Commands and Colors

Played Command and Color Napoleonics.  Sadly I had to leave early due to work the next morning.  I was the center dudes attacking the Brits and Portuguese with my second rate (Napoleon was not there) French.  My guys on the left made a sweep through the British lines while the cavalry and others held back due to cards.  Still iffy at that point but I had to go... 

Commands and Colors Epic: Mockern

Played this one today with Ken, Danny, and Kinley.  Kinley and I were the French, Danny was the Russians, and Ken was the Prussians.  I did not know anything in particular of the battle other than it was part of Leipzig.

The setup.  My French are in the lower right corner, Kinley's on the left, the Russians top right and the Prussians top left.  The Prussians and Russians get points for moving units off the lower edge of the table and capturing the towns - one in the center, and other near the river, and the big one off to the left about the bottom left of the picture.

End of the game is a resounding victory for French arms!  The Prussians had just taken the town in the center when the French play an Elan! card and manage to activate almost every possible unit on the left flank.  The town was retaken and a Prussian unit or two eliminated while the cavalry (up top with the die next to it) goes on a rampage and eliminates a couple more units.  This puts the French well over the Victory Point cap to win the game.

SJCW Game day July 1th

A few pics from the SJCW game day yesterday.  I played in a game of Blucher (first time I have tried it and I really like it despite losing!).  A second game of Great Northern War was also being played but I don't know what rules were in use for it.

First a PIC of the rulebook.

Initial Deployment.  The battle is Eaylu I think.  The Russians are on top of the hill.  The forces to the left are my group and would be deployed a little further to the left - and the woods would be pushed further left as well.

Closeup on the Russian Figs, lovely work!

And some French...

Opening Move!  The French flank force comes in on the Russian Left Flank!

The rest of the line after that move.

French Cavalry charge my guns!

Two units of French flankers close with my flank guns and a nearby infantry stand.  For a while it looked like the left flank would collapse.

A French close assault on my troops "above" the guns failed and they were pushed back.  He decided not to charge the guns though.

The Guns on the hills from earlier were broken...

Later on the left flank.  The Russians manage to flank a French unit and destroys it in the Close Combat that follows.

Another shot of the main line of the battle.

I pull back from the crest, on reflection should have done so earlier since French Cannon and Skirmish fire were ripping holes in my troops.

Final pic before I had to leave, two of my cavalry and one infantry facing down the lone French unit on the left flank.  Up above the woods a French Infantry and Cavalry unit are CCing my Infantry unit.  If we lose one more base the game is a French victory so that one CC should be the end of it.

Finally a couple shots of the Great Northern War game that was being played.  I didn't ask for any details so can't give any comments.

Commands and Colors Napoleonics first game(s).

Played the first two scenarios of Commands and Color Napoleonics, at this rate the name Wellington will be lost to history...

First game was Rolica, French First Position.

First the Setup, I was the hapless Wellesley

My Cavalry (that lone block between the woods) charged the guns with a charge card, and was soundly beaten back with a first strike card, OWW!

The british manage to punish the French a good bit - pushing them off the hill and taking a Victory Point.  Things are looking up!

On the bottom left the french finished off the horse arty and the attached leader, game over.  If the leader had lived  the British would have moved in to take a victory up at the top right, close but not close enough!

The second game was Rolica, French Second Position.  I was once again some guy lost to history, name of Wellesley or something like that...  Once again the setup first.

With some good cards I launch for line infantry units for melee attacks on the french guns and infantry on the left flank.  the guns are destroyed and the infantry retreated.

I end up losing all those units (4 of them but not the leader) and only take out 3 enemy units - but I had destroyed all of his guns giving me a range advantage if I played it right.

Things are still going well if I retreat those light infantry.

Game over!  I tried a 3 unit attack, 1 with cavalry and 2 with the foot arty and the remains of the infantry you see on the bottom right.  The French had 2 First Strike cards - smashing both of my units.  The light infantry on the hill was eliminated as the last act of the game giving the French 4 victory flags.

The game is light on simulation but very fun  and quick playing (2 games completed and rules leaned in 5 hours).  I highly recommend it as a starter game.  I wonder how much variation there is between different games in the series (Ancients, Battle Cry) so I will read up on the rules for the ancients title to find out.