The Pikeman´s Lament AAR #6 - Cavalry charge at Ängelholm 1678

Here are a some more pictures from one of our playtest games of The Pikeman´s Lament rules during the Scanian War 1675-1679. This time we run a plain Attack scenario as I wanted to test out my new Swedish cavalry:)

The Swedes was under command under command of the not so efficient Second Lieutenant Nils Skytte that for some reasone had been transfered to a cavalry company, might he be a better cavalry Officer than a he have been leading the Infantry...

The Danes of course under command of the most efficient Lieutenant Niels Andersen that was ordered to hold the Danish line with the healp of some field artillery and veteran troops...  it all took place outside the town of Ängelholm in scania, Sweden.

OOB - Swedish

Officer: Second Lieutenant Nils Skytte, he are an Officer and a Gentleman in fancy clothes that the ladies really love even if hi is a military misfit...
3 Agressive Gallopers @ 4 points each
3 Dragoons @ 4 points each

OOB - Danish

Lieutenant Niels Andersen, he are a Hothead and have a hard time with superiors - he have been demoted several times, but his freeshoter company loves that he cares for them and lead from the front and due to his achievements he have now been promoted once again to Lieutenant.
2 Veteran Shot @ 6 points each
1 Field gun @ 6 points
1 Elite Trotters @ 6 points

Deployment, The danes on the left with the Field gun protected bu the stream and supported by 2 units of Veteran Shot and the Trotters up in the left corner...

The Swedes with the 3 units of gallopers on the road by the farm with one unit of Dragons to secure the farm and the other two down on the left.

Dashing Swedish Horse with Officer, Second Lieutenant Skytte in blue coat...

All dressed up for a headless charge of the danish lines....

The Cavalry haden´t come far when the Danish field gun opeened up creating havoc amongst them...

The Swedish Dragoons also took some fire...

...more Danish fire...

...more swedish casualties...

The Danish Field gun was a real threath to the Swedish horse that charged in the open...

Swedish dragoons harassing the Scanian allmoge...

With a swift doubble move one of the Swedish galopper groups managed to charge the Danish gun...

They was beaten back by the hard figthing gun crew...

At the same time the Danish Trotters had closed in and the Swedes sent a unit of Galoppers to take them down in close combat...

The Danish trotters took some damage as well as the Swedes that had to retreat,... Second Lieutenant Skytte saw his men fall all around him, would he fail also as a Cavalry officer...

The Swedish dragoons had a good time at the farm...

The Danish gun crew had managed to get the gun loaded again and opened up at Second Lieutenant Skytte´s unit...

Second Lieutenant Skytte started to feel desperate not knowing what to do, charge the gun or the trotters...

The Swedish Dragoons on the left flank advanced to give support but was driven off by some shot fire...

Second Lieutenant Skytte decided to charge the trotters...

The Danish trotters recieved the Swedish charge on the halt, discharge their pistols at pointblank.

You might see that the Danish trotters was on the run... if not take my word for it:)

Danish Veteran Shot in a firefight with the Swedish Dragoons...

Second Lieutenant Skytte and his last remaining Galopper back on the road again...

The Swedish Dragoons started to shoot at the Gun crew...

...manageing to take them out...

...The danish veteran shot unit retaliate, but the Swedish dragoons manage to keep them self out of harms danger...

By the farm the other unit of Swedish dragoons evedently have harassed the allmoge enought and are on the move to the battle...

...danes on the run... the Swedish Dragoons draw the long straw in the firefight with the Veteran danes that start to retreat...

...Lieutenant Andersen manage to halt the retreat...

...he also advance with his own unit of Veteran Shot to follow the fleeing Swedish officer Second Lieutenant Skytte...

As the sun start to fadeaway the both sides decide to end the days battle... (just 5 units left on the table and we rolled a 6...)

Greate game indeed, the danish elite troops managed to hled the line from the Swedish horse charge, but it was a close call for a Swedish victory when the Swedish Dragoons fire made the danes almost retreated of the table with one of their shot units.

More adventures of Second Lieutenant Skytte and his nemesis Lieutenant Andersen will follow;)

The Pikeman´s Lament - ECW Playtest

Please visit Matt´s blog Ubique and have a look at he´s stunning set-up for some playtest of The Pikeman´s Lament with his English Civil War collection. Looking very good indeed:)

It also sounds that Matt think we are on the right track with the rules, feels good to here:)

Below one of Matt´s pictures and you find more at his blog.

Gaslands - A Game of Post-Apocalyptic Vehicular Mayhem Rules

I have signed up for some playtesting of the post-apocalyptic vehicular rules Gasland by Mike that are to be published in 2017 by Osprey as a part of their Wargaming serie.

It all gave me flashbacks to the games of Combat Cars I used to play as a kid and I just had to try it out. We actualy had a run of Combat Cars boardgame some years ago at the club, you can find a AAR at my old blog.

Here are some pictures of my Combat Cars vehicles for the club game, I hope to be able to use them in Gaslands to, just have to find them...

Danish Officer for the Scanian war 1675-1679

Some pictures of my latest painting, a Danish officer for my Scanian war 1675-1679 project. Miniature from Front Rank.

I also working on adding some more regular infantry to the Danes, pikes and shots that will be finnished in a couple of days.

Advance copy of Osprey Black Ops

Last week I got a advance copy of Ospreys next releast in their Wargames serie, the Black Ops rules by Guy Bowers.

The rules will be publisch on 20 october 2015, so just a month of waiting left... from the back of the book:

Black Ops is a skirmish wargame of tactical espionage combat that recreates the tension and excitement of modern action-thrillers such as the Bond and Bourne films. The fast-play rules keep all the players in the thick of the action, while the mission generator provides a wide range of options for scenarios - from stealthy extraction or surveillance missions to more overt raids and assaults. Stealth, combat, and technical expertise all have a role to play, and players may recruit a number of different operative types - spies, mercenaries, criminals, hackers, special forces, and many more - to recruit the best possible team for the job. Players may also choose to join a faction - powerful organizations, intelligence agencies, criminal syndicates, militaries, or rebel groups, each with a stake in international affairs. By doing so, their team may receive certain benefits, but may also find itself limited at a crucial time. With the variety offered by the characters, factions, and scenarios, no two games of Black Ops should ever be the same!

I have had had a few test games some time ago when I wrote my review of the rules that you will find in the latest issu, 80, of Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy and I really like the rules and the small amount of minis needed to get a good and tense game.

I have ordered minis for some Cold War gaming using the rules, more about that later on...but there will be a swedish connection so don´t you worrie;)