Jackson Gamers' 18th Century War Game
Gasthous Again
Using Rules concepts by Fr. Aelred Glidden, published in MWAN
We had Played this game at HOBBYTOWN in Flowood Mississippi on February 3rd, 2007. Our rules were derived from a set printed in MWAN many years ago and found on MAGWEB. The armies were painted by Jay Stribling, and any inconsistancies in painting, uniforming, naming, or mounting the units - he does not want to hear about!
You can see our version of the rules that we used here at: Quick Tricorne.
Photo by Jim Pitts
Fred Diamond, commander of the British-Hanoverian right flank peers gloomily down the table. The hill in the center, covered with Massed troops is General Sean Pitts' command. From the hill to the right is General Jim Pitts area of command.
Photo by Jim Pitts
On the French players' extreme right, Marshal de France Phil Young advances his cavalry. The Hanoverian hussars at the bottom of the photograph, are under the command of Jim Pitts. They are screening against Marshal Young's advance.
| British Hanoverian | French | |
| Fred Diamond- Right Flank | Phil Young (CinC) - right flank | |
| Sean Pitts - Center | Travis Melton - Center | |
| Jim Pitts (CinC) - Left Flank | Ed Sansing - Left Flank | |
Photo by Jim Pitts
Very early in the game, the British-Hanoverian setup is shown. In a bayonet action the night previously, the French had won posession of the village. Game Master Jay Stribling (in blue shirt) is shown in the distance.
Photo by Jim Pitts
Three regiments of French cavalry (on the left) and two of British Horse dispute the extreme easter end of the field.
Photo by Jim Pitts
Sean Pitt's British troops advance over the central hill towards the French. One unit in the center, with a pink flag, has already fallen back, it's disorder is evident among the steady columns advancing around it.
Photo by Jim Pitts
The British left/French right, shown from the British rear. Ordered lines of mounted troops on both sides are clashig for the first time. French reinforcements in column may be seen to the rear.
Why did you fight this Battle?
Set in "The Age of Reason" and using our Quick Tricorne rules set, we project a 3-game campaign. This battle was the second of the three.
The French army, now (after the first game) equal in numbers to their British/Hanoverian foes, is on its way to the important city and magazine of Gasthous, somewhere in Western Germany. Thier opponents will attempt to stop them short of the city.
Right now, we do not plan to fight either the seige or the storm (it it comes to that) of Gasthous.
Both sides freely spent their soldiers' blood in both of the first two battles. The third and last battle will be fought by the survivors of this second game on both sides. There will be no reinforcements from the home governments.
Photo by Jim Pitts
Just to the left of the previous photo, French cavalry advance in column, due to the lack of terrain in which to deploy.
Photo by Jim Pitts
A massive force of two brigades of three British infantry battalions and four Hanoverian ones advances in columns near the British/Hanoverian right flank. Cavalry in columns guards the formation's right flank. This looks more like Napoleonics!
Photo by Jim Pitts
The Scots Greys in column charge a brigade of French infantry.
Photo by Jim Pitts
The British make an intrusion into the small town in the center of the field. However the French still hold it.
Photo by Jim Pitts
The massive cavalry fight on the British left. White arrows show the French advance, and red arrows show British counter-attacks. The French used the entire game in pushing the British and Hanoverian units back, but they were never able to get the breakthrough that they wanted. Massive numbers of French cavalry pushed into the British/Hanoverian rear would have won the game. Alas, it never happened.
Photo by Jim Pitts
The results of the first attempt by Sean Pitts' massive British/Hanoverian formation of infantry columns. Several of the British units are shown with thier first stand turned around. This means that they are disordered, apparently by French fire.
Are you certain that you played this correctly?
There DO seem to be a lot of infantry battalions charging in column. Well....Your game-master (Jay Stribling) somehow forgot several of the rules that HE wrote in the rules set. Such as:
Stribling decided not to correct the rules in the midst of the game so game three will HOPEFULLY be played in a somewhat less Napoleonic manner, with fewer massed column charges. Also, troops will not rally as easily - only elite troops may rally from disorder without a general officer being prsent, and then only on a D6 roll of 1. I am certain that Ed Sansing who is doing a complete read-through of the rules will find more of these instances of rules confusion inside the game-master's brain.
Photo by Jim Pitts
The British finally push the French light troops out of the town. Note the Chasseurs de Fisher in Green uniforms just beyond the British column in the center of the town.
Photo by Jim Pitts
The French execute a small flankning move against the British/Hanoverian cavalry under Jim Pitts, near the Western edge of the battlefield. One of the British cavalry forces is attacked in the rear by the Frogs.
The white triangle marker shown is a fire marker. Units which have one or more of these pointed at them by the enemy must test morale.
In this rules set, there is no conventional test for fire casualties. Units either shrug off the fire (by passing a morale test) or lose a stand and fall back disordered as a result of the fire (failing the morale test).
Likewise, the target of a charge either stands and fights by passing a morale test, or fails the test and falls back disordered, losing a stand. If the target of the charge passes the morale test, then the attcking unit(s) must test. If they fail, they fall back disordered, losing a stand. If the attackers pass, and the defender has also passed this morale test, then both sides are "locked" in melee, disorderd, and all particiapants lose a stand.
Photo by Jim Pitts
French infantry moves forward flanking and reoccupying the town. They are wading in the shallow water.
The stream dividing the armies was fordable everywhere, with the following penalty:
Photo by Jim Pitts
Masses of Hanoverian infantry and British cavalry, attacking in columns have broken the French line on the British right flank. Only a thin line of three or four battalions of French infantry hold out.
Photo by Jim Pitts
Other massive formations of British infantry move forward in the right-center of the field.
Photo by Jim Pitts
French Cavalry in columns push back the British cavalry on the British/Hanoverian extreme left. The French have "turned the corner" but they do not exit the field, into the enemy rear. Instead, they pursue the British/Hanoverian horsemen.
The British cavalry regiment in line, and it's two Hanoverian brother-units (white uniforms, trimmed yellow and orange) are bent back and facing 90 degrees from their direction at the start of the game. The original front line was far to the right of this image.
Photo by Jim Pitts
Another view of the right-most part of the British line. Note that while the British troops have thinned out, only two battalions of Frenchmen remain to oppose them.
On the next turn, General Fred Diamond forced three of his mounted units into the French rear and off the rear edge of the battlefield. This gave the British/Hanoverians 14 victory points, and won the game.
Who Won this Battle?
The British/Hanoverian forces did. The French held the town and that was worth 10 victory points. They exited one unit into their enemy's rear for a D6 worth of points. That"victory point" die resulted in one more victory point for an army total of 11 points. The British/Hanoverian army exited three units into the French rear. This resulted in thre D6 being rolled and the total of those dice was 14 points.
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