Today's game was set in the Vendée in 1793, where the locals have rebelled against the Republican Government. To bring the rebels back into line, three demi-brigades have been sent with specific instructions to hunt down the leaders, in particular François de Charette.
In the quiet countryside the locals were going about their usual business, working in the fields, the woodlots and the dairy.
One of the Republican demi-brigades was already in the town, while others will approach on converging roads. The Vendéeans, however, could ambush them from any house, wood or hedge and then vanish again when they moved out of line of sight.
 |
| The first ambush! |
 |
| The republicans react |
 |
| Another ambush |
 |
| The Republicans bring up the guns |
 |
| The "Infernal Columns" - the Republican infantry - pour down the roads and through the peaceful fields |
 |
| The Republicans are sweeping the fields |
 |
| The cavalry made a brief appearance, before being shot to pieces... |
 |
| The Republicans filled the lanes |
 |
| And the guns came forward into the front lines... |
 |
| Yet another ambush! |
 |
| More Republicans! |
Finally the Republicans wore down the Vendéeans resolve. Two of their units had been scattered and two of their leaders were captured and sent to the guillotine. Two units remained, but they were in a poor way. The rebels, along with Charette, dispersed into the countryside to fight another day.
The Republicans could claim some success, but the failure to capture Charette allowed the revolt yo continue.
Superb looking game, the set up is really top notch, some lovely figures on the table too, really well done.
ReplyDeleteThanks Donnie. The bulk of those armies were built back in the 1980s, yet they have only been on the table three or four times.
DeleteWhat a visual treat!
ReplyDeleteThanks Norm. Several hours were spent setting up that table!
DeleteSuperb looking game
ReplyDeleteThank you Neil.
DeleteA crackin looking bash, Mark!
ReplyDeleteYes it is a fun sort of game...search and destroy for one side, hit and run for the other.
DeleteGreat looking game. Nice to see this period being gamed. Vive la France!
ReplyDeleteThanks. It is a fun period to play. It would really lend itself to a campaign game...must look into that.
DeleteA fun game with lots of character to it. Nice to see your recently acquired civilians make an appearance.
ReplyDeleteYes it was fun and almost every one of those civilians made it to the table.
DeleteI see I JUST beat you to it with my own report, Mark! It was a great looking game and fun to play (for both sides, hopefully), which was Rick's stated aim!
ReplyDeleteYou are right about it lending itself to a campaign....we would jut have to commit to playing the same period for three to five games in a row!
It's hard as the Vendéeans because while you can ambush easily, once their units start to take losses the end is inevitable. That's where a campaign would come into its own because the Republicans would have to weaken their mobile force by garrisoning areas.
DeleteAh, the Vendee uprising:)! I had plans to game this at some point and may still do so, as it all looks lots of fun, ambushing the Republicans in the Bocage. Our daughter lives in the Vendee (outside of Nantes), so maybe a visit might inspire me. Brilliant game and so much to enjoy on the visual front.
ReplyDeleteWell the opportunity to do start this period is coming - I remember seeing some greens from the Perrys of Vendéeans a while back...It was a visit to the area that inspired our game organiser to collect the Foundry figures all those years ago.
DeleteQuite the visual treat. Great examples of hedges, fields ,roadways. The troops from the 1980's? Wow.
ReplyDeleteThanks Joe. It us surprising how many figures from the '80s, '70s and even the '60s exist in our collections.
Deleteoh. this is the game that Keith showed? Superb presentation. I love the guillotine. 😁
ReplyDeleteIndeed it was the same game! As a Vendéean I didn't like the guillotine 'cause those nasty Republicans kept using it on my neighbours...it's hard to find people to work the fields now!
DeleteA brilliant looking game Mark…
ReplyDeleteI liked the whole ambush thing…. It seemed to have worked quite well.
All the best. Aly
Thanks Aly, its the type of game where everyone can have their own personal moment of victory, even if collectively it doesn't go well.
DeleteSuperb looking game both the collection and the terrain. The Vendeans did win their fair share of pitched battles too though I do get the type of game you were looking to do in this one. Great job! I have a Vendee collection we play on occasion too, only mine is 18mm Blue Moon figs.
ReplyDeleteThose pitched battles could fit into a campaign setting quite nicely.
DeleteLovely looking game and sounds an interesting idea, my sister has been living in that area for the last twenty years just down the road from Nantes, terrain and civilians look great!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Thanks Iain. Sadly I've never made it to that part of France...maybe one day.
Delete