Calatafimi, 1860

This was a Battle Cry game played with 54mm figures on my Hexon terrain. Most of the figures I had painted specially for the game. They were a mix of ACW and Napoleonic plastics, largely ‘converted by paint’. I think at least seven manufacturers were represented!  I also built some hills out of 1-inch insulation board to better match the stature of the figures.
Unfortunately my photos have become rather jumbled but I hope you’ll enjoy them anyway.

British napoleonics standing in for Royalist forces.

The Royalists with the flag began life as ‘Alamo’ Mexicans.

A load of old bull

This game was played last week using the rules and cards from Battle Cry, my Hexon terrain and 15mm toys from Johns extensive collection.  Having already played the First Bull Run scenario several times I knew it would be quite quick (or mercifully brief?), so I suggested that having selected sides Martin and John play it through and then change sides and do it again!
Above can be seen some colourful US Zouaves occupying a farm.

The battle lines at the start of the game - Yanks on the left and Rebs on the right.

The Rebs soon surged forward to occupy the high ground

As the armies closed a degree of unpleasantness ensued...

Note the now shot to hell Zouaves (at 25% strength) on the left.

On the Reb left/US right a desperate cavalry battle took place.  Several units marched up and down the small hill...

...but eventually the Bluebellies secured it with a weak infantry unit.

Both armies were soon looking rather ragged.

The final Yank attack perished in a hail of shot - clinching a (tight) victory for the Rebs.

Coming soon - the rematch!

Snow place like home

While comments have fairly flooded in over the past couple of days, my relative silence is because I've been in London.  A series of business meetings was lightened by lunch with Trebian and dinner with Bob Cordery and his wife.  Bob and I also managed a quick game of Battle Cry.
As usual I drove to Newark and then got the train to Kings Cross.  On Thursday morning I set off from this:

When I arrived back at Newark at around 1930 last night the 'original' snow on my car was largely gone and a recent fall had left only a thin layer.  This was soon gone as I set off up the A1 and apart from a thin drizzle the roads were without hazard.  When I got out of my car it was completely clear of snow and ice.  Hardly was I in the door when the snow began to fall - the top photo (taken as ever from the games room window) shows the situation at around 2200.  My car is on the right.

The game Bob and I played was First Bull Run.  I was the one in the grey hat, so I am pleased to be able to report a Reb victory!  Above are the final positions, below my battle-winning cavalry.  A Yankee infantry unit they'd been tormenting had run off and built these earthworks.  So we went round the back...

Talking Bull

To try out Battle Cry (on the day it arrived if you please!) I set up the first scenario in the book - First Bull Run.  Or, as it was presumably called at the time 'Bull Run.'
I used the game's board and terrain features but rather than break out the (20mm-ish) plastic toys which were included with the game, I opted to use my 2mm (Irregular Miniatures) toys.  These are mounted on 3cm frontages so they fitted into the gameboard hexes.  My 2mm armies were intended to serve in a number of 19th Century wars and are painted dark blue (with pale blue flags) and pale grey (purple flags).

The armies deployed for action - Yankees at the top and Rebs below.  The terrain includes a ridgeline in front of the Reb line and a wood on each flank.  There is a smaller hill in front of the Yankee right.

Hunter, the Yankee general prepares to confront the enemy.

Jackson led the Reb centre

Stuart (bottom) leads a flanking cavalry action - the dice indicate that he has just wiped out an enemy infantry unit.  Yee-har!

The 'Hit and Run' card is ideal for cavalry raids.  Stuart was desperate to overrun the Bluebellies' artillery.

A US infantry unit under pressure!  The dice caused another casualty (from the 3 they had left to take) and two retreats.

One of Stuart's cavalry regiments gets blown away by the US artillery.

Just when things were looking good got the Rebs disaster struck!  There lies Jackson like a blob of lead. 

Mid-game overview.  Stuart has eliminated the US guns (left) but the Yanks are advancing rather menacingly in the centre.

Despite some fortification work, the Yanks clear the ridge of defenders.

The game ended with the Yankees in control of the ridgeline but the Rebs clinched a narrow victory by trampling over a couple of units in the right.

So a solo game but despite my pro-Reb bias the Yanks damn nearly won!  That speaks volumes about the quality of the basic game system.  Next time I will try out Bob Cordery's idea for solo games.

Battle Cry!

It took me a while to order this game, but having enjoyed it's derivatives - Command & Colours (Ancients and Napoleonics) it seemed a reasonable purchase. My knowledge of the ACW is to say the least somewhat scanty, but it is nevertheless a conflict which interests me. Apart from a bit of tinkering with Richard Brook's Terrible Swift Rules in the past few years, my exposure to ACW games was mostly in the 1980s with messers Robertson, Jenkins and Munro at the Perth club.

My copy was obtained (at Bob Cordery's recommendation) from Games Lore and arrived swiftly and in perfect condition.  As wells as the rules and game board, the large box contains terrain hexes, playing pieces (20mm scale plastic figures) and specially marked dice.

Within a few hours of it's arrival I had the box open and a game underway.  More on that to come soon...