AAR Battle of Varna 1444

Last Monday I and some freinds tryed out to use the Black Powder rules for a Medieval game, the Battle of varna 1444. The allied Christian army tryed to stop the Ottoman Empire outside the city of Varna in Bulgaria.

Here are the OOB we used:

- The Ottoman Empire -

Commander-in-Chief

• Sultan Murad II

Right Wing – Turahan

• 4xSipahis - Cavalry
• 2xAkıncıs - Irregular Light Horse
• 1x Balkan Horse - Light Horse

Center - Mehmed

• 2xJanissaries - Guard Archers dug in behind ditches and palisades
• 1xKapikulus - Guard Cavalry
• 2xAzabs - Irregular Light Infanry
• 4xArtillery - Large guns:)

Left Wing – Karadzsa

• 4xSipahis - Cavalry
• 2xAkıncıs - Irregular Light Horse
• 1x Balkan Horse - Light Horse

- The Christians Alliance -

Commander-in-Chief

• John Hunyadi

Right Wing – Bishop Jan Dominek of Varadin

• Bishop Jan Dominek of Varadins Hungarian Feudal Knight banner
• The Bishop of Egers Hungarian Mercenaries Knight banner
• Franco Talotsis Croatian Mercenaries Knight banner
• Cesarinis German and Bosnian Mercenaries Knight banner
• 2xWallachian Horse - Light Cavalry

Center - Władysław III of Poland

1^st line

• The king's Polish and Hungarian bodyguards Feudal Knight banner
• 4xPolish and Hungarian Feudal Knight banner
• 1xWallachian Horse - Light Cavalry

2^nd Line

• 2x Szeklers - Light Horse

Left Wing – Michael Szilágyi

• 4xSzeklers Hunyadi's Transylvanians - Light Horse
• 2xBulgarian Mercenaries Knight banner

Wagenburg -

• Handgunner, crossbowmen and light artillery

And here are the Stats:

And now to the AAR...


As the army of the Christian Alliance under command of the Polish King was caugth with its back to the Black Sea, tha Lake Varna and some marches to its left and the Franga Plateau with steep wooded hills to its right...The Battle of Varna was a fairly stright forward affair, both armys deployed and the battle could begin...all measurement was at 2/3 of the original, i.e. Infantry moved 8" instead of 12"...


The right wing and part of the center of the Christian Alliance forces...with a steady Wagenburg in the back.


The Ottoman Jannisaries and Artillery behind filedworks, supported by the kapikulus Guard and the Camp of Sultan Murad II.

Opening moves... All the zealous Polish and Hungarian feudal Knights in the center under command of the young Polish King rushed away to the left to attack the Ottoman right flank that quicly retreated faced by the knightly threat... On the Christian right flank the Feudal Knights alsoe rushed against the enemy, but the Mercenary Knights took a more careful approach... it´s seems that they need to get more pay to be moving...


On the Christian right flank the Feudal Knights was stoped by heavy fire from several Ottoman Cavalry and Light Horse units...and the mercenary Knights still waited for the extra money...


After they have driven off the Ottomans on the leftflank the eager Polish King se a new and more imobilize target...the Ottoman Artillery and Jannisaries....2 of the 5 Polish Knight units manages to get in contact...the knights manages to breake through and the artillery breakes, but the Steady Jannisaries hold their ground...


Half way in the fight...The Polish king and some of his knights are involved in a fearsome fight with the Ottoman elit Jannisarie unit...and the Mercenary Knights on the Right have still not get paid enough to join in the fight...


The Polish king and his support get beaten up by the Jannisaries and retreat...or flees... The rest of the Feudal Knights on the left flank have come to grips with the Ottoman Cavalry and start to weare them down...and you could say thet the German Mercenary Knights at least are tough negotiaters...


End possitions...on the right flank the Feudale Knights create chaos amongst the Ottomans that respon by moving forward against the Transylvaninan that until now merely been spectators...
one of the knight units manages to get in beinh the ottoman fortifications...

On the Right flank the payment to the Mercenary Knights at last arrives and they charges the Ottoman at onec... finishing of 2 Shiphai cavalry units...

Our conclution was that the Christian Allians would breake the ottoman right flank and then sweep around against the forticifation and Sultan Murads camp... Minor victory for the Christians...

As this was the first time we used Black Powder for a medieval game it worked out allright and it was a realy nice gaming sesion. We will make some small modification until next game, we hade some problem to interpret the Determined Charge rule, how and when do the unit move? do they move even if they dont recive a order? is it possible to hold a unit by giving it a order? many questions to be answerd...I think we will solve it this way...

Detremined Charge: If the unit have enemys within charge range (Infantry 36", Cavalry 54") it will automaticly make a 1D3 charge moves towards the enemy without order (18" each time). The General can try to restrain the unit by giving them a hold order for each success they recive -1 on the 1D3 for the automatic move. If the unit dont have enemys within charge range they can recive order as normal.

We will definitely try this again:)

Nice book with a brief history and loots of info about uniforms during the American Revolutionary War. The Book have given me loots of inspiration.

Lexington and Concord #2

Yesterday I had the opportunety to replay my Lexington and Concord Scenario with Matts that commanded the british and Keith that lead tha Americans. We used of cours the Black Powder rules.

I had made some changes sins the last game, The americans did not get any commanders and could only act on initiative, and they had the opportunity to leave the table and re-enter the next turn from any table edge became very annoying and stresfull for the British player as he newer knew there they would show up again.


The gaming area, the British Flank Companies had to retreat from Concord through Lexington and all the way back to Boston.

The game started with some Skirmish shooting at North bridge, the only casualties was some American Militia men.

As last time the Grenadiers marched away without the cover fron the Light Infantry, but this time they managed to form a fire line in front of the waiting Militia. The Light infantry continued to fire at the Militia at the North bridge...the militia slipped away...

...Just to re enter at merriams corner and continue the fight with the re deployed Light infantery and Grenadiers. The Fighting at merriams corner was intense, the Grenadieres was pinned down in the open for several turnes. The British Light Infantry charged the house to flush out some militiamen, they took several hits but managed to storm the hous after 3 rounds of hard fighting...

Percys Relife force only made it to Menotomy. there thay tought the Pigs was a threat, but the sneaky Americans opend fire from behind, aiming for the Artillery Crew...


The British Light Infantry made a flanking manoeuvre and staring to chase the Militia away. The Grenadiers was still pinned down in the open, and was starting to take some serious damage...

Lord Percy disobey his orders to march to Lexington and order his relife column to start to retreat from Menotomy back to Boston...

The Flank companies start to run for it, but the Grenadiers had taken to much damage and was broken...and one of the Light Companies alsoe broke during the retreat... we judged it as a Minor American Victory...

Very nice game, my scenario changes worked out well, I will only make some minor adjustments. And Black Powder rules worked out well as allways:)

Culpeper Minutemen

I´m back painting AWI minis, now with the aim for our Bunker Hill game.

At the moment i try to finish the American militia units, I have 2 units that are almost finished and the Culpeper Minutemen that you can see below. I realy like the "uniform" of the Culpeper Minutemen, gren hunting skirts/jackets and blue leggings...

The Culpeper Minutemen was a militia group formed in 1775 in the district around Culpeper, Virginia. Like minutemen in other British colonies, the men drilled in military tactics and trained to respond to emergencies "at a minute's notice."

The Culpeper Minutemen organized on 17 July 1775 under a large oak tree in "Clayton's old field" on the Catalpa estate near Culpeper, Virginia.

The Culpeper minutemen fought for the patriot side in the first year of the American Revolution, and are remembered for their company flag: a white banner featuring a rattlesnake, featuring the phrases "Liberty or Death" and "Don't Tread on Me". At the time, Culpeper was considered frontier territory, and the Culpeper minutemen, many of them hunters, preferred the rifle to the musket.

In October 1775, the minutemen were sent to Hampton in response to British ships attempting to land. The riflemen were able to effectively shoot the men manning the ships cannons, and the fleet eventually sailed away.

The Culpeper militia next participated in the Battle of Great Bridge in December 1775. The battle was a complete American victory. There were accounts of the battle that suggested the British were unnerved by the reputation of the frontiersmen.

The Culpeper Minutemen disbanded in January 1776 under orders from the Committee of Safety. Many of the minutemen continued to serve. Some joined the continental line, and others fought under Daniel Morgan.

AAR Battle of Alma

At last...here are the AAR from our Battle of Alma gaming last saturday. Ogge had a painting frenzzy the last weeks and had painted 2 armys for the Crimean War, and this was the first game with them...

We were 6 player on the British side, 3 on the Russian and Ogge that acted as Umpire.

You all have to execuse the Pro British AAR as I alsoe was acting as Lord Raglan the British C-in-C

British 4th Brigade and Highland brigade at the river Alma ready to execute Lord Raglans splendid plan... "Go and get the insolent Frenshmens"


2 Russian regiments and the small redoupt with 2 field pieces...


4 more Russian Regiments and the large Redoupt with 2 field pices...The Russians did not have much to come with...

The Glorious Guard brigade, that was ordered to attack and kep the artillery on theire right side to be able to support the Heavy brigade...

Major-General the Earl of Cardigan and the Light Bridage...that was suppoused to enter the field in turn 1 but managed to deploy at once and even leave the Guard brigade in a cloude of dust...starting a headlong charge against the 2 Russian Regiment on the left flank...

95th Rifles managed to occupy the small russian farm on the british right flank.

Brigadier-General Pennefather advanced with the 55th and 30th regiment, around the farm and against the Russian Small Redoupt...

8th and 11th Hussars charged the First Russian Regiment thet Formed a square...

In turn 2 The British Heavy Brigade had managed to unload theire sea transports, and join the attack on the Russian Infantry regiments that was located between the 2 redoupt.

The Russian lines. At the top of the picture you might see the British Light Brigade in there solo charge...

Cardigan deployed his Horse artillery in close range and started to shoot the Ryssian square to pieces...it took some time to manage to brake them...

The Russian felt the pressure and used theire secret weapon...2 hiden Cavalry brigades...
Pennefather responded quickly to the new threat by forming squares.

The Heavy Brigade sweeps past the Highland Brigade that had been imobilized for several turns...Even Lord raglan had to go and give Major General Campbell some encouragement...

The Russian Cavalry was still harassing the 4th Brigade...

The Heavy Brigade charged the Russians, that responded by forming squares.

The imobile Highland Brigade....

The equal Imobile Guard Brigade...

Even the Light Brigade got a Russian Cavalry brigade in the side, but they managed to turn around and counter charge the Russians...Jolly good old chaps!!!

The Heavy Brigade starting to take casualties...

In a bold order Pennefather sends the 95th in a glorious charge against the small russian redoubp...

Lord Raglan leads the way...The Highland Brigade have started to move... the 95th was shoot to pieces by the close range cannon fire...and breakes...

Heavy fighting on the British left flank, The Light brigade fighting there own battle against 2 russian infantry regiment and 4 Cavalry regiment...and no British support...

Overview about half way int to the battle.

The British Left flank. The Light Brigade fights on and are causing serious damage on the russian units.

At last have the Hightland Brigade managed to advance and charge the Small russian redoupt.

Inspired by the Highlanders? The Guard Brigade made some long moves and a resolute charge against the large Russian Redoupt.

Grenadier Guards that led the attack took some heavy casualties and was withdrawn and the Coldstream Guards took over the assault.

overview

After several turns of brave fighting the Light brigade had to retreat.

The Coldstream Guards overruns the Russian Redoupt.

Highlanders in a slogout ´with the Russians.

The Coldstream Guards pushes forward to engage the Russian Infantry.

The Russians manages to repulse and Breake 2 of the Highland regiments

The Russians are under hard pressure from the Guard and Highlanders. We ended the game after about 4 houres of gaming, with a minor Russian victory...Lord Raglan did not agree...

This was a realy good game, all 10 that was participating was realy satisfied. The Black Powder rules are realy good and easy to learn, in this game ther was 6 player thet never had used the rules before, 3 that had played 1 or 2 games and only I how had played several games.

We will continue to play some Crimean War games in the near future and I hope to be able to give you some more AAR.