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Monday, 25 January 2010

Battle of Blasthof Bridge

The Battle of Blasthof Bridge was one of my first wargames I played. I thought it would be nice to replay the game over 40 years later using my small collection of Prince August 40mm armies. We will be using the Elementary rules from Charge to play the game.

I have been casting and painting on and off for some 9 months and finally have enough figures for a game. Although the numbers are not the same as in Charge I have kept the ratios the same. All the figures are self cast using Prince August moulds except the Imperial artillery which is from Nurnberger Meisterzinn.

The pictures show the initial set up of forces.

The Electoral army under General Soubise consists:-

1 company of the Livarot regiment
2 companies of the Royal Boursin regiment
1 squadron of the Bechemal Hussars
A battery of guns

To oppose these the Imperialist forces under the debonair Count von Kronberg consists of:-

2 companies of the Sbrinz regiment
2 squadrons of the Dolcelatte Dragoons
A battery of guns







































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7 comments:

  1. Pjotr25 January 2010 at 10:12

    Hello,
    very inspiring pictures, beautiful miniatures. I became a follower...

    Pjotr
    http://nyudrevchronicles.blogspot.com/

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  2. abdul66625 January 2010 at 13:36

    Always great to discover a new 'Old School Wargaming' blog with tricornes!

    A very pleasant presentation: looking forward to enjoy the battle report!
    I also greatly appreciate the names of the regiments -faithful to traditional 'tongue-in-cheek' component of Old School Wargaming (then, if I may, why 'Bechemal' rather than another cheese, e.g. 'Cancoillotte' -sometimes seems to move on its own volition, so fitting for swift hussars?); a very friendly way to introduce 'cheese' in wargaming, anyway!

    I ordered 'The War Game' as soon as I read a review in 'Military Modelling', more decades ago than I care to remember: the book 'hooked' me to wargaming and to Lace Wars Imagi-Nations. I read 'Charge!' only a few years later and -perhaps already 'imprinted', like Lorenz' geese, by C. Grant's book- found it less inspring and stimulating: only the artillery rules, without those cumbersome templates, do I prefer in it. I suspect that (relatively) so many people have a 'Charge!' project and so few a 'War Game' one because C. Grant's book don't have exemplary battles a wargamer can wish to re-fight: 'Action!' is too small and Mollwitz too huge...


    Hopefully your 18th C.Prince Augusts will see more action after Blasthof Bridge: are you tempted by an ongoing campaign, Vereinigte Freie Staedte vs Grand Duche de Lorraine fashion, with a progressive escalade from a border encounter to larger battles (say, Sittanbag-sized...) as the forces are 'mobilized'(read: moulded and painted)? I wish so!

    Compliments,
    Jean-Louis
    (aka Louys de Monte-Cristo)

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  3. Tony26 January 2010 at 01:54

    Many thanks for the post, the figures and battle look like they were a great deal of fun.

    Tony

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  4. Mark Dudley26 January 2010 at 05:26

    Hi Jean-Louis

    I plan to use as many cheeses as I can but want to use the odd meat, sauce or wine names to add some variety. I choose Bechemal as these hussars are know to be keen on the ladies and are known to be rather 'saucy' fellows.

    My armies will be based the War of the Austrian succesion with the French/Spanish who will become the Imperialists and their opponents the armed might of Piedmont/Austria, representing the elecor of Savaloy.

    Hopefully the game will be played on Wednesday so I can update the AAR.

    I am planning on using both Charge and the Wargame for my games. i have built u pa collection of moulds and will be casting new units once the weather improves.

    Mark

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  5. Andy Mitchell26 January 2010 at 05:51

    It's always great to see another Blasthof refight. I've always felt the two sides are both rather overgunned. Have you considered reducing the guns to one per side?

    I look forward to reading more.

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  6. Mark Dudley26 January 2010 at 13:06

    Andy

    Good question. I have smaller 4 man gun crews so once the gun is down to 2 crew I will only allow it to fire every other move.

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  7. Archduke Piccolo1 February 2010 at 13:13

    Some very interesting comments here! Mark: I 'bags' Schnitzel: it's my Imperial capital city!
    I'm inclined to agree with Andy's comment in re he guns. I tried the Blasthof battle many years ago with a beginner (who was familiar with board games, but not miniatures games). The guns were devastating at short range, which meant the enemy was able to stand off (smart guy!) and smash my troops when they tried to carry the fight to him. Once again, a defeat for the imperialists...
    Your solution looks pretty good. I use 4-man crews for my Napoleonics, but my 18th century Imagi-Nations have 2-gun companies with 10 figures: Battery commander, subaltern officer, 4 crew for each gun. I do allow the officers to pitch in if the crews get depleted...

    A very fine rendition of the battle in this blog: and the figures are very photogenic. Great stuff!

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