More Big Battle HotT action: napoleonic British vs VSF Turkish

 I'm not getting too many games at the moment.. Omicron has a lot to answer for,. However Andy. came across with his fantastical British napoleonic army, and I pitched my VSF Turkish army against them in a Big Battle HotT game. In case you are not familiar with BBHotT, the game is played with 72 army points, which has to be composed of three valid 24 point armies, which can then be reconfigured on the table into three commands in any way the player chooses.

The game was fought using our 20mm HotT armies.

The armies arrayed .. British on the left, Turks on the right

The Turks are defending.. this is their stronghold

Turkish aerial hero

British shooters

Andy's British napoleonic flyers.. truly inspired.. a mix of 95th rifles, and British lights

Andy used his flyers to screen his cavalry and knights (Scots Greys, of course). The Turkish aerial hero, supported by a flyer (on a magic carpet, of course), and the main hero general, attacked the flyer screen.

Things are a bit quiet on the Turkish left

British artillery facing the Turkish right

The Turkish Djin (a God) appears on the Turkish left

The Turkish aerial hero et al make progress, causing casualties on the British screen of flyers

The nTurkish left had been cautious.. the British shooters advanced and promptly eliminated the Turkish  lancers/knights

Things are pretty muddled in the centre .. that's a Turkish behemoth lower right

The Turkish airboat, supported by two flyers has overflown the British left, in preparation of an attack

They pivot and attack the British artillery in the rear

Both sides are starved of pips at this stage in the game, but casualties are mounting on the British centre

Andy pushes his right forward, sensing the opportunity presented to his shooters who now face mostly riders, although that Turkish God has launched at attack onto their rear, which they manage to repulse

The Turkish left has taken casualties from the British shooters that Andy has advanced quite aggressively

The remaining Turkish riders have withdrawn, but the Turkish God (top right) has caused some damage, attacking and eliminating a British artillery unit

The Turkish magician at the bottom of the photo has not been very active, nor very successful

The Turkish airboat and aerial hero finally get some pips and start to do some damage

On the Turkish left the riders manage to take the line of shooters in the flank, causing casualties

'Get in'!!! Mayhem in the centre

The game had seen several 'points if inflexion' where the balance had shifted. However in the last two turns things shifted quite profoundly, and British casualties caused two of the three commands to become demoralised, and battlefield honours went to the Turkish army.

This was a really great Big Battle HotT game with many twists and turns. These larger games play very differently to the smaller 24 point version of the game.

Romans bested by Stargate inspired Egyptians.. HotT action

 Andy and I managed a Big Battle HotT (72 army points) this week.  Andy used his 'Stargate' inspired Egyptians. while I took the Romans, with a nod to fantasy with some behemoths, and some hero generals. The behemoths were variously strange creatures (trolls no less) recruited form the fringes of the Empires, and some robust 'columns' of legionaries.

Behemoths and hero general on the left

Andy's matching hero general and behemoth

UFO flyers (I said this was Stargate inspired) overfly the main Roman line and are confronted by a small reserve line

I rather foolishly threw two bases of knights against Andy's behemoth and Hero General on his left my right. Completely forgot that behemoths are 'knight killing machines'.. doh!! Rush of blood to the head

I managed to remove the flyer threat

On the Roman left were some Gallic warband mercenaries

The Roman left flank behemoths

The Roman centre was based around the ballistae artillery, with blades and shooters

The bulk of the Roman centre didn't last too long, actually!!

And the right flank was quickly demoralised, threw a low PIP die next turn and simply disappeared

The left flank similarly was demoralised, and disappeared.. a relatively short game, with the Egyptians pretty much clearing the battlefield.. ouch, but a great game. Andy played well...

Kloster Kamp

An interesting scenario outing with the Battle of Kloster Kamp from the 'Battles of the Seven Years War Bk 2' scenario book written by Frank Chadwick. We used our favourite Volley and Bayonet rules, and Jon's 15mm Seven Years War figures. Just a few photos...

My attempt to reverse history for the allies was  .. a fond hope at best. We had to withdraw from the field of battle.

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.