Double Line Feb, 2 2017 – Play test

Last week I played with Paolo M. a playtest of his ACW rule system. I played with this rule system two years ago and, during the long pause, Paolo and the other club members improved the mechanisms. 

I must anticipate that the rule system was created for a multiplayer game. Last week, we tested (for the second time) the mechanisms for a struggle between two players. We played 12 turns and it took us around 3 hours.

It is necessary to consider that I was rusty and so a player more skilled could close it in less time but Paolo was satisfied so ... he is the creator. Furthermore the units to lead were more than in a normal game because the scenario was a playtest.

The set is a custom scenario in which an initial Confederate force must protect a crossroad. The table is a regular 120x180 cm with a small stream in the middle.

Union forces:

1^st division 2 brigades plus artillery support (immediately deployed)

2^nd division 2 brigades plus artillery support (arrives during the five turn)

Cavalry brigade 3 units (arrives during the second turn)

Confederate forces:

1^st division composed by five brigades:

                Artillery brigade (arrives after the first turn)

                Cavalry brigade 3 units (immediately deployed)

                1^st brigade (immediately deployed)

                2^nd brigade (arrives during the third turn)

                3^rd brigade (arrives during the fourth turn)

I played as Union commander.

Initial deployment

The right wing of the Union is on march. On the opposite front the Confederate dismounted cavalry take his position

Second turn. The marches continue

During third turn, my cavalry arrives and the artillery creates a hole into the enemy line

On the right the cavalry supported by a couple of brigades try to outflank the Confederates

The reinforcements arrive for each player. On the right the Confederates fill the hole while on the right their artillery bombards hard my new division

With my units I push towards the center ... 

... in the meanwhile, on the right, my outflanking maneuver is clogged up

At the 12th turn my units are close to the crossroad but their efforts are not sufficient

 Confederate victory

The Vikings attack to a Roman village

Months ago, at home I played a small skirmish scenario on my training table. It was a quick struggle with a Vikings force that try to attack a Roman village and the reinforcement that arrive a couple of turns later.

I took some photos and I post them below

An officer of the Roman speculatoris observes with his soldiers the scene from a distance

The reinforcements are on march

Shieldwall against shieldwall. The Romans try to close the breach

On the walls archers help their companions

Garibaldi all'attacco! - Jan 26, 2017

Last week, after a lot of months of stop, I played again at “Garibaldi all’attacco!”. 

The scenario I played was a simple game with 9 battalions against other 9. We used the tournement rules system but I must point out that no miniatures showed in the photos below are painted by me. Scenario rules are easy:

- for each unit destroyed you receive 1 point

- on the middle of the table there is a green square. The player with more miniatures at the end of the 8th turn on it gains 2 points. 

Initial deployment. 

We moved our units using the “column of march” orders to reach the obj as soon as possible.  My opponent reaches it before me while I take the control of the hill. 

My hunter unit has been repelled and the enemy continues to keep the obj. The main struggle took place down the hill on my right wing but the red shirts enthusiasm is blocked by the fire of my unit. 

On the left and on the center I lost two units but the enemy wing is destroyed. 

On the right my unit on the hill eliminates the enemy and starts a maneuver to take the last enemy unit on the flank. 

To protect his commander my opponent decided to hide it in the wood but the scenario is finished. 

At the end we reach together the obj but I win for the difference of units fallen. It was a very quick play …. it takes us around 1 hour and half… but an easy way to review the rules thanks to Paolo M. and the patience of my opponent Massimo.

Starting battles, 20/21 Jan 2017

On January 20 and 21, 2017 the club's house has gone back to his "normal life". Unfortunately I couldn't take part to these battles but below there are some photos of last Friday. 

It is possible to find them also in our official internet site: www.lapiccolaarmata.it. If someone would like more details please do not hesitate to contact me using this blog or the contacts reported in our web official page.

The pictures below show an Acw and an Italian independence war scenario. These battles were the first ones played in the new club location.  

As I reported in other past posts, Paolo M. published - around an year ago - his wargame rulebook (Garibaldi all'attacco! - Ed Chimelli). The period covered by these rules are the Italian independence wars but Paolo and other club members are studying a new wargame system for American Civil Wars.

Below other photos of "Garibaldi all'attacco!" scenario that is already playing. It is possible to find more information regarding this rulebook using the link reported in the right part of this blog and called "in cacciatori"

Vikings

I’m sure that every person that is keen on ancient wargaming know something about Vikings. 

Furthemore, after the success of tv series broadcasted by History Channel "Vikings", I think that the interest of the public is generally increased about this people so, in my opinion, it is not necessary to tell further of them. 

I finished to paint them in December but I found the time to post the pictures only now. 

A part of them took part to "The strongest" battle that I played a couple of weeks ago. My initial idea was not to paint Vikings but to use the Gripping beast's sprues to convert them. So the miniatures are a mix of plastic/metal Gripping Beast Saxons and Vikings to which I added Warlord Celts. 

The original Vikings sprue included a couple of warriors with long axe but ... around an year ago ... I bought a blister of four Gripping Beast's varangians and so I decided to include them into my band. I decided (as in the picture above) to glue a shield on their backs to increase the color contrast … the effect is not bad. 

I painted also some standard bearers. The flag is very large but also in this case, including them into a shield wall, the effect is choreographic. 

I decided to add the shield with the bloody hand shape to this miniature because it gives him the brutality I believe was typically of that period. The shield shapes are a mix of Gripping beast and Little big men studio. Designs are perfect but sometimes it is difficult to remove their lucid effect.

Below some battle scenes with Vikings shield walls crashing each other