"It will be over by Christmas!"

Probably the last game in GHQ this year, though you can never be sure where the 'Two Sad Beggars' are concerned! A rerun of last week's WWI game using Black Powder rules with several amendments suggested to us, well Phil mostly, by the previous game! We had thought of using 5 bases to represent a battalion, but in the end stuck with the 10 bases as we preferred the 'look' of the game. I am going to add a few Command bases to the British side, again just for the impression it will give, and we may add a fifth battalion next year to each side, Phil already has the figures I learned! Anyhow, on to the game ~

Most of the Germans failed to make it onto the table in Turn 1! Hurrah, I thought, time for a bold move. The cavalry and supporting RHA Battery will advance and deploy on the low ridge, thus commanding the German left and centre. Roll of the dice brings a Command roll of 3! Yes! The British seize both the ridge and the initiative, catching two Hun artillery batteries on the move too!

Away on the British left things are not so successful: the Borderers fail to reach the wood and the Gordon's fail to occupy the town. The A10 though is collecting valuable intelligence concerning the Hun's deployment and intentions.

Aerial reconnaissance reveals large formations of Hun infantry moving up in the dead ground behind the orchard. The enemy artillery have deployed under fire and are already doing some damage amongst the British cavalry brigade.

Having seized the ridge with the cavalry brigade it's time to move the infantry up to complete the domination of the enemy left and centre, or it would have been with a better Command Roll! The Hun takes advantage and seizes the orchard and ruined farm. Their artillery continue to play merry hell with the cavalry skirmishers.

Despite the hiatus in the infantry advance, the first battalion passes through the skirmishers on its way to clear any enemy from the flank and then roll up the Hun line! It all looks very jolly for the boys of the B.E.F. at this point!

Meanwhile, on the B.E.F.'s left things look sticky: the Hun battalion in the ruined farm, although Disordered, holds its position while at last the Jaeger battalion appears in its support.

The B.E.F.'s advance on the right has stalled, the Lancers charged the Hun cavalry skirmish screen to their front but were held off, and suddenly the battalion in the B.E.F.'s centre breaks! Its retreat is gallantly covered by the machine gun company. On the left the Borderers failed to reach the Jaegers in a charge after a poor command roll and are Shaken and Disordered in the subsequent fire fight! The battle has suddenly swung in the Hun's favour over two moves!

Suddenly the Hun see their chance and pour men forward into the gap. There are no reserves available to plug the hole in the line and so the Hun claim the victory!

The Gordons do hold the town, although Disordered by enemy fire. The Borderers can do nothing to aid the cause and so a general retreat is ordered by the B.E.F. commander. Their will be some hard marching before they can regroup and attempt to stem the Hun tide as it washes over Flanders.

The game lasted 10 Turns and for the first seven all the successes were with the B.E.F. but without a telling blow being delivered. In Turn 8 it all unraveled and defeat was almost inevitable when the centre collapsed suddenly. In the post match discussion over coffee and cake we came up with several ideas to develop the rules further for 1914, so if you are interested keep an eye open here for future developments. "Toodle Pip, Goodbyee!"