"Hougoumont Skirimish - Can I Use Alamo Rules?" Topic

I am putting together a 54mm individually based figure Hougoumont game for the spring. I am considering retreading some successful Alamo rules I've used in the past. So for Texians and Mexicans read British and French . The British get a first and second reaction move while the French just plow ahead trying to make for the walls and gates. The British fire individually while the French fire less effectively by stand. The game is broken down into three waves. The French are recycled to their starting positions once half of their units break. French inside the chateau grounds remain. British fire power lessens each wave to model dwindling ammunition supplies. If the British survive three waves, they win. Of course, I plan to feed in British reinforcements and include the Nassau and Hanoverian Lights holding the woods. Plus supporting fire from British and French (off board?) artillery. I think this would work well of a large convention game, but I wonder if, in doing a straight up substitution, I doing a disservice to the memory of the brave British and French and Nassau and Hanoverian who fought there.

Your plan sounds fantastic!

The fact that you've used your Alamo rules successfully in the past makes the substitution of Hougoumont for your game quite plausible.

Your plan is perfect go for it.

Should be great fun…….with a realistic end result. I would find it harder to create rules to allow any sort of defence of the Alamo, not Hgmt!

Interesting to contrast the two assaults.

Alamo at end of a long siege.
From all sides, with an indefensible perimeter
With no external support whatsoever, after early minor reinforcement of the garrison (as you said)
At night, surprise attack, as they slept
Against an exhausted sleeping "militia", not an elite.
Who were individually less well armed than their attackers
Who had no choice but fight or die. No escape route, even when they did flee.
Artillery that was potentially devastating, but not once the attackers were up to the walls.
Ammo was not the issue at the Alamo. Instead a large magazine captured by Santa Anna. Within Hgmt buildings, ammo may have been a problem. Hence the driver story. Doubt it in the grounds…

I would find the Alamo hard to recreate with any prospect of Texian success, unless you go back to the John Wayne version.

I suspect your rules are better for Belgium than Texas! Enjoy and tell us how it goes…….(a photo or two?)

Hgmt was very defensible,as long as there was a constant stream of reinforcements into the gardens and orchard.

This seems an eminently practical idea, and I can see no reason why Alamo rules should not work satisfactorily.

In an Alamo game, I would suppose Texian 'success' would be determined by holding out longer/inflicting heavier casualties on the Mexicans than was the case historically.

For Hougomount, the French have to take the farm to 'win'.

Sounds good….i would think the Alamo defenders need to equal the historical defence…..as for Hgmt it would be great game!

I was very reluctant to broach this subject…the evidence is that the poor devils were taken by surprise, sound asleep and most broke (any unit would), but had no hope of escape. Their casualties probably outnumbered the attackers'. Very brave men to stay and defend against those odds. Created a rallying cry and a legend…nothing wrong with that. It was more a massacre than a historical defence.

The Alamo defenders by day, plus not after a prolonged bombardment and siege, might make a very different story. I am seriously tempted not to post this….there was no hope of defending the Alamo, that was what made them heroes.

I already wish I had not posted that. Hours have gone by, no grief yet, but it is till only midday across the Atlantic. I stuck my head over the parapet here. Do not mess with our dreams and ideals.

They were heroes…..the shame was that, in wargames terms, they did not stand a chance….that is what makes for heroes, but not a wargame.

1916, some daft Irish folk did exactly the same thing in Dublin. Whether the RCS, Bolland's Mill or the GPO, there was not the slightest hope they could have prevailed.

The forces of the Crown were however incredibly lenient, in accepting surrenders of the lower ranks. By the rules of the day they were guilty of murder.

The rebels created a nation and I still have that passport. The Alamo I think is similar, but……..be careful to cast any doubts (whether Texas or Waterford)….I have never been to San Antonio, but will one day! I was born in the other, but still say God Save the Queen! Ah, she's alright, bless her.

I ran a play test of my Hougoumont game in 54mm on Saturday. The rules were cobbled together from the "Come and Take It" Alamo Rules; a friend's rules for the Foreign Legion at Camerone and bits and pieces from Muskets and Tomahawks. I used the Hougoumont scenario in the Black Powder Hundred Days book to time reinforcements for each side. The game played fairly historically, even though I gave the French attackers too many ladders. I know it's a subject of debate as to whether there were *any* ladders used by the French, but without some means to scale the walls, the French simply surge around the walls like waves around a lighthouse. The most challenging thing was convincing the British/Allied player to defend the orchard. Their natural impulse was to throw everyone into the chateau and formal gardens. I think I will need to raise the number of victory points for holding the orchard to equal those for holding the chateau. The game lasted eight turns. The British needed to hold out for twelve turns, but by the end of eight, two of the chateau buildings were on fire and could not be occupied. On the other hand, the French units were all close to losing their morale through attrition. I had decided that the British units in the chateau did not have to check their morale but would fight to the last man. So, with the formal gardens and orchard still solidly in British hands, I named the British as victors. If anyone is interested in seeing the rules I used, send me PM and I'll send you a Word file. Please note that my aim was to produce simple, convention friendly rules, so don't expect a lot of complexity.

Any pictures of the game?

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More photos at: link
But you might have to join the group to view them