Stadl an der Mur: Imagi-nations 1753 - our other post lockdown weekend game

 Thank you for all the appreciative comments on Guy's Battle of Brampton 1745 received on here and in various social media Forums. It now gives me great pleasure to present to you our other post lockdown game that same weekend, as trailed on Battle of the River Mur. This was organised by Ken Marshall who artfully set it within his 1753 Imagi-nations campaign between the Electoral and Ducal forces. Ken supplied the entire armies made up of 1:56 scale Minden, Fife and Drum and Crann Tara miniatures, and I'm sure you will agree they look very fine.

Here is a reminder of the battlefield in photo-map form

Our newly-found Cheltenham wargamer, Paul B. joined us for his first Honours of War game playing the role of General von Stutterheim. As the (Prussian and Hanoverian style) Electoral commander, von Sydow, I set him the difficult task of leading the charge for our sole objective at the river crossing of Stadl an der Mur. Guy Barlow handled the opposing force of Austrian type Ducal troops.  Ken takes up the story; photos and text by CG.

Those who are interested can find a PDF of Ken's full briefs, maps orbats and objectives in the Imagi-Nations Download section

The Mur Valley Campaign – September 1753.

Stadl - After Action Report

The first moves were made by von Stutterheim on the right flank in accordance with von Sydow’s plan as he pushed the Electoral advance guard and light units towards Paal and Stadl. A rapid advance would take advantage of the confusion in the Ducal forces whilst they attempted to form up. 

Here is the Electoral plan of attack. You can see how little information we were given on the enemy- nothing at all about the Advance Guard round the Polsbach nor the Grenadiers near Stadl. River Mur is impassible and so are the big woods except for light infantry. You can read Von Sydow's plan and instructions here

Paul contemplates the task before him...but we were both to be fooled as Guy had to roll dice for the actual dispositions and states of readiness of his on-table brigades. What you see below is not quite how it turned out for the Ducal side

On the Ducal side, Schirmer’s heavy cavalry brigade was the first to react, moving to block the direct route to Stadl and screen the Ducal infantry and grenadiers who were slower to assemble (Count Guilau’s dice throwing for activation wasn’t as successful as he hoped for – the two infantry brigades were going to take a couple of moves before they were formed up). Behind them, the officers and NCOs of the infantry regiments assembled their men and chivvied them into formation. The Ducal light troops followed shortly after, moving to occupying St Georgen and Paal. 

At left the main infantry brigade is still in column of march

Schirmer's cavalry move onto the hill to pose a threat as Stutterheim's Advance Guard crosses the Doppelsbach 

Ducal Light troops head for St Georgen

First blood went to the right flank Electoral artillery who had unlimbered on a hill south of Paal and targeted the Schirmer Dragoons, causing 2 hits. The Ducal cavalry brigade retired towards the main road, out of the line of fire but their presence had bought enough time for General Jüngermann‘s infantry brigade to form a defensive line around Paal.

Schirmers Dragoons scuttle back to the main road line after a taste of Electoral gunnery

This is the artillery doing the damage, and the gunners did not hesitate to target cavalry whenever they showed round the edge of Paal farm

The Electoral advance guard continued their push across the Goppelsbach towards Stadl with the Hacke Grenadiers leading supported by the Barowski hussars and General Czettritz’s heavy cavalry brigade. Regiments from Jüngermann’s brigade attempted to intervene. A short, intense musketry duel followed and an Electoral dragoon regiment charged into the fray in support of the grenadiers. 

Electoral Grenadiers forge ahead followed by Hussars of the Advance Guard

At this point the Ducal forces are a bit cautious and giving way to Stutterheim's advance

The Hussars, Jagers and Grenadiers have made some progress in the direction of Stadl but Ducal General Jungermann now sends forward two musketeer battalions to match them. But note that General Czettritz has now arrived with his Heavy cavalry brigade and faces an open flank on the musketeers

A distant view from the local Stadl garrison artillery position.......

......and from the Ducal Heavy cavalry, still shy of showing themselves past the Paal BUA

This top down view shows the infantry firefight to the left of Paal and the nicely open flank presented to the Electoral cavalry, which are still in column of march. Paul would need a Double Move roll to take advantage though......

.........and that is just what he got!! In our best move of the game he was able to change formation, position himself along the Goppelsbach and charge. The receiving infantry failed to score high enough to react and were rolled up. Taking the second battalion along with them due to the extra "hit" loss from fleeing friends.

When the smoke cleared, only Hacke’s grenadiers remained on the field. General Jüngermann was the most notable casualty but also with two of his infantry regiments routing and the Electoral dragoons retreating.  

This shows the two Ducal musketeer battalions fleeing; and luckily for Guy he had moved his Heavy Cavalry out of their way just in time! Rettenburg's Grenadier brigade moves forward in the foreground

With Jüngermann’s infantry in disarray, Rettenburg’s grenadiers took on the challenge and advanced to fill the gap. On the Electoral side, von Hülsen’s infantry brigade advanced towards the Goppelsbach.  

Here is a nice close up of Ken's Prussian style infantry being used as von Hulsen's brigade deployed in line to come across the Goppelsbach fighting! But those cavalry of Czettritz are in their way.

On the Electoral left, von Sydow was also active. Aware that several of his brigade commanders were not known for their initiative, he had been encouraging them forward in accordance with the plan. The thunder of hooves south of St Georgen announced the first arrivals on the table, von Bohlen’s dragoon brigade aiming to pass to the west of the village.

Pretty but dithering - von Bohlen's Dragoon brigade arrives. Ken had restricted the Electoral Army  to only two initiative units per Move so I put off anything on this flank till Move Three. By then the enemy light troops had gained all the cover, as seen below

In accordance with our plan it seemed to make sense to "sacrifice" these cavalry to give my two infantry brigades some space and time to arrive

General Cartier commanding the Ducal advance guard on the right flank had been enjoying the sun as his brigade waited for something interesting to happen. The general was quick to react (aided by some good dice rolling). Passing close to St Georgen, the leading Electoral dragoon regiment strayed too close to the buildings and suffered musketry fire from the grenze battalion occupying them. The Effern Infantry Regiment took up a blocking position north of the village, facing them down and the dragoons came to a sudden halt whilst their commander, von Bohlen, dithered about what to do next. The decision was made for him when the infantry opened fire, their volleys emptying many saddles in the leading regiment. The Werner Dragoons recoiled back through their supporting regiment and retired to lick their wounds. The Bohlen Dragoons hardly had any time to grasp what had just happened before the Effern Infantry gave them the same treatment and they also retired. 

While Paul is focused on making Stutterheim's advance work on the far side, in the foreground my Dragoons are suffering and you can just see the head of Lattorff's column

Following onto the table behind the dragoons was General Lattorff’s infantry brigade in column of march, his troops leaving St Georgen to their left and heading towards Paal. 

General Lattorff's lovely vignette model looks dynamic but he's just "Dependable" for this game.

General Cartier’s skill with the dice continued and presented with the flank of the infantry columns, his brigade rolled for a compulsory advance and charged any Electoral forces within reach. Faced with a mass of hussars and grenze swarming towards them screaming various obscenities, Lattorff’s troops reacted according to their training and with the exception of the leading regiment caught in march column, formed line and turned to face the oncoming tide. 

Some of Cartier's light troops have an open flank in their sights but not quite enough move distance to get there even with the double move

This view from above shows one battalion being assailed by Grenzers from St Georgen. Hussars line up for a charge and more Grenzers start to skirmish against Stutterheim's infantry. Ducal infantry musketry is finishing off one of Bohlen's Dragoon regiments in the distance.

The hussars and grenze piled in but the odds were against them and the rigid discipline of the Electoral troops served them well. By the time the smoke cleared, the Electoral line remained intact and the Ducal light troops were retreating or dispersed. However, they had brought the Electoral left flank advance to a halt. 

Above and below: Lattorff's disciplined redcoats see off the enemy light troops

Hussars are repelled by musketry

Back on the right, von Stutterheim was struggling to deploy his additional troops. (CG Note: Paul rolled a 1 for von Hulsen's initiative on his first chance to advance over the Gopplesbach. All he could do was shuffle a bit to make better use of the space. Something similar happened in the next move and by that time, Guy, never one to be tardy, had pressed his own troops forward along the stream)

Above and below: Guy is on a roll now, inspired by Cartier's initiative on his right flank he is moving the whole army forward,Wellington-like!

The advance of Rettenburg’s grenadiers was pushing Stutterheim's troops back towards the woods and with von Hülsen’s brigade blocking passage back across the Goppelsbach, they had no way out. He ordered the only two regiments immediately available to him forward in an attempt to create the necessary space. 

Electoral Jagers have been forced back and the Ducal infantry come forward relentlessly

Hussars and Kurassiere are Stutterheim's only hope now as his infantry are blocked

In go the Krockow Kurassiere. Count Guilau stands nearby to urge on the "dithering" substitute  for the lost  General Jungermann

And the Linsingen Kurassiere move forward to match the Osetenreich Hussars

In the foreground this battalion of Grenzers had moved forward to skirmish against the Electoral infantry, who charged to try to sweep them away. The plucky chaps knew they were blocking the access route so just stood their ground and fought a melee against the formed troops  

The attempt failed. The two cavalry regiments were met by the Linsingen Kurassiere and Malsberg Regiment and pushed back onto the reforming Electoral second line.

But the Grenzers were defeated and finished off. This photo also shows the Electoral cavalry pushed back with no way through to Stadl

The last action and final insult to the Electoral troops happened on the far right of their line. Kleist’s Jager battalion has spent most of the game infiltrating through the woods to the south of Stadl, although some unkind observers noting how long it had taken them to get there might suggest that faced with the prospect of imminent action they had dawdled or even stopped off for a post lunchtime nap. They eventually emerged alongside the Mur where they moved north to support the Anhalt Jager and faced off against one of Rettenburg’s grenadier regiments. Seizing their opportunity, the Stadl militia opened fire on them. 

Kleist's Jagers receive frontal and flanking fire

The shock was too much for the jager who headed back for the shelter of the trees and created a legend amongst the militia forces throughout the Grand Duchy. Some might say that close range musketry from a superior grenadier regiment had a lot to do with why the jager ran, but that part of the story gets glossed over in the local histories. (In years to come, the editor of the local paper assessed the number of militia who claimed to have taken part in the action at Stadl at over twice the total population of the town, so popular was the legend).

(CG Note: On the Electoral left the pesky light troops still proved to be a problem - another regiment of Hussars hurtled forward only to be repelled by the Werner Dragoons and light gun canister fire, as shown below)

The Von Rebentisch brigade finally made an appearance but Guy had done such a good job of
keeping the Electoral forces pressed back they had no room to do anything other than march along
 the baseline towards Stadl!

And that is the point at which we leave the battle, with it having reached a natural break. West of Paal, the Ducal light troops are retiring, their impetuous actions having disrupted the Electoral advance and caused significant delays. To the east, Electoral forces are in retreat, hemmed in by the woods and General von Hülsen’s troops still blocking the road. 

Outcome

It’s going to take a while for the Electoral generals to sort that out and get moving again. Overall numbers still favour von Sydow providing he can create the space to use them but for now Count Guilau has satisfied his victory conditions. Hard luck on von Sydow and von Stutterheim but they just ran out of time. 

If we had played out another 3-4 moves, I could see the Count pulling the remains of his advance guard back to Paal and the Ducal forces coming under increasing pressure to hold the Stadl – Paal line against the Electoral infantry. Ultimately, the Count has not got the infantry he needs to hold everything against a determined advance so is going to have to make some decisions. If he was lucky, there was a possibility that Dickmeis’s infantry brigade would make an appearance as the first of the coalition troops heading to the forming up area but that’s not something he knew about. 

In truth, that brigade was a contingency to be deployed at the umpire’s discretion if the Ducal forces failed to activate or collapsed within the first couple of turns and it looked as though the battle would be over by lunchtime. In the end they weren’t needed so stayed in their box.  

As to our protagonists, aware of dust clouds heralding the arrival of Ducal reinforcements and not liking his chances of forcing passage across the river at Stadl, von Sydow gave the order to retire. 

An overall view at the high point of Cartier's light troops attacking by Saint Georgen,
and the final cavalry clash beyond Paal

Overall, I’m happy with how the game played out. The mix of forces was reasonable, and the Electoral player had to think hard about what to bring on the table, where and when. Paul wasn’t familiar with the rules so it provided an introduction with a mix of movement, combat and the frustration of getting subordinate commanders to do what was needed. It’s a scenario I’ll revisit because the unit activation on both sides gives some interesting challenges. 

A big thank you to Chris for the terrain and hospitality over the weekend, and to Guy, Chris and Paul for entering into the spirit of the game. The campaign will continue in the background over the summer and no doubt reappear the next time I need a game. 

Guy and Ken are listening intently to important points being made by Paul to help him understand some of the finer deatils of the Honours of War rules. He was picking them up well.

Aftermath

The discomforted Electoral forces staggered back into the main army’s lines south of Tamsweg over the course of the next week, observed at a distance by the Ducal light cavalry. Von Sydow spent most of the trip back in his coach drafting and redrafting his report to the Marshal, highlighting those successes that he felt the Elector needed to be aware of and those areas where his subordinates had failed him. 

It was a well crafted report, with nothing that would be considered factually inaccurate yet in von Sydow’s mind, highlighting the overwhelming opposition he had faced and exonerating him from any criticism about his martial abilities. He submitted his report to headquarters and retired to the nearest gasthaus for a well deserved bath and meal. There were only two things he had not allowed for. 

• The natural inclination of the soldiers from his weary regiments to speak a different version of the truth when questioned about their experiences
• Stadl’s Lutheran church minister who witnessed the whole day from the church tower and who’s accurate, highly descriptive and believable letter including sketches had found its way to the editor of the Tamsweg Inquirer and been published on the first four pages of that week’s edition. 

Von Sydow was summoned back to Marshal Falkenhayn’s headquarters building the following morning and instructed to wait in an anteroom whilst a succession of aides and officers were summoned into the Marshal’s office. Some of the officers he knew from their recent shared experiences, others were new to him. All looked at him with grim faces, suggesting that what was coming was not going to be a pleasant experience. 

Eventually an aide in the uniform of the Electoral foot guards invited him into the office and he was shown to a chair. Across the desk in the Marshal’s high backed chair sat the Elector with a face devoid of emotion, busy reading a newspaper The Marshal sat off to one side, an observer unable to control what was about to happen. On the desk von Sydow recognised a copy of his report and what looked to be half a dozen hastily written statements. This clearly was not going to be a normal interview. 

After an interval slightly longer than would be considered polite, the Elector laid the newspaper down and looked at von Sydow impassively. 

“Thank you for coming General. There are a few details of your recent excursion to Stadl that I am hoping you can explain to me. You had no complaints about the troops I arranged for you?” there was a fraction of a pause to allow the general to nod agreement before he continued “If we can start with why this claims your light infantry were beaten back by the town militia…” 

Von Sydow emerged from the room an hour later with a searing headache, wanting to put as much distance between him and the building as possible. 

Guy, Ken, Paul, CG

(By CG: The way Ken portrays it I can really imagine the Elector's interview starting - "Mother o' God, fella, I refer to exhibit 1 in your folder - article in the 'Tamsweg Inquirer'. You've given the press a field day..........")

Caveat by CG

"Don't try this at home!

No, seriously, do try this (read the briefs etc linked near the start) but I must caution that it proved as difficult as I feared when I first saw the Electoral objectives and the veiled threats from Marshal Falkenhayn in the event of failure. I would suggest that all or some of these points could be modified if it were to be refought

• Allow the Electoral player to bring on troops much earlier, say at least 3 Initiative units per turn
• Make the rIver Mur passable  by at least light troops
• Make the big wood navigable by at least Light infantry and Light cavalry (We never actually faced the Hussars being driven into it but they would have been "Done For" in that case)
• Spread out the Electoral terrain objectives in some way.  Having the only objective (Stadl bridge and town) as an insurmountably difficult location on the extreme right flank made a lot of the table rather superfluous and discouraging for the Electoral players as unachievable, certainly in the time available.

But nevertheless thank you Ken for all your hard work in organising this, As the narrative shows it was full of hard fought excitement and surprising opportunities.

Post Lockdown "what-if?" - The Battle of Brampton, November 1745

An enjoyable weekend was had by all, blowing away the cobwebs of lockdown while the Government allowed me now to have a few people in my house.  As alluded to in a previous post Back to the 18th Century, Guy Barlow was using the opportunity to give his 28mm Jacobites a rare outing and try on others an idea he had as part of his own Jacobite Rebellion wargame campaign.  You can read and download the Briefings and Orders of Battle for both sides in The 18th Century Historical Download Bar at right or here

I played the Jacobites under "Bonnie" Prince Charlie and Ken Marshall played Marshal Wade with the Government Army.

As a reminder here is the terrain map for the Brampton game

I set the scene very briefly in that post a few weeks ago, but now the game is done Guy takes up the story of how it went:

Battle of Brampton-game report

Opening positions on the table at about 6.30am on 14th November 1745 as the mist over the beck burnt off.

Only one clan of the Highland Division (Atholls) is visible, the rest are suggested by markers behind the hills. Lowland Division in the foreground

The Jacobite forces were already set up with the Highland Division mainly concealed behind the low hills on their left and with the Lowland Division on the right in an arc towards Milton woods. Their artillery piece was well positioned on top of the hill. The French troops occupied Brampton. A messenger had been sent by the Prince towards Carlisle to urge the Duke of Perth’s return with his detached command, post haste.

My Jacobite deployment map - CG

The government forces had advanced under General Hawley with two regiments of dragoons (both inferior), a unit of government Scottish troops (also inferior) and a combined British grenadier unit. They took up their positions around a tavern on the Newcastle Road to shield the advancing government troops. 

Turn 1

The lowland division acted aggressively from the start and attacked the isolated government Scottish troops who did not put up much of a fight and fled. The grenadier unit advanced and occupied the Tavern. The Dutch brigade advanced onto the table consisting of three Musketeer regiments, a gun and a combined Dutch Grenadier unit. Unfortunately, their commander was dithering, and all the units were classed as small and inferior. This reflected the poor quality of the Dutch troops in Newcastle at that time. General Wade also accompanied these troops.

Above and below: Chisholm's Highlanders charge out from the woodland edge......giving the Black Watch such a fright that they fled

Above and below: My Hessian figures come on masquerading as Dutch mercenaries

Turn 2

The grenadiers were assaulted by a highland unit from the Lowland division supported by other Lowlanders. As a result of the assault on the tavern the British combined grenadiers were forced to withdraw but they did cause some casualties. 

The Grenadiers can be seen in the Tavern BUA with the building removed for ease of play. Fearing the British Dragoons might seize the ridge crest  some of my Highland clans are showing themselves in an attempt to be intimidating!

Ken and Guy are busy in Move 2 - the Black Watch have fled off and Chisholms have retired with casualties from Hessian fire. (My latest painting of Countess Gruzinskaya keeps on eye on the off-table figures in the boxes :-))

Cromartie's Highlanders lead the attack on the Tavern; the defended walls blunt their Highland Charge impetus.

However, on the second move the main British force of four infantry regiments together with a gun came onto the table and started to deploy. Their arrival certainly made a brave sight and the Jacobites withdrew slightly in order to reform their lines. They were also faced with the formed government cavalry units.

Highland Division has edged forward as the British infantry arrive in front of them. Chisholms are back in the scrubby woods by Quarry Beck ready to charge again. The tavern has been evacuated by all - the whisky must have dried up!

Dutch fusiliers about to be charged from the woods

The British Dragoons can't pluck up enough courage to attack up the slope and are content to cover for their infantry compatriots. But those double lines are susceptible to even the inferior Scottish artillery

Turn 3 

The final British unit arrived which was a regiment of cavalry. The British troops then started to advance and were lucky to get a double move. They advanced towards the low hill to their front, forming line with the gun and also behind them the light British mortars took station. Compared with their performance in a former game these mortars actually performed rather well and inflicted some casualties on the Jacobite forces.

There was some combat on the government left flank from Milton Woods by a highland unit in the Lowland division. The Dutch troops managed to halt this attack, but it did shake the resolve of the Dutch brigade.

Above and below: Chisholms make a second charge this time on the Dutch. However, too many hits now and they flee

The additional cavalry give the Government army an appearance of organised strength

Nice close up of the light mortars

Turn 4 and 5

It was at this stage that the first units of the Duke of Perth's command from Carlisle started to make their appearance and because all the fighting was taking place on the other end of the table, they were able to make a swift march towards the town of Brampton to reinforce the Jacobite forces. Turn 4 was a bit of a lull in the fighting save for some cannon fire as the two opposing armies brought their troops into formations for the inevitable final clash. The Dutch troops fell back to reform as they had suffered some casualties. 

In turn 5 the opposing forces manoeuvred and took their positions with the British units facing off the massed clans. 

Plenty to think about. Lowland Division is making an orderly withdrawal and practically all clans and battalions having several hits, but they have bought valuable time. Duke of Perth's first clan is just pushing through Brampton

Now was the time to bring up Charlie to try to inspire the troops for their Highland charges. On the far side Baggot's Hussars retire from mortar casualties

Turn 6

We then approached approach the climax as the battle as there was a full-blown highland charge against the British line. Despite suffering casualties, the charge went home, and they were successful in firstly forcing a British gun crew to abandon their gun and also forcing back and effectively knocking out of the game 2 British foot regiments. Some Highland units were also damaged but not to the same extent. The British line was left holding with just two British line regiments, a cavalry regiment and the infamous mortars. This left them looking relatively weak especially as the Jacobite line was being reinforced by the Duke of Perth’s units. 

Above and below: Three clans make a concerted Highland Charge supported by one other and the Hussars. Two battalions and an artillery battery are on the receiving end.

A very disjointed aftermath for both sides.  In the foreground Highlanders have withdrawn to lick their wounds. A hole is now in the British line and the battery abandoned

Turn 7

The government commander was therefore left in an invidious position. Marshal Wade’s instructions were very clear. He was not to imperil his army or allow it to be defeated because that would have effectively destroyed the main British force between the north and London.  Matters would only change when the British troops returned from Flanders under the Duke of Cumberland. 

It was clear that Wade did not have enough strength to defeat the Jacobite army as a number of his units had been irreparably damaged and the only support came from the weak Dutch troops. It was apparent that Wade would have to withdraw towards Newcastle. He had plenty of cavalry available to shield the withdrawal and there was no chance of a successful follow up by the Jacobite forces.

A British volley finished off Fife's Highlanders who are fleeing

But there is also chaos in the British lines, and those Cavalry on the right are now losing hits from a Scots battery in Brampton

So definitely a tactical victory for the Jacobites as they were left in command of the field, but it was certainly not a crushing victory along the lines of Prestonpans.  

The result certainly pleased the Prince because it allowed him now to move towards Carlisle with his full strength and then continue his advance southwards towards London. With hindsight its strategic value was certainly less as Wade continued to have a sizeable force in the Jacobite’s rear and should the Jacobites suffer a reverse further South, such a force may prove decisive. 

The whole Jacobite Army has managed to pull back into some kind of order round Brampton and Perth's fresh units are in a position to bolster the centre and threaten any further British aims.

Recovery of some sort is underway and in the foreground Charlie has called up his Lifeguard cavalry as if to taunt those British Horse

The campaign continues. 

Postscript.

Due to the presence of French troops with the Jacobite, the Dutch troops were obliged to return to Holland due to the terms of their enlistment. Not many tears were shed by Wade or his staff. Wade also made plans to upgrade the Newcastle/Carlisle Road so that he the army’s heavier guns could be taken on the next foray. Carlisle soon fell to the Prince and the Jacobite army started their march into Lancashire.  

Marshal Wade brings on the British Infantry brigade

Battle of Brampton by Ken

I did start with a plan to bring the Dutch on the table to hold the left flank and use the British Infantry on the right flank to advance and take the fight to the enemy with the dragoons screening the advance. I wasn’t sure what was behind those hills but the mobility of the dragoons should allow them to locate the enemy and stay out of trouble. Once the Jacobites were pinned, the infantry and artillery could be brought up to deal with them. That fell apart when I first walked in the room, saw the table and just how close to my front line the Jacobites were. 

Baggot's Hussars, Glenbucket, Fife and Ogilvy Highlanders. Cameron of Lochiel is still out of sight and the Atholl Brigade takes the post of honour on the right by Brampton town

The first dice roll compounded that feeling when I lost the initiative and my highlanders and grenadiers found themselves on the receiving end of a highland charge. The Scots managed to get a volley off and inflict a few casualties before they thought better of it and made for the table edge, passing the arriving Dutch troops at high speed and leaving them wondering what they had walked into. Exposed, the grenadiers delayed the inevitable for a few minutes by scrambling into the local tavern, shutting and barring the door where they promptly began to investigate the cellar.

End of the first turn and the remains of my advance guard are still across the stream holding ground although I’m not feeling confident if the Jacobites decide to advance. Although the Dutch are on the table, I really need to create some space otherwise I’m not going to be able to bring the British onto the table.

General views around Moves Two to Three

Turn two starts well. Marshal Wade uses his influence and persuades some of the Dutch to advance across the stream where the flanking battalion promptly gets charged by another highland unit. At least that means some of the British can come on the table although they are greeted by the sight of the grenadiers being evicted from the tavern and running down the road towards them. The grenadiers claim to have been saving the whisky stocks weren’t believed.

Despite the ill training of the gunners this Scots 3pdr battery made a good showing throughout much of the game, especially against the cavalry when two ranks deep

The next few turns are a blur. The British infantry and cavalry manage to advance and eventually catch up with the Highland division, however they simply don’t have enough good troops to defeat the highlanders. They successfully fight off the first highland line but the lack of reserves meant they can’t stand up to the second line charge and have to pull back. 

The main Highland Charge as seen from the British side

Repulsed clans make the Highland line very disjointed by Move 6

The fresh clans stand firm -  and this time receive a charge from the inferior quality Dragoons

The Dutch maintained their position on the left flank and made faces at the Lowland division facing them as Marshal Wade was otherwise occupied on the right flank and couldn’t be spared to encourage them forward. Unfortunately the lowlanders made scarier faces back which upset the Dutch and they decided that they’d rather go home (the result of a "feeble" roll on the initiative dice for their dithering commander which had them going back towards the table edge)

The Dutch maintain the position they had at 7.30 am! The Number 18 in the foreground Milton BUA is just a "dummy" unit

An enjoyable game even if it was one of those where the dice should have been painted tartan to show their allegiance. 

Brampton by Chris

I hadn't a clue what to expect but knew from the rules that my Highlanders could not charge mounted troops so I was in fear of them all along. My best chance lay in trying to encourage them to attack me with my uphill advantage, but Ken proved far too shrewd to do that!

I was pleased with the Lowland Division performance under "dithering" Colonel Sullivan. and I think he only rolled one "poor" result in the game - at a point I was happy not to advance.

I only brought up Charlie late to try to upgrade Lord George Murray to dashing and that did not work. I think I got one double move in the whole game, so it is a bit misleading to imply the dice were on my side. True , I got very few really bad results, unlike some games. Given the restraints I later found Ken to be under, and his relatively short supply of good troops, he had a difficult job and did well. For my part it felt like a considerable challenge and one I enjoyed coming out of on top! Thanks Guy for all you did and to Ken for being a good sport. 

All figures except the Hessian/Dutch from Guy Barlow's collection - Crann Tara and Flags of War 28mm miniatures. Resin buildings painted by Guy, rest of terrain scratch built or converted by CG . Rules adapted from "Honours of War" by Keith Flint.

Rules

I have been asked about our local amendments for Honours of War and the special rules for the Jacobite Rebellion so I have posted them in the right hand side bar and here is a link.  The HoW 45 I believe is an official variant, though we are not convinced we like it all as it is. Guy tells me that Graham Cummings has his own slight variations to this so might enlighten us.