It is American Civil War week in my new schedule for keeping up with my various wargaming interests. I did not manage ant painting, but I was keen to have a game, to I made one up using the first scenario from C.S. Grant's Programmed Wargames Scenarios book - Hill Line Defence. I used the terrain map, adapted for A.C.W., and the mechanics of the scenario so that I played the defender and pre-programmed the attacker. However, I always alter the suggested forces according to period - no need for so much cavalry in A.C.W. for example. Plus I have the feeling that his Horse & Musket forces are designed with 48 figure Line Infantry, 24 figure Light Infantry and 24 figure cavalry units in mind.

Anyway, after some jiggling of sides, the Union in defence had eight regiments in two brigades, plus a battery each, while the Confederates on the attack had thirteen regiments in three brigades, plus two batteries. In addition, each side had a brigade of four regiments and a battery coming as reinforcements - not part of the scenario, but I just fancied adding them in! They would arrive from Turn 6 onwards, subject to a die roll.

I set up the table and then deployed my Union defenders. Then I did the pre-programmed bit for the Confederate attackers, which came out with them attacking on both wings, with the centre demonstrating to fix the defence. I planned to play for twelve turns. Victory depended entirely on one or the other side holding the line of hills by the end of the game.

Rules used are my own, adapted from an old set by Jacklex Miniatures, to make them suitable for regimental level. They are like Fire & Fury rules, from which I have selected a few ideas as well. The figures are Perry Miniatures 28mm plastics, which I really like, plus metal mounted officers. The table is my default 6 feet by 4 feet. Most of the snake rail fencing and stone and rail fencing is homemade; trees, hills, roads, houses are all commercial.

Anyway, the game proved to be an embarrassment for me! I was outplayed convincingly by the pre-programmed Confederate general. I kept strictly to the requirements of their battle plan and it led to the collapse of my defences on both wings! By Turn 6 the writing was already on the wall; by Turn 10 it was all over. In spite of that, I really enjoyed the game.

Here are the photographs, plus captions on some of them.

This week is a Petaudia campaign week and I managed to be more organised and have a game, all be it a small one, but it proved to be a lot of fun. I have decided to make more of an effort at an evolving campaign but with smaller actions where practical.

So, to set the scene, the year is 704 N.S. and it is over seventy years since the last major conflict on the continent (the War of the Brothers). The Sorceress (the evil power behind all misfortune in Petaudia) has begun to stir up the trouble in the north-west of the continent by encouraging the Kedarian Horse Tribes (think Huns/Avars/Mongols etc. for an Earth parallel) to attack the neighbouring states of the Duchy of Lamria and the West March. The first target is a caravan of goods heading along the Great West Road from Dagun in the West March to Gossypia in Lamria. The Great West Road passes along the south-west edge of the steppe which the Kedarian Horse Tribes inhabit, so is within easy range of a raiding force.

The map shows the north-west corner of Petaudia. The red arrow is the Kedarian Horse Tribes approach, the X is approximately where the caravan was attacked. Castle Gonfalon is to the south, St. Menno's Priory just to the north (the crossed diamond).

The scenario has the caravan and their Leucadian mercenary escort moving across the table with the aim of getting from one side to the other with minimal loss of baggage mules and men, while the Kedarian Horse Tribes have to capture as many baggage mules as possible with minimal loss in men. However, although the attackers start with a significant advantage, the caravan has help on the way, subject to dice rolls – men from the nearby Lamrian Castle Gonfalon and Priory of Saint Menno – which should even up the numbers. 

Here are the basic rules for the scenario: 

a) Terrain – the main road across the centre of the table from left to right; the rest of board dotted with a few trees; one low hill on the lower side of the table.

b) The Horse Tribes enter on the lower edge, cavalry on the wings, infantry in the centre; the caravan sets up on the road, its rear at the left edge of the table.

c) Any Horse Tribe unit which moves into contact with a baggage mule automatically captures it. However, even if in contact with more than one baggage mule, it may only capture one baggage mule at a time. The Horse Tribe unit must then retire to the lower edge of the table to secure its capture before it can return to the action.

d) On Turn 3, roll 1D6. If a 4, 5 or 6, then re-roll the die: odds = the Lamrian force arrives on road left edge of the table; evens = Ferrex force arrives on road on the right edge of the table. These will aid the caravan. Continue to roll each turn thereafter until the reinforcements have all arrived or the game ends.

e) The caravan moves on 6+ on 2D6 at 6” per turn along the road. However, on each turn after Turn 2, roll 1D6. If a 5, the baggage mules refuse to move that turn; if a 6, they are spooked, so roll another 1D6, and that number is the number of baggage mules who set off at 6” in a random direction (use a direction die).  They will continue in their new direction unless they pass their normal move test (6+); if they pass, they head back to the main road to reform with the original caravan group.

f) The game ends when either all the baggage mules have been captured and exited from the lower edge of the table by the Horse Tribes, or the baggage mules (or those not captured yet) have been moved by the Caravan Defenders off the right hand edge by the road.

g) Victory Points:

            Horse Tribes:

            10 VP per baggage mule captured

            1 VP per enemy figure killed

            50VP bonus if all the baggage mules are captured

            Caravan Defenders:

            10 VP per baggage mule exited off the road on the west edge of the table

            1 VP per enemy figure killed

h) Opposing Forces:

            Kedarian Horse Tribes

            Light Cavalry  Cavalry           6 x figures       Light Riders    6 Points           2 units*

            Bows               Infantry           12 x figures     Light Missiles 4 Points           1 unit

            Spears             Infantry           12 x figures     Light Foot       4 Points           2 units

                        *One unit includes the Horse Tribes’ general. 

            Leucadian Mercenaries

            Hobilars          Cavalry           6 x figures       Medium Riders           4 Points     1 unit

            Crossbows      Infantry           12 x figures     Heavy Missiles           4 Points      1 unit

            + six baggage mules 

            Lamrian Troops

                        (from Castle Gonfalon)

            Men-at-arms   Cavalry           6 x figures       Medium Riders           6 Points     1 unit*

            Longbows       Infantry           12 x figures     Light Missiles             4 Points     1 unit

                        *Includes the Caravan Defenders’ general.

                        (from the Priory of Saint Menno)

            Mixed Foot     Infantry           12 x figures     Heavy Foot                 6 Points       1 unit 

I played the game solo until a result was achieved, which actually took 15 turns, although many turns were quickly completed. It turned out to be a close game, although not at first! The caravan and its defenders were easy enough to play – just keep going and fend off all attackers. I played the latter on the basis that it was the baggage mules they wanted and were going to avoid close combat, although in the end that did not quite work. 

The rules were Dragon Rampant, as written without any local amendments. Each side had 24 points as recommended for a basic game, although obviously the Caravan Defenders only reached that figure if they all got onto the table. The Horse Tribes also have the advantage of their general on the table from the start of the game; that of the Caravan Defenders only arrives with the Lamrian men-at-arms. In this game, I rolled for the commander’s ‘Trait’ as it is called in the rules and both turned out to be a ‘Goader’, which means one unit within 12” of the general’s unit can automatically move without having to test. 

The figures are Essex Miniatures 25mm metals (the Leucadians and Lamrians), Old Glory 25mm metals (Lamrians) and Gripping Beast 28mm hard plastic Arabs and Fireforge 28mm hard plastic Mongols/Steppe Warriors (Kedarian Horse Tribes). For my continent, states and organisations have different heraldic colours. In this case, the Leucadian mercenaries are painted black and white, the Lamrians from Castle Gonfalon are green and white and those from the Priory of Saint Menno are purple and white. The Kedarian Horse Tribes wear black and red as their colours. 

Here are some pictures, with captions appended below, which show the battle progressing to its conclusion. I really enjoyed the game and its size. I am planning another one already, an attack on a Lamrian village by the Kedarian Horse Tribes. Hopefully this will appear here soon!