Last Stand at Cairngorm: March 2019

Saturday, March 9, 2019

No gaming tonight

A week into March finds the weather too cold to get out and seal coat painted figures or prime new figures. Fortunately I've enough primed and half painted figures to keep me busy. Fifty three figures need coating showing a productive painting month. We squeezed a game in on the 31st and gamed three of the four Thursdays in February. Three games of A Gentleman's War and one of Chainmail Bikini.

The first AGW game takes place in the foothills of the Khyber Pass. Matt held the fort as the British with a relief column arriving from the south. A good run of cards brought the cavalry into the fort reinforcing the garrison but the infantry were held up by the Pathans. Despite gaining a foothold in the fort the Pathans were pushed back and a forey by the Gurkhas pushed the enemy cannon off the hill ending the attack.

The Pathans fire on the fort

The Relief force breaks through the pass.

The Pathans swarm over the hills.

Reinforcements make it into the fort

The remainder of the relief column fight off the Pathans.

The Gurkhas push the natives out of the fort.

A rearrangement of the fort and replacing Pathans with Madists brings A Gentleman's War to the Sudan. Here Nate defended against the attacking Madists. The cards worked for the natives with Howards troops moving as a group on a facecard and getting in close with out being shot up. I was able to move up a unit and get into the fort but was not strong enough to hold on. Outside Nate's men made short work of my cavalry but were held off long enough that the garrison was overrun.

The gallant defenders await the attack.

A horde of camelry threaten from afar.

Despite heavy losses the Madists gain entry into the fort.

Across the parade ground the British and Egyptian troops are over run.

Making off with a captured British officer.

The last game was an 18th Century AGW game loosely based on the battle of White Plains played at Toywiz. Howard commanded the Patriots and I the Crowns troops. My artillery opened fire doing little damage. I was then able to bring up both my brigades easily chasing off the skirmishes on my flanks. On the left the Hessians underestimated the Continentals and were quickly dispatched. On the right the British with the aid of Green apples ( a card which causes a negative effect on a unit drawn at the turn of a joker) pushed back the militia defending the fence line.

American militia defending.

Third NY hold the hill.

the British brigade form up for the assault.

The German brigade.

The British move up to the fence line.

Heavy firing on the British right

The British persevere despite mounting casualties.

The Militia hold as reinforcements move up.

The firefight heats up.

More Americans enter on the left.

Things get tense.

Finally the Americans are pushed off the fence.

The Hessians move up against the Continentals.

More Americans show up.

The Hessians take casualties while closing in and then are crushed in close combat.

A playtest of Chainmail Bikini finishes out the games. Matt set up the table and the scenario. Three groups of Heros set out to find and rescue the Hobbits. Combat began right away and remained steady throughout the game.