A fast evening game of Charge! Or How to Play Wargames was played on a 3'x4' field on the living room using 54mm plastic figures. These are my 'freelance Napoleonic project' figures, and are not painted to any specific units or nationalities. I meant to throw together some background story with my oppoent (age 7) but forgot.
Both sides were compositionally identical: 24 infantry, a cannon with 4 crew, 6 cavalry, and 2 officers.
The Charge!rules are wonderfully simple: the entire 'elementary' game rules are summarized on two pages! They are also good simulation rules, both in terms of the effect of musketry and the back and forth of cavalry melee. Both sides began trundling forward. Army Red's (me) artillery fire was spot on and Army Black took dreadful casualties as they advanced.
No pictures but there was a swirling melee to the left between the cavalry.
Including set up time, I think we played this whole game in 45 minutes or so. The figures are a mix of HaT infantry, Timpo cavalrymen on Imex horses, Armies in Plastic cannons, Call to Arms crew with All the Kings Men heads swapped on, and Italeri command figures (phew!).
Both sides were compositionally identical: 24 infantry, a cannon with 4 crew, 6 cavalry, and 2 officers.
The Charge!rules are wonderfully simple: the entire 'elementary' game rules are summarized on two pages! They are also good simulation rules, both in terms of the effect of musketry and the back and forth of cavalry melee. Both sides began trundling forward. Army Red's (me) artillery fire was spot on and Army Black took dreadful casualties as they advanced.
No pictures but there was a swirling melee to the left between the cavalry.
Infantry finally close in and the musketry fire commences. Army Black begins to chip away at Army Red. The break point is first to loose 19 figures. Things get down the wire: Red has lost 18, Black has lost 17.
A great musket volley by Black's infantry at point blank seals their victory: 6 casualties in one blast!
A great musket volley by Black's infantry at point blank seals their victory: 6 casualties in one blast!
Including set up time, I think we played this whole game in 45 minutes or so. The figures are a mix of HaT infantry, Timpo cavalrymen on Imex horses, Armies in Plastic cannons, Call to Arms crew with All the Kings Men heads swapped on, and Italeri command figures (phew!).
A great looking game, and nice to have a youthful opponent getting into wargaming old style.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
ReplyDeleteHe's a sporting opponent (as long as he wins).