The Connecticut Game Club and the Pioneer Valley Military Strategy Club of Massachusetts co-sponsored a game day at The Portal in Manchester, Connecticut yesterday. It is about a 2 hour drive each way for me, so I drove over to play in the Wings game in the morning session, the Blackpowder rules Zulu game in the afternoon, but opted out of the evening De Bellis Antiqutatis ancients game to drive back in the daylight (a shame as I really enjoy DBA and had brought many of my armies). Here are some photos.
The WGF game had German bombers coming in over the coast to bomb and industrial site inland. Their victory conditions were to bomb the industrial site and make it back to their home base. The bombers were escorted by several fighters. The RAF scrambled to intercept. Here the bombers make their initial approach to the coastline:
The RAF scrambles six fighters to intercept:
The opposing forces meet, the RAF sweeps the fighter escorts from the sky:
The bombers make their approach to the industrial site:
As the bombers begin their run, disaster strikes as the second bomber (green camo pattern) draws an explosion card and cannot complete its bombing run;
The lead bomber (with the purple camo) completes its bombing run and turns to head home, but is shot down just before reaching the coast.
In the second game, six companies of British infantry are faced with the onslaught of the Zulu impi.
I commanded one of the center companies -- the one to the right of the command company (each player had a company -- the Zulus were run by the umpire). My company and the command company fought well in the early going of the battle breaking several Zulu units with rifle fire and winning hand to hand combat by falling back into a donga, eventually clearing the middle of the field.
As a Zulu unit was eliminated the umpire rolled a D6 to determine where the unit would regenerate on the field -- amazingly they all reappeared either on the right or left flank of the British line. As the British left and right flanks collapsed, the two center companies attempted a fighting retreat off the center of the board. My company almost made it before being taken in the flank. The command company was the only company to make it off the board (RHIP -- rank has its privilege, although I heard it as rank hinders intelligent progress -- you make the call).
A great day was had by all ! Thanks to the two clubs for sponsoring such a fun time.
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