Aginclank: a VSF refight of the Battle of Agincourt

As part of my recent blog clear-up, I was truly sad to find that 90% of VSF links that I have collected over the past 2 decades are dead. Shouldn't be surprised: there were old yahoo groups, geocities sites, webrings (remember them?) and all up many a great VSF Blog has gone as enthusiasm faded. Sad but natural.

Some of them were really great, and most inspirational. Some I found in the Wayback machine and one here I really wanted to capture for posterity from the blog "Articulated Rot and Steam Launched drivel"

Again, this is NOT my work and is posted here because such great creativity deserves to endure. I present this as originally posted - enjoy!

Aginclank

Henry V's famous battle reimagined in a Victorian Science Fiction setting.

May 28, 2011:For Kublacon this year I ran a VSF refight of the Battle of Agincourt. Below are pictures from the game with some descriptive commentary.

The English Line.

The City of London Post Office Volunteer Rifles in the woods open the English left flank.

Henry, The King, in his tank Racquets, knights by his side.

Uncle Exeter in Harfleur leading the Royal Marines.

York and Gloucester in their tanks with more English foot knights.

The King's Royal Rifles in the woods on the English right flank.

The line of French knights with Martel in the tank Oriflamme.

French Knights seen from the woods.

The French Foreign Legion, part of the French rearguard.
On the right is the French Old Guard forming the infantry center.

Oriflamme proves to be an early casualty while the French knights get stuck in the mud.

 

The English move up to the edge of the muddy field.

French knights led by the Duc de Alencon threaten the Rifle brigade in the woods.

York and Gloucester

Richard Beauchamp, The Earl of Warwick. This is a figure I converted but was painted in masterful fashion by my closest friend Mr. Thomas Foss.

Exeter and the Marines.

Montjoy, the French Herald moves up to offer terms to Henry while a French tank burns most ironically in the background.

Warwick and his squire move up the center.

The Royal Marines and the Post Office Rifles give volleys to the French Knights.

The Duke of Alencon, with the aid of French sailors from the rearguard assault the rifles and force them back into the woods.

More of the rearguard moves up.

English foot knights advancing.

Montjoy, the French Herald.

Exeter.

Having extricated themselves from a particularly deep patch of muck, the French knights turn and charge the Post Office Rifles.

The Rifles hold fast and the combat draws on.

The French Foreign Legion advance in support of the chivalry's attack.

One company of the Rifles withdraw slowly back into the woods while another come out and threaten the Dauphin's flank.

The third company of the Post Office Rifles and their Velocipede, the mighty McPhilleagh.

The English foot knights, ed by Warwick, engage the French line in a series of back and forth skirmishes in the center of the line.

Warwick makes for the French Center.

The Duc de Alencon lies defeated and the French rearguard considers the formidable task of rooting the Royal Rifles out of the woods.

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I'll try and resuurect some of the other great posts 

from  "Articulated Rot and Steam Launched drivel" in the future

Space 1889: Battle for the Trading Outpost- Part 2

A roar of aerial and ironclad artillery signalled the commencement of the French attack upon the Martian Trading Outpost, and the dying on both sides began.

Somewhat unimaginatively, the French attack focused on the Martian Legions on the plains, and attriting the Red Legion holding the outpost, before unleashing the Guards to steal all the wine. Of course, the French could bombard the place to oblivion at leisure but that was the way of the hated Prussians or scorned Belgians, and General Escargot was under orders to capture the location for French use. 

And so the Martian sepoys were thrown in to lead the attack while the regulars stayed back to provide covering fire (a very Earthman approach, a cynic might suggest)

Martian view of the French left flank attack

Focusing fire on the left flank with Le Epee supporting, the French advanced steadily with aerial fires sweeping away the Martian artillery quickly (some good rolling for hits, AND some bad rolling for pin checks!). One unit of sepoy infantry made an early dash to secure the ruins (and the cover they invited).  Centrally the clanker landcruisers focused on counter battery fire, the sharpshooters sniped and the Grenadiers sipped champagne and patiently waited their turn. 

"These snazzy rouge pantalons make us invincibles Mon Ami!"

Far out of the right wing, the Martian Gashants advanced and General Escargot deployed his own cavalry Regiment to counter (yes that is indeed 52 gashant models on the table at the same time, for which we claim a Guiness World Record - prove us otherwise!)

"Mon Dieu! Ennemie Cavalrie!"

Meanwhile the Legionaries advanced into a firing positions and nobody really cared what they thought of things. It is the way of things in the Legion.

Back on the left flank crossfire whittled down the Martian Black legion, but Le Epee's fire - pinpoint at the start of the battle, rapidly became ineffective and a Hill Martian sharpshooter unit took the sepoys under fire, bogging down their advance. 

Spying his chance for gloire, Prince Imperial Louis-Napoléon (on secondment to the training cadre in Ideaus Fons) took command of the closest Sepoy unit - storming the hill, throwing back the Hill Martians and blasting them with panache and a dash of fusilade! For his actions that day he was subsequently gazetted with the award of the Légion d'honneur. Bravo!

"Avant! Hommes en avant!"

The French Cavalerie had fully deployed by now and a standoff had evolved with both forces just outside of charge range (and looking magnificent, naturellemont!)

And when the dance had became tiresome and the fromage was all gone, the hooves of giant desert lizard creatures was defeaning as both mounted formations committed to the charge!

First up, the French Cuirassiers crashed into the lead Martian cavalry...

...and instead of the newly painted Frenchies dying to a man in the great wargaming tradition, they saw off their opponents and sent them packing with heavy losses while only taking a single casualty themselves!

And then the err.. other 'French' and Martian units collided and the French elan and strength of mounted arms was repeated!

As this second Martian unit fell back, the Cuirassiers added insult to injury by slamming into their flank

And as the dust cleared, the Martian Cavalry force was looking rather battered

A fresh Martian unit charged into the upstart Cuirassiers, who rose to the challenge yet again!

Having beaten back this third unit, and with fresh reinforcements from the Sepoy gashant squadron coming up, the Martian Cavalry Legion attempted to retire. Most of it was chased down and destroyed in detail.

Naturally, the French began considering a garlic jus to serve with the roasted carcasses, but perhaps a simple White Wine Sauce would be most appropriate...

The Final Insult: The Martian Cavalry Commander, resplendent
 in his fine armour, is slain by the jubilant Cuirassier commander

With that action done, it was time to embrace the spirit of "L'audace, encore l'audace, toujours l'audace!" and commit my Guards Battalion to the assault! Rolling to unpin the only Guard unit sporting a pin marker - snake eyes, and it routed off the table to investigate rumours that the Mess tent had opened early for pre dinner drinks.  Perhaps more pummelling of the defenders was the better part of valour...

Nevertheless, French had the momentum on both flanks though the Martians had some untouched Defenders that needed routing out at the tip of the bayonet. It would be bloody work. Of course the French could stand off and pound the settlement to destruction but that would somewhat sour the views of the very Martians that they sought as allies. Time to encircle, besiege, and offer terms from a position of strength while saving precious French lives.

VP tally 

The French had captured the Ruins (1), had Prince Louis engage in Close Combat and survive (1), and destroyed 3 legions (9) for 11 points. Meanwhile the Martians retained control of the Trading Post (5) and had eliminated one French unit (the Guards unit that routed, to the chagrin of all) for a total of 6.  A Victory for France!

And so, my French Army was most reluctantly not returned back into their usual place of honour in Gav's figure cabinet, but placed into a new figure case bought just for them for long term storage. Rest and recover well mes hommes!

la Fin!

Epilogue: With a grand total of 52 Gashants on the table, Gav has proclaimed that this game was the winner of the World Record number of Gashants simultaneously fielded in a Space 1889 wargame. Post your accolades or provide evidence to the contrary!