Little Wars Melbourne - 2014

Yesterday I ventured way down south to Moorabbin  (with a slight diversion through the wilds of Caulfield while I got my bearings!) to attend Little Wars, Melbourne. I managed to get La Petite Rosbif #2 to accompany me, which was surprising, but as Mrs. R. was working and La Petite Rosbif #1 was swotting for exams I think she thought that as there was nothing else on offer, she might as well indulge her old man and come along for the ride!

Besides our annual NWA Open Day I hadn't actually been to a proper, grown-up convention, so I was looking forward to it. While not as spectacular as some of the northern hemisphere shows like Salute, or Crisis, the floor was still busy by the time we finally got there in the mid-afternoon. NWA membership was conspicuous by the number of club members wearing the club t-shirts and the number of games and stalls they ran, which could only be a good thing for recruitment. Well done, chaps!

I had an ulterior motive to being there, as I was going to pick up my Eureka Anglo-Saxon archers for my SAGA project from Nic, who was doing a roaring trade and chatting to all and sundry. Very nice they are, too. They'll be added to the painting queue on the workbench to pad out my missile-weapon fyrd.

54mm Napoleonics (When my eyesight finally goes, I'll take up painting these!)

More 54mm Napolronics. So few units on such a big board!

Muskets & Tomahawks

Injuns!

YAAARRRRR! Legends of the High Seas game put on by NWA members Fly, Pete E and John W.

Beware the Kraken!

Chain of Command in Darkest Africa

Wagram in 6mm

The busy floor at 2pm, full of games and traders

Vietnam

Zooommmmbiieeess!  Ian KH, from NWA, ran this game

Weird WWII, another NWA game, put on by James W and Brendan D

Capt. America

Soviet infatnry

Soviet Spider Tank

Capt. Britain

Red Skull!

Not one, but 2 Dr. Evils!

US walking tank

Command and Colours Ancients

Walking around the tables, admiring the games on display and taking happy snaps, we were bailed up by Tony F. from the club to join in with Neil G. and Neil H. and in their WWI dogfight game, using the Canvas Eagles rules. I've seen this played at the club and it always seems to be a ton of fun. This time, they'd organised a scenario where the Allies had to down the zeppelin and the Germans had to defend it. La Petite Rosbif #2 and I decided to join the Allied side and see if we couldn't bag the Hun! We were going to share a plane, but she decided that she'd go it alone a pilot one all by herself. You should have seen my fatherly pride! We both took a DH2 fighter each, and faced off against a gaggle of Fokker Eindecker escort fighters. Tony took a Nieuport 24 (I think; WWI aircraft aren't my strong point!). Neil took another DH2 as well.

I decided that we would concentrate on the fighter escort first, then see what happened. La Petite Rosbif #2 followed in my wake, like a good little wing-man (wing-girl?), directly at the despicable Hun! In my first and only combat I managed a long burst which slightly wounded the enemy pilot, while he landed some damage on me which set the engine smoking. Both of us managed to jam our guns as well! I spent the rest of the game desperately hoping I wouldn't burst into flames, as the smoke proved to be persistent, and trying and failing to unjam my guns. PR#2 then gave the Hun a squirt with her guns, landed a couple of hits and managed to fly on intact, without jamming her guns!

Now the fun began as the German escort had flown past, we had a clear shot on the giant sausage! I had to fly straight and level to attempt to clear the guns (failing each attempt!), while she straightened up and went in on the attack! She got within almost point blank range and...missed! On the other side, Neil had a lot more success and with a close range burst blew the whole thing up! No-one was shot down or crashed, but there was a lot of fun had in a very quick game.

Thanks to Tony and both Neils for hosting the game and stepping us through it.

"Crikey, sir. I'm looking forward to today. Up diddly up, down diddly down, whoops, poop, twiddly dee - decent scrap with the fiendish Red Baron - bit of a jolly old crash landing behind enemy lines - capture, torture, escape, and then back home in time for tea and medals." - George, Blackadder Goes Forth.

Gentlemen, your target for today!

The jolly spiffing Allies

The dastardly Huns!

Me and la PR #2 head off into the wild blue yonder

La PR#2 at the controls! Roger, wilco!

Off we go!

Beware the Hun in the sun!

Contact!

Daka-daka-daka-daka!

Crumbs, Biggles!

Don't worry, Dad! Here I come! Daka-daka-daka!

Nnneeeeeeeeeooowwwwrrrr!

Daka-daka-daka-daka!

Bbbrrrrrrr-pop-pop-bbbrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Daka-daka-daka! Missed!

La PR#2 goes in followed by Tony, while I limp along behind hoping to clear my guns in time to join the fun!

Dakk-daka-daka! Missed!

Daka-daka-daka...BOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!!

For those of you in South Australia, mark this date in your calendar!

Spanish Supply Scenario

My sheep and mules got a run last Friday night when I ran my scenario involving a French supply column returning to the garrison waylaid by Spanish troops hiding in the woods. A small Anglo/Portuguese force also added a bit of fun by keeping the garrison on its toes. 

I'll probably rewrite the scenario to give the garrison a larger role and possibly allow it to send out a rescue party if the column gets into trouble like it did this time.

I had plans for the civilians in the town to rise in rebellion if the infantry left the town, but Robin didn't take the bait as John R. and Tim had him bottled up fairly effectively.

John W. and Garry played the Spanish forces masterfully as poor old Pete E. had a tough time with his uncooperative dice and misinterpreted his orders to mean that the WHOLE French force had to escort the supply column and not be able send part of it to range ahead in a scouting role. By the time I picked up what he was doing it was too late to start again.

Still, it was a lot of fun watching them interpret the situation and make their own plans and responses to the situation I set up for them. Another bonus was that all figures (except the civilians; thanks John!) were my handiwork and actually worked well together. Rather than facing up against 25mm Minifigs or 28mm Frontrank figures, all figures on both sides were complimentary in size!

Pete starts on his epic journey 

Robin's garrison keeps an eye on the surly natives

His gun battery guards the river crossing

The table set-up with the objective at the far end

Surly civilians waiting their chance

John & Tim's cacadores move...

...followed by their British light troops

John being a smart-arse trying to get his fat fingers into as many shots as possible!

British cavalry advance in skirmish order

Pete starts his move with an infantry skirmish screen and cavalry vedette

First contact with Spanish light infantry in the woods!

French move off the road to try and outflank the wooded bottleneck

Skirmish combat ensues in the woods

Baaaaa! Hee-Haw!

Robin's gun emplacement is under pressure from all sides

More contact in the woods!

Spanish start transferring their forces from the woods on one side of the road to the other. 

Here comes the bait!

Garry and John W. hope to sucker some of Pete's forces in with the single battalion, while extra forces hidden in the woods will pour in flank fire on any formations which get too close to the edge of the woods.

Tim and John send in the cavalry against the entrenched artillery! John's fickle finger of fate  points the way.

CRAAASSSHHH!

Pete's legere line gets attacked in the flank by an unexpectedly appearing Spanish column!

Pete's dragoons turn to face the threat

The situation from the Spanish point of view

Meanwhile, the British hold the gun emplacement, while Robin barrs the other side of the bridge

The British cavalry disordered and blown, but triumphant!

Garry and John send the Spanish column charging into the nearest infantry battalion's flanks. The chasseurs were held in check by the infantry in line on the woods' edge, and the dragoons failed their chance at an opportunity charge

The resulting retreat of the sheep and escort!

John R. cheekily manhandles the captured French guns away, all the while  pointing that finger!

Pete tries to clear the Spanish line away from the chasseurs' flanks, but gets repulsed after another rubbish dice roll.

However, his dragoons charge the infantry in column and sends them flying in disarray.

Unfortunately, this leaves the cavalry in a precarious situation...

...ably exploited by the Spanish who get flank fire on both cavalry units. The chasseurs break and play no further part, while the dragoons retreat...

...to reform later.

Meanwhile, the supplies restart their slow progress.

Now some Spanish cavalry make an appearance!

Things are looking bad at this point for the French.  Pete's infantry is reduced to one battalion escorting the supplies and one holding two battalions of Spanish infantry. The other 2 battalions of infantry were regrouping after their failed combats.

One last roll of the dice from Pete in attempting to thwart his tormentors. Failed!

Pete ended on a high, though. His dragoons crushed the Spanish cavalry, despite flank fire from more hidden Spanish infantry.

Pete threw in the towel shortly after this as it became obvious that he wouldn't be able to force his way any further, and Tim and John R. had the bridge secured, preventing him from reaching the garrison even if he had managed to force his way past the Spanish.

It was a fun game enjoyed by all (though possibly not Pete!), and was played in the best spirit.

A couple of tweaks looked in order, though;

Next time, I'll beef up the French garrison, clarify the French orders, place the gun emplacement on the OTHER side of the river, and maybe put a sneaky ford over the river that only some players are aware of.