Sharp Practice: L'uomo del Monte...

With Bristol melting in the last heatwave (as opposed to the current one) Phil offered to host Andy and I at Chez Turner rather than play our usual weekly game down BIG (which would have been full of hot nd sweaty 40K gamers as it was a Thursday). After a delightful salad courtesy of Phil we got down to some Peninsular War Sharp Practice action playing Andy's 'Man From Del Monte' spy scenario...

The mission involved elements of the army of the Kingdom of Italy seeking out an enemy spy, known only as 'the man from Del Monte'. Swiftly the brave Italians of the 5° Reggimento Fanteria di Linea commanded by Tenente Tardelli advanced towards the Spanish village, screened byVolteggiatori of the 4a Reggimento led by Sergente Zoff.

As the infantry moved into the village, the Sergente Altobelli led a troop from the 1° Real Italiano Cacciatori a Cavallo to cover the left flank.

The importance of the mission was shown as Volteggiatori of the 1° Reggimento Fanteria Leggera arrived to support the search, looking dashing in their green uniforms, under the command of Tenente Baresi.

Mamma Mia! What is this? The cursed Inglesi have also arrived, Lieutenant Frederick Bentinck and a group of light infantry skirmishers from the 52nd Foot were spotted skulking in the cornfield!

The Inglesi rats opening fire on the Cacciatori a Cavallo who were doing nobody any harm!

More enemy skirmishers were uncovered hiding in the cornfield, Sergeant Rick O'Shea of the 52nd ordering his men to open fire on the Italian Volteggiatori. One brave boy from Milan falls to the ground mortally wounded...

Suddenly more British burst on the scene! Lieutenant Dickie Blunt leading a group of the legendary 95th Rifles forward!

Tenente Baresi ordered his light infantry Volteggiatori to open fire on the Rifles...

Killing one stone dead and piling six points of Shock on the British!

Meanwhile Sergeant Norman Nomates leads a second group of the 95th into one of the buildings in the village, trying to find their spy... Nope, no sign of the man from Del Monte there.

Another round of fire from the Volteggiatori broke Lieutenant Blunt's men, the survivors running over the hills and far away, past the shocked force commander Major George Napier and men of the 1st Company of the 52nd Foot.

Elsewhere Lieutenant Bentinck kept ordering his men to fire at the Italian cavalry...

Who after taking two casualties decided discretion was the better part of valour and galloped out of enemy musket range!

Back in the village Sergeant O'Shea and his men traded fire with Sergente Zoff's Volteggiatori, the British coming off worst as two men were killed in one group.

At the rear of the village Napier ordered one group of his 52nd to enter a nearby building...

They seek him here... Can they find the man from Del Monte there? Nope...

With dashing Italian élan Tenente Baresi led the 1° Reggimento Fanteria Leggera Volteggiatori in a charge into the cornfield to root out the British skirmishers! 

Avanti! The Volteggiatori smashed into the Redcoats...

Wiping out one group and capturing the British sergeant! Tenente Baresi earned a badge of honour taking a flesh wound in the melee.

Aware of the importance of the mission, Baresi then led a group of Volteggiatori into a building to see if the enemy spy is hiding there... No he isn't! Allora...

The remaining Volteggiatori traded shots with the surviving group of British light infantry skirmishers, Sergeant O'Shea lying tied up a prisoner of the Italian light infantry (and dreading a future of just pasta for dinner until the war is over...)

Oe the Italian left Captaino Rossi led the Fucilieri of the 4a Reggimento Fanteria di Linea into the orchard, splitting his formation into groups to try and swiftly head off Lieutenant Bentinck's skirmishers who were swiftly moving towards a nearby farm. Perhaps that was where the man from Del Monte could be found?

Back in the cornfield Sergente Zoff led his men through the tall stalks to help the Italian light infantry weed out the British skirmishers...

When suddenly, not having found the man from Del Monte in the building they had searched, Sergeant Nomates charged the remaining group of the 95th Rifles at the rear of the 1° Reggimento Fanteria Leggera. Unfortunately for Nomates, his men were tired (or drunk, who knows) and they came up short!

Fortunately for the British Rifles, Sergeant Nomates was the first to activate after Tiffin and they completed their charge - forcing the light infantry Volteggiatori to fall back and rescuing the wounded Sergeant O'Shea from his future pasta nightmare!

Having seen the "pretty boys from Milan" bested by the 95th, the wily old Sergente Zoff decided to show the light infantry how it is done, charging his line Volteggiatori into the rear of the British Rifles...

Wiping the British out, sticking a bayonet into the prone Sergeant O'Shea (never to worry about pasta ever again) and seeing Sergeant Nomates of the 95th run for safety...

Back in the orchard, one group Fucilieri of the 4a Reggimento Fanteria di Linea charged Bentinck's men, but were decisively beaten back!

A second group then charged the British, but were also beaten back by the redcoat skirmishers...

Who then charged the Italians causing one group of Fucilieri to break!

Captaino Rossi ordered his third group of Fucilieri to charge the British but having seen two groups of their comrades bested, they only shuffled forward slowly not making contact...

Meanwhile back in the village, Primo Corporale Collovato and a group of the 5° Reggimento Fanteria di Linea discovered a scruffy looking individual hiding behind some bags of oranges in one of the houses. Is he the man from Del Monte? A swift interrogation with a sharp bayonet revealed it was!

With their prisoner secured and bound, Collovato and his men escorted the man from Del Monte back to HQ for a proper questioning!

Back at the orchard, leading from the front as usual the brave Captaino Rossi led his men into a charge against the skirmishers of Lieutenant Bentinck - who challenged the Italian commander to a duel!

In Guardia! A swift flash of Italian steel and the hapless British officer fell dead, Rossi's sword plunged into Bentinck's heart!

And as the British office falls the Fucilieri smashed into the British skirmishers, polishing them off and securing a mighty victory for the army of the Kingdom of Italy in the Peninsular!

A cracking game, which sums up everything great about Sharp Practice, thanks to Phil for hosting us (and losing magnanimously) and Andy for running the game.

Sharp Practice: En Avant!!... Holding The Line (Day Two)

After a less than stellar performance by the Italians at En Avant!!... Holding The Line day one, Chris and I knew we'd have to pull our metaphorical socks up on day two. Yeah right... :-)

Game Three:

Our third game of the weekend was against Phil and Rob's Anglo-Portuguese force, the Brits being a Royal Marine contingent, our mission to capture a rebel priest hiding in a monastery and pull down the Papist flag, whilst the Brits had to steal some brandy!

The smell of the Spanish brandy must have wafted towards the Brits as the Marines rushed skirmish units forward...

Along with three smart groups in column. I had to wonder would Phil be able to keep his men under control when they got near the alcohol?

The Italian light infantry Volteggiatori pushed forward up the road, forcing the Marines to snap into line after having a pop at them, whilst the line Volteggiatori hid in the wood waiting for the Marine skirmishers to try and get the booze out...

With the Fucilieri moving up in support, the Volteggiatori traded shots with the Marines, both sides taking Shock.

Having taken a fair bit of shock, the light infantry Volteggiatori fell back as one column of Fucilieri snapped into line to trade musket fire with the Marines as a second moved up behind.

Meanwhile the Cacciatore a Cavallo, in true cavalry fashion, trotted to and fro behind the front-line...

As the one group of Marines convinced the Guerrillas guarding the brandy to join them in its liberation, whilst a second pushed up alongside the storehouse.

And then in the centre a moment of madness! My cunning plan was for the Fucilieri in line to echelon off the road to the hedge line and pour more musket balls into the Marines before the second charged up in column to finish them off. Forgetting to stipulate where they were to stop I rolled 17 on 3D6 and the line charged forward stopping two inches from the Marine line!

The Marines activated, charging in themselves on the unloaded Fucilieri. In a rash moment of desperation my force commander challenged the Marine office to a duel!

Two rounds of sword play saw my commander lying dead and the Marine charge routed the Fucilieri, and knocked their NCO down! 

Lots of Bad Things happened there and the Italian Force Morale slumped. I don't think Chris was overly impressed with my cunning plan!

Bad though things were now for the Italians we had some light relief when the Marine skirmishers fired and charged in on a group of Villagers who had professed their loyalty to the new King.

I only had seven dice against 20 odd for the Marines, but the gods of war(gaming) like a joke don't they?

Despite losing two comrades the villagers practically wiped out the Marines and wounded their officer...

Who was dragged to safety by the sole surviving Marine!

The other group of Marines (with the brandy) and Guerrillas tried to break out but were hit by the line Volteggiatori.

Whilst in the centre the second formation of Fucilieri moved up to trade volleys with the Marines who fell back...

To be replaced by Rob's Portuguese Fuzileiros...

Who with their Caçadore support poured more fire into the Fucilieri.

Eventually the inevitable happened and the Italian Force Morale hit zero, the Marines with their Pork and Beans allies winning a decisive victory.

Game Four:

Our final game saw Chris and I up against birthday boy Julian and Al and their British army. Our mission to seize an important bridge, theirs to stop us!

Despite having a cunning plan to move swiftly with Volteggiatori shielded columns, the gods of war(gaming) favoured the British early doors with their line, Rifles and light cavalry storming up the table.

Eventually the forces of the Kingdom of Italy began their advance...

The Fucilieri screened in textbook fashion by the Volteggiatori...

Whilst the Granatieri marched swiftly up the road on the left flank.

The Rifles moved swiftly to seize the bridge and have a pop at the Cacciatore a Cavallo who had been a tad impetuous in their advancing.

The light infantry Volteggiatori moved into a lemon orchard and began firing at the British line whilst the Fucilieri snapped into line and moved through the copse.

Spying enemy cavalry to their front the Granatieri snapped into line and presented, ready to give the horsey boys a good volley of Italian lead!

Whilst the Volteggiatori continued to chip away at the line of redcoats...

Soon joined by the Fucilieri.

Many a redcoat fell dead and the line reeled under the deadly Italian musket-fire.

The thin red line looked very thin facing the mass of Italian white!

Having caused the Italian horse to retire out of range, the Rifles switched targets to the line Volteggiatori... 

However this did not stop the second formation of Fucilieri snapping into line...

 And loosing a volley at the second redcoat line!

On the Italian left the British cavalry cantered through the orchard into the rear of the light infantry Volteggiatori but were defeated, their officer being knocked out by the dashing boys from Milan!

The two survivors somehow managing not to rout, but were pushed back and effectively hors(e) de combat!

With the Italian left flank now secure, the Granatieri formed back up into line and began marching towards the sound of the gunfire.

The Fucilieri in the copse continued to pour fire into the British to their front, forcing them back...

However the second formation buckled under the fire from the other redcoat unit and the Rifles.

Despite this success, the British position looked somewhat tenuous...

The first group of Fucilieri yelling Avanti! stormed towards the British, bayonets levelled!

However, before they got the chance to wet their bayonets, the line Volteggiatori moved swiftly forward, fired a volley into the surviving Rifles on the bridge, causing them to break and the British Force Morale to hit zero.

Technically, according to the scenario conditions, Chris and I still had not won as the Volteggiatori were not holding the bridge when the British Force Morale collapsed (a second objective in itself), but I think we can all agree this was a decisive Italian victory! (come on, give us one! :-))

Overall another great weekend of Sharp Practice gaming with a wonderful group of gamers, the doubles approach working well for the Peninsular, Looking forward to the French & Indian event in November now!