Tried this scenario down the club last Thursday. Did not finish so continuing this Thursday, but here are some shots of the game so far. All figures are Pendraken on a 6'x4' table using cms for movement. Major victory is to capture both Russian redoubts; minor is one Russian redoubt. Loss of a redoubt is cancelled out for each British cavalry brigade lost. Needless to say, as the British, I cannot now get a major victory as the Heavy Brigade is now down to below half strength. The only change to the rules is that the Britishb rifle range has been reduced to the standard 18cms, but short range for it has been increased to 12cms. the pictures show the situation at the close of move 7. The Russian cavalry have lost lots of units but have held the 10 small British cavalry regiments at bay. On the right flank however the Guards and Highlanders are storming towards the first redoubt.
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g440/dourpuritan/Club%20Night/IMG_1499_zpslrlsxaoc.jpg)
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g440/dourpuritan/Club%20Night/IMG_1497_zpstm0wzwuj.jpg)
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g440/dourpuritan/Club%20Night/IMG_1498_zpsp7reduhv.jpg)
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g440/dourpuritan/Club%20Night/IMG_1500_zps8rwagcta.jpg)
The final photo shows the Rifles and a line unit distracting some of the Russians away from the main fight. All figures painted by club member Robert McClellan.
Splendid !! 8)
Cheers - Phil
Lovely, stirring stuff!
Any piccies of the noble Sardinian allies, carving a dashing swathe through the dastardly Russians in defence of Italy?
Nice set up! :)
No Sardinians as yet, however a future planned battle is Montebello in 6mm with BBB where the Sardinian light cavalry will be putting in an appearance.
Not my period but a nice looking game :).
Stirring stuff :) Look forward to seeing that, and more Crimea too!
Very nice figures and good terrain
Fantastic looking game, and I'm a huge fan of Black Powder rules.
Take care
Andy
Great looking game, lovely figures. Have had a wee hankering for the Crimean War :-\
Very Nice :-bd
More pics please.
Very handsome game, Leman, and beautifully painted figures. :-bd
Last night saw the conclusion of this game. The Russians won. The infantry columns were very difficult to deal with and we think it may be to do with them having a +1 for morale in combat and a stamina of 4. At the club we are considering reducing stamina to the normal 3. The Russians were eventually brought to a standstill through losing 50% of brigade strength across most of their brigades, but this was at enormous cost to the British, who lost the Rifles and the Guards. The Highlanders were ground down so that the leading battalion in the brigade was at shaken, plus it was disordered and facing 8 Russian units. Artillery support had gone. In our games, when a unit reaches its shaken level a red marker is placed on the casualty marker. As the unit was disordered it could not rally and it was decided that it was now impossible for the British to gain even a minor victory. No Victoria Crosses for the Guards, who did not cover themselves in glory at all.
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g440/dourpuritan/Club%20Night/IMG_1501_zpspkfds9r0.jpg)
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g440/dourpuritan/Club%20Night/IMG_1502_zpsqxetvvpf.jpg)
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g440/dourpuritan/Club%20Night/IMG_1503_zpseltelaqa.jpg)
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g440/dourpuritan/Club%20Night/IMG_1504_zpswumvr4yj.jpg)
Were you classing the Russians as large units? Keep morale a 4, but can take more hits. I would also make them use attack columns, so not much return shooting?
Losing guns will be a massive problem! No wonder the British suffered! :)
The saving roll of three for being in column was the killer - even when taking kills they could get up to 3 with very little comeback and then plough into the British lines. Sure enough they could not use much firepower, but their close combat resilience proved a real problem for the British, especially when there was a draw, but the British had to roll for morale because they had become shaken on three but the Russians hadn't.
Attack column gives a save of 3+? Ouch, no wonder they were bloody tough.
I'd be tempted to make them MORE vulnerable to shooting, but keep the close combat bonus, and make their shooting so woeful column is still the only attractive option... (given lack of Russian musketry training, knackered rifles and obsession over the "perfect step" and "bayonet as king" despite repeated proof it was just a good way to murder your own men...).
We did try giving the British a more effective short range by increasing it to 12, but that Russians in column 3+ morale roll was so difficult to get past, and even when they took casualties they had the stamina of 4. The Russians seemed a lot tougher than any accounts of the Crimea that I have ever read,
Reduce their morale save to 6+ And that should do it nicely :D
Those columns *should* take massive casualties on the way in... They were slow, ponderous and suffered hideous hideous casualties... Stamina 4 will let them shrug off a couple of hits then straggle in, maybe :) Mind I might make them 5+ morale as otherwise they really will get blasted...
Thanks for all your thoughts on this folks. I suppose it proves Rick Priestly's point that Black Powder is very much a framework for each group's opportunity to build its interpretation of history around. I am one of those who prefers this to the DBX approach, but then again, I have always been a social rather than a competition gamer.
I like that approach myself, although it can make it hard to just plink down and play!