My Metal Meneken

This time it was Picketts Charge, ACW, 15mm and Peters marvelous collection, we had the pleasure to enjoy. As well as the setup and terrain, it was loosley based on Shenandoah or just a 3 bridgehead scenario for me. Bart and Peter were fighting for secession and slavery, while me, Mike and Alisdair were fighting for the nobler cause! 

And we had a plan! Each outer bridgehead was already in (fortified/farm) hands, so we just decided to defend and take the middle furt. Me in particular had the lazy position to bomb the Rebel bridgehead and go straight into a death ride in the middle with my cavalry just to keep the furt open for my combat fellows to close the gap and just keep hold onto it. Nothing much to ask, one would say...

My Infantry brigade with the guns assumed position on the hill and started firing. I took out the rebel guns - so safe flank over there. Then my riders crossed the furt and charged into the enemy horse! Huzzah, we again pushed them back, our cavalry looked a bit less deranged like the enemy one afterwards, but who cares ... even in front of 3 line battalions of rebels! (Barts dice were abysmal, so they were fire locked ...)

Now this would be the part where I would tell you the tale about the glorious pushback of the rebel attack on our heavily guarded bridge head, and the rushing in of the our veteran brigade through the waters ... 

but no. They just didn‘t. Too hesitant! One could get into a fight or get shot or so...

The veterans as well some other brigade were too hesitant to do whatever, apart from moving into position. Rolling with yellow dices that repeatedly produce low numbers (apart from the command phase) doesn‘t help either! If the main assault should be the middle ground you need at least to advance there...

Don‘t let me start on our bridgehead though! Alisdair totally out of sync with his dice! Peter attacked, barraged and then assaulted our position ... successfully, textbook. So we had two contested crossing and one firm in the hands of the Rebels. I even had to witness the CinC, telling me to charge and turnaround the table/tide/battle, as this would be our only chance ... while my men where out of charge distance (the point when just blocking the enemy)...

Congratulations Bart, for winning this battle for the Rebels single-handedly! - Peter must be thrilled.

Apart from that we had a lot of fun - maybe they let allow us tanks next time, that we might have a chance. Or aircraft? Balloons with bomber crews ...  ach!

Initial set up rebels to the right - Yanks to the left

My direct opponent

We assumed position on hill 3

the middle ground advanced

My guns aiming

and the ground trembled ...

My successful cavalry charge!

Peters Rebel are closing in

I‘ll send the opponent back

The furt is free!

Peter attacks!

And send Alisdair reeling

The Rebel bridge head was peppered, but just kept in check...

The centre just as it was before the last turn... and the turn before that ...

This was the last picture taken, after that we presume the photographer was shot by the union command...

15mm, "Pickett‘s Charge" and Mike‘s and Peter‘s ACW miniature collection for a re-fight of the famous semi-historical battle of Col. Schneider‘s charge. Bart and Mike were the Rebel‘s while me, Alisdair and Peter were fighting for the end of slavery!!!

Nobody told me (Col. Schneider) that the ultimate objective was to get the hill just in front of me - but funnily enough I was the only later charging the dirty and cowardly Southerners! Alisdair did his thing, what ever that was, probably mistaken another hill with no Rebels on it for the objective while Peter was taking all the bullets for us sinners in the centre of the Battle. I use the term loosely, as the cluster of  mis-judged skirmishes hardly deserves that term ...

Well, so I threw away my cigar, climbed on top of my horse and ordered my brigade to attack that hill and then charge. The lads advanced very quick only to stop once to hesitate together with the enemy in a kind of trans american lull. Then we climbed that "rolling" stone and as the fence was a few paces too far away, (the cowardness of the rebels knows no bounds) the boys hesitated only to pick up their rifles and send Johnny Reb (played by Bart) back to Atlanta! the regiment retreated -  a gap in the fence!!!

Then Col. Schneider (me) charged and despite heavy rifle fire and gun cannister, we made it to the fence and fought the scumbags! But God wasn't on our side and I threw very badly from then on ...

We got pushed back and fled very disgracefully down hill, got shot at again and broke, all the New Yorker petty shop owners/rabble were running back to Manhattan and their mothers, damn! How should I tell that my ex-West-Pointlers-mates ... ? Ah, I will light a cigar and dribble something of an successful Schneider‘s charge at the hill that was at first very successful ... something along the lines of ... I threw away my cigar ...

My glorious brigade

Bart‘s rebel cowards

Initial set up

Lads, advance!

at the bottom of the hill in 2 seconds

while Peters legions were crawling

while we paused for re-loading

Peter attracted some fire

up the hill - for glory -  fire!

The Rebel aimed too high ...

... as the Lord said ... but you reap what you saw ...

then we gave back the favour, NY-style

while already reinforcements were on their way

The Rebels in disarray ...

my iron(y) Brigade finally charges!

but the dices ....

Meanwhile on the other side of the battle

the unimportant hill is in our hands

my fighting tin can brigade ...

gets too much of the lead and ...

and runs away ...

Dirty Rebels jubilant

and shoots fleeing men into the back ... typical!

Last Thursday we opted for Peters 15mm ACW collection and Black Powder 2. Bart set up a re-cycled scenario witha river crossing bang in the middle that was at the same time the objective of forementioned uncrossable floods ... creek. Me playing the Union and the Rebels played by Peter.

As there were some fences that would give a tiny bit of protection, we aimed to "run" to them in a bid to then out shoot the opponent. Peter lost due to shitty command dice and one blunder. But then my strategy (our only two cavalry units were on opposing sides of the river) - to cross the bridge with the cavalry, ended up in my units being repulsed.

Then it was my turn to get the beating. Due to Peter almost super gently laying the dice on the floor (rolling that deserves the term, in my world, involves tumbling, i.e. turning their faces multiple times before the dice stop), but apparently being plagued by an accute onslaught of gamers gout,  still managed to fire the s*** out of my units.

I lost 2 units, and many others them badly mangled. My superior guns managed to blow off one unit of Peters Slave-economists, but in the end I conceded defeat. Still it was entertaining beyond belief, even more so as Bart most of the time managed to be impartial, haha!

The following technicolor photography may illustrate the ferocity of this vulgar display of close combat fatigue (another gamers disease) - enjoy! :)