A Civic Holiday Excursion

    In Ontario, the first Monday in August is a provincial holiday referred to as "Civic Holiday" although it's called by different names in different areas of the province. It's not a federally mandated holiday so a number of stores are open, some with reduced hours. I think it's an excuse to have one more three-day holiday in the summer and I do like it.

    This past Monday was Civic Holiday in the London-St. Thomas area, and my friends, Andy and Barb invited Beth and I to come to their house in London to have a game on the back deck and a cookout. Another friend, Ralph, was invited as well. So off we went just before mid-day, bringing 7-Up, chips, and two kinds of dip to the party. Andy and Barb grilled sausages outside and also brought out the sauerkraut and potato salad with ice cream for dessert. We all thoroughly enjoyed the day.

    The game was of the War of Spanish Succession using Warfare in the Age of Reason rules and the Age of Marlborough supplement to those rules. Ralph ran the French/Bavarian/Allied side and I took the role of the commander of the Russian troops. I had a redoubt and I stayed in it until Ralph assaulted it and broke in once one of my cannon was lost.

(All photographs courtesy of Andy, and my wife, Beth.)

Such a nice day!

A good overview of the table, the figures, the players, and the wreckage of chips 'n' dip.

Ralph converses politely as the game heats up.

Your Humble Blogger attempts politeness
while watching the Franco-Bavarian hordes descend on Mother Russia

The figures are Wargames Factory WSS troops (not easy to find now since Wargame Factory was absorbed by another firm), all painted by Andy (save one unit). None of them had been on the table before so the "New Unit Curse" applied to all!

The red-coated troops are the Bavarian Leibgarde, the blue coats are the Bavarians,
while the grey coats are French (no matter where they were recruited.)

A fine looking force, I'd say.

I moved up my troops on either flank but left the troops in the redoubt where they stood.
One of the units there was the Preobrazhensky Guard Regiment.

The right flank has to clamber over a hedge. No big deal; it just slowed them down.

The starting position for almost all the Russians.
Were we going to stay in the redoubt? Count on it!

The Franco-Bavarian army continues it's advance. Had the table been a bit wider, it would've
been easier to deploy cavalry. Ralph's artillery also had to scuffle along.
(Medium guns moving like heavy cannon)

I had to pull a brigade "right face" with the cavalry brigade. The horse grenadiers (in green),
being a higher morale class, moved easier than the dragoons.

Lots of mind-blowing Bavarian flags and lots of Cerulean Blue

My cannon caused some casualties to Ralph's troops during his advance, but artillery is not all that powerful when it's spread out all over the board in the manner appropriate to the period. Musket range is very close so we both held our fire. The rule of thumb is "If you measure, you've fired" and that's a good way to waste your extra die for "first fire."

The only unit on the table that Andy didn't paint.
I did the Bavarian cuirassiers up for him a few years ago
and now they finally saw the field.

The Franco-Bavarians reached the redoubt with some losses and some morale issues but
they came over it where my cannon had be run off on the far left of the redoubt.
My left wing collapsed due to morale and that was the game.
It was also supper time.

Here you can see the French coming over the redoubt face.
The Bavarian Leibgarde were holding their own as tough grenadiers.
(The yellow things are plastic straws cut up by Andy for casualty caps.)

More of an overview of things as Ralph's troops emerge victorious... but not without some trouble!
None of our cavalry got into the fray. There was only so much room on the table.

Over dinner the discussion turned to science-fiction movies and TV shows, music, and such, as well as the taste of the sausages, sauerkraut, potato salad, and beer/cider. It was a great time with good friends, good food, and good conversation.

Maybe this is how I'd want summer to be.

One last view of the Russian right wing coming forward.