Copyright © 2011-2024, Paul Scrivens-Smith

Copyright © 2011-2024, Paul Scrivens-Smith

All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of the creator.

Wednesday 3 October 2012

SAGA and Black Powder Napoleonics

It's another week with lots of gaming activity. On Monday I took advantage of Victoria going for dinner with a friend to sneak in a game of SAGA against Ian.

We played a 4 pt Clash of Warlords game on his kitchen table, with Ian using my Vikings and myself using my Christian Spanish as Normans again.

I took: Warlord, 4 Mounted Milites, 4 Mounted Milites, 8 Warriors with Crossbow, 12 Peasants with Bow.
Ian took: 1 Warlord, 4 Hirdmen, 4 Hirdmen, 8 Bondi, 8 Bondi.

In makes ready to rumble.
 It was a cracking game with much slaughter on both sides. After six turns, Ian was left with his Warlord and two Hirdmen whereas I had had my Warlord, two Crossbowmen and two Peasants. What a bloodbath.
Hirdmen batter the Leves while the Milites look on
Yesterday evening we played a fairly large Black Powder game, Quinton and I used my French and Adie and Darren used Adies French.

Quinton and I used:

  • Divisional Commander
  • Brigade Commander with 5 Line battalions, 1 Foot battery
  • Brigade Commander with 2 Legere battalions and 1 Line battalion
  • Brigade Commander with 3 Line battalions
  • Brigade Commander with 1 large Hussar regiment, 1 Dragoon regiment and a Horse battery
  • Brigade Commander with 2 Cuirassier regiments


Adie and Darren used:

  • Divisional Commander
  • Brigade Commander with 4 Musketeer battalions, 1 Opochenie battalion, 1 large Foot battery, 1 POsition battery
  • Brigade Commander with 3 Grenadier battalions
  • Brigade Commander with 2 Hussar regiments
  • Brigade Commander with 2 Hussar regiments
  • Brigade Commander with 4 small Jaeger regiments, 1 Cossack regiment


We lined up and kicked off. On the first turn, Adie blundered with an order for two of his Musketeer battalions and they shot off three moves unsupported into the teeth of the French army. In a display of combined arms unequalled in history, the two battalions were forced into square, mauled by the guns and then cleaned up by the large Brigade of French infantry. Some more poor dice by the French and it was all pretty much over by just after eight O'clock so we decided to go back to the start lines and start again.

The second game was much more balanced. A huge cavalry fight on the French left saw one of the Russian Hussar Brigades broken, but the other Hussar Brigade and all the French cavalry units were each one casualty from being shaken.

An enormous infantry fight took place in the middle and the large French infantry brigade was soon broken, along with the Russian Grenadiers. The rallied French cavalry joined the fray and the embattled  large Musketeer brigade was broken.

Even though another victory to the French the second game was a much closer affair.

Russian Hussars

French infantry

Russian Musketeers

Russian Grenadiers

An uneven fight as Russian Hussars take on French Cuirassiers

French Cavalry Division

I'm not gaming tonight, but the week continues with more gaming activity. Tomorrow evening I am playing Quint at I Ain't Been Shot Mum, on Saturday we are having a little Black Powder 'Tournament' at Maelstrom Games and then on Sunday it is off to see what is happening at the 'Worlds' in Derby.






8 comments:

  1. Great looking games; have yet to try out Saga - only heard good things; haven't played BP in awhile, but I like it a lot too. Best, Dean

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  2. Great looking games. Those Napoleonics look awesome

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  3. Thanks chaps. I hope to have some more updates on the Black Powder games over the weekend.

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  4. Great looking game, I look forward to the BP updates- good luck over the weekend

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  5. Nice to see so many large and well-painted Napoleonics. The Russian infantry flags are particularly tasty.
    Good stuff.
    Cheers,
    Mike

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  6. Hi Guys,

    Great write up and the pictures of the stunning figures are fantastic!

    What table size are you playing your Black Powder games?

    I have an 8"by 4"table and 18mm (Napoleon at War) figures but would prefer to us 28mm and it seems table size would be an issue :P

    Happy Gaming,

    Allan

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  7. Hi Allan
    On a club night we tend to play on a 6ft x 4ft table using 500pt forces (about 12 units to a side) and 2/3rd measurements. If we could get an 8ft x 6ft table I'd be inclined to use the full measurements.

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  8. Hi Paul,

    That is great news! You have given me hope :)

    How many figures/bases are you using per unit for Black Powder? (Small Normal and Large units?)

    Do you play longwise on the tables?

    Thanks for replying so quickly.

    Happy Gaming,

    Allan

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