Friday Night Games: 1939 Winter War - Suomussalmi-Raate Road Actions

A Russian truck and horse drawn Field Kitchen in the depths of a Finnish Forest

Friday 19th July saw Mark put on a 20mm WW2 game with a difference, the 1939 Winter War between Finland and Russia. The scenario saw the elusive Finnish forces engage a somewhat disorganised Russian convoy in the depths of a snowy forest.

The wintery tabletop, where the Russians had to travel the length of the table from left to right,
effectively limited to the roads, due to risk of boggiong down in the ice and snow, progress was always going to be slow.

On the Russian side we had Steve, Phil, Dave, Nigel, Rupert and Mike W. Mark played the Finns, the figures were Mark's and the venue was at Ruperts. Rules were an adaptation of the fabulous 'One Hour Wargames Rules'.

Close-up of entry point for many Russian units, again direction of travel willl be left to right,
note the many snow drifts and frozen ponds etc.

Russian progress was always going to be slow, with the game mechanics of the 'One Hour Rules' system, each unit on the table moves in a somewhat random sequence, thus more often thatn not the back end of the column will be delayed and stuck behind slower units to their front.

Right hand end of the road, where the Russians have to cross a frozen ruiver to enter a village,
before crossing a second frozen river to exit the table.

After initial russian deployments the Russians were informed that it was night time and that they would camp over night, starting their journey fresh in the morning.

Part of Mark's WW2 20mm Russian collection

However, the sneakiy Finns where busy overnight and the deployed road blocks that would help to cause chaos as the morning progresses for the Russians!

And part of Mark's WW2 20mm Finnish collection

Initial deployment of Nigel's units, at the rear of the Russina Column. Somewhere behind them were the NKVD,
who would enter the table later in the game.

Steve's HQ was initially deployed in the Villlage, where they had a comfy night's sleep.

Rupert's initial deployment

Dave's initial deployment

Phil's artillery deployement

The morning breaks and felled trees have been used to block the road system in a number of places

Nigel's force is relatively efficient about removing the road block and beginning to move forwards again, maybe spurred in by the later arrival of the impatiant NKVD section on the road behind them!

A  view of the convoy at daybreak

A masssive traffic jam ensues after a field kitchen got stuck in a ford the move after the road block was cleared. The NKVD way at the back are not happy and are pushing the trailing units to hurry up.

Another view of the convoy

All to play for next week when Mike N. & John will be jooining the fray on the side of the Finns.

Border Ruffians - Our First Game

Friday 23rd October saw us play our first Border Reiver skirmish game played at Mike N's place. Figures were from John's collection and the rules were an adaptation of the 'One Hour Skirmish Wargames' set by John Lambshead.

The scenario was as below, supplied by John, as the first in a series of linked games.

The game was fast paced and enjoyable, with Mike N & Nigel forming th e'Nixon' side and Mike W & Dave forming the 'Armstrong' side.

After both side having difficulties controlling their broken men but once they were brought into control, the Nixon's archers were able to pour fire down on the Armstrongs as they herded their booty towards the table edge.

Gradually the fire told and the Armstongs were whittled down, Sandie Armstrong charged an exposed group of Nixon men, killing two in combat before he too fell to the arrows and the Armstrong side's morale broke.

Armstrong rider with horse, mule and booty

Two Armstrong riders with flock of sheep

An Armstrong leader in the ruined castle

Another view of Horse & Mule

Nixon men cross the river to engage with the Armstrongs

Nixon men approaching the Armstrong positions

Too late for the game, here are a group of eight war hounds that will be available for future games, especially involving the 'Hot Trod'. Figures from Wargames Atlantic Irish Warriors.

 

Source Info for Elizabethan Period 28mm Games

After the success after the recent Dark Ages game, using the 'One Hour Wargames' rules, there has been quite some discussion on using a similar system to run Elizabethan Age games.

Aim here is to outline sources for various figure ranges, reference books etc for some of the possibe conflicts of the time..

FIGURES

Wargames Foundry - Elizabethan Sea Dogs and Swashbucklers Range
Wargames Foundry - Late 16th Century (1560-1610) Range

D'Arlo - Border Reivers Range

Timeline Miniatures - Border Reivers Range

Casting Room Miniatures - Elizabethan / Tudor Range

Warlord Games - Wars of Religion Range

Dixon Miniatures - Border Reiver Range

The Assault Group - Engllish Tudor Range

Redoubt Enterprises - Renaissance Infantry
Redoubt Enterprises - Renaissance Cavalry

Perry Miniatures - Scots Moss Troopers, Lancers and various potentially suitable Foot.










Conquistador Set has a lot of potential, due for release March 2022.



BOOKS

Osprey Men-at-Arms: Border Reivers
Osprey Men-at-Arms: Irish Wars (1485-1603)
Osprey Warrior: Border Reiver (-1603)
Osprey Warrior: Tudor Knight
Osprey Essential Histories: French Religious Wars (1562-1598)
Osprey Elite: Elizabethan Sea Dogs (1560 - 1603)

Osprey Elite: Armada Campaign 1588



LINKS

Spirit of the Game's '1588 and all that' <here>




MORE TO BE ADDED...

Saxon v Viking Skirmish

Dave put in two weeks of Dark Ages Skirmishes running 21st - 28th February, with 28mm figures form his and Mike W's collections and using Mike N's terrain and buildings. Dave used the popular 'One Hour Skirmish Rules' and adapted them for Dark Ages usage.

The game saw three Saxon teams pitted against 3 converging Viking outfits, each team having different victory conditions and back stories...

Saxon village with Rupert's villagers defending

Mike N, Mike W and Steve were the initial 3 Viking teams and Rupert, John and Phil were the original Saxon outfits.

Mike N's Viking team approaching the Saxon Village

It seems the back stories of Steve and Mike N's teams was such that there was a lot of enmity between the two and when Steve's guys advanced towards Mike N's group without due care ad attention Steve's Team leader got taken out by Mike N's Archers.

Stranded in a foreign country and without a leader or boats to get home Steve's leaderless team paid homage to Mike N and joined forces with him.

Similarly there was bad blood between Mike W's mercenary Vikings and a band of Mercians under Phil, who had pursued the errant Vikings trying to get stole monies back. Once seeing each other n the tabletop, the two teams set-to in an epic fight , which ended up in a Mercian victory albeit at the price of the leaders from each group being killed, the Vikings fleeing and the remaining Mercians finding the missing money on the bodies of the dead...

Mike W's Viking Berserker and companion fighting
against one of Phil's Saxon warriors

Elsewhere Rupert's team were defending their village form a grinding onslaught by Mike N and his rapidly expending team - who developed shield wall tactics for pushing forwards and protecting their vulnerable archers.

Steve's leaderless team joins forces with
Mike N's team to attack the village

John arrived on the table early to help support the villagers and Steve was re-cycled in to another Saxon relief column that arrived to defend the village.

More action from the Viking assault on the village

Mike N's Vikings were able to clear out Rupert and John's archers bit the game came to a close when it was clear that they did not have the strength to take the village to exit the table on the other side the table. In effect Mike N was left with about one and a half teams to fight against the best part of 3 teams of Saxons, who held the village....

... good game enjoyed by all.

One Hour Skirmish Wargames

On Friday night we played a couple of the scenarios in John Lambshead's book - One Hour Skirmish Wargames, and great fun they were too.

Rupert had picked up and read the book and explained the rules in a couple of minutes, simple but interesting concepts, using a deck of playing cards instead of dice.

We were able to run two simultaneous games and we fitted in two games each on the night, both were 28mm,  WW2 British Commandos versus Germans scenarios.

Results table as follows:

Player     Games     Wins  Loss  Draw    %
Nigel        1        1     0     0   100%
Steve        1        1     0     0   100%
Dave         2        1     1     0    50%
Mike W       2        1     1     0    50%
John         2        0     1     1    00%

* Steve arrived late and Nigel gave up his slot to allow Steve to play in second game!     

Evening's winner - Nigel & Steve with a 100% record!