Guns of August: 1918 Scenario.

It has been over two years since we last played Guns of August. It was great to revisit the game and use the boards and miniatures that Michael had prepared. This time, at my suggestion, we decided to play the 1918 scenario. By then, Russia had already been eliminated from the game, the United States had just entered the war, and they could finally deploy tanks and aircraft on a massive scale. The game promised to be truly exciting.

1. Forces.

We played a 3-on-3 game. In our team, the Entente, Mike represented the British and Americans, I took on the role of the French, and Jimmy commanded the Italians and managing operations in Greece. On the opposing team, Ben played the Bulgarians and Turks, David represented the Austro-Hungarians, and Michael portrayed the Germans.

2. The game.

We played through five months, from January to May 1918. During this time, the Central Powers achieved some success on the Greek front, but that was about it. On the Italian and Western fronts, the Entente began to see gradual successes. The Italians managed to cut off the Austro-Hungarians from Switzerland and initiated the encirclement of Trieste. In the west, the British and Americans advanced into Belgium and started attempts to capture Antwerp. Although these attempts had not yet succeeded, the Entente's advantage was becoming increasingly apparent. The French also launched an attack in the centre of the front and moved closer to Metz.

However, the most significant event was the Royal Navy's invasion of the Baltic Sea. At a tremendous cost in terms of losses, the British defeated the German fleet and took control of the Baltic Sea. This victory allowed the US Navy to enter the area, land troops, and capture Danzig. In response, the Germans contemplated ending their occupation of Russian territories, but such a decision could have led to their ultimate defeat. Ultimately, they chose not to take this step, and the game concluded with a narrow victory for the Entente.

3. Links.

SESWC:

https://www.facebook.com/Seswc.co.uk/posts/1102295478594449

FLICKR: 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720330447237

All Hell Let Loose: Somewhere in Italy in 1915.

A return to the All Hell Let Loose rules, this time focusing on the World War I version. It is currently being tested, and we have been invited to participate in the testing. The game was played on a 6mm scale.

SCENARIO: Test scenario No. 1.
UMPIRING: Andy Valdez-Tullett

SCENERY: Michael Schneider, SESWC

FIGURES & MODELS: Michael Schneider

1. Forces.

FRENCH & ITALIANS

(Bartek, Michael)

Italian Infantry Regiment (Inexperienced)

HQ

FO

4 x HMG

16 x Infantry

1st French Infantry Regiment (Inexperienced)

HQ

FO

2 x HMG

8 x Infantry

2nd French Infantry Regiment (Inexperienced)

HQ

FO

2 x HMG

8 x Infantry

3rd French Infantry Regiment (Regular)

HQ

FO

4 x HMG

16 x Infantry

1st Italian Battery (Regular)

HQ

FO

3 x Guns

2nd Italian Battery (Regular)

HQ

FO

3 x Guns

French Battery (Regular)

HQ

FO

3 x Guns

GERMANS

(Jimmy, Tim)

All Regular

1st Infantry Regiment

HQ

FO

2 x HMG

12 x Infantry

2nd Infantry Regiment

HQ

FO

2 x HMG

12 x Infantry

3rd Infantry Regiment

HQ

FO

2 x HMG

12 x Infantry

1st Battery

HQ

FO

4 x Guns

2nd Battery

HQ

FO

4 x Guns

2. The Game.

The game mechanics are very similar to those in the main rulebook, but there are a few rules that specifically adapt them for the Great War. I can't disclose those details, so for now, the game description will have to suffice. We will discuss the rules in more detail when they are released.

In our scenario, we needed to capture four villages. Although the French and Italians had more units, many of them were inexperienced. In contrast, the Germans had fewer troops but were more experienced and performed better in combat. 

We planned to defend the two southern villages: the Italians, supported by their artillery, would defend the western village, while the French would defend the eastern village and attempt to capture the northeastern village. Michael was in charge of the Italian troops, and I took command of the French forces, as usual. Tim was assigned to advance against the Italians with the German troops, while Jimmy was tasked with defending against the French.

The French advanced swiftly toward their objective and soon began shelling the village, which forced the German troops to retreat and regroup. In addition, they captured the hill west of the village, creating a breach in the German lines. Jimmy, the commander of the German forces there, was compelled to advance on the hill to flush the enemy out. This action weakened the troops defending his village, which was under attack from the best French regiment.

Tim's offensive against an Italian village came to a standstill at the river. The Germans, facing intense fire from the Italians, could not make any progress. The Italians, bolstered by artillery support, were causing significant damage to the German lines. It was clear that the Germans would not capture the village.

Fierce hand-to-hand combat raged on the hill as the Germans slowly began to push the French back, though they suffered heavy losses in the process. The French were preparing to assault the village, but unfortunately, time ran out. In the end, the Entente powers achieved a minor victory, as they were much closer to securing their objectives.

3. Links.

SESWC:

https://www.facebook.com/Seswc.co.uk/posts/1066474725509858

FLICKR:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720329643519

Villa sullo Stagno di Como, 1505.

Every year, we hold a game showcasing our Italian Wars collections. Sunday is ideal for this, as setting up an army can be time-consuming. This time, I decided to incorporate my small collection of fifteenth-century armies, which I had never used on the table before, despite having them for quite some time. We played using the Pike and Shotte rules.

SCENARIO: Michael Schneider
UMPIRING: Michael Schneider

SCENERY: Michael Schneider, Bartek Żynda, SESWC

FIGURES & MODELS: Michael Schneider, Bartek Żynda

1. Forces.

FRANCE

(Michael)

The King Of France

French Infantry Brigade

1 x Pike Block

1 x Crossbows with Pavises

1 x Light Gun

1st Swiss Infantry Brigade

1 x Pike Block

1 x Halberdiers

1 x Double Handed Swords

2 x Arquebusiers

1 x Light Gun

2nd Swiss Infantry Brigade

1 x Pike Block (large)

2 x Arquebusiers

1 x Light Gun

Italian Infantry Brigade

1 x Pike Block

1 x Double Handed Swords

1 x Light Infantry

1st French Cavalry Brigade

1 x Gendarmes

1 x Men-At-Arms

1 x Light Cavalry

1 x Light Gun

2nd French Cavalry Brigade

1 x Gendarmes

1 x Men-At-Arms

1 x Light Cavalry

1 x Light Gun

Italian Cavalry Brigade

1 x Men-At-Arms

2 x Light Cavalry

HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE

(Bartek, Tim)

Holy Roman Emperor 

2 x Heavy Guns

3 x Bowmen

1st Infantry Brigade

1 x Pike Block (Large)

1 x Double Handed Swords

2 x Arquebusiers

1 x Medium Gun

2nd Infantry Brigade

1 x Pike Block

1 x Double Handed Swords

2 x Arquebusiers

1 x Medium Gun

3rd Infantry Brigade

1 x Pike Block

1 x Double Handed Swords

1 x Spanish Light Infantry

1 x Arquebusiers

1st Cavalry Brigade

1 x Gendarmes

1 x Men-At-Arms

1 x Light Cavalry

1 x Light Gun

2nd Cavalry Brigade

1 x Gendarmes

1 x Men-At-Arms

1 x Light Cavalry

 

2. The Game.

It began quite passively. I positioned a large pike block to cover our right flank, anticipating an attack from the Italians. However, they seemed reluctant to engage. They pretended to launch an attack but then retreated. As a result, my centre was able to operate with much greater freedom.

In the centre of the battlefield, an artillery duel first erupted, followed by a series of hand-to-hand combat encounters. Eventually, the pike blocks joined the fray, where the Germans began to dominate, slowly overpowering the French and Swiss forces. After some time, the French centre was completely overwhelmed. Feeling confident, the Germans sent units that had been stationed in the camp to support the remaining imperial troops still engaged in battle.

Eventually, the Italians advanced, but they encountered my large pike block. After a prolonged fight, the Italians were defeated and forced to retreat. The battle was nearly won.

The most interesting events occurred on our left flank, where the main cavalry forces of both sides engaged in battle. Our primary concern was, of course, the French gendarmes. The German cavalry struggled against them, but they were not entirely without hope. Tim started off bravely, charging the French with half of his cavalry. He won the first clash with the gendarmes, but in the second round of fighting, he was forced to retreat. Unfortunately, he didn't activate the second cavalry brigade to support the initial attack. Both sides regrouped for another charge and this time the French dominated the Germans. Ultimately, after suffering several losses, the Germans had to retreat to their original positions and regroup. Fortunately for them, the battle had already been decided, and further attacks were deemed unnecessary. The French then ordered a general retreat.

It was nice to see our Italian Wars collection displayed on the table. This time, none of our guns exploded, which had been a common occurrence in our previous games. The French cavalry once again demonstrated itself to be an indestructible unit. Additionally, we built a fairly large table for the game, and interestingly, one-fifth of it was not used at all. At least we had no complaints about lacking space to manoeuvre our larger units. The next game will probably take place next year, possibly with more units. We'll see how it goes.

3. Links.

MICHAEL:

https://meneken.blogspot.com/2024/10/1505-fictionale-battle-at-road-to-villa.html

FLICKR:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720321612101