Today, the Saturday of Historicon, those of us who stayed home were invited our our friend Ed's house for "Historicon North". Planned was a day of gaming with multiple games. In truth we had so much fun playing the first game that we played straight through lunch and pretty much spent the day on it. I think I speak for all who were present, it was totally worth it!
The game was Ed's first unveiling of his house rules for the popular
Brother Against Brother ACW skirmish rules. Ed's changes include a new dice-based morale check system which includes risk to officers and special events. It also contains some formation choices for units that are on the 'nice and simple' side of complexity. Just enough for flavor without being difficult to use.
The game was a meeting engagement between the French played by Mike and Charlie and the Prussians played by George, Peter and myself. Control of three of five terrain objectives would win the game. Four of the objectives were quadrants of a garden park and the fifth was a villa outside the park. The Prussian plan was to try for the villa, but if the French beat us to it. switch our attack to one of the French quadrants of the park.
Early on it looked good for the French to snipe one of our quadrants. Just as Peter stabilized things there, George took control of the villa. This position would prove dominant for the remainder of the game. On the other flank, Peter's green Prussian Reserve company was unstoppable. They simultaneously dueled a French line unit and conducted charge attacks against a French grenadier unit in the flank. Holding out to the last two men they held the flank and helped drive the French from our quadrant sealing the game. That unit only had 2 privates and a sergeant left at the end of the battle, but before they fight again they'll be a lieutenant and two sergeants!
Thanks for the great game Ed. It's was the next best thing to going to Historicon.
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Last Friday my friend Ed had Byron, Charlie, Mike, George and I over for another go at his Brother Against Brother Napoleonic house rules. This time George and I were the French and Byron, Charlie and Mike were the Prussians. Like the first go around, the Prussians got a good jump on the half-timber barn and commanded that flank from it. George and I pushed into the park with our forces. George had about the same luck pressing the Prussian left as the first playing of the scenario (none at all). Pressed from the hard cover of the barn, I eventually also withered. The Prussians handled the French roughly and won the scenario by a good margin. Well played to them.
