HotT semi historical napoleonics

 It seemed like time for some HotT games, and Andy popped around with three armies to choose from. We decided to try our semi-historical napoleonic armies in a 48 point game.

Andy's army is mostly shooter's, with some delightful flyers (95th Rifles, and British light infantry, and some riders and knights, lead by several heroes.

My French are an interesting mix: behemoths (French columns), shooters, blades, hordes (French conscripts), riders and knights, also lead by heroes.

The setup from behind the French army, the French are defending and their 'stronghold' is a Spanish village

British hero

British flyers, 95th Rifles, and light infantry

More 95th, which I think Andy had taken as warband

French columns/behemoths

French 'knights' - heavy cavalry

French hordes/conscripts

The stronghold.. scratch built quite a few years ago

Initial contact on the French right, a rider (French Hussar) destroyed by the British infantry (Shooters)

Two of the French columns have broken through, eliminating British shooters in the line

On the French left, French knights supported by shooters, lead by a hero general, face of against British knights 

The British flyers overfly the battle lines, landing in the French rear, where most of them sat out the battle, as their command was starved of PIPs

Getting messy on the right, casualties on both sides. Andy attacked a French column from front and rear with flyers

Battle is joined on the left

In the centre things are actually pretty quiet

British casualties mount on the right

The British right French left, and the British command is demoralised

Lots of 'argy bargy' on the French right, but British casualties are mounting

But so too are the French casualties

However finally the British left breaks too....

I liken the larger HotT games to a balanced diet. Pizza alone night after night can get boring (Lorraine might disagree). You need those meals with lots of vegetables and protein too, otherwise you feel unsatisfied. We now tend to find that the 24 point HotT battles satisfy the itch to some degree, but the larger games (double and Big Battle) are more satisfying. They play significantly differently.

St Julien 1915 ...

It's always great to get the Great War Spearhead armies out onto the table. This time it was Jon's wonderful 10mm armies. Jon created a very cool scenario  (he's very good at that!!) set during 2nd Ypres, following the gas attacks against the Canadians, and centred around the town of St Julien. There was an element of 'historical license' in Jon's scenario construction in order to make an interesting game. The terrain has a covering of snow, and there were British armoured cars, and aircraft on both sides.

The game was structured around a remnant of the gas shocked Canadians holding the town of St Julien in the centre of the table, a British division advancing. to relieve them and seal of the hole in the British lines, while a German division advances to the attack, intent on exploiting the gap that they have created with their initial gas supported attack.

My apologies for the 'tease', but we spent so much time yarning the game never reached any sort of resolution. 

However here are a few photos of Jon's wonderful armies.. 

Warpath in 6mm

Andy and I toyed with the Mantic warpath and Firefight systems not long after they came out. We decided to get back in to some Warpath .. we like the system, which I described as Epic Armageddon Lite. The activation system creates a really interesting game dynamic far superior to anything in the sci fi genre that we have seen before.

We did ponder whether some Spearhead mechanisms might adapt to this too, but that's a very different matter. Anyway, no AAR, just few photos. e sue the perspex explosion markers to mark suppressions on units.