Here's a quickie to make up for the lack of posts on the Bautzen game which is now finished and awaiting my blogging attention, I have been distracted. This week our campaign was due to kick off but Umpire Tony was sick so Chris, Russian Tony & I set up a quick battle to hopefully conclude in one evenings play.
Pete Morbey over at Elite Miniatures has just posted a second Peninsular battle report on his website. I remembered roughly what it was all about and quickly set about doing a much watered down version.
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| Columns meet line in our Peninsular encounter - exhilarating stuff! |
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It's a simple concept, imagine the high ground is shrouded in clinging mist as the morning sun climbs intent on burning it off.
This Portuguese relief column marches towards a walled villa to relieve their friends & allies, off screen left. |
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The allies deploy first as shown above, the relief column and the stranded guys in the villa.
Here an Italian brigade hides in the imaginary mist ready to ambush the Portuguese or assault the villa.
The French could deploy anywhere one foot onto the on the high ground hidden by the mist in ambush.
The French went first. |
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The villa.
Here we see British & Portuguese staff trying not to watch the señorita's morning ablutions.
Unlike the Spaniard. |
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| You can't see these Italians because they are concealed by thick mist so use your imagination. |
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| Here are the two Portuguese brigades strung out in the valley. |
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| A nasty Nassau brigade waits in ambush on the mist shrouded hills, once again completely invisible. |
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| Someone needs to do a good Portuguese limber for me. |
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| A walled hill farm. |
Some close ups.
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"Hola Senor Grumpy".
This happy go lucky scamp will have to proxy until I get some Portuguese or Allied high command. |
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| Elite Miniatures Portuguese officer. |
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These Portuguese battalions are almost all Elite Miniatures with Front Rank officers a combination I like a lot.
GMB Designs flags. All painted by Tony Laughton.
This chap looks like he's seen a few things. |
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| Serious face. |
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| Super keen. |
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| Thinks a lot of himself. |
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| "It's not a dress I was expecting rain." |
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| Loyal & Lusitanian |
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| Still not looking. |
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| Behind the villa these Scots lights suddenly realise the hills are alive with Poles. |
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Murawski Miniatures Poles painted by Barry Hill.
More of these to follow soon, mostly Vistula Legion. |
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| More of the same, GMB Designs flag again. |
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Polish skirmishers dart over the rocky ground.
As above. |
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The Scots closing fire was shamefully poor, 40 elites in line causing only 1 casualty per charging battalion.
The 13th Polish line faltered, the 1st, 2nd & 12th closed, the Scots held to take the charge. |
Some Italians...
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| Velite Grenadiers, Perry by Barry Hill. Need to dry brush the bases still. |
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6th Italian line.
Victrix plastics with Perry mounted officer painted by Barry Hill. |
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Milan Civic Guard one of my all time faves.
Victrix painted by Barry Hill again. Still need to dry brush these too, shameful. |
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| Portuguese skirmishers line the walls of the orchard adjoining the villa to snipe at the Poles. |
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| The Loyal Lusitanian Legion line out in front the villa to take down the approaching Italians. |
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| Oops! Hearing the Scots are cut down the LLL nick off with the skirmishers leaving the bathing beauty to the Poles. |
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Nassauers form line on the crest of the ridge threatening the Portuguese relief columns.
Perry Miniatures painted by Barry Hill. |
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More Nassauers, here in column.
Elite Miniatures painted by Barry Hill. |
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More Nassauers, in line this time.
Elite Miniatures painted by Barry Hill. |
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| One Portuguese brigade marches towards the Italians who threaten the villa in the distance. |
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| The other Portuguese brigade takes the bait and deploys to take on the Nassauers threatening their line of march. |
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| CRUNCH TIME COMETH. |
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| The LLL decide they should turn and at least try to stop the Poles while the other Portuguese knock down the Italians. |
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The Portuguese foot battery deploys to batter the advancing Italians. This they did with minimal effect.
Elite Miniatures guns & crew, Front Rank mounted officer, painted by Tony Laughton. |
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| Preparing for a fire-fight. |
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| The Nassauers form up first and fire at long range, causing surprisingly high casualties, everyone held though. |
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| The Portuguese edge closer and fire back to poor effect. |
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| Italian and Portuguese brigades square up, the latter have deployed artillery support the Italians are limbered up & moving. |
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| The Poles arrive to threaten the whole enterprise, can the LLL stop them unlike the brave Scots, now scattered. |
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| The Nassauers get the second volley in first, this time even more deadly then the first, all three Portuguese Battalions take three casualties and must test morale. Return fire is desultory. |
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| Meanwhile back at the villa the French hold fire and wait to be charged. Poles move up. |
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| This beauty moves up to support the Italian brigade. |
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| The Portuguese charge the Italians as the Poles charge the LLL. |
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| Closing fire is devastating sending two Portuguese battalions into rout & halting the last. |
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| The LLL stand having failed to stop the Poles and are defeated utterly. |
With total defeat on all three fronts and the objective lost the Allies throw in the towel. The ambush is a total success, as was the game! We set up, deployed and banged out a dramatic game to it's conclusion in about 3 hours over a 14 x 6 foot board - just what we wanted.
This Peninsula collection is in its infancy really. I have more Brits, Portuguese and Spanish out there being painted hopefully by the Autumn to coincide with the long awaited campaign begun and concluded by then. The campaign is set on the Danube in 1809 so expect lost of Austrians for a few months to come.
I mentioned earlier that I have been distracted and frankly still am. I still play every week and will do, once a Marauder always a Marauder, I love it. However my appetite for writing and reading, penning scenarios and reporting has withered on the vine, nothing sinister just not in the mood. As luck would have it Tony Laughton who has master minded the Danube campaign has agreed to guest write the whole event as part of a the "campaign diary" as it were. I will still edit pictures etc but the words will be his.
This might take a few weeks to kick in which gives me time to finish the Bautzen battle report for you. There will still be smaller updates from me on new units etc so you're not entirely rid of me yet. Who knows I might get jealous of his writing and stage a coup.
Hope you enjoyed this ferocious ding dong, it was a great nights play, a real tonic - get well soon Umpire Tony.
