Sharp Practice: En Avant III... Major Terre de Nuit...

My second game at En Avant III was against Lloyd's Spanish and unfortunately suffered from whatever issue had happened in the morning with the photos taken on the first day (fortunately day two's photos are fine). However between myself and Lloyd we have managed to scrape together a handful so I can to tell the tale of the Italian attempt to rescue Major Terre de Unit, who was lying wounded in a Spanish dwelling...

With an ambulance following up behind, this time I went infantry heavy, sacrificing some leader capacity hoping to form two musket blocks of four groups each to thwart the advancing Spanish (a quantity over quality approach).

Whereas my troops advanced, shall we say, rather conservatively, Lloyd's had clearly been on the sangria as he rolled 12 on 2D6 and they stormed up the table receiving an ineffectual blast of musket fire from the Volteggiatori tasked with screening the evacuation of the wounded Major.

On the other flank Lloyd pushed forward an impressively large formation of heavy cavalry, whilst my second large formation of Fucilieri moved into position behind the church to protect the flank and give them a volley if they came too close.

Having rather swiftly despatched the Volteggiatori, the Spanish Fusilieros charged into their Italian counter-parts inflicting casualties and Shock on them. Despite a series of bad rolls on the Bad Things Happen table I put trust in the gods of war(gaming) that such bad luck on the dice front would not continue and I challenged the Spanish commander to a duel - who promptly ran his sabre through my commander killing him outright. Oh, how the gods of war(gaming) laughed...

Fortunately the stretcher-bearers carrying Major Terre de Nuit had reached the ambulance. Could they get him to safety before the Italian Force Morale collapsed?

The gods of war(gaming) continued have their fun at my expense... The Spanish cavalry cantered down the left. I deployed the Fucilieri in line and they Presented their muskets waiting to unleash hell. Lloyd pushed his cavalry forward and in a rare example of bad fortune saw them end up flank on stopping right in front of the Italian infantry. Of course next turn I then went and pulled the Spanish cavalry officer's token first and they cantered on past the Fucilieri laughing as they went... :-(

In the centre the Spanish Fusilieros musket fire blasted into the now leaderless Italians who were forced back. As with every Bad Thing Happen roll this game I rolled high (a 5 or 6 every time!) reducing the Italian Force Morale to zero and handing victory to Lloyd.

Sometimes the dice are your worse enemy and the gods of war(gaming) did me no favours in this game. When I needed to roll high I rolled low and when I needed to roll low I rolled high. My force composition had been a bit of a gamble and that also back fired, especially when I lost my force commander in an ill chosen duel. 

Oh well, as they say tomorrow is another day, so hopefully the forces of the Kingdom of Italy would put up a better showing on the Sunday...

Sharp Practice: En Avant III... The Vivandiere & The Spy...

Last month saw the latest chapter in Phil's excellent En Avant Sharp Practice events: 'En Avant III... Here we go Again!' - following their failure to retake from the valley of the “three cojones” last year, the French (with their brave Italian allies) have now raised another army to retake this strategically vital part of Spain.

My first game was against Rob with his motley crew of pressed Royal Navy types who no doubt would break when faced with the might of the Kingdom of Italy who were tasked with a mission to rescue this attractive young Vivandiere and her donkey...

Working on the theory that I would not need two big attack columns to defeat some sailors playing soldier I cut back on my line infantry...

Employing two formations, one of two groups, the second of three. That should be enough musket fire to thwart the British squids!

I mean look at them, scruffy buggers not in uniform and can't march in a straight line (all that rum I suspect).

The brave boys from Milan are showing the pesky Brits how it is doing marching body forward with much martial ardour!

Supported by a detachment of the 1° (Real Italiano) Cacciatore a Cavallo who deployed to flank the Navy boys.

Umm, what's this? They have some Lobsterbacks with them? The Marines look a lot smarter but what's with this wearing top hats lark?

More scruffy Jack Tars skulk amongst the bushes eyeing up the enemy donkey (they've been at sea a while now...)

Whilst the Cacciatore saunter up the left flank giving the British something to ponder.

The Volteggiatori having reached the Vivandiere come under fire from the sailors hiding in the bushes and take a point of Shock (no doubt caused by the fact the squids had pointed their muskets in the right direction for a change).

With more Volteggiatori pushing forward, things were looking good for the Italians. We just needed to get the stone out of the pesky donkey's hoof and lead it and the Vivandiere to safety.

The Volteggiatori exchanged fire with the Marines...

Killing one of the lobsterbacks.

With the Fucilieri having reached the crossroads, one deploying into line to protect the right flank I was feeling moderately confident at this point.

A group of Marines skirmishers then deployed...

Firing at the Italian cavalry and inflicting some Shock.

A mob of sailors then arrived on the field of battle, no doubt looking for something more to drink (in game terms they are classified as a Tribe and are very nasty in melee combat).

The second unit of Volteggiatori reach the battlefield and engage the enemy...

Killing two Marine skirmishers and wounding their leader...

As the larger formation of Fucilieri moved forward with the view to forming a second line of muskets on the Italian left.

The squids skulking in the bushes kept up their fire on the Volteggiatori with the donkey...

And managed to kill one and wound the Italian NCO leading them!

Unfortunately at this point our tale ends as for some inexplicable reason a number of photos have been lost from day one of En Avant III so we have no idea what happened next, though clearly all signs were pointing towards an Italian victory...

Clearly...

Oh, alright...

Things went badly down hill from this point on (and no I didn't not delete the photographic evidence deliberately). Rob's skirmishers kept plugging away at the Volteggiatori  piling Shock and casualties on them causing one group to fall back. The remaining group struggled to get the stone out the donkey's hoof and it started attacking them causing more Shock! The Italian cavalry found themselves under attack by the mob of sailors and in a valiant charge were beaten back by the pikes and cutlasses before routing off the board. This all resulted in a number of Bad Things Happen rolls and as was to be the case all weekend, when I needed to roll high I rolled low and when I needed to roll low, I rolled high. The Italian Force Morale plunged to zero and victory was Rob's!

With the benefit of hindsight my major mistake was not using the two groups of Volteggiatori who had reached the Vivandiere to keep firing at the enemy to their front and leave the bloody donkey alone. Secondly whilst the cavalry had been a useful distraction, deploying them in a such a position that any reverse would force them off the table was a tad silly.

Seven Days To The River Rhine: Så drog de frem til fjenders mén!

Following on from the crushing defeat at the hands of the Soviets horde earlier this year, my 15mm Danes dusted themselves off for another round of Seven Days To The River Rhine (7DTTRR) action - again with some American reinforcements (hopefully arriving in a more timely fashion this game)...

This time my M41 DK1's adopted a very cautious approach deploying in a dip behind a ridge line. My idea this time around was to have them pop up, shoot and scoot, hopefully not receiving a 125mm cannon shell in the process.

The first of the Red Horde appeared - a BMP-2 in the woods...

Followed by a second.

As the Soviet APC's start to advance across the board, two Centurion Mk. V DK 2's took up position on the Danish left flank...

Seeing three Soviet T-64's appear, advancing swiftly towards the Danish position.

The Centurions opened fire...

Forcing two of the Soviet MBT's to fall back having taken Morale hits!

Emboldened by the success of their comrades, two more Centurions moved up to engage the remaining T-64.

For søren! Three more Soviet tanks appeared to reinforce the first platoon!

Hurra! Amerikanerne!! Two USMC M60 arrived to support their brave Danish allies.

The Danish Centurions opened fire again...

This time managing to destroy one of the Soviet T-64's!

The second Soviet tank platoon pushed forward...

Its concentrated fire forcing the crew of one of the M60's to bale out.

The gods of war(gaming) were however smiling down on the elderly Centurions as the CO destroyed a second T-64...

Whilst another took aim...

Fired... and brewed up a third Soviet tank! The Centurion tank crews had certainly had the Danish equivalent of Weetabix tonight!

With the Soviet armour unexpectedly floundering under the fire from the Centurions, more woe appeared for Andy in the form of a platoon of M1's!

Confident in the thickness of their frontal armour, one of the M1's advanced swiftly down the road...

Slamming a 105mm round into an unfortunate T-64.

Adopting a more conservative approach a second M1 spotted a target...

And brewed up another T-64!

Whilst the third pushed up on the Soviet left destroying a BMP-2...

Before taking out another T-64!

Andy was able to gain a small measure of revenge as one of his BMP-2's...

Took out an overly confident M910 ITV which had been lining up its TOW on the sole remaining T-64.

But the end was nigh for the Soviet invaders as one of the M1's breasted a hill, spotting the last T-64...

And slamming a 105mm round into it!

A decisive victory for NATO in southern Denmark, it was interesting how different this game was to the previous, with very similar force compositions. It was good to see the Centurions get some kills in after last time, and all the M41's survived - by doing absolutely nothing! (I had been hoping to let them loose at the BMP-2's but the opportunity did not arise. Hopefully I can get my Danish infantry painted up before our next game - and maybe some Landrover TOW's.