Edinburgh Wargames

The Edinburgh Wargames Journal

Issue 46  -  May 2010  

Periods featured  in this issue:   Japanese Samurai (28mm), Second World War (20mm)

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Catch the Palanquin -  Samurai Skirmish Game   (Songs of Ninja and Katana) 28mm    Report by Angus

Skirmish games are always profoundly unsatisfying. Sure, you get to use nicely-painted figures (at least some of the time), and in theory a modicum of tactics are involved, but it really isn't the same as a proper wargame. While I still hold this view after playing the game, I have to admit that I did begin to start enjoying myself about halfway through. Perhaps I just resigned myself to it all, although I suspect it also had something to with the number of beers consumed, and the fact that I got to chop up Dougie Trail's Samurai...

The scenario - such as it was - was dreamed up by Derek Hodge. Apparently it all involved an aristocratic lady in a palanquin, carried by two hefty bearers. She was the daughter of the chief of the Toshiba clan, and as we all know Medieval Japan was a battleground for warring Samurai clans. Well, she had an escort, and had to reach the safety of a bridge. Beyond the river was friendly territory - or at least the domain of an ally. the ally's troops wouldn't do anything to help her, but were out in force to prevent the fighting from spreading to their side of the river. To reach the river she had to be carried through an area ruled by the rival Sony clan, and their people were eager to capture her.

     

Fortunately the lady had an escort of samurai and ashigaru, so at least the bodyguard could try to fight their way through if - or rather when - they were set upon. Well, the escort sound found its way to the bridge was blocked by their rivals - a smaller force than their own (run by Kevan Gunn). They also saw that enemy reinforcements were arriving (my guys), and so they resolved to hack their way through the blocking force before the other guys could reach the scene.

 To buy time, the escort leaders (Jim Louttit and Dougie Trail) sent two samurai to keep the reinforcements busy, while the rest piled on down the road towards the waiting enemy. The two samurai chopped up two or three ashigaru, but weight of numbers finally prevailed, and they went down fighting. Their sacrifice wasn't in vain - they bought time for the rest of the escort to weigh in to the blocking force, and overwhelm it after a sharp and rather scrappy fight. Meanwhile the palanquin bearers skirted round the mayhem, and headed towards the bridge.

   

Seeing this, the reinforcements gave chase, but had to waste time dispatching a few surviving members of the escort before they could catch their quarry. In the end the palanquin reached the bridge safely, although most of her escort were left strewn all over the countryside. Victory then, was awarded to the Toshibas, and the toys were packed away.

These Songs of Ninja and Katana rules proved to be a rather generic skirmish set, derived from a set of Italian fantasy rules called Song of Blades and Heroes. The names alone are enough to send me heading for the hills. While this isn't where I'd normally look for a set of wargame rules, it seemed to do the job reasonably well. Fortunately we were spared the appearance of any mythical Japanese dragons, demons trolls or other such fantastic nonsense.

       

Left: Eating in period        Right: Derek explained the scenario with his usual bluster

 

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Sept Vents, Normandy 1944   (Battlegroup Panzer Grenadier) 15mm    Report by Douglas Trail, photos by Derek Hodge

Operation Bluecoat was another British attempt to break the deadlock along the Normandy front. The Americas had launched operation Cobra to the south east and the British were pushing up to put more pressure on the German line. Our game was based on the assault on the village of Sept Vents at the start of Bluecoat.

Von Dax and myself were doing our best with the 'orrible hun, while the doughty British were commanded by Major 'Jimbo' Loutitt and Corporal 'Old Soak' Hodge. The Germans deployed hidden with the usual Nazi fiendishness carefully placing their mines and machine guns.

So to the tale. After a long round of tea drinking discussing the weather and the finer points of the left of middle guard our British commanders got their troops rolling. Major Loutitt was obsessed with maintaining the proper formation, an echeloned attack, and was constantly heard telling all who would listen. Corporal Hodge did not look too interested, the French beer in his knapsack however was a different matter.

The lead scouts, on the left of the British advance spotted some fresh faced Nazis in the next field. Major Louttit arranged his troops into a thin brown line and a mass of fire poured forth pinning half of the Nazi platoon. The remaining Nazis opened up and then legged it back to the next field, deserting their pinned comrades. Major Loutitt leapt over the hedge followed by the rest of the company, 'Die Nazi, Die' was all his men could hear as they raced across the field. The 8 or so Hitler youth remaining were massacred in the bottom of their.

Back to his old theme the Major halted his company in the ex-Nazi positions to get his echelon back into shape. He had however fallen into a fiendish Nazi trap as the blighters had pre registered their artillery on their positions. Standing, resting his foot on a fallen German Major Loutitt’s only warning was the whine of the approaching shells. Von Dax could be observed rubbing his hands with glee as the whole British company was bracketed, the Majors use of obscenities reach new levels.

As the Major's company was grovelling in the dirt trying to escape the fiendish Nazi trap, Corporal Hodge’s lot pushed forward. It all looked so good, spotting and forcing back one MG and advancing like a Hollywood film. Like all Hollywood films However the Nazis were nothing if not cunning and had hidden a second MG beside the first. The Corporal watched in horror as the devilish Hun opened up on his mates as they ran through the field. A whole platoon went to ground but a British tank soon put paid to the MG's fun and the advance pushed up the to the hedge by a sunken road.

After a brief pause behind the hedge Corporal Hodge and his men vaulted over straight into a minefield. It would seem however that the German mines were faulty (probably built in some French factory) and the British troops raced through with no casualties. A burst of Spandau fire and the sound of breaking glass brought disaster to Corporal Hodge, his precious beer was gone. Fighting mad, he stormed the Nazis position which turned out to contain a full platoon. In a bloody encounter the corporal bayoneted every Nazi he could get his hands on. The remainder broke and ran leaving the British holding the position. VC all round was the cry at which point the battle drew to a close.

While the Germans were not beaten the momentum was most definitely with the British. It was a good fun game with Corporal Hodge’s charge at the end being the highlight. Once again, we used the tried, tested and excellent Battlegroup Panzer Grenadier rules, available from Caliver Books

Note from Angus: In my absence these guys tend to revert to 15mm for their Second World War games. I'm sure you'll agree it doesn't look a patch on 20mm...

Second World War page

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