Has Your Hobby "Turned Your Current of Life?"

Following a visit to Chartwell, the Kent home of Winston Churchill,  I decided to listen to a series of podcasts on the life of Churchill.  They both happened to be about his early life.  The podcasts are all on BBC Sounds:

The Rest is History 1: Young Churchill: Born to Lead

The Rest is History 2: Young Churchill: Soldier of Empire

The Rest is History 3: Young Churchill: Prisoner and Fugitive

The podcasts were very interesting.  They made reference to Churchill's own book that he wrote in 1930, My Early Life.

Like a a very thoughtful partner, my better half looked out for it and actually found it in a charity shop.

I'm currently in the process of reading it.  I have to say that so far it's an easy read and he's quite self-deprecating. The narrative flows like a "ripping yarn".

But one thing that I came across was this passage about when Churchill was still a school boy.  He was writing about his collection of nearly 1,500 soldiers.  The account continues:

"... my father himself paid a formal visit of inspection.  All the troops were arranged in the correct formation of attack...  At the end he asked me if I would like to go into the army.  I thought it would be splendid to command an Army, so I said 'Yes' at once."

With his future now determined by this conversation, Churchill then went on to comment that, "the toy soldiers turned the current of my life."

Now, I love my hobby.  However, I can't say that it "turned the current of my life" in as dramatic or life defining way as Churchill's.  What it did do was provide good friends, a positive community of like minded people and a life engaged in the joy of history, gaming and problem solving.  That's not too shabby!

So, have the toy soldiers turned the current of YOUR life?  If so, how?

The Battle of Brownsville - An ACW "What If" AAR

The Rejects assembled last weekend for our first game of the year in the shed.  Postie had arranged a fictional American Civil War engagement based in 1862.  In simple terms the Confederates were advancing and the Union troops were reacting and marching to meet the incursion.

Lee, Mark, Ray and Steve led the Rebel offensive.

Dan, Surjit and I commanded the Union defense.

The figures were a large variety of 15mm.

The rules were Fire and Fury amended to use 2d6 instead of d10.

The Deployment
Standing on the Union side of the table, looking left.  The central corps is marching off the heights. On the far flank by the river, Dan is marching on. He immediately faced approaching rebs already deployed in supported line.

Looking towards the Union right flank, the rest of the centre and Surjit's command march down to meet the threat.

A view from the Union right flank down the length of the battlefield.

All the confederates are on the right in the photo and mostly in march column.

The Battle

All along both lines the troops advance quickly.

With a few to the right starting to shake out into line.

On the Union right flank, Ray was quickly advancing his Rebel brigades while Surjit tried to deploy against the attack.

The Confederates moving quickly and aggressively occupy the woods nearby and within charge range.

Meanwhile, in the centre and on the Union left both sides are bracing themselves.  In the meantime, the Union have been able to use their superior artillery to disorder and reduce some of the Confederate elite units.

The Union centre is able to deploy along the road whilst Surjit moves to threaten the Confederates in the wood on the right flank.

After manoeuvring into position and having to take artillery casualties, the Rebels now seem poised to assault all along the line.

Steve takes two of his Confederate brigades and launches them at Dan's defending blue coats.  Dan's defensive fire causes some Rebel disorder.

Which is sufficient to help Dan win both melees and push the attackers back.

In the centre, Lee charges with elite brigades at the Union line.  The Rebels take casualties going in and are disordered.

The Confederate brigades, being depleted from artillery fire and defensive infantry fire, are overwhelmed.  One is entirely wiped out and the other retreats in disorder.

And on the Union right flank, Ray hurls his Confederate troops out of the woods and into Surjit's blue line.

However, the Union defence is too determined and stubborn.  The attackers falter with one retiring out of range and the other left exposed.

It was more or less at this point that the Confederate commanders had a meeting and agreed to cede the field to the Union.

So, a Union victory.

After Thoughts
The onus was on the Confederates to attack, which they did.  Although they had a qualitative edge, numerically the sides were even.  This made for an extremely difficult job for the Rebels.  This job was not helped by the amount of casualties and disorder they suffered on the approach and when charging.

On that last point, I think that an unintended result of moving from a d10 (which made for very random and sometimes extreme results) to 2d6 meant that the dice result was smoothed towards the more probable 6,7 and 8.  These results coming up more often had the effect of making a shot with artillery or small arms more likely to result in the target being disordered and often taking a casualty.  It made for a less random and entirely irritating experience, but the consequence was that it was very hard for the Confederates in good order.  I'm not saying that the 2d6 should be abandoned, just that attackers need a quantitative advantage over defenders, as just a qualitative advantage is not enough - especially if most of the quality is blown away before it can close.

We often end I game of Fire and Fury with some questions and dissatisfaction. It was the newest Reject, Dan, who made the clearest observation that perhaps what we need is a new set of rules for ACW.  I have my thoughts on the matter with Black Powder or Bloody Big Battles as high on my list.  Any suggestions?  Remember, the rules must cope with BIG games.

Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable game and the earlier than usual finish meant that us Rejects could sit with tea and cake and have a grand old new year catch up.

Rematch at Agnadello, 1509 - AAR

After playing and losing with the Venetians in our first outing of the Battle of Agnadello (see the reports from me and Jonathan), Jonathan reran the game but with sides swapped.  Would Jonathan lead the Venetians to victory? or would I take the French to another win?

This was a busy game. So, you may want to get a cup of tea and sit back and relax into this.

Looking at the battlefield from my, French, point of view.  The King's command on the left, including the artillery.  Chamont leading the French right with Gascon crossbow units, Swiss pike and gendarmes on the far right.

It did not take long to realise that the Venetians were not going to sit on the defensive behind the irrigation ditches.  With both armies advancing, Carpi's pike blocks were quickly within striking distance of Chamont's troops with one pike block charging through a vineyard against a Gascon crossbow unit.

Carpi's pike quickly routed the Gascons...

... and carried by their success launched into Chamont's Swiss on the right.  At this point my money might have been with the Swiss.

However, the Venetian pike deal a hammer blow to the Swiss and send them reeling backwards.  Fortunately for the French, the struggle took the momentum out of the pikemen.

Sadly for Chamont and the French right wing, Carpi orders his other pike unit into another unit of Gascon crossbowmen.

The match is very uneven.  The Gascons are forced to retire.  However, the Venetians are relentless in the pursuit...

... and throw the crossbow back in disarray.  Luckily for the French, the pikemen have momentarily the need to catch breath.

This gives Chamont the opportunity to give the Swiss their head and assault the rightmost 

Venetian pike in the vineyard and successfully throw them back into the ditch.  However, the Swiss, seem unusually reluctant to follow through with their success.

Meanwhile, the centre sees the king's Stradiots tussle with the Venetian skirmishers and send them back towards their lines.  Plus, the French artillery prove their worth by dispatching Carpi's light cavalry.

Small wins for the French considering the damage that Carpi's pike units had caused.

The king's pike and gendarmes slowly advance on the French left wing.

Carpi, on the Venetian left is clearly an aggressive soul.  Grabbing the initiative, his leftmost pike (French right) is hurled at the hesitant Swiss.

The melee is bloody and protracted.  However, despite taking significant losses the Swiss manage to force the Venetian pike back into the ditch, but are too exhausted to pursue.

However, Carpi's most advanced pike charges and destroys the remaining units of Gascon crossbowmen.

It is at this point that Alviano charges out of the woods on the French left and...

... mauls the surprised Stradiots.

With Chamont's command decimated and Alviano's pike moving into striking distance in the centre, things are looking desperate for King Louis.  So, born out of this desperation Chamont with his gendarmes on the far right couch their lances and thunder into Carpi and his men at arms.

The gendarmes crash into the Venetian heavy cavalry and send them reeling and vulnerable to pursuit.  With their tails up Chamont leads his cavalry after Carpi.

What now occurs must go down in the annals of the Great Italian Wars as the longest, hardest and most bitterly fought clash of arms.  The epic struggle sees many brave men at arms fall.  The gendarmes appear to have Carpi within their grasp as the heap of Venetian dead climb.

But with a last titanic effort, Chamont's gendarmes are repulsed... but not mortally damaged!

With the same sense of desperation, Chamont's depleted Swiss do what the Swiss do.  They charged the Venetian pike again.

But now the boys from the mountains have found their vigour and martial spirit.  The Venetian pike is pushed back and the Swiss pursue.

Again, the Carpi's pikemen are forced to retire.  However, the thinning ranks of the Swiss are unable to capitalise on the situation.

Meanwhile, the king sends his leftmost pike into Alviano's men at arms.

But Alviano prevails and the pike are repulsed.  However, Alviano is unable to control his heavy cavalry who ride past the pike and into the French king's gendarmes.

Despite their impetus, the Venetian cavalry is unequal to the French gendarmes and are driven back in disorder.  With their rear to the pursuing enemy, the Venetians are...

Photo courtesy of Mr J Freitag

... destroyed to the man.  

Alviano makes good an escape to the nearby Stradiots.  However, the king and his gendarmes have their blood up and see an opportunity to decapitate the Venetian command.

... and do so mercilessly.

The Venetians now struggle to control the initiative as the battle swings towards the French.

Chamont leads his gendarmes into the handful of Carpi's remaining men at arms.

The view of Chamont versus Carpi from the Venetian point of view.  The clash is on the Venetian left.

The fighting is too one-sided and the result bloody and decisive.

 Carpi flees to the nearby pike unit.

Which has to now try and fend off another Swiss attack.

The combat is determined, but the Swiss are held.

However, the cost is high.  The Venetians have had enough.  With Alviano dead and French gendarmes controlling the flanks, the Venetians now decide to try and leave the field and avoid a massacre.

A French victory!

After Thoughts
This was a battle of two halves. Jonathan had clearly reflected on the Venetian situation and decided to come out and attack... and it nearly worked.  His left wing led by Carpi tore the French right apart.  I really thought that I and the French were heading towards a humiliating defeat.  Even the renowned Swiss seemed incapable of effective combat.  However, where the Venetian punch landed hardest and deepest the support was too distant to exploit the hole in the French line.  It finally came down to the most feared arm of the French Renaissance army to turn the tide, the heavily armoured gendarmes.

This was a tremendously exciting refight.  Everywhere one turned there were decisions to make and action to execute.  A fabulous game.  Jonathan handled the Venetians superbly and for a long while looked good for the victory.

This was such a great game to participate in, all I have left to say is... wow what a buzz!