Vanquish 2016 and our Balkans War Demo Game

Vanquish is a new wargames show held in May 2016 at Bourne End in Buckinghamshire. It was a fairly small show, but very well supported with a Bring and Buy, good parking, refreshments available and a bar.
There was a good mix of traders, about 15 I think, plus some Demo/Participation Games.

Our well planned Demo Game had to be hastily rethought when we found the gaming tables were round. Actually it worked very well especially as we had a terrain cloth instead of tiles to play on.

We ran our First Balkans War Demo Game using Chain Of Command rules by TooFatLardies. Several people came and showed interest in the game and the club and some club handouts were taken.

Other Demo and Participation games included a Frostgrave game, The Charge of the Light Brigade and a Napoleonic Participation Game.

Frostgrave Demo Game in the background

At the end we thanked the organiser and asked if he plans to run Vanquish again next year. We were pleased that he does so we asked to be included in the plans.

Thanks go to the Vanquish orgainser from Newline Designs in the background.

These photos, plus many others, were taken intended for a Battle Report but then I realised I've already done one during the testing of this Demo Game. So I've tried to use the photos I have got that give some impression of the show. The Battle Report that was done for the test game can be seen here.

Lion Rampant League, Round 3 - Battle Report

Islemen Archers defend the supplies. 

Last Friday Graham and I played our Round 3 game in the Lion Rampant League being played at the club this year.
More details about the League can be found on our website.
The Lion Rampant rules are written by Daniel Mersey and published by Osprey.

We were playing Scenario F: Sausages With Mustard. I was the defender, using my Islemen retinue, and Graham attacked with his Scottish retinue. In this scenario there are 4 objective markers (in the form of supplies) placed around the central deployment zone and the attacker has to try to set fire to them.

For the initial deployment the defender can place up to 4 points of units in the central deployment zone, and all remaining units deploy at opposite ends of the table. I placed my unit of Islemen Archers in the central deployment zone to try to hold off the attackers until some more of my units arrived.
At this end are my remaining Islemen units: two units of Foot Men-At-Arms and two units of Fierce Foot.
At the far end are Graham's Scottish horde: One Foot Men-At-Arms, three units of Foot Serjeants, one unit of Fierce Foot and one unit of Bidowers.

Initial deployment with a single unit of Archers occupying the central deployment zone.
The remaining units deploy at opposite ends of the table.

Cristot, Normandy, 1944

German response to British armour. 

At our Games Day on 23rd April 2016, Ian W put on a large Rapid Fire game set in Normandy.

A few days after the Normandy landings the British are still held up in their advance on Caen. The British 50th Infantry Division are attempting to capture Tilly-Sur-Seulles so that the 7th Armoured Division can make an outflanking approach on Caen through Villers Bocage.
This battle takes place on 11th June 1944 as the British try to push the 12th SS Panzer Division out of the villages of Cristot and Brouay, and the overlooking high ground.
The game is 16 turns long.
Victory conditions for are the same for both sides: hold the villages of Cristot and Brouay, and hold the high ground of Hill 102, at the end of the game. Any other result is a draw.

The Germans were using hidden deployment anywhere in the area around Hill 102, Cristot and Brouay.

The British plan was to concentrate on Brouay first, then drive into Cristot from there with reserve infantry making a direct attack on Cristot and Hill 102. With no pre-planned bombardment, the artillery was to provide support as required.

For the initial attack on Brouay, one infantry battalion with armour support was to attack Brouay directly with another infantry battalion covering the flank and adding firepower.

Layout with British Command Arrows

 The British attack on Brouay started as planned with infantry occuping cover in Adrieu and the armour moving alongside.

First Balkans War Demo Game

Greek point of view. 

In 2016 Tring Wargames Club are running Demo Games at several local shows.

We have two Demo Games planned for this year. One is based on the French invasion at Fishguard (1797) using Donnybrook rules. The second is set during the First Balkans War (1912-1913) using Chain Of Command rules.

Here's some info and a Battle Report for the First Balkans War game.


THE FIRST BALKANS WAR 1912-13
This game depicts a skirmish near the city of Ioannina, by the shores of Lake Pamvotis, in the spring of 1913, using the CHAIN OF COMMAND rules by TOO FAT LARDIES.
All miniatures used are from TIGER MINIATURES.
The First Balkan War occurred due to the Weakening of the Ottoman Empire; which had just lost the Italian- Turkish war in North Africa, and the determination of the new Balkan League (Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria and Montenegro) to resolve their issues of National unity.
Turkish hopes to transfer an army from Syria to the Balkans were abandoned due to Greek naval strength and operations in the area. So the Turks had to rely on troops already in the area, some of whom proved to be of poor quality.
Montenegro was the first member of the league to declared war on 5th October 1912. The official start of the war was the 17 October 1912 the same day the Bulgarian Army Crossed the border and attacked Eastern Thrace.
The conflict can be divided up into areas or ‘theatres’ for ease.

• Eastern Theatre (Thrace)
• Western Theatre (Macedonia, Albania and Epirus)

The Epirus Campaign
The Greek army of Epirus crossed the border on 19th October moving northwest it occupied the town of Philippias on the 26th October. Dividing the force one part moved to Preveza and laid siege to the old fortifications, which held out until the Turks surrendered on 4th November.
The second force headed north where Greek forces encountered heavy resistance, this slowed their advance. After the surrender of Preveza on the 4th November Greek forces were reinforced with an Italian volunteer corps under the command of General Ricciotti Garibaldi, son of the famous Giuseppe Garibaldi. Strong resistance meant that the Greeks didn’t arrive to lay siege to the city of Ioannina (Janina) until 25th November. Reinforced by volunteers and irregulars from Crete and Greece, the Greek army faced a heavily fortified city; which itself had been reinforced with Albanian irregulars and Turkish troops retreating from Macedonia.
Despite skirmishes and assaults the defenders held out and the siege continued until the end of the war.
The war was ended with the Treaty of London in May 1913. The following month the Second Balkan War broke out when Bulgaria attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece.


BATTLE REPORT
This Battle Report is from a test game played at the club in preparation for the first showing at Vanquish. Rules used are Chain Of Command by Too Fat Lardies.

Table viewed from the west.
Jump Off Points - Red for Turkish, Blue for Greek
For the Turks, the area from the sunken road to the bridge was about to be their main deployment area.
For the Greeks, the rough ground area outside the bend in the river and the woods inside the bend in the river were of main use.

A Blog for Tring Wargames Club - Why?

Today I decided to start a Blog for Tring Wargames Club. Why?
We already have a website where there is loads of information about the club plus all the latest news and reports. It's got to a point where the website has become quite large with many pages that may never be found by the casual visitor.
We also already have a facebook page which highlights news and upcoming events with the chance to post comments and "Likes", etc.
I thought it would be a good idea to have a blog where we can put the latest Battle Reports, news, and interests from the club. Here things can be discussed at greater length than on Facebook and with more emphasis on current activities than on the website.
Well that's the plan.