Sunday 26 September 2010

Blood and Black Powder!

Today was a day of firsts. 

Our first game of Black Powder, the first time my 28mm Napoleonics have ever seen combat, and the first victory for General Victor-Eugène Bouillon-Cantinat!
The 1/28e Regt. Légère takes it's place at the end of the French line.  It was to be one of the few French units to survive the game, albeit taking significant casualties.  The game ended in a French victory, but with a huge butcher's bill on both sides.

The British were provided by Matt, and many of the French by Achilleas.  Between them, they fielded a good number of extremely well painted and inspiring figures from Perry Miniatures and from Victrix, mostly plastics.  In detail I found these the equal of many metal models out there, the proportions were better, and they were a lot easier to carry! I'm becoming increasingly sold on plastics.

I'll be posting more pictures later on the West Tokyo Wargamers blog.  But for now suffice to say that it was a great game and very much a "near run thing".  So far the Black Powder rules seem to be giving us what we are looking for in a club game.  Something that can be picked up fairly easily by those unfamiliar with the rules, which can be played to conclusion in the time available, and which is both fast and furious.  
 
With French cuirassiers chomping at the bit ready to puree the British 45th Foot at the first opportunity, the much-depleted 1/28e Regt. Légère fires the final volley that will cause the last remaining British infantry unit to fail its break roll and retreat back off the table, as Bouillon-Cantinat looks on.  Vive La France! 

The way we played it, the game had a very "Featherstone-esque" feel to it, as we determined to finish it to the end with no brigade morale rules (we wanted to try out as many of the rules as possible, so voluntary retreat was not an option for either side!).  

Despite the usual mistakes and omissions that is the case on both sides whenever a set of rules is being played for the first time, loads of fun was had by all.

Sunday 12 September 2010

Black Powder- Roster Chart

Napoleonics coming to Tokyo!   I have been looking through the Black Powder rules, and am cautiously optimistic that they can make for a good Napoleonic game.  Cautious, because we haven't yet tried them, optimistic because they seem quite tweak-able.  And I have always liked to tinker with rule sets.  

The mechanics seem simple, and given that we have to wrap things up in an afternoon, this will mean a lot as to how practical the set is for club use.

I've prepared a Roster Chart- a .pdf file for my force based on a download I got from the Black Powder Yahoo! group.   I've added it to the sidebar.  One very small brigade, units organized into 36 miniatures for the infantry, twelve for the cavalry, and only one gun model.  

Not every unit will be painted for the game.  I'll try to get as much done as time allows, but I can see us gaming with a bunch of figures blu-tacked onto temporary bases.  

Purists may gasp in disgust, but at this early stage I think it best that we just muster what we can and get gaming.  If past experience is anything to go by, if the game turns out well, then painting speed will go up exponentially.