I have just had a most excellent gaming weekend with Simon (Goat Major), Iain (Essex Boy) and Dave (World2Dave). This has been planned for a while but like all these things it only really came together in the last few weeks when we finally realised we could all make it and it was going to happen. It was planned as a two game weekend. Meeting at Dave’s house on the Saturday for a 6mm Franco-Prussian War game and then travelling to near Lincoln for a game of Sharp Practice at Simon’s house in his new game room! I travelled down on the Friday night and after a swift pint with Iain in Newark I was picked up by Simon who had offered to put me up for the night. We were all booked into a B&B in Newark on the Saturday night so we could all grab a few beers and a meal and not have to worry about getting back anywhere!
We managed to get to Dave’s for around 10am (even Iain!) and soon got started with the first game. If you haven’t seen Dave’s armies and terrain you are really missing out. Beautifully coordinated terrain and figures that look stunning overall (and close up!) and were a pleasure to play with.
We did a 6mm FPW game using Real Time Wargames To the last gaitor button rules and Dave’s lovely 6mm Heroics and Ros collection. These are painted in a minimal style (how 6mm should really be painted) but the choice of colours and contrast really make them look good and the painting is just so neat! Myself and Simon took a Bavarian and Prussian corps respectively. This was the table with the jump off points indicated by markers. 
We were coming on with roughly two divisions each for the first three turns with the target being the town of Hoffen in the middle. The French held the town and were feeding in re-inforcements.
The rules use a grid for movement and firing and it took a while to adjust to the scale of command and how hard it is to change your plans once you’ve deployed a division to attack in a particular direction and then need to change! My troops streamed on to the left of the town with the plan to drive a wedge between the town the coming reinforcements on that flank. 
Unfortunately the French got into the woods to my left and I allowed myself to be drawn into covering that threat as my main forces pushed forward and tried to hold off the threat.
Part of my problem was poor initial placing of my corps artillery reserve but they eventually began to pummel the troops in the village. Unfortunately, as my weakened troops prepared for the assault they were hit in the flank by French cavalry.
Although I did manage to drive forward to the left of Hoffen and get troops into the woods to support my assault on the town I had lost too many men and my corps was looking fragile.
And as my left started to crumble it was clear the assault was too little too late.
Unfortunately the Prussians had had little success on their flank, struggling to build a strong assault.
Both the Prussian and Bavarian corps exceeded their breakpoint on the same turn and it was clear the French had won the day!
The rules worked really well, despite some issues adjusting to the ‘scale’ at the start and it was clear that reserves were crucial. Trying to cover too large a front and fight everywhere just doesn’t work as for any attack to work you need the fresh troops to take advantage.
The game was played in great spirit (we even overlooked Iain’s blatant cheating!) and the pictures don’t really do Dave’s setup justice. There are lots more pics here: Franco Prussian War gallery.
It was a great start to the weekend. More to come on Sunday’s game soon.