"Ligny and Waterloo at Enfilade, WA" Topic

Well, my group, the White Rock Gamers, just put on Ligny and Waterloo at the US convention Enfilade. After a massive effort to paint thousands of 28mm figures and make 60 buildings and specialized terrain features, the games went off wonderfully using Shako II. About 20 players pushed around every unit historically involved in the battles. Both battles reversed history (which I suppose means there really shouldn't have been Waterloo, but hey….).

It was a great couple of days (each game was played over about 7 hours) and everyone was impressed, entertained and played in good spirits. I think that it was a real moment of community for both my group and the wider community of gamers in the Pacific Northwest. I would challenge my US friends to come up to Vancouver and share their passion for this wonderful hobby. I certainly applaud those that do -- good friends in a great hobby.

Thanks to Enfilade for having a bunch of nutty Canadians.

I have to add that a lot of the figures and enthusiasm were provided by the Northshore Gamers too. These things don't happen without you!

Sausagesca,

Sounds like a really great time. Hopefully, you'll be posting some photos soon and an AAR.
Just curious, with that many players, how many umpires/non-playing assistants did you need? Shako 2 is pretty intuitive if you know something about the period, but were most of your players familiar with Napoleonics before this weekend?

Thanks for coming down South putting the game on. While I didn't get to play in it I did walk by to look a couple times during session breaks. I amazes me that our border security allow you guys to smuggle two armies accross our border.

I will look to head up North next year, do you know when Trumpeter is schedule for?

Chris

Not sure when the Vancouver Salute is on, but usually in March. It is smaller than the Olympia event, but it will only get bigger if more from the region to the south support it.

Regarding the number of umpires, we had 3 of us moving along the 24 ft tables and had about 8 taking an active role in directly supporting individual new players and playing a part of the action. Two of our guys played the COs and coordinate the arrival of reserves and, again supporting the players on the field. I suppose we had as many support staff as we had new players. Half of these were newbies to Shako.

Some pictures I took with my I-phone of the games. I also belong to the White Rock Gamers.

The Scenario was orginally designed by Michael Hopper who has published his 1805 book.
It was revised by Chris Leach, co-author of Shako 2 who is in our group. We never had a chance to play test the entire game, but did it in sections.
The game was all about villages and how many formed units the French got across the stream. Villages were assigned point values and a point was given for every 5 formed units across the stream.
The French needed 13 points to win.

The French right flank Grouchy, all cavalry, moved towards the Prussians and effectively pinned 3 full brigades (divisions) of infantry. A fairly large artillery duel ensued which the French eventually lost.

In the centre, Prussian 12 lb guns did great damage to French Line Infantry formations stopping their assault dead in it's tracks. The Guard cavalry did their best to create a hole but were again decimated by artillery and squares. Thne after turn 9 the French were allowed to send in the Old Guard. They in turn were neutralized by the stalwart Prussians.

On the St. Armand, St. Armand La Haye and Wagnele sectors the French had trouble getting into the villages. The Young Guard eventually taking some of st. Armand. One French division Girard, was destroyed trying to take Wagnele.

After 14 turns the game ended and points counted up. the French had 11 and needed 13. The Prussians were jubilant!

Ligny First:
Table without figures, all of the buildings were scratch built by sausagesca.

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St. Armand looking down towards Ligny

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Ligny

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Looking down the table from the other end.

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Opening moves; all our group are in the black club shirts.
sausagesca is in the black shirt with pale grey vest at the end.

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View of the centre where the French deployed a pontoon bridge.

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Bottom of picture, the French assault St. Armand

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Prussians defend their left sector, part of Thielmans Corps.
Some figures I painted.

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Face off in the same sector French Dragoons and Prussians I Painted, Calpe.

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French Attack St. Armand.

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Guard Cavalry cross the stream

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The French Right, Grouchy pulls back and the Prussians move towards the centre to shore up crumbling lines.

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Waterloo.
Saturday morning after a fortifying breakfast we set up Waterloo. Sorry, not so many pictures of this game.

Once more this Scenario was designed by Michael Hopper with Chris Leach doing revisions. This time it was about villages, number of divisions destroyed and who held various sectors of the ridge.

Napoleon decided to ignore Hougomont and move around it. Sound tactics. He sent 2 divisions of D'Erlon's corps to their right in preparation for the arrival of the Prussians, Von Bulow's Corps. Also all the guard cavalry was sent there to hold them up.
Only one division was available for the assault on Picton, which was eventually destroyed trying to take the ridge from Wellington's amazons.
La Haye Saint was bombarded and caught fire. It was taken by French Infantry by turn 6.
The main attack was at Alten's large division and by turn 9 it was destroyed. The Anglo-Allied army managed to hang on even though French Heavy cavalry was assaulting through the gap. British heavy cavalry was all but destroyed defending this area. The Allied right barely held on as well. The Allied army was running out of infantry reserves, by turn 12. Although the Brunswickers did a valiant job of holding back the Blue tide.

Von Bulow's corps was caught in a traffic jam and struggled to get divisions in their proper places. The Guard cavalry effectively stopping the attack of Hiller on the Prussian far left.
Losthin moved through Frishermont woods and started to finally get at the French.
Plancenoit was only assaulted once before the last 2 turns when finally the Prussians captured the church.

Again after 14 turns points were counted up for villages held, number of divisions destroyed and who had what sector of the ridge.
The French had 16 points and the Allied army 14. French Victory.

Looking down the table from the Allied right flank.

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French attack on Picton.

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Looking down the table from the Allied right.

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Duel of the lancers an the far left Prussian flank, Plancenoit in the background. Prussians painted by myself and Polish Guard Lancers painted by Eric.
Mine were freshly painted four weeks before this game and lost badly.

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Prussian traffic jams. Cavalry trying to get across to attack the Guard cavalry, stalling attacks on Plancenoit.

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Again Prussian cavalry painted by myself attack the Guards, this time winning.

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Great shots and excellent reporting. Thanks for posting these Mr T.
C

So sorry I could not make it this year, I got off the night shift about the time you would have been setting it up.

Owen

A well done report and a magnificent looking game. Thanks for sharing this with the rest of us.
I love Shako 2 and it's great to see it played out on such a large scale.
Did anyone estimate how many figures were on the table?

I think it was 4-5000. Every unit was represented.

My count for Waterloo was 6200 figures. Ligny very close to that.