Surprisingly slick sudden siege saga

enemy dragoons infest a wood. 

Following a day of client meetings in London a few weeks ago I proceeded to a secret location where I was inveigled by a pair of shady characters into partaking of a war-game.  The game was set in the early 1700s and was to feature a siege.  Given that my patchy historical knowledge has a largely empty bit from 1650 to 1800* I felt we were off to a bad start.  And a siege?  How was that ever going to work?
Well work it did and to my considerable surprise I enjoyed the game far more than I had expected to.  Set on a floor area of about 10 by 15 feet the terrain included redoubts, trenches, Vaubanesque walls and a big castle.  So things are looking up already.  The toys were (of course!) 54mm and I can confirm that this period is aesthetically well suited to the scale.
There is a fuller report on the Vauban & Shandy blog - from whence came the photos which I use here with the author's permission.

enemy gunners hiding in a redoubt - the rotters!

Despite the size of the area, forces were sensibly modest.  My attacking army consisted of 3 infantry regiments (16-20 figures each), 3 dragoon regiments (8-12), 2 grenadier companies (5-7) and a siege train of big hairy guns and mortars.

One of my infantry battalions advances - led by it's bold/stupid officer....

Safe behind several layers of walls, an enemy battalion minces about.

An overview of my gun line as saps are dug forward

"Guns ready..."

"Fire!"  Sadly my gunnery was - even by my own lamentable standards - pretty poor.

My brave lads occupy a forward trench

Foreign Johnnies coming to spoil things.

The final dramatic assault!

An heroic grenadier captures the position.  We'll overlook that pile of corpses behind him, shall we?

In the fine tradition of the time, after so much of their mens' blood had been shed, both generals and the umpire repaired to the kitchen for a jolly dinner!



* Though I do recognise 1689, 1715 and 1745 as significant dates.  But that's another story.