Wednesday 12 June 2019

Broadside 2019 & The Battle of Killiecrankie 1689


Last Sunday saw the Rejects drive down to Sittingbourne for the Broadside Wargaming show. It was my turn to put on a game. After much deliberation (with myself) I chose to demo "The Battle of Killiecrankie"using Beneath the Lily Banners v3 The War of Three Kings.
I painted up all the Scots a few years ago and recently finished off the last few Williamite regts.
Postie was bitching that I didn't make bespoke terrain like he and Lee had for our last 2 Broadside game. I totally ignored him and used Posties normal gaming terrain that we use each week when we play. I've gotta admit to being very pleased with the results.


Richard and Surj played the historical losers of the battle the Williamites.
John and Dave played the Jacobites. With BigLee dipping in and out.


I put in an optional rule of an initial bombardment. They threw a D6 and compared in to the chart 1=0 2,3=1 4,5=2 6=3. They threw a 3 giving them only 1 turn of artillery before the game started. They did manage to knock off 2 casualties on Locheils regt though. Things carried on going wrong for the Jacobites on turn 1. I'd given them a Skilful Commander but each turn they threw poorly and only ever moved half of their troops per turn, which was a disaster for them. They did manage to charge Kenmure's and Leven's regts by turn 2



As most of the Jacobite army wasn't moving the Williamites pushed forward.


The Jacobite beat both Kenmure's and Leven's in melee, knocking each one back after 1 turn of fighting as they are Raw units. But the McDonald's of Glengary failed their morale throwing another 1, after receiving artillery fire from the Willimite artillery during their charge....so they retreated


Turn 3 and the Jacobites are stumped once again only throwing a 1 for their movement allowance, that was the third 1 on the trot!!! I'd given them a Skilful Commander, but this still only allowed a 1/4 of their troops movement. So that meant only 2 units could move this turn.


I insisted each turn that the Jacobite Horse had to have at least a move order each turn, so that left only 1 order to give. They chose Sir Alexandr McLeans regt, who attempted to charge Mackay's regt.
The Williamites fearing the worst attached Mackay himself to try and halt the attack. But the dice gods once again played havoc in the Jacobite lines. They threw a 1 again and failed to charge.


The Williamites had tasted blood and gave a massive volley into the confused ranks of McLeans regt. Who then failed another morale check and promptly legged it back up the hill!!


I'd lost all sense of reason now, my plan for a historical refight and a Jacobite win had well and truly buggered off.
The Williamites threw well again in their order allowance giving them 100% movement and blow me down the Jacobites threw a 1 again!! Their 4th 1 on the trot, luckily like on turn 2 this gave them 25% movement, but what could they do?
While Macay's regt turned to face the rear of Locheils regt, the Jacobite Horse tried to charge the lone English artillery, and failed miserably!



With the McDonald's of Sleat on the far Jacobite left dying to a man under superb musketry the English right turned on mass. Locheils was hit from behind and very nearly slaughtered in melee. I couldn't take anymore and stopped the game, calling an unexpecgted but thourally deserved victory to the Williamites, who changed history.



We had plenty of time left so started the game again, switching sides this time. The dice roll carried on the same Surj and Richard now the Jacobites threw a 9 giving them 100% movement while the English Dave and John threw another 1!
I think we all know what was going to happen in this game. My sanity would be restored with a Jacobite victory.


Before the start of the game I allowed the English to throw for Initial bombardment like they did in the first game, but no a throw of 1 meant no fire, what a great start!!
The WIlliamites place 2 units in defence, while the whole Jacobite line moves forward.


It looked very dodgy for the Williamites.

We had to have a quick break as we had to choose which other club had put on the best of show game. So I took that as my opportunity to take a few pics of other games.


Maidstone Wargames Society - Corsair vs Mustang - Dogfight '69



Wargames Terrain Workshop - Death Match



Shepway Wargames Club - War in Middle Earth

Who won the Best at Show award.




Friday Night Firefight Club - Trophy Hunting In The Lost Valley




?


Medway Wargames Society - A Song Of Ice And Fire




Man O'Kent Games - Gaslands



Battletech


Emotionally 14 - Star Wars Legion





Milton Hundred - Showing the Gaming Interests



?


Echidna Games - Laserblade


?


Gravesend Gamers Guild - Kill Team


?


Deal Wargames Society - Operation Brassard (Invasion of Elba 1944), Assault on Cape d'Efola

Not Quite sure how this didn't win the Best at Show Award???








Battlefront - Flames of War Late War




SEEMS - The Colonel's Jammed and the Gatling's Dead!, Brits vs Zulus




I passed the Rejects table, the lads had carried on without me!!!




I then took a few random shots 


Mortal Gods?







I caught Postie buying figures from Andy at Grubby Tanks!!!


Then went back to our game!
Oh dear???


The game was virtually over, half of the Williamite army had routed!


But this time the Jacobites were following up their charges.


History had finally won the day!


Dave and John were sulking in the corner, 2 games and two losses.
Well not losses, absolute thrashings!!


Only three Williamite regts stand at the end of play.
Lauders Grenadiers (hid in the wood on the hill)
Balfours and Ramsay's


Run for your life!!!!!

All the Rejects apart from John and Dave of course had a crackin day, their dice on the day were absolutely diabolical!!! Richard and Surj defied all the laws of physics to serve out a jolly good thrashing in both games too.
Personally I was pleased with how the 2 games went and all the positive words from the visitors of the show, they all seemed to like the battle and set up.
The rules worked really well, after a few hiccups in the practice games, so all good!!
Cheers
Ray


Red Rejects

53 comments:

  1. Looks like a cracking game Ray! It's one I'd love to do myself.

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    1. I was very pleased how both the rules and game worked out.

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  2. Great looking game by Ray, Ray! Good job!

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  3. I've been looking forward to seeing this. Yes, it looks great and two goes at it. Ray is the little marsh in the Williamite battle line historically attested or just there to look pretty?

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    1. As you well know OB, there seems to be lots of conflicting info about Killiecrankie, so I took the bits I thought would make for a better all round game. In the Stuart Reid book "I met the Devil and Dundee" The Battle of Killiecrankie 1689 on page 24 it says "Unfortunately, Balfour's men were then separated from the rest of the army by a bog, still extant and about 100 metres broad" And then on page 41 of the same book is a map, with a distint looking piece of rough ground/bog, in between Balfour's and Kenmure's.
      Its a great book so if you haven't got it....get it! Its available from Partizan Press.
      Here's a link
      http://www.caliverbooks.com/bookview.php?0e402b1d6db1ae5294f0a72ec6937081&id=15607

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  4. Great pics and report of your game Ray.

    The pic you have captioned as "Mortal Gods?" was something like Mob Sitter I think (and definitely not Mortal Gods)

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  5. So many splendid tables, thanks for sharing...and, of course, special mention to Killiecrankie...awesome and spectacular!

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  6. Some really unique games. Like the one with the elephants. And I like your terrain setup.

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  7. Great report and pics, really enjoyed it, I thought the terrain was fine. Hope you got the OK to use Post Office Red :)

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    1. I'm sure they won't mind the positive press, us Rejects will bring them George.

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  8. Thanks for the report--very engaging mix of game and convention coverage. Speaking of the former, General Dice and players can be counted on, collectively or individually, to thwart any scenario design. And I'm with George: the terrain looked good to me!

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    1. Thanks Ed. I couldn't believe how John and Dave, blew the entire first game??? It was a wonder to watch!

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  9. So pleased that it went well Ray, great job!

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    1. Thanks Sir M. I was very pleased with the days antics.

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  10. Nicely done Raymond but no bespoke terrain.....shocking!

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    1. You should have heard Postie going on like an old women. He even had Alison moaning at me about it!!!!

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  11. Nice post. To be fair, Killiecrankie was a bit of an anomaly as Highlanders v. government battles went. Bonnie Dundee beat a better-armed and numerically superior foe without ruse or the element of surprise. Two of Mackay's regiments were raw, but the rest was veteran. The battle could easily have gone the way of Culloden.

    I've always had a hankering to do Killiecrankie, and even visited the site in 2000, but I'm intimidated by the prospect of painting all those tartains.

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    1. Yep, it was all in Mackay's battle set up. Just turning his marching column to the right, left the vulnerable units in the centre. And we all know you're in trouble if you have a week centre.

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  12. Killiecrankie looks absolutely brilliant. One battle that I've always wanted to do (being a distant relation of Bonnie Dundee ;) ). You have inspired me sir.

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  13. Fabulous pictures and two great battle reports. Really fancy doing this battle myself so great to see your run through. I think new dice are in order :-)

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    1. John said he's bringing his own dice to every game from know on!!

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  14. Brilliant post Ray and some incredible looking games. Very envious!

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  15. Excellent write up of the two games we played. Poor Dave & John, I was feeling sorry for them by the end. After years of searching we have found two wargamers with worse dice throwing luck than me!!

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  16. Ace pics. Looks like you all had a great day!!

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    1. We all did, and we were all completely knackered at the end of it too!

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  17. A cracking looking set up. Good to see a different battle put on display

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  18. Glad it all went well Ray. The game looks great!

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  19. OMG they even have team shirts!

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  20. Killiecrankie looks great! Even better to get two games in, that Elba game looks ace!
    Best Iain

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    1. Its shocking that the Elba game didn't win Best at Show???

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  21. Pretty good re[resenation of the battlefield imho, having walked the terrain (as a Williamiteofficer) and the solitary building in the centre was a "Little Chef" when I was there !

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  22. Excellent production from the rejects and other fine looking games!

    Christopher

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  23. Great report on your game and the show Ray. Writing a scenario/running a game is always fraught with the danger that you have an idea/plan in your own head of would will/should happen - and then it doesn't! As they say, no plan survives the first contact with the enemy. I remember going to Killiecrankie as a young boy - it was some kind of anniversary but I cant imagine it was as early as 1969 )I would have been 6 or 7) but it was definitely not 1989 - I was in NZ and married by then! The Sealed Knot spent a three day weekend "redoing" the battles of the campaign - Killiecrankie and Dunkeld I think. Also famous for the "Soldiers Leap" the spot where a Redcoat soldier leapt 18ft across the raging River Garry, fleeing the Jacobites.

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  24. They certainly buggered up my careful plans with their dodgy dice throwing, that's for sure. I'd love to go to the actual battlefield one day. I'll suggest it to the Mrs....cough!

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  25. I'm envy dead, why not admitting it?

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