions, with good line of sight of the enemy, to shoot down officers and NCOs, to have a slower shooting rate, but higher accuracy, but when the going gets really tough, willing to get themselves out of contact quickly. If you can keep to these tactical doctrines, personal preference gets removed.

Activation can also be brought to bear. In something like Lion Rampant, the player relies on an IGO-UGO system, to delegate orders, which in the normal run of things can actually sew a level of predictability into your games. However, if we go with the tenet that you personally are not commanding the other unit, removing activation rolls for most units associated with the other side (barring possibly musket/artillery units), meaning only you have to pass them, makes it even more unpredictable. Couple this with the activation system advocated by Bolt Action, picking Dice out of a bag, advocating initiative, followed by the need to pass the activation roll to use that unit-with failed rolls meaning full activation can pass to the enemy, creates a system where you have to plan for every eventuality.

Nor can we ultimately plan where and how an enemy army is going to deploy. Alright, norm is armies between 1618-1721 lined up with infantry at the centre, cavalry on the flanks, but we have seen this done so many times in games at the club, that it often devolves into a stand up and shoot standoff, with no predictability. Break down the enemy table edge into 6 sections. Roll a die for each unit, the number corresponding to their position on the battlefield.

No plan with the enemy survives first contact either. A regiment might be drunk, badly officered, untrained or truncated. A popular general might have been killed; the baggage train might be tantalizingly close to a light fingered unit’s position. All these will naturally have a role on how an army acts in the field. Create a series of events cards depicting typical scenarios and modifiers that will have an effect on the battle.

Rain makes a bigger bang. We all too frequently play wargames without the weather factor. As a reenactor, it becomes all too apparent what standing around in wet clothing, trudging through mud, trying to get your gun to go off in a snowstorm, waiting for the water carrier to come forward in a heat wave, feels like. Using the following table again apply possible modifiers to reflect this.

http://prometheusinaspic.blogspot.com/2010/12/weather-in-wargames.html

Lastly, it has become modern parlance that the wargames general plays god; he can give an order, divisive of distance, terrain or attrition. On any battlefield, it takes any general cognition time, relaying and travelling distance via ADCs to convey an order across the battlefield, rather than doing it instantly without radio or GPS. Way back in the misty days of yore, Order sheets for wargames were part and parcel of the hobby, but the time factor did away from them. However, again they can provide uncertainty. By designating a 10 minute period to write down all rules, for your side, onto an orders sheet, not being able to deviate from orders once written means that a set route has to be followed, meaning you are not always on the winning side. Couple that with some period research into availability of ammunition and the period needed to expend it, forces you into following select tactics.

https://battlegames.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/sample-orders-sheet.jpg

But above all, something advocated quite heavily in the Black Powder set of rules, is the spirit of Gentlemanly Wargaming, or Old School Wargaming. Rules are there only as a guideline, they are never supposed to be the be all and end all. In all rule sets there are some things we like, some we hate. If you see a hole in a set of rules, or a means to make it more period specific, or independent, or programmable, just add it. Who’s stopping you?

Although not too original, hopefully this article will provide some food for thought regarding the workings of solo wargaming. Have you got any further thoughts on solo wargaming? Give me a buzz.

The bible when it comes to Solo Wargaming

Random Musings and New Year Resolutions! I promise I'm not mad ;

So another year gone, output on the blog gone slightly lax, but real life does get in the way. And it has been an eventful year, if not a particularly great one. As some of you may, or may not know, was basically laid off with stress and depression, last September-partly work/leisure mix related and as such, it has made me reevaluate  priorities in life. Naturally, the triple evils of life (work, further work, home, transport and life-actually that's a bit more than three) are still there, but ultimately we have to remember we work to live, rather than live to work. Now naturally the odd hours work, do put strain on how rest of life progresses, but I think we need to remember that, provided we keep on progressing and striving to better ourselves, there is still room, outside this to pursue hobbies-it keeps us grounded, something to strive towards at the end of the day-ultimately something that doesn’t drive us mad.

Too True

As such, these need to be realistic and achievable. If you put too much on your plate, nothing gets done. If you put little by little onto your plat and finish it early, you have the surprise at the end of the project of going, what’s next.

So , with that tenet in mind, here’s New Year’s hobby resolutions:

a)      Finish the Hougoumont Diorama (54mm)

b)      Finish 28mm late 17^th century Covenanter  Rebellion/Jacobite/NYW project

c)       More blogging, maybe post fortnightly-comment on outside blogs as well-if not weekly, then fortnightly, as long as its monthly. As long as it’s something attainable-painting progress, rules review, battle report etc. Short But Sweet

d)      As transport is currently an issue both reenactment/wargaming wise, at least one solo wargame per month.

e)      30 minute a day painting challenge. It doesn’t need to even be that long or just painting. As long as it’s something hobby related for as long or short as is possible in an evening after you’ve finished work, that would be fantastic.

Pretty attainable I think.

Panther, panther, burning bright?

Mostly military modelling, rather than wargaming today. WW2 isn't generally a theatre I would usually go to for this, it's drab colours have a tendency not to jump out at you. However, having perused Tamiya figures for a while (they are beautiful) and the majority of model stores reverting to this conflict, rather than Napoleonic, it seems a natural stepping stone.

 This was an impulse buy at our local HobbyCraft. Seeing the size of the hull in the box made me ask the question could I do justice to that. I hope to some extent I have. It has certainly allowed me to pursue new modelling techniques e.g applying camp net from gauze dressing, applying zimmerit with a soldering iron, buying an airbrush for future projects. And for a lot first produced in the 1970s, it's not half bad, minimal rebuilding was needed to fit the underside of the hull and track arches.

It depicts 116 Panzer Division with an added section of Pander Grenadiers, on one of the limited Panthers in Normandy. So not a bad 10 months work. Although I am now considering whether it needs a case or diorama base. Any thoughts on display?

We haven't the proper facilities for your surrender...sorry!

Painting continues apace. Before too long need to get back to Covenanter/Scots Army Late C17th project.

However in the meantime, have been painting up plenty of WW2 for Bolt Action.

Firstly a star attraction I've wanted to add to my British paras for years. Based off of the amalgamated character of Major Carlyle from A Bridge Too Far (or the real life Digby Tatham-Warter), I've painted up the model of him from Artisan Designs. A lovely little model with tons of character. He carries an umbrella due to his tendency to forget passwords and prove he was a n English Gentleman. That said, still think a mad order from Stoessi's Heroes is in order before long.

As well as that, adding some much needed firepower to my German Heer, an 81mm mortar.

More soon☺