Muskets and Mohawks: Trying out the rules battle

After painting up some 1/72 scale Rebels and Redcoats for some skirmish battles, it was time to find some rules to go with the figures.  I'm a fan of Two Hour Wargames and while attending Enfilade one of my friends bought the rules Mayhem: Muskets and Mohawks to try.  See below for our first run of this set of rules.

A cool autumn day broke over the hills and valleys of New York.  My detachment was ordered to flush out the rebels rumored to be massing for an attack on one of our columns moving up from New Jersey.

I broke my 20 man platoon up into 10 men sections sending the able bodied Sgt. Fitzsimmons to the west and to push north towards one of the farms.  My section pushed through the woods hoping to flush out the rebels.

The inexperienced rebels fired first and ran when our disciplined troops opened up with a proper volley.

The second detachment ran into a stiffer defense of rebels surrounding a small farm house.

After stiff fight for the farm house the leader of the rebels surrendered to our troops.  I'm sure he will be hung for his sedition.

Our troops followed up on the retreating rebels, pressing hard to capture them.  Our pursuit ended with some good shots from the rebels.  They had found their back bone and put up a solid defense.

As we moved closer to the edge of the wood, more and more rebel troops appeared.  I formed my troops into a line and waited for the rebels to make the first move.  

After the fight at the farm house the Sgt. moved his troops out to a field when they ran into some rebels holding the stone wall across from them.

The Sgt. knew the rebels would run at the first sight of steel, he pressed a charge over the open field.  Those rebels gave a good account of themselves and fought to the last man in a bloody hand to hand fight.

In front of us the rebels grew in strength as we fired, trying to scatter them.  They did not run, but recklessly charged at us.

Our discipline held off the rebel attach and soon they scattered again back into the woods.  Exhausted and out of shot we pulled back with one captured rebel captain.  Over all the colonel was very happy with our expedition.

We had a great game with only a few rule snafus for a first time out.

An interesting Pod cast.

I am a fan of the Too Fat Lardie rules especially "I Ain't Been Shot Mum!" and "Through the Mud and Blood".  I find the rules fun and they have a good deal realism built into the random sequence.  The Meeple and Miniatures website did a pod cast featuring the head Lardie himself Richard Clarke.  Mr. Clarke delves into his theories behind writing a set of rules and his trip across the pond to the convention Historicon.

http://www.meeplesandminiatures.co.uk/  The episode is number 78.  Enjoy.

A Battle of Sicilian Vespers

It was cool day for August in Sicily in 1265.  I had accompanied Louis IX to chronicle the events of his crusade against the Hohenstaufen kingdom that Pope Clement IV called to vanquish them.  The field had been chosen as a meeting place for both armies the day before.

  A large field spread across the open ground with hedges on either end.  Trees sparsely dotted the landscape and no roads entered the area.  Another smaller field blocked off the north east.  Louis arranged his well trained army with the bravest knights in the middle, flanked by the peasant rabble that answered the call of the crusade on the western edge of the field.  The Hohenstaufen forces arranged themselves in the poorest possible manner as they lacked all sense of military planning and tact.

The Hohenstaufen army proved their lack of military expertise by moving first across the field.  Their knights breaking free from their kings control and impetuously galloped into our awaiting forces.

King Louis IX held his army firm with strict orders to take advantage of the enemies weaknesses.  The mad dash of the enemy provided the impetus for King Louis to let loose his knights.

Our knights fought bravely suffering in the first few rounds but soon had the poor Hohenstaufen knights on the run.  Soon the center was collapsing and our brave knights ready to crush the remaining forces.

The inferior king called a general retreat with his armies morale broken and King Louis IX allowed his army to pillage the surrounding country side in lieu of payment.  The sun shone brightly on this most holy crusade.

This battle used 10mm figures and Piquet's Band of Brothers.