EARLY INSPIRATION

 This is not exactly part of the Dog Wars Universe, but some of the inspiration for it. Many years ago, my gaming buddy Bernie used to run a great game using his Eureka Miniature Teddy Bears armies. Sadly, these figures are no longer available from Eureka. This game was from back in 2017 and was run using the Honours of War rules. 

Prussian Forces Making Their Way to Reinforce the Bridgehead they have Established. 

Austrian Fusiliers with Their Battalion Guns Intact Await the Prussian Assaults.  

Both Side Eye Each Other Up as More Prussians Cross the Bridge. 

A Full Length Shot of the Whole Battlefield. 

The Battle Commences and the Prussians are Already Suffering Casualties.  

Austrian Cuirassier Charge the Prussian Infantry Line. The Little Wheels You See are the Backend of the Hobby Horse They Ride.  

The Prussians Continue to Pour Reinforcements Across the River. The Cavalry Battle from the Last Picture can be Seen on the Right.  

The Austrians seem to be Content at Holding the Hill Line as the Prussians Mass Against Their Left Flank. 

The Prussians Pressing Forward on the Austrian Left Flank.
Popguns are a Popin and the Stuffing is a Flyin.  

The Assault as Seen from Behind the Prussian Line. Casualties Mount but the Assault Continues. 
Yes, the Bear Theme Continues even to the Dice. 

The Prussian Traffic Jam at the River. While Reinforcements Kept Coming the Single Point Made It Difficult for the Prussians to get them to the Action.

While the Prussians Took Their First Objective of the Tree Line, They were Unable to Drive the Austrians Off the Ridge. 

This was a battle I long ago thought I had lost with the catastrophic loss of my computer. When my archive program recovered these I felt it was a sign to share them.

THE HONORED DEAD OF THE BATTLES OF SAINT VENERABLE BEACH & BEACH TREE ROAD

 Things are finally starting to get back to normal after the big work crunch. There are lots of plans in the works, but more on that in later posts. For now, it is time to take a moment to reflect on those troops that fell in our games. 

Allies Losses Were from Left to Right, Von Yapping's Battalion, Von Mutt's "The Whelps" Battalion, UPC's Snifferbutt's Dragoons, Softpad's Dragoons, Husky's Battalion, and Houndstooth's Battalion. 

Empire Loses Were from Left to Right, Beggin's Dragoon, Canineson's Cuirassier, an Artillery Battery, Woofing's Battalion, and Yowler's Battalion. 

The Empire's General Wagstail was Wounded While Leading His Cavalry Brigade. 

Over the course of the Campaign the Empire lost 14 Foot Regiments, 5 Cavalry Regiments and 4 Batteries of Artillery. The Allies of Von Mutts and UPC lost 13 Regiments of Foot, 6 Cavalry Regiments and no Artillery. Both had a General wounded in battle. This shows that taking the Sugar Islands was no simple task. The fight will be returning to the home front for the UPC in the Fall '25 Campaigns.  

A NICE PAIR

 

The latest battle was for control of Saint Katts. I tried something a little different for this by running two different scenarios together side-by-side. These were both from One Hour Wargame (OHW) by Neil Thomas, one of my scenario bibles. They were #2 Pitched Battle, and #8 Melee, which I felt worked together well since both were about taking hills as key objectives. The area of operations I laid out for each group was that they could not get within a base width of the opposite road. This was enforced by if they did crossover there was a likely chance of a friendly fire incident. Again, the fire hydrants are the objective points of the battle. 

The UPC Arrayed on the Howling Heights Await the Empire Who are Positioned Around the North Coast and Beech Tree Roads. The UPC's Cavalry Wing is just to the Left. 

The Allies Forces to the South Lead by the Von Mutts with the UPC in Support are Approach the Empire Forces Already in Position on the Dominant Hights of Mount Misery.   

Empire Forces Advancing into the Valley in the North as the UPC Await them on the Howling Heights. The UPC Dragoons are Advancing on the Right to Threaten the Empire's Flank. 

Not Waiting for Their UPC Support the Von Mutts Begin the Hard Climb up Mount Misery to Begin Their Attack. 

As Aggressive as Ever the UPC does not Wait on the Empire and Brings Their Right Flank Infantry Forward to Engage the Empire's Left in a Firefight. For a Change Both Sides Artillery is Causing Damage. 

On Mount Misery the Von Yapping's Assault has been Repulsed, but the Mutts the Whelp Line Regiment have Gotten to the Lower Heights to the Right Flank of the Empire. Meanwhile the UPC is Taking a More Covered Approach Around the Woods. 

In the North Both Forces Have Begun to Engage Each Other Across the Entire Front. The Start of the Great Cavalry Battle can be Seen on the Left. 

Empire Dragoons Launch a Charge into the UPC Cavalry Line Without Waiting for Support. 

The Center of the Allies Lines. UPC Cavalry Working to Support the Howling Hill Fight, While Hunter's Brigade is Advancing to Turn the Flank of Mount Misery. 

The Von Mutts Sweeping the Lower Slope of Mount Misery Clean of Empire Forces. The UPC's General Gruff's Brigade of Lights and Line Moving Forward in Support. The Desperately Needed Empire Reinforcements of General Liftsleg's Brigade are Approaching Fast on the Left. 

The Mid-Point of the Battle Looking from the North to the South. The UPC on the Left Still in Control of Howling Hill. The Empire Forces on the Right still Holding Mount Misery in the Background and the Cavalry Melee in Full Swing at the Center. 

The Same Scene Only This Time Looking from the South to the North. The Empire Position on Mount Misery on the Left, all the Way Down to UPC's Position on Howling Hill in the Upper Right.  

The Center of the UPC's Position on Howling Heights. To the Left is the Great Cavalry Battle. Unseen on the Right the Empire's Grenadiers are Smashing Their Way Forward. 

The Empire Cavalry Moments Before the Storm Breaks. Pawsworth's Dragoon Regiment in the Lead, Followed by Lord Pawling and Canineson's Cuirassier. Their Fate Would Determine the Outcome of the Battle.  

With the Empire's Dragoons Retreated and the Lord Pawling's Cuirassier Routed Along with General Sir Wagstail Being Severely Wounded the Empire Lost its Courage and Retreated.  

This was not an Easy Victory for the Allies. Across the Field They had Lost Many Troops and Also Teetered on the Brink of Collapse, but in the End Found Enough Courage to Hold On to Win.   

The battle was a close affair and while the Allies had made good progress at taking Mount Misery it had cost them dearly. Both armies reached breaking point on the same turn, but the Empire failed their morale check, while the Allies passed theirs. 

With this victory the Allies had captured St. Katts. With the Empire's garrisons on the Sugar Island in tatters they were forced to the peace tables where they conceded the lost Islands. Within a month of the signing of the treaty the Kingdom's Fleet was wreaked by storms putting an end to any future Allies invasions. 

This ends the Spring Campain. The Theater will change back to the west as the Empire again seeks to regain its honor and lost territory. Until that time there are rumblings in the Emperor's Court of conducting La petites guerres against the Kingdom and the Commonwealth to keep them off balance. 

March is a busy month for me with both work and conventions, so less times to run games. The upside is I will have a chance to play more. Sadly, instead of down the road, Adepticon is going to be in Milwaukee. I'm still excited because in addition to seeing lots of my distant friends it is also nostalgic being located in the old Gen Con convention center. 

From the vastly increased numbers of readers over the past few months I am hoping to see a few more comments, and an increase in followers...hint, hint. 

THE HONORED DEAD of THE SNOW DAY BATTLE

 A very short post with an additional bit of eye candy. In a rather bloody battle, the Empire lost 63% of their forces compared to the Allies 25%. 

Empire Loses. An Artillery Battery, Lord Colliesworth's Battalion, Strongpaw's Battalion, Lord Basset's Battalion and Whine's Battalion. The Poor Whiner's Have Been Broken in Every Battle This Campain. 

For the Allies of Von Mutts and UPC each Lost a Converged Grenadier Group. While Far Fewer it is the Elite of Their Respective Armies. 

The Green River. It Looks Less Teal in Real Life. 

A project I have been working towards for a long time is to convert my rivers from blue to green. I have finished the first three feet, so only another fifteen feet to go. One other goal of this is to create sections of fords. These will act for the most part like bridges, except that shallow fords can be crossed by cavalry and infantry while maintaining their present formation. Deep fords cannot be used by artillery, and require cavalry and infantry to form column, but otherwise do not slow movement. 

SNOW DAY

 Up until this Wednesday the weather has been unseasonably mild. That changed as winter got back to normal and dropped a bit of snow and ice, enough that my normal player turnout went from twelve down to two. Needless to say, the regularly scheduled game was a no go. Instead, we slimmed things way down to only eight units per side in a simple meeting engagement. The good news was I got to play in my game for the first time in over four years. 

The Armies Fanout into Battlelines with the Allies of Von Mutts and UPC on the Left, Empire on the Right. Objectives were the Road Intersection and the Hill. That's What Those Fire Hydrants Indicate. 

Both Sides Press Forward in Almost Identical Formations. All the Allies Generals are Dashing, while Only Half of the Empire Are. The Odd One Out is General Howlden Who is Dithering, which is Why the Empire's C-in-C is Hovering Nearby. 

Both The UPC and Von Mutts Gain Double Moves and Slips Their Grenadiers to the Far Flank. At This Point Casualties are Light and About Even on Both Armies. 

To Keep from Being Outflank the Empire Grenadiers Form Column and March to the Side. To Buy Time the Nearside Empire Line Slowly Pulls Back. On the Other Flank the Von Mutts are Using Their Artillery to Great Effect. 

When the Lightning Struck it Struck Hard. In Combined Volleys by UPC and Von Mutts Lines and Grenadiers They Each Rout an Empire Line Unit from Both Commands. 

The Onion City Guard is Now Completely Separated from the Rest of General Howlden's Forces and Things are Looking Grim. On the Other Flank the Empire While Down is Better Concentrated.  

Howlden's Forces Continue to Give Ground and Try to Get into Support of One Another. On the Opposite Side of the Battlefield the Von Mutts Begin Turn the Empire's Flank. 

While Down, the Empire Still has Teeth. The Onion City Guard Fire an Extremely Accurate Volley, Dropping Near Half of the UPC's Grenadier and so Unnerving them that Their Return Volley Fails to Cause Damage. On the Opposite Flank Not Waiting to be Simply Shot Down the Empire Launches a Desperate Charge Against the Von Mutts. Sadly, This Sees Their Second Line Unit Rout from the Defensive Fire, but the Grenadiers Crash Home Against the Von Mutts Grenadiers and Drive them From the Field. 

Things are Now on the Brink of Disaster for the Empire. UPC Combined Artillery and Small Arms Fire have Taken a Severe Toll of the Last Empire Line Unit, while the Grenadier and Guards of Each Side are Now Both Struggling to Remain on the Field. On the Opposite Flank the Empire's Grenadiers Charge Has Taken Them Out of Harm's Way for the Time. 

The End Came Quickly as the UPS Fire Routed the Last Empire Line Unit and Their Supporting Artillery, thus Breaking the Empire's Army. The Victory was not Without Cost as Both the UPC and Von Mutts had Lost Their Grenadiers. 

That was a fast but fun little game. The whole battle was done in under an hour and a half. The Allies really got the drop on the Empire with a lot of double moves that lead to some well-timed and devastating shooting. 

So, how did I do? I was the hapless Dithering Empire player. I managed not to get into much trouble, but in the end, I lost both my line units and a battery of artillery. The one serious bad decision I felt I made was sending off the C-in-C to help the right flank when I should have used him to shore up my Line unit in the center. The Allies deserve do credit for being very well handled. 

Being in the cockpit so to speak, taught me somethings I had only seen from the sidelines. The change to the rules we now use where a unit's damage takes effect before it can do anything to fix it is very lethal. A little artillery prework, and an opportunity to use combined line fire can rout a near intact Line unit in a turn. I'm not sure this is what I want but will leave this up to the group to decide when we move forward in the Fall Campaign Season. The chance to combine fire is also too high under general conditions. I wanted this rule to help artillery and infantry to combine to stop assaults and instead it is being used to great effect to win firefights. Reducing the opportunity of infantry alone being able to successfully fire on a single target is likely the solution I want. This will create a higher risk and reward decision that I am always in favor of. 

Now, if the weather will not work against it the next battle in the Sugar Wars will be at the end of February. 

THE FANCY RIVER BRIDGES - EYE CANDY

 One of my regular player John B., who has a much better eye and talent for photography took these at our last game. This is the first posts to show off his work. 

Thanks John

The Game about mid battle

Empire forces Southern flank early in the battle. 

The backs of the Allies. UPC light infantry ahead of the Von Mutts face the Empire forces across the river.

The Southern flank bridge. 

UPC cavalry having crossed the Northern bridge. 

Empire dragoons poised on the hill ready to attack. 

The opposing cavalry in action. The UPC on the left, Empire to the right. 

The orange markers on the dead trooper tokens show the number of hits inflicted. 

The Empire's General Arfer's Brigade. Yowler's Battalion of the Line, the Onion City Grenadiers in their red miters, and the Converged Empire Grenadiers on the right, all supported by a field battery. 

The face of the enemy. UPC's Pack's Commonwealth Guard battle against the Empire's Lord Basset's Battalion of the Line. 

The face of the enemy. Empire's Lord Colliesworth's Battalion of the Line Vs the Von Mutts Converged Grenadier. 

The massed array of the UPC. In the foreground is General Woof's Brigade with the Husky's Battalion nearest and the Houndstooth's Battalion with the red cuffs, with the Pack's Commonwealth Guard top right. Adjacent to them is General Growling's Brigade with the Snarler's Battalion in white cuffs, Wolfingham's Battalion in grey cuffs and the UPC Converged Grenadier in the lead. 

The Northern flank of the battle near games end.

I hope you enjoyed seeing these pictures, and if so, will leave a comment.