A Few Photos from Earlswood

Last weekend I managed to get a game in at my local wargaming club in Earlswood. I played Fighting Sale by Ryan Miller, and published by Osprey. It is a naval wargame- we fought an engagement between the French and British navy during the Napoleonic wars. Vlad brought along his huge armada of very tiny ships. It was great fun, even if I lost two third rate ships to Vald's shockingly fluky dice rolling. I took lost of photos of the game but unfortunately the game was not very photogenic, being fought on a big blue cloth with tiny ships.

 Elsewhere Big Al et al were fighting a battle from the American Civil War, which I had no idea who won, but looked very pretty and was far more photogenic. 

Here are some photos of both games. 

Peninsualr War: Royal Navy Ships

I bought a couple of ships to go with my Napoleonic sailors- but with a mind that they might be good for Freebooters Fate or On the Severn Seas (a game my son and I fancy getting into in the New Year). 

I got these from Eleven Tree Designs. They are laser-cut but pre assembled and are detailed enough not to need much by way of painting. They usually come with long masts and rigging, but I thought that would get in the way on gaming, so opted to have these cut off masts (which made it a bit cheaper too).  

Eleven Tree Design were a good company to deal with. I contacted them through their Facebook account and they were helpful and even game me a discount as I was buying two ships. the cost was good too, compared to the resin ones on the market. 

Peninsular War: Drums and Shakos Battle Report

My son Charlie and I managed to get a game in last week. We played Songs of Drums and Shakos, a game from Ganesha Games. Based on the same mechanics as Songs of Blades and Heroes and Fist Full of Kung Fu. As you might have guessed Drums and Shakos is set in the Napoleonic wars and introduces rules for muskets, rifles, cannons etc. It has two advantages (as far as I am concerned) over Sharp Practice: you only need 10-20 figures a side, which makes it much easier to get a game together, and it is a really simple mechanic, which makes it great for Charlie to learn. In fact Charlie said that this, and Blades and Heroes, are his favourite games, even better that Lord of the Rings!

The game was based on a shore party from the HMS Endurance, attempting to find a well or spring where they can replenish their ships depleted water reserve (following an unfortunate accident involving a rat and a cabin boy). Lieutenant Ragley was in charge of the party, which consisted of 13 sailors.

Lt Ragley (Q4+ C2, Leader, Pistol, Sword)

Able Seaman Stumpy (Q4, C2, Sword)

4 Big Lads (Q4, C2, Strong, Sword, Pistol)

4 Salty Seamen (Q4, C2, Muskets and Swords)

4 Jack Tars (Q4, C2, Muskets)

Unfortunately for Lt Ragley and the crew of the HMS Endurance, the area of coast line they had landed on, was being paroled by Jean Bonnet, a lieutenant in a French imperial line infantry regiment. He was accompanied by 9 grenadiers and 2 fusiliers.

Lt Bonnet, (Q4 C2, Leader, Pistol, Sword)

Grenadier (Q4, C2, Strong, Muskets)

Fusiliers (Q4, C2 Muskets)

Lt bonnet lead his grenadiers to the orange grove, where they formed up a firing line, ready to repel the sailors. The grenadiers were all big, strong soldiers, and didn't think much of the sea rats they were to fight- they hardly compared to a red-jacket!

The Battle began with the crack of musketry as the grenadiers and the jack tars exchanged ineffectual fire at long range. The big lads, armed for boarding actions and close quarters battle took advantage of the French reloading to sprint forwards, vaulting over a rickety fence and closing to within range of their pistols. 

 The Salty Seamen moved up, fired a volley with their muskets, before drawing their cutlass's and charging in. The Grenadiers shot one of then as they advanced- killing him, and knocked down one of the Big Lads, but nothing was going to stop the cutlass armed sailors closing to melee.

The two fusiliers moved up one flank to snipe at the RN officer, but their fire wasn't terribly accurate, and all they succeeded in doing was driving him into cover. 

The encounter ended with a sprawling melee. The French grenadiers found the cutlass armed sailors to be quite a lot tougher in melee that they had expected, and gradually their numbers were whittled down until the sailors started to get the upper hand. Lt Bonnet was frantically running between his troops, barking out orders, when a lucky long range shot from one of the Jack Tars caught him under his knee and sent him down in the dust. His men, seeing him fall, broke and fled the battlefield, and the French officer was captured, and taken to the HMS Endurance, for the expert ministration of Mr Cutter, the ships surgeon. 

It was quite a coup for Lieutenant Ragley (RN). He lost only one sailor, but captured a French officer.  Who knows what intelligence the navy will be able to learn from the prisoner. As for Bonnet, well it is likely the Frenchman will spend the rest of the war as a prisoner-of-war, or else be ransomed back to the French in exchange for some British prisoners. 

As for the game, both Charlie and I thought that Songs of Drums and Shakos was a great system, full of fast pace action, and very easy to learn. The sizes of the forces involved were ideal for my mini table and for my collection. Personally I get bored if I have to paint 20-30 minis of the same type, but these sizes of engagements are ideal. 

Peninsular Wars: Royal Navy Officers.

Midshipman Lovejoy

Midshipman Lancelot Lovejoy is the youngest officer on the HMS Endurance. He is a young buck with a reputation for being a lecherous ladies man. He might be no looker and of an average stamp physically, but he is the son of a mill owner, and is as rich as Cresus, and thinks he can buy the affections of any lady. He is a clumsy slasher with his sword, and only an occasional horseman. He is disliked by his crew, and even by the other officers, who consider him something of a cad. He is very jealous of the other officers, especially ones of noble birth, and his envy might be his undoing.

Lieutenant John Ragley, 2nd lieutenant of the HMS Endurance, is a fine fellah: Physically of average stamp, but fair of face. He is a fair hand with a sword, but a novice in the saddle. Unfortunate for lieutenant  Ragley, be was born in an orphanage, with no money or rank. That he has risen as far as he has is a tribute to his tenacity, intellect and honourable conduct; never the less he is universally despised by the crew and the other officers, who don't consider him a 'proper officer'.

Peninsular War: Royal Navy Landing Party

My whole interest in Sharp Practice and Napoleonic was piked by watching reruns of Horneblower on cable. I was sat watching it one day with my good lady wife (who's ears always seem to prick up at the sight of young Ioan Gruffudd in a smart uniform) and I thought- wouldn't it be cool to do these in 28mm. I grabbed the Ipad and I searched the net, and found these lovely figures...sculpted by Britain's own Paul Hicks, but annoyingly only available from the US of A at Brigade Games. Luckily the pound to dollar exchange rate was quite favourable so I ordered them, along with some marines from the same range. I had to wait a while for them to be cast, and for the post, which is why I started on the redcoats, but as soon as they arrived I was itching to get them painted. 

Here they are, with profiles for Sharp Practice. 

(In Sharp Practice the Big Men (officers, NCO's etc) are described in narrative terms, rather than having a stat line that is just a series of abstract numbers.  The important characteristics are in italics.)

 Captain William Brighton, RN, captain of a 44 gun Frigate, the HMS Endurance, is an elderly officer close to retirement but with a long and illustrious career in the Royal Navy. His fellow captains and crew rate him as a jolly good fellow, although old age, and a life time aboard ships, have left him something of a sickly cove. He is quite plain to look upon, a  fair hand with a sword, and an occasional rider. He was the son of an admiral, and despite the fact that he has never risen particularly high in the ranks of the Royal Navy, he is never the less universally loved by his crew, who know that he is chivalrous, fair-handed and he is a well read man of letters. 

3rd Lieutenant Arthur Bonham, of the HMS Endurance, is a strapping fellow, a noted young buck with a promising carrier ahead of him. He is tall, athletic and devilishly hansom. He is a popular cove with his crew, and with the ladies! Mr Bonham is an accomplished horseman,an all-round athlete, and a fair hand with a sword.

He is from a family of new money, his father is a wealthy cotton merchant in Liverpool, but Mr Bonham is a man of adventure, not book keeping. He is an honourable man, except when it comes to the fairer sex, when he has a reputation as being something of a lecherous ladies man. 

 And here is a group shot of my RN landing party, lead by Mr Bonham...