As is traditional, we had a large Napoleonic game on the last Monday meet before Christmas. I think that the allies cracked the French centre in the dying minutes of the battle, but can't quite remember, although I do remember one of the players rolling a triple '10' on 3d10 - a 1,000 to one shot!
This all-in-one game box from Mantic Games is highly recommended. Halo Flashpoint is a miniatures game, based on the computer game set in the Halo universe. You get pretty much everything you need for the game in the Spartan Edition release and is very good value. We added a couple of extra buildings, but everything you see here comes in the pack.
It's a great option if you don't have the time, or the energy, to put on a full wargame, as everything packs away back into the box!
There are six scenarios in the rule box. We played the first one - Slayer - which is based on bagging as many kills as you can. This was great fun. As you play, you pick up speed with the rules and you can create a really fun dynamic. Painting the Spartan teams was also highly enjoyable.
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We had more Lion Rampant action at the club on Monday. In this battle the Normans took on the Lombards, which resulted in a convincing victory for the Lombards.
In reality, the Normans were hindered by the reluctance of one unit of elite knights to move into action. They failed around 7 activation tests which left the rest of the army at the mercy of the effective Lombards. Even the normally lethal Norman Crossbowmen couldn't rescue the situation.
Eventually the hesitant knights launched into action and, in the final minutes of the game, had some success, but it was all for nought as the rest of their army battle line crumbled away.
Interestingly both commanders-in-chief were slain, which is perhaps just as well for all concerned.
A British force consisting of the 52nd (Oxfordshire) Foot, the 1st Punjabis and 2nd Gurkhas, along with some irregular cavalry, supporting artillery and an unusual unit of 'Gentlemen Volunteers', was given the task of clearing an area of marauding Mutineers.
On the left flank the Gurkhas and Punjabis met with stiff resistance and accurate musketry from some Mutineers ensconced on top of a ridge line, which checked their advance. On the right flank, Probyn's Horse managed to overcome some angry Sowars, despite losing quite a number of their own horsemen.
Eventually the Mutineers' morale started to crack and a few units left the firing line, leading to a general disorganised retreat. In the closing minutes of the drama, a group of religiously inspired Ghazis sallied out form the village; the Gentlemen Volunteers were given the task of dispersing them. This, they embarrassingly failed to do as their charge bounced off the swirling swarm of fanatical swordsmen. That said, the Gentlemen thoroughly enjoyed their afternoon of 'daring-do'. The task of removing the Ghazis from the field of play fell to the artillery which, by this time was really starting to make every shot count.
All in all a successful action, although casualties amongst the 52nd Foot and the Gurkhas was worryingly high.
