David Bickley's Wargames Blog

The occasional ramblings of an average gamer, journeyman painter, indifferent modeller, games designer, sometime writer for Wargames Illustrated and host of games in GHQ.



Friday 20 September 2013

Chalk and Cheese

I've managed two games here in GHQ in the last two days. Yesterday Jon and I played an ECW game using my own A Crowning Mercy rules, and today Phil and I played out a Back of Beyond game marking the debut of the famous Rhanzlistan Field Force and using the Setting the East Ablaze rule set. Now, if I had been just going to mention the ECW game then I might have aptly entitled this piece Snatching Disaster from the Jaws of Defeat, as my Royalists were trounced in six turns by Jon's Parliamentary forces.
The Opening positions ~ Royalists nearest the camera
















I'd like to say that it was largely the result of my reinforcements failing to appear, but if I'm to be honest it was largely due to my cavalry suddenly loosing the plot in melees against unloaded foote caught in the open! Disastrous dice does n't even begin to sum it up!!!
Royalist and Parliamentary Horse clash on the flank




















I fail to score a single kill against Gell's Foote!



















While I am repulsed by Fairfax's Foote to the left!



















I lost in six turns! Prince Rupert of the Rhine was killed on the field by a musketeer! Somewhat of a disappointment does n't really even begin to cover the outcome!!!. Its worth noting that Sir John Gell's Foote in the Parliamentary army is undefeated in any game using four different sets of rules over several years! A true veteran regiment to grace any tabletop I feel!

Turning to today's Back of Beyond game, the outcome was slightly more favourable for my forces in the game, though it did seem to take forever to edge the game. There'll be a full report over on my dedicated Blog in due course sometime this weekend, but in the meantime here are a taster shot or two ~
The tabletop layout for the game


















Brigadier Bykleigh issues his Order of the Day















I'll be adding a full report on the Battle over on Tales from Rhanzlistan soon. Pop over to get the latest news hot from the Frontier...

4 comments:

  1. David - any chance you could post a link to your ECW rules??? I am within a gnats whisker of starting an ECW project myself, but won't do it until I find a set of rules I like...!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Caliver Books ~
      http://www.caliverbooks.com/bookview.php?d45dc39f999e22ed176cf4c9f3ca16cd&id=21125&subcatcode=B&subcatno=68

      Delete
  2. David, I'd echo the above. I've got more than enough ECW troops to put a game the size of the one above on the table, and I'd be interested to give your rules a try out. Both games look great BTW!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the comment. Rules exclusive to Caliver Books ~
      http://www.caliverbooks.com/bookview.php?d45dc39f999e22ed176cf4c9f3ca16cd&id=21125&subcatcode=B&subcatno=68

      Delete