Valour & Fortitude in the Valley

Having sampled the Valour & Fortitude rules last week at Phil's with his War of the Triple Alliance collection we decided to give them a further run out in GHQ with a part of my ACW collection. Rather than try to recreate the action in detail I offer a sequence of pictures I managed to take during the game with a few observations on the rules in play. We diced for both Attacker/Defender and for Initiative. Phil was the attacker with the Rebs leaving me as defender. I won the initiative and got to move first. The game would last for up to 12 Turns. Here we go then ~

The by now almost obligatory Union camp scenes providing interest in one corner of the table. 

Using the 'free' first brigade activation the Union moves a battery of 3" rifled artillery into position, supported by infantry moving briskly towards the fence line.

All my brigades successfully activated in Turn 1 ~ the Iron Brigade moves to hold the centre of the Union defensive lines.

On the Union left the Brigade has further to move in order to get into position. I should have 'Doubled' with them of course, but forgot!

The Rebs move boldly forward in their turn, Phil not forgetting the 'Doubling' option!

Looking along the Rebel lines towards  towards their right flank more infantry pour forward towards the Union lines.

By Turn 2 the advantage of 'Doubling' was becoming obvious, as the leading regiments crossed the road and advanced on the still deploying Union lines.

Rebel artillery takes up position on their left and commences a galling fire on the Union Zouaves opposite.

Progress on the Rebel right is not developing so well. Action on this flank will lag behind the rest of the assault throughout the game.

The Union right is slow to come into place in support of the artillery, taking casualties before fully deployed. I confess a nostalgia at this point for Saving Throws!

At last the Union right flank gets into position and can engage the advancing Rebel infantry. Five firing dice, being three and two Supports, sadly producing only two hits. I had a Fate Card for rerolling 1's but forgot to use it! A bit of a theme developing there...

The Rebels return fire with rather more success unfortunately. Casualties are already mounting on the most forward defenders.

The Iron Brigade holding the Union centre pours it on into the closing Rebel infantry! As you can see to little effect!

Taking full advantage of the desoltary Union fire the Rebs crash into the Union lines inflicting numerous losses on the boys in blue! Facing six Valor tests there is no chance of passing and Rout is inevitable. Oh for Closing Fire...

At last though I can play a Fate Card to help. One routing unit Rallies and Returns as Reinforcements! Hurrah!

On the Union right the defenders are holding off the Rebel attack for now, losses to fire from 5 dice are just detering the attack as Phil orchestrated Movement with Rallying.

This clever combination has brought the assault to fruition on the right. Meanwhile in the centre, despite heavy losses to their Tenacity, the Union defenders Rout the Rebs in Melee.

Sadly though the Rebs Rout the Zouaves, but are halted by a sharp volley from a second line regiment...for now at least.

Another Union Rout, this time due to mounting losses from Artillery fire! Counter Battery fire would have helped silence the Reb guns but Union fire was needed desperately to support the infantry in holding off the Reb assault!

The fire from the second line Union infantry fails to halt the Rebs whose dander is definitely up now! They crash into the defenders for another melee!

Away on the Union right the Rebs finally reach the Union line. The ensuing Melee takes on an all too familiar pattern as the Union fail another Valor test. 

The Iron Brigade sees another Union Rout! The Rebs have secured four Objectives by now and its looking grim for Ol' Useless S Bykleigh once again.

Turn 9 sees a valiant counter attack mounted by the Bucktails, but to no avail as they suffered terrible losses and, you guessed it...

...Rout! It's all up for the Union with flank turned and centre pierced! Ol' Useless concedes the game after a hugely enjoyable three hours and Ten Turns.

Leaving Phil 'Old Reliable' Robinson to celebrate with a little band music...

Clearly Valour & Fortitude are designed for large table/army multi-player games, all beyond our more modest facilities here in GHQ. Notwithstanding those reservations they played out pretty well, though I think we came out slightly in favour of Black Powder rules in the post game debrief. As Phil said though, that could be due to more familiarity with those rules. I have downloaded the Army Sheets for the AWI and the ECW, so these may figure here later in the Autumn. Meanwhile, its back to painting archers for my Wars of the Roses project...

"Fight, gentlemen of England!"

Otherwise the first bases of mounted Knights/MAA to be added to the project! These first two of a planned and purchased eight bases of three figures represent respectively the Households of Henry VI and Edward IV.  They can be used either with other mounted bases to form part of a Ward or added to the Army Command stand, to give it an ever so slightly more substantial fighting appearance on the tabletop battlefield here in GHQ in the case of the Henry VI Command base. The figures are all from Perry Miniatures, the Banners are from Pete's Flags, and the bases from Warbases ~

For the mounted Knights/MAA bases Phil kindly volunteered to paint the horses for me, leaving yours truly to paint the human figures. I have chosen to replace the Standard/Banner shafts and lances provided with the figures by metal spears and pikes, cut down to size, from Pendraken. I came to this decision based on experience with our Italian Wars projects where we found that the lances were a weak point on figures being moved around the tabletop battlefield, being prone to bending and possibly risking them snapping off above the hand grip.

Enlarged Lancastrian Army Command by the addition of the extra base of MAA in front of the main base.

Similarly with the Yorkist Army Command Stand, enlarged by adding the extra base of MAA in the rear of the main base in this instance. The bonus in both cases is more Banners used up!

Hopefully I will have more to add to these bases in the next few days as Phil tells me he is progressing well with the next tranche of horses! In the meantime I've cleaned up and spray undercoated my small Eureka Miniatures order to fill in on the painting desk while I wait. So far I've completed three of four figures for a Retinue command base representing John de la Pole. Next up will be a base of Archers for him to command! In the meantime and despite assurances, still no sighting of my Perry Miniatures order...

"Edward is at hand, and he is ready to fight!"

While I was waiting for my delivery from Eureka Miniatures and Perry Miniatures [more on this later, I promise] rather than sit twiddling my thumbs I set about painting several figures for an Army Command Stand for the Yorkist faction. As they are finished now I rather hoped you'd enjoy seeing what I made of them. There are four mounted figures of which Edward is the central character. He is flanked by two mounted MAA, one carrying his personal Standard and the other an heraldic Banner. The group is completed by a mounted Herald dressed in Edward's livery to the rear ~

The figures are all from Perry Miniatures,  the Standard and Banner from Pete's Flags and the base from, you guessed it, Warbases! Buoyed by a generally positive response to my earlier effort at heraldry I have attempted to suggest two 'Sun in Splendour" badges on the Herald's tabard. Not likely to win any prizes, but there you go!

Anyway, as promised a few words on my recent mail order experiences. I placed two orders via their web shops on the same day, paying by PayPal, one to Eureka Miniatures and one to Perry Miniatures, both for almost identical amounts. Firstly the P&P charges, almost £2.00 more for Perry Miniatures! Then a slight delay in responses but both confirmed completed the same day. Then the seemingly interminable waiting for Royal Mail to deliver! My Eureka Miniatures order was delivered on Monday afternoon this week, a turnaround time of nine days! As I write this no news or sign of the Perry Miniatures order yet. Perhaps someone is bringing it on foot from Nottingham? After chatting with our local postman on Wednesday he confirmed that the delay suggests the issue is with the sender, so I emailed them. I got a very prompt response from Alan to say the order was delayed while awaiting one item. It might have been good customer service if someone had bothered to tell me... Alan assured me the package would be despatched that same day...we shall see.

"It was a desperate business!"

Last Thursday Paul and I finally managed to meet up in GHQ for our monthly game, having been unable to find a mutually convenient date for a couple of months. We decided on an ACW game using Black Powder rules and some ideas from the Glory Hallelujah supplement. I set up a fairly sparse tabletop battlefield and sorted out two fairly balanced forces. We would dice off for who would be the attacker, then for the initiative in Turn 1. The game would last 12 Turns and the Broken Brigade rule was to be ignored. Paul became the attacker with the Rebs, while I won the initiative with the Union. I began to plan a defence with my four brigades ~

Leaving Paul to shape his attack with his five Brigades of Rebs. The Rebs had a CinC with a command rating of 9, the Union a command rating of 8. Paul's opening moves were hesitant while my efforts to organise a defence proved mixed to say the least, but eventually both armies got into the swing of things. As you've come to expect by now, a photomontage to carry you right into the action ~

The Union army moves out of camp to meet the as yet distant Reb threat.

On the Union right New York regiments supported by a battery of rifled Whitworths have already formed a defensive position along a fence line.

Union progress is slow but thankfully not as hesitant as that of the Rebs!

As you can see, the Rebs have made little progress by Turn 2's ending.

The Union regiments take full advantage of the hesitancy, here you see the Iron Brigade's lead regiment moving forward.

Somehow the boys on the Reb rear right seemed to lack the expected elan of a Rebel army...fence lines seem to offer comfort and prevoke a reluctance to march into the waiting storm of shot and shell.

In the centre, once Paul got to grips with his brief as the attacker, the Reb Brigades advanced with determination on the nervously waiting Union troops.

Encouraged by the bold advance on their flank the hesitant Rebs on their right flank cross the road in an attempt to turn the weaker Union right.

In the Union centre the Iron Brigade steels itself for the coming assault. Muskets loaded and resting along the fence railings.

The leading Reb regiment rushes forward on the Union right, the Rebel Yell rents the air while the boys in blue pour it on in an attempt to repel the assault.

More Rebs pour forward supporting the attack on the centre of the Union defensive line.

"Forward boys! Give 'em the cold steel!" Union troops respond with crashing volleys at close range in an attempt to stem the onrushing tide of butternut and gray. 

Despite losses the Rebs succeed in breaking the line on the Union left. One regiment flees and others are confused and Disordered by losses. 

The boys from South Carolina have broken through on the Union right. Not even the dose of cannister at point blank range can halt their onward trajectory. 

More Rebs burst through the Union disintegrating lines on their right sending other regimants streaming to the safety of the rear.

Two Reb Brigades converge on the weakened Union right. It's looking grim for the Union position with both flanks being threatened and the centre under ever strengthening pressure.

The Union right flank has collapsed and the victorious Rebs turn inward to flank the hard pressed Union centre.

Assaulted on their front and pressured from their flank the Union centre must surely buckle and break.

But the Iron Brigade show their steel once more. Despite being Shaken and Disordered by losses they are holding their line and keeping the Rebs at bay.

But even they are mere flesh and blood - alright, pewter and paint if you will - and they eventually break under relentless Reb pressure. It's all up for ol' Useless S Bykleigh once more.

An image captured by Mr Brady behind the Reb lines perhaps just at the onset of hostilities? 

A grand gaming going to ten of the planned twelve Turns before it became obvious that the Union position was untenable and ol' Useless ordered a general withdrawal leaving the Rebs victorious but too exhausted to exploit their victory. Ol' Useless lives to fight another day...

"A crown, or else a glorious tomb!"

Real life has been somewhat interfering with my hobby time these last several days, so while awaiting a window of opportunity for my schedule to coincide with Phil's schedule and receive the first of the painted horses I decided to tackle the figures for the Lancastrian army command base. The figures are a mixture of Perry Miniatures and Eureka Miniatures  for this base. I got the idea for the composition while browsing another gamer's blog, 'This 28mm Life'. Henry VI's Standard is from Pete's Flags of course and the 80x90mm base from Warbases, my ever reliable supplier. I'm a little embarrassed by the Royal heraldry I've 'suggested' on the mounted Herald and two musicians but it really is the best my eyes and hand could manage, so I hope dear reader that you will cut this 75 year old some slack and not be too scathing in your comments. Steel yourselves now and take a look if you dare ~

I have a different look in mind for the Yorkist Army command base featuring Edward IV and his household, but that is not underway at the moment while I await a small package from Perry Miniatures and Eureka Miniatures, both dependant on the many and various vagaries of Royal Mail in Wolverhampton, not to mention their indifferent mail order services...

BOOOOOM!!!!!

When I bought the first Perry Miniatures for this project from Dave Thomas at WMMS this year I misread my list (teachers' handwriting second only to Drs'!) As Phil bagged the boxes and blisters for me I never noticed my error at the time. Back from WMMS and gloating over my haul I was somewhat taken aback when the gun and crew I thought I had selected turned out to be the large Bombard set!!! I'd no plan for it obviously so it went into the Lead Pimple to be conveniently forgotten. Fast forward to August and I'd finally run out of any other foot figures to paint, Phil has the horse at present for the Knights/MAA, so I was forced into cleaning and spray undercoating the parts and figures.

I have to say right off that contrary to my previous experiences with Perry Minitures' kits needing assembly it went together really well. I decided to fix the Bombard and mantlet to a Perry base for ease of painting only to discover I had no 3mm base large enough. The solution was to have the business part of the gun and mantlet on the longest base I had and the wooden blocking pieces on a smaller separate base. For my money it seems to have worked out fine.

The set was missing a figure I discovered, but no issue as it was not one of the three necessary action poses. I've added the Eureka Miniatures 'Master Gunner' to give the set a more distinctive appearance. Enough blathering on anyway, see what you make of it ~

Next in line are the few mounted Knights and MAA, for which Phil is painting the horses and yours truly the figures. There are also the two Army Command bases, which I'm still undecided about in terms of figures and composition for the Yorkist faction, though that of Henry VI is decided and already underway.

🎼🎶"Non nobis Domine..."🎵

As many of you will know my son Matthew is a very talented figure sculptor. He's also been a keen wargamer since his early teens and is a member of the Brecon Wargames Club. He's a far, far better painter than me, as you'd surely expect for a professional artist after all. At last year's Partizan he carried off the prize for the outstanding vignette. It's a really inspiring piece, so I thought I'd have a go at one of my own in the Wars of the Roses setting. First, Matt's winning vignette ~

I have zero chance of emulating work of this standard, featuring many figures which have been exquisitely adapted by Matt, but nevertheless it has inspired me to add a vignette of my own ~

My very modest effort makes use of Perry Miniatures in the main, from their European Armies range and the Wars of the Roses casualty pack, supplemented by a medieval Bishop from Grenadier. Two closer pictures now, if you can bear it ~

Followed by two photographs taken from different viewpoints  ~

Well, there you have it, an episcopal blessing before the battle...I can only hope those 'dice gods' were taking more note than of late! Next up for those interested should be the very substantial Bombard set, which I acquired accidentally you might say...