Air Wargaming of the Garden Variety

I had hoped to get my Battle of Britain campaign rules all written up this week, but hat was not to be and they currently remain a collection of notes and scribbles on a first draft that still needs to be written as a second draft. I also wanted to play-test a bomber scenario, this will help with the design of for some of the campaign missions.

The game set up on the lawn with the target industrial complex in the distance. Two Hurricanes can be just seen patrolling in the upper right of the photo.

As my tabletop was already occupied with a game and the weather being fine and sunny, I decided to take the Blood Red Skies game outside. This is something I have been keen to try out for a while, as it gives the game more space and the aircraft do not feeling as crowded as they do on my 6x4 foot tabletop. I had earlier in the week made some larger bases for the telescopic rods to slot into, they keep the models stable on the lawn, so most of what I needed was already prepared. (Information on the making of the telescopic stands for indoors can be found here.)

The only question I needed to answer was how to represent clouds in an outdoor setting? In the end, I used quilt batting, which is the soft material used between layers of fabric on a quilt. Fortunately, with my wife is an avid quilter and there is always a ready supply of offcuts. She helped me find some suitably sized bits of white batting, which I then cut into cloud shapes for the game.

White quilting batting being used to represent the clouds.

The Scenario

A single Heinkel 111 bomber is being escorted by two Messerschmitt 109s. All are flown by regular pilots. Their objective is to bomb an industrial target.

Intercepting them were two Hurricanes on patrol. One is flown by a regular pilot and the other by a veteran pilot. In Blood Red Skies the pilot skill is important when it comes to the activation order of aircraft, additionally it helps provide an edge with both shooting and dodging any hits.

To represent the target, I used some factory buildings and flak gun emplacements I had made a few years ago (2020!) from wooden blocks for a St Nazaire raid game (info here). The buildings were laid out on a board to create an industrial complex. The complex is defended by two flak positions.

The Rules

For this game I used the Blood Red Skies rules from the Airfix Battle of Britain boxed set, which are a slightly cut down version of Warlords rules without the tactical and doctrine cards. When playing on my tabletop, I have adapted these rules to work on a hex grid, but for the outdoor game I switched to free movement, treating 12 inches, or one foot, as the equivalent of one hex. While I did have a measuring stick, I did on occasion use my feet to measure out distances. This was very convenient as it saved me always having to bend down to measure.

Although I do not have Warlord Games full Blood Red Skies rulebook and supplements, I was able to glean enough information from various quick reference sheets (QRS) found online to pull together a workable set of rule mechanisms for the bomber.

Game Report

As the Heinkel 111 with its bomb load, droned steadily toward its objective, it was sighted by a pair of patrolling Hurricanes. The RAF pilots wasted no time in turning to intercept the incoming raid. In response, the Messerschmitt escorts broke formation and began accelerating forward to engage.

The Messerschmitts move to engage the patrolling Hurricanes. While the Heinkel maintains its course towards the industrial complex.

The Messerschmitts and Hurricanes climbed and engaged each other in a tight dogfight, each pilot jockeying for position. Using a bank of cloud as cover, one Hurricane pilot using the aircraft's agility, slipped into position and shot off a burst or fire that cause minor damage to a Messerschmitt. An unexpected but useful blow.

A Hurricane uses the cloud to its advantage.

A Messerschmitt takes light damage.

Seizing the initiative, the veteran Hurricane pilot broke away from the dogfight and made for the bomber. The German fighters, recognising the danger, abandoned the dogfight and gave chase, using their great dive ability to close the gap and get in behind the Hurricane.

A Hurricane breaks away from the dogfight to threaten the Heinkel.

Pressing home his attack, the Hurricane pilot manoeuvred to tail the Heinkel and fired several quick bursts. The bullets stitched across the bomber’s fuselage, and soon smoke began streaming from one of its engines. The advantage was short-lived, as the Messerschmitts fell in behind the Hurricane and attempted to drive it off as it dodged their bursts of fire.

The bomber takes a hit on one of its engines.

Messerschmitts attempt to drive off the Hurricane.

While the first Hurricane weaved and jinked the tailing Messerschmitts, the second Hurricane had not been idle. Appearing out from a cloud bank, it lined up the stricken bomber and delivered a well-aimed burst of fire. This proved decisive, the bomber's second engine faltered, and it began a steep, uncontrolled descent.

The Heinkel is shot down by the second Hurricane.

With their bomber lost and also having taken light damage, the Messerschmitts saw little point in prolonging the engagement. Breaking off, they turned for home, leaving the skies to the RAF.

Outside on a sunny day wargaming. So enjoyable!

Hopefully this game report provides enough details on how the game progressed. When dogfights occur in the game and aircraft are going up, down, left, right. and centre. It is very difficult to describe all the different manoeuvres which are going on. Anyway, the game worked out well and now I have all the pieces I need to finish off writing up the campaign rules. 

Battle of Britain additional models and a game report

I have managed to play a number of quick Blood Red Skies air wargames this week while also expanding my aircraft roster. For the moment I have enough fighters and bombers to play a good variety of scenarios using up to four aircraft per side on a 4 by 4 foot tabletop. I find this number keeps the games fast without the tabletop getting too overcrowded.

Some German bombers (Heinkel 111, Dornier 17, and Messerschmitt 110).

My current roster of aircraft is:

Luftwaffe

• 4  Messerschmitt Bf 109
• 1  Messerschmitt Bf 110
• 1  Dornier Do 17
• 1  Heinkel He 111

RAF

• 3 × Spitfire
• 2 × Hurricane
• 1 × Defiant

An additional Spitfire and I could not resist getting a Defiant.

A couple more Messerschmitt 109s.

The rules I am using are from the Airfix Blood Red Skies Starter Set, which came with two Spitfire 1:72 scale models and two Messerschmitt Bf 109s. This differs from the Warlord Games Blood Red Skies Starter Set, which provides six 1:200 model aircraft per side and also has rules for using "Trait" cards. For my games I have kept to the core rules, but I have adapted them for hex play to avoid the measuring which speeds up the game. In moving to hexes I have had to trade-off the loss of some of the finer speed differences between aircraft. For example, a Hurricane moves 6 inches and a Messerschmitt 109 moves 7 inches in the original rules, but when converted to hexes both aircraft move 3 hexes.

The standard game uses 1:200 scale aircraft that are tilted on their stands to show advantage, neutral, or disadvantage. That approach is awkward with 1:72 models, especially with the bigger bomber models, so I instead mount my aircraft on telescopic rods, using height to indicate altitude state (see the previous post).

It has taken me a while to write up a game report. I found it challenging to find a way to describe the games. The action unfolds very quickly as aircraft are moved around the tabletop, and the point-in-time photographs really do not capture the flow of the game. Land battle games are far easier to document. Anyway, here is an after-action report from a recent game that shows just how quickly these encounters can be resolved. This game one took only 15–20 minutes from setup to finish.

Scenario – Patrol over the Channel

A section of two Hurricanes on patrol sight a pair of Messerschmitt 109s. Each section is led by a Veteran with a Regular wingman.

Game Setup

Place two clouds on the tabletop. They must be more than 4 hexes apart.

Next, dice to determine which player deploys first. The higher scoring player places their section of aircraft within four hexes of any table edge. The second player deploys their aircraft within 4 hexes of an edge and more than four hexes from the enemy. 

After deployment, altitude was rolled for each section (1–2 Disadvantaged, 3–4 Neutral, 5–6 Advantaged).

The Hurricanes get the advantage after initial setup.

Game Report...

Flying Officer Moore, a veteran RAF flyer, led his trusty wingman, Flight Sergeant Hurst, on patrol keeping their eyes peeled for trouble. It was Moore who first caught the glint of sunlight on the enemy's wings, two Messerschmitt 109 flying off to their left at a lower altitude.

“Here we go!” came Moore’s crisp order over the radio as he led the pair of Hurricane fighters to cut off the enemy fighters, increasing altitude as the went. The German pilots were no novices, they powered their machines upward at once, but the Hurricanes still held the advantage, as the distance shrank to firing range.

The Hurricanes move to intercept.

First Moore struck! Using his advantage with guns blazing. Tracers stitched the sky and rattled across the lead Messerschmitt 109, forcing the aircraft to drop a level in a bid to escape the storm. Next came Hurst, before the enemy could not dive away to safety, followed Moore through a tight banking turn that brought the rear enemy aircraft into his sights. Another burst, more strikes! As with the other 109 it wavered and dropped altitude.

The Hurricanes engage.

The odds were now all in favour of the Hurricanes, and Flying Officer Moore meant to press them home! Before the startled Hun pilots could gather their wits, he shoved the stick forward and dived on the rear 109, his guns chattering a fierce stream of tracer. The German pilot jinked wildly, throwing his machine into a desperate weave. Enough as it turned out to only sustain minor damage. “Blast!” snapped Moore over the radio. For a moment he had been certain the Hun would be his, another victory to be chalked on the Hurricane’s fuselage, but the wily enemy had slipped away this time!

The second 109 sustains further damage.

Sensing fate was against them, the German pair of 109s opened their throttles and broke for home, using their engine power to get clear. They had escaped the trap with only light damage, but there was no doubt the honours of the duel belonged firmly to the RAF.

The 109s break off and head for safety.

"Time for a game of football before tea?" asked Hurst, as the Hurricanes turned around and headed for their home base.

Wrap up...

The games can end very quickly without any aircraft being shot down because of the "Boom chit" mechanism. Each hit adds a Boom chit to a section, representing both minor damage and pilot stress. These accumulate even when the worst effects of an attack are avoided. Once a player's Boom Chits exceed a limit, normally the number of aircraft, the game is over. A hit that is not dodged forces a drop in the altitude status, and if an aircraft already at a Disadvantaged state it is destroyed.

I am still finding my feet (or should that be wings) with these rules. In this engagement the 109s should have avoided closing while at a lower altitude. Instead they should have kept their distance and climbed to gain an Advantage state before committing to combat.

I am waiting on the post for some more telescopic rods before I can get the bombers into a game. Once they do I will post more game reports.

Gaul army gets to the tabletop for a game

Having recently completed some additional bases for my Gaul army, it did not take long for me to get them on to the tabletop for a game. Here the scenario and a quick battle report.

Background

The Gauls have been raiding Roman-controlled settlements. This has prompted the Romans to assemble a force to deal with the threat. The bulk of the Gauls have taken up positions on a line of hills. One warband may emerge from any of the three wooded areas on the table, provided the wood is not already occupied by a Roman unit.

Order of Battle

Gauls:

• 4 Warband units (one is waiting in ambush)
• 2 Chariot units
• 1 Cavalry unit

Romans:

• 4 Heavy Infantry units
• 2 Light Infantry units
• 1 Cavalry unit

Rules Used

The game uses a modified version of One-Hour Wargames (OHW). Some of the variations include:

1. Gauls are treated as warbands and roll D6 + D3 in combat, but are not treated as armoured or formed infantry.
2. Roman heavy infantry roll D6 in combat and halve all hits inflicted against them.
3. Combined chariot and skirmisher units may operate as skirmishers shooting D3, moving 12", or fight as cavalry when engaged in melee.

The tabletop all set up for a game.

The game is using chance cards with each having army a tailored deck to reflect its character and random battlefield events (such as Gaul warbands emerging from wooded areas).

Gaul Chance Cards

2 × Initiative – allow one unit an extra action

1 × Rally – remove D3 hits from D3 units

1 × Ambush – a warband may appear from any of the three woods, provided it is not already occupied

1 × Enemy Panic – an enemy unit within 12" takes D6 hits

1 × Panic – the unit with the highest number of hits takes D6 additional hits

2 × Confusion – no movement this turn. Units may only pivot

2 × Fatigue – on the first card, all units with hits suffer +1 hit; on the second card, +2 hits (maximum hits before elimination increased to 17 instead of the OHW standard 15)

1 × Uncontrolled Advance – all Gaul units must advance at least 6" towards the enemy

Roman Chance Cards

2 × Initiative – allows one unit an extra action

2 × Rally – remove D3 hits from D3 units

1 × Enemy Panic – an enemy unit within 12" takes D6 hits

1 × Panic – the unit with the highest number of hits takes D6 additional hits

2 × Confusion – no movement this turn. Units may only pivot

2 × Loss of Formation – Heavy infantry roll 2D6 and select the lowest score.

Gaul chance cards.

Roman chance cards.

For this battle report I used ChatGPT to convert my game notes into a report as if it were written from the Roman commander's perspective.

Battle Report

When our forces advanced, we observed that the Gauls had drawn up their forces upon the high ground. Suspecting ambushes from the surrounding woods, I ordered the skirmishers forward to screen the advance, while the cavalry secured a small hill on our right flank. As our line pressed on in good order, the Gauls, unable to maintain discipline, advanced rashly and without command. Most of their warbands surged toward our left flank, moving around the central wood.

The heaviest fighting took place on our right flank, around the small hill held by the cavalry. The Gallic horse advanced boldly and clashed with our heavy infantry, but after testing our strength they withdrew prudently. Our light infantry, however, were unable to withstand the assault of the enemies chariots and warbands and they were soon driven from the field.

As the battle began there was an uncontrolled advance by all Gaul forces.

The Roman cavalry have seized the hilltop and are supported on either side by Roman infantry.

Roman cavalry holding firm on the hilltop.

On our left flank, the enemy chariots were used to delay our advance of a single cohort of heavy infantry, preventing it from threatening the rear of the main Gallic force by advancing around the central wood. Meanwhile, on our right flank, on both sides of the hill held by the cavalry, the Gallic warbands and Roman heavy infantry became locked in stubborn combat.

Gaul chariots attempt to delay the Roman advance on the other side of the central wood.

Gaul warbands and Roman infantry slog it out on the Roman right flank.

Gauls are gradually gaining the upper hand.

As the struggle continued, the enemy chariots on our left were being gradually forced back. At this moment, a Gallic warband emerged suddenly from the woods on our flank and fell upon the heavy infantry, who were taken by surprise. At the same time, the main engagement on the right had worn both armies down, with the opposing commanders and their troops facing one another. The Gauls now held the advantage, for their cavalry, which had earlier withdrawn, returned to the field and threatened our flank.

Gauls launch an ambush from the woods.

Seeing that the position could no longer be held without undue risk, I ordered a withdrawal. Thus the Gauls remained in possession of the field, claiming victory, while our army retired in good order.

The Gaul cavalry return to threaten the Roman flank.

Wrap up

Overall, this was a most enjoyable game, and it was good to see the newly completed Gaul army perform well and give a good account of itself on the tabletop. As a solo wargamer, I always enjoy using chance cards for the twists they can introduce into a game and the way they help shape the unfolding narrative. The tailoring chance card decks for each army is particularly effective in helping to reinforce the character of the one or other force. The use of chance cards is something I will continue to use and will expand the chance events on the cards so the deck can be more randomly selected.

Wargaming a small English Civil War action

Since returning from holiday (and catching up on some of the inevitable backlog of gardening tasks) I decided to try playing a few small English Civil War (ECW) actions. The idea is to use these actions as lead-in games to a larger battle, with any success in the smaller actions providing advantages in the larger game. This is an approach I am considering using in a future ECW campaign which is one of my goals later this year.

English Civil War game underway.

Before any small action game is played, both players select one option from the following tactical list:

• Skirmishing – In the main battle, the player may choose the table edge they deploy from.
• Foraging – In the main battle, once terrain is known, the player may swap one unit type (for example, exchange an infantry unit for cavalry, or vice versa).
• Seek Out Battle – In the main battle, the player may deploy after their opponent.

The winner of the first small action keeps their chosen tactic. (In the case of a draw neither player gets a tactic.) Both players then select again from the remaining options for the second small action. Once both preliminary games are completed, the main battle is played with the tactical advantages.

The smaller actions are played on a 4 x 4 foot tabletop, using the following sequence.

1) Decide Forces

Using the One-Hour Wargames (OHW) approach, each player rolls a D6 on a Force Selection Table to randomly generate a force of five units. If both players roll the same, then re-roll until they differ.

A force selection table that determine a 5 unit force composition.

Each force includes a commander, who may be used once per game to rally a unit removing D6 hits. I am using a variant of the OHW rules for my games.

2) Decide Terrain and Objectives

Rather than rolling dice to determine terrain and objectives, I made six tabletop setup cards showing terrain layouts and objective locations. The cards are shuffled and one card is drawn at random.

The winner is the player holding the most objectives at the end of the game.

The setup cards were quickly put together. If they prove successful, I plan to add a few more cards to the deck each time I use them. Over time, this will allow me to tailor the card decks to reflect the terrain the armies are marching through.

3) Decide Deployment Edge

Both players roll a D6. The higher scoring roll chooses their preferred table edge and becomes the defender. The other player is the attacker and deploys from the opposite edge.

Setup the tabletop.

4) Defender Pre-Action Events

The defender rolls a D6:

• 1, 2, or 3 - One unit is bogged down and does not appear.
• 4, 5, or 6 - Two units are delayed and arrive on turn 5.

Units are selected using the following priority order: 1) Artillery, 2) Infantry, 3) Cavalry, 4) Dragoons.

5) Attacker Pre-Action Events

The attacker rolls a D6:

• 1, 2, or 3 - One unit is delayed and arrives on turn 5 (use the same unit priority list as above).
• 4, 5, or 6 - One cavalry or dragoon unit must be deployed within 9 inches of an enemy unit.

6) Defender Deployment

The defender deploys first, placing all units within 12 inches of their table edge.

7) Attacker Deployment

The attacker then deploys any infantry within 9 inches of their table edge and cavalry and Dragoons  between 9 and 18 inches.

Note: Attacker pre-action events may override these restrictions for one unit.

8) Start the Game

The defender activates first.

Example Game Setup

Both the Parliamentarians and Royalists selected the Skirmishing tactic, each hoping that success would give them the advantage in the main battle by allowing them to choose the most favourable table edge for deployment.

The forces for this small action were determined by rolling on the Force Selection Table. Parliament rolled a 4, giving them an initial force of two infantry and three cavalry units. The Royalists rolled a 3, resulting in two infantry, two cavalry, and one dragoon unit. These initial force selections can still be adjusted with the pre-action events causing units to be delayed or unavailable.

Dice rolls for the force selection (Royalist red and Parliament black). 

The six tabletop setup cards were shuffled and one was drawn at random. A dice-off determined that the Royalists would be the defenders, allowing them to choose their preferred table edge. The 4' x 4' tabletop was then set up accordingly. In this scenario there was a single objective - control of the crossroads.

The Royalists won the dice off and as defenders chose the table edge to deploy (red circle).

With the deployment areas confirmed, the tabletop was set up.

Next, the pre-action events were resolved. The defending Royalists rolled a 3, meaning one infantry unit was either bogged down or too far away to join the action. Parliament rolled a 1, so one of their infantry units will be delayed and would arrive on turn 5.

Deployment followed. The Royalists placed their units within 12 inches of their chosen table edge. Parliament as the attacker then deployed, with their cavalry positioned 9 to 18 inches from their table edge and their infantry following up behind, within 9 inches.

With forces deployed, the game was ready to play with the defending Royalists moving first.

Both forces are deployed.

Game Report

The Royalists, having sighted Parliament’s cavalry, moved forward quickly to meet the threat. On their left flank the dragoons advanced and took up a strong position behind a hedge. One Parliamentarian cavalry unit dashed forward to engage the opposing Royalist horse, while the remaining Parliamentarian cavalry and infantry were slow to respond. After an initial exchange of musketry, the Royalist dragoons were charged. The lone Parliamentarian cavalry unit which found itself engaged by two Royalist cavalry units in a fierce melee was hoping support would arrive quickly.

A lone Parliamentarian cavalry unit bravely charges forward.

The remaining Parliamentarian units are slow to engage to defending Royalists.

The Dragoons are putting up a good fight from behind the hedge.

After a brief fight, the dragoons, secure behind the hedge, forced the Parliamentarian cavalry to withdraw and regroup, only to find themselves now confronted by advancing infantry. On the opposite flank, the first Parliamentarian cavalry unit was routed, and a second cavalry unit was committed to the fight.

The Dragoons drive off Parliament’s cavalry who retire and regroup. While the cavalry melee continues as a second Parliamentarian cavalry unit engages.

Parliament’s cavalry are driven off.

The Royalist forces having held firm after the cavalry onslaught were confident of their position. By this stage of the action both commanders were heavily involved in rallying wavering units. Then a fresh Parliamentarian infantry unit arrived on the field. Seeking to capitalise on their cavalry’s earlier success, the Royalists advanced their horse. The last remaining Parliamentarian cavalry unit, which had previously regrouped after attacking the dragoons, charged the advancing Royalist cavalry. After a short melee it was routed, leaving the Parliamentarian position untenable, and they chose to retire from the field.

Fresh troops arrive for Parliament.

With their cavalry lost, Parliamentarian forces opt to retire.

A small victory for the Royalists, earning them the advantage of choosing their deployment edge in the upcoming main battle. But first, another small action must be fought out on the tabletop.

Creating a morning attack scenario and battle report

Last week I posted about a remote game I played, hosted by Jon from Palouse Wargaming Journal. The game was the Battle of Quistello, 1734. Unfortunately, because I forgot to take screenshots during play, I had to recreate the flow of the game afterwards using a simple map and a few cut-out counters based on memory (you can read the post here).

The map and counters used to describe the ebb and flow of the remote Battle of Quistello.

As mentioned previously, the map got me thinking about creating a simplified scenario of the battle, with around 8-10 units per side (roughly a third of those used in the remote game). This past week I have been playing a few quick games, slowly refining and adapting the scenario. For the testing I used a variation of the One-Hour Wargames (OHW) Horse and Musket rules which are quick and straightforward using my Marlburian paper armies 

The Marlburian paper armies. These stand at approximately 42mm tall. I increased the size when photocopying them, it makes them easier to cut out and the wonderful artwork by Peter Dennis is easy to see.

My ad-hoc approach to creating the scenario started with laying out the terrain features on my 6 foot by 4 foot tabletop, running a test game, and then making adjustments. The terrain setup went through three iterations. The first scenario iteration closely followed the layout from the original remote game, with some compromises for table size and figure scale. I was using 42mm paper soldiers, whereas the remote game used (I believe) 15mm figures. I also matched the proportion of reserves as closely as possible to the original battle briefing provided by Jon.

The scenario had three objectives:

1. The farm on the defender’s right flank
2. The village on the defender’s left flank
3. The town to the defender’s rear

Victory conditions were: holding or capturing two objectives counted as a minor victory, while controlling all three secured a major victory.

Tabletop layout for the first iteration of the scenario. The objectives highlighted with a black circle and troop entry points are A and B for Blue force and C for Red force.

In the second iteration, the objectives were placed more symmetrically, rather than being concentrated on the defender’s left flank. This made the choices of attack and defence less obvious. The canal was also repositioned, set at a right angle to the river instead of running diagonally across the table, dividing the centre from the defender’s left. This adjustment was simply a “let’s try it and see” change, but it did not really improve or add to the scenario.

The defender’s forces were split into three equal groups, with any odd units assigned at the defending player’s discretion, but no more than one unit being added to a single group. Off-table reserves entered from the defender’s two tabletop corners, one unit per corner per turn, beginning on turn 3. So, on turn 3, a unit would arrive at each corner, and so on in subsequent turns until all reserve units arrived.

The tabletop layout for the second iteration of the scenario.

In the third iteration, the canal was once again positioned diagonally across the table, giving any defenders in the town some protection in hand-to-hand combat. By this stage, I had also settled on the rules for the on-table defenders. They could not act until: an enemy came within 12 inches, they were attacked, or until turn 3, when they became free to move and shoot. The later battle report is based on this version of the scenario.

The arrival of reserves remained mostly the same, with one unit appearing at each corner from turn 3 onwards, but with the added restriction that faster units had to arrive before slower ones. The order being: cavalry first, followed by infantry, and finally artillery.

The victory conditions were further simplified. The attacker must capture and hold two objectives by turn 15 to win. Otherwise, the defender is victorious.

The tabletop layout for the third iteration.

In all versions of the scenario, I added small clumps or copses of trees around the river and canal crossings. This prevented attackers from making crossings too easily and forced their lines to break up as they advanced. All units deducted 3 inches of movement when crossing rivers, while artillery could only cross via bridges.

In total, I played six games to test the different scenario variations. A couple of games were ended early when changes, such as placing the canal at right angles to the river, did not work out. While others went the full course. As expected from using the Battle of Quistello as the basis, the scenario proved challenging for the defenders.

Notes on OHW Horse and Musket War Rule Adjustments

• Dragoons replace skirmishers. They may dismount (costing half a move) and fire with D6–2. When mounted, they can charge, causing D6 hits, but are less effective than cavalry, who inflict D6+2 hits.
• Artillery must remain stationary once they have fired, reflecting the difficulty of moving guns in this period.
• Formations are less flexible: units may pivot only once at the start or end of their move.
• Flank/rear charges and enfilade fire: instead of doubling hits, roll 2D6 and take the higher result.
• Elimination thresholds. Infantry are eliminated at 15 hits (standard OHW) while Cavalry, artillery, and dragoons are eliminated at 8 hits. This makes frontal cavalry and dragoon charges against fresh infantry generally unlikely to succeed, unless the infantry are already weakened.
• Army Resolve: Once more than half of an army’s units are eliminated, all remaining units immediately suffer 2 additional hits.
• Commanders (typically three in play) may join a unit to perform one of the following actions:

1. Get a free movement, including a charge.
2. Rally the unit, removing D6 hits.
3. Direct an infantry attack, allowing the unit to fire twice.

• Once joined, a commander remains with that unit and cannot take any further action. Only one commander may be attached to a unit, and only one commander action may be taken per turn.

The Scenario - Morning Attack

Situation

The Red Army has marched overnight and is launching a surprise attack across a fordable river on the Blue Army, which is camped north of the river. Red’s objective is to seize control of the farm, village, and town.

Army Sizes

• Both sides field 9 units.

Deployment

• Blue Army: Deploy 3 units north of the river (running east–west) all within 12" of the bridge.
• Red Army: No units deployed at the start of the game.

Reinforcements

• Turn 1: All Red units enter from the southern table edge.
• Turn 3: 2 Blue units arrive—1 at each corner of the northern table edge.
• Turn 4: 2 Blue units arrive—1 at each corner of the northern table edge.
• Turn 5: 2 Blue units arrive—1 at each corner of the northern table edge.

Special Rules

• Rivers and canals are fordable by infantry, dragoons, and cavalry, but not artillery. Crossing deducts 3" of movement.
• Blue units cannot move or shoot until: a Red unit comes within 12 inches, they are attacked, or it is Turn 3.
• Blue reserve units must arrive in the following order: cavalry or dragoons, infantry, and artillery.

Game Length

The scenario lasts 15 turns. The Red player moves first each turn.

Victory Conditions

Red Victory: Control at least two of the three objectives (farm, village, town). To control an objective, no Blue unit may be within 3 inches of an objective. Otherwise, the Blue Army wins.

Inspiration

Based on a remote game hosted by Jon at Palouse Wargaming Journal. The scenario draws from the Battle of Quistello (1734), during the War of the Polish Succession, where Austrian forces surprised the Franco-Piedmontese by crossing the Secchia River, capturing supplies, prisoners, and forcing a retreat.

Map

Tabletop layout for Morning Attack.

Table for selecting army units.

Battle report

The game is being played with my Marlburian paper armies, with the French as the defending Blue force and the Allies as the attacking Red force.

Order of Battle

The French rolled 5 on the table for selecting units. They will field the following:

• 4 Infantry units
• 2 Artillery units
• 1 Dragoon unit
• 2 Cavalry units

The Allies rolled a 2 on the table. They will field the following:

• 3 Infantry units
• 1 Artillery unit
• 2 Dragoon units
• 3 Cavalry units

Both armies will have 3 commanders. One French commander starts on the tabletop, while the other can arrive at the same time as any reserve unit.

Tabletop sets with 3 Blue army units positioned within 12 inches of the bridge.

The Allied forces advance swiftly towards the river. Cavalry on both flanks forded the water with little delay, while in the centre their infantry pressed forward under the cover of supporting artillery fire. The surprised French defenders along the river responded with musket fire and began to refuse their right flank as Allied dragoons threatened their position.

Opening moves as the Allied units arrive.

The Allies press forward in the centre while their cavalry on the flanks ford the river.

The Allied cavalry rapidly pressed forward, advancing on the farm and towards the town. By this time, French reserves had slowly begun to appear on the flanks, but all three objectives are currently controlled by the Allies. In the centre, a unit of dragoons charged the French infantry, who mounted a stubborn defence under their commander’s rallying efforts. Gradually, however, their centre began to take casualties, allowing the Allied infantry to start crossing the river.

Allied cavalry advance towards the town, while French reserves start to appear.

On the left flank Allied cavalry attack the French infantry and hold the farm.

In the centre Allied infantry start to make headway and begin crossing the river.

More French reserves entered the field as a cavalry clash broke out around the farm. Allied dragoons pushed into the town and waited for their infantry to arrive. On the Allied right, a brief cavalry skirmish quickly ended, leaving French infantry and artillery facing off against Allied infantry near the village.

A cavalry clash on the Allied left flank.

Infantry push up in the centre while infantry face off on the Allied right flank.

French cavalry and infantry soon gained the upper hand near the farm, overwhelming the Allied cavalry and routing them, leaving the farm in French control. In the centre, the last French infantry unit, being unopposed, began marching back towards the town. While cavalry from the farm also moved towards the town, which is defended by a single unit of Allied dragoons.

Near the farm the French gain the upper hand.

With the farm in their control, the French start to advance towards the town.

On the French left, their infantry hold firm against the advancing Allied foot, preventing them from supporting the single dragoon unit in the town. Overwhelmed by combined French infantry and cavalry attacks, the dragoons were swept away, leaving the town firmly in French control. With their numbers dwindling, the Allies are forced to withdraw, holding only a single objective.

French hold off the advancing Allied infantry who are trying to support the dragoons in the town.

The dragoons are routed and the Allies lose control of the town and another objective. They now only hold one objective, the village on the right flank.

Wrap up

The battle ended in a French victory. Their stubborn defence ultimately secured the day. Although the Allied cavalry and dragoons advanced swiftly, they lacked sufficient infantry to consolidate and hold their objectives. A more focused effort on just two of the objectives, the village and the town, might have been the better approach. 

This was the second play through using this last version of the scenario. In the previous game, it was the Allies who claimed the win.