Blocking

 The following action was based on a game that featured in Wargame Tactics by Charles Grant, namely The Battle of Fiddler's Bottom. As in the original, neither side has artillery support and the two sides are of equal strength and composition; in this case, 6 units of line infantry, 4 units of cavalry and 2 units of Light Infantry. The rules were an experimental variant of OHW rules. Units initial dispositions were based on the original.

Situation

Army Red has sent a relief force to break the siege of a nearby town. Their route is blocked at Pleasant Valley by a force from Army Blue. The objective for Army Red is to exit at least six units (half of their force) across the North edge of the battlefield to form a viable relief force. The game length is 10 turns.

Pleasant Valley - The Battlefield

 The Battle

General Wells (Army Blue) had been ordered to block the approaching Red relief force at any cost. Situating himself on the high ground at Grimstone Ridge, which commanded a fine view of the valley and the large farm complex of Fiddler's Bottom, he ordered his cavalry to form up on his right and the Infantry to hold the ridge. He dispatched one unit of Light Infantry to the wooded area known as Grant's Copse in case the enemy should attempt to slip any troops past to the West. Assuming that the hedges and buildings in the farm area would slow down any units sufficiently, he determined that no troops need be sent there.
General Orderves (Army Red) planned to throw everything forward and smash his way through the blocking force.

Opening positions

Contact!

Red's Light Infantry scramble into the farm

Blue holds back the tide

Blue's cavalry under pressure

Red's Light Infantry have passed through the farm...

and exit the battlefield. General Orderves leads his Guard Cavalry into combat

A Red Infantry unit has also exited and the cavalry look like they may too

Disaster for Red! Too many losses make victory impossible

General Orderves flees the field. Army Blue victory.

Had Red used his Light Infantry to engage the enemy before exiting the outcome may have been different, then again the dice may have fallen differently... 

A fun scenario, however this rule variant proved to be a bit too fast to provide a truly satisfying game, though some elements will be retained. On to the next battle.

Stand

 In which, the retreating Albionian force crosses the river into their own territory (pursued by the Uqbalians), and turn to make a stand. The surviving cavalry have been sent to get help.

Game 5: Fighting Retreat

The Albionians have crossed the river and are heading for the hill
The green bit is impassable wetland - there is a ford at each end of the river

The Army of Uqbalistan begins to cross the river

The Rifles turn and fire 

The Albionians open fire as their attackers assemble

The attack is underway by midday 

Despite putting up a stout defence, the Albionians are suffering

A Last Stand?

Both sides reach Exhaustion Point

Neither side had total control of the objective (the hill) when the bugles of the approaching Albionian Relief Force were heard. The force from Uqbalistan retreated across the river having driven the colonial troops out of their land, and leaving few to recount the tale of their disastrous mission.

The Umpire generously split the points for the final game between the two sides as neither gained complete control of the objective.

Final Campaign Scoreboard: KU 8.5 AAU 6.5

Flanked

 The retreating Albionians are nearing the border with their own territory, and the end to their disastrous adventure pursuing the Slave Traders. The road ahead, however, seems to be blocked. The objective of this scenario is for the Albionian force to exit three units via the road.

As they approach the enemy, a scout rides up to warn the Albionian Commander that a larger force of Uqbalistanis are approaching from the Right Flank.

Game 4: Flank Attack (1)

Retreat? No! A strategic withdrawal (at the double)

Vulture's eye view of the two forces

A Line Infantry battalion is left to counter the flanking force

They prudently withdraw under heavy fire

More units get drawn into the fight on the flank

The Dragoons have smashed through the road block!

The Guards and the Rifles prepare to follow the Cavalry!

The objective achieved, the Line Infantry and the MacGuffins are left to fight their way out

and succeed in extricating themselves from their exhausted foe. 

Campaign Scoreboard: KU 6 AAU 4

The surviving Albionians march towards the nearby river crossing that marks the border, hotly pursued by a fresh force from the Kingdom of Uqbalistan...

Misfortune

 The arrival of forces in the OHW scenario 17 is dependent on the roll of 4-6 on a d6. When this is only happening for the opposing side, unfortunate events can occur.

"God Save the King!"
The King of Albionia discusses recent dispatches with his General Staff

For the remaining games in this Mini Campaign I'm testing a new rule that has come about through comments from Geoff (aka Elliesdad): this relates to a Commander's quality. Each General throws a d6 before the game starts and applies the following:

6 equals General is classed as Inspiring - The usual +1 applies to the unit that the General is with, the Army EP is set at 40%

4 or 5 General is Average but experienced - The usual +1 applies to the unit that the General is with, the Army EP is set at 30%

2 or 3 General is Average but inexperienced - +1 applies to the unit that the General is with for a single unit type only (roll d6 1-2 Infantry, 3-4 Cavalry, 5-6 Artillery), the Army EP is set at 30%

1 equals General is Poor quality - No bonus is applied and EP is set at 25%.

For the following battle the General for the Kingdom of Uqbalistan was Inspiring. The General for Albionia was Average and had been promoted up from the Cavalry, only applying a bonus when imbedded with Cavalry units.

 Game 3 Encounter

The Albionian Army is still trying to extricate itself from Uqbalistan. Both sides are looking to take control of a strategic hill however their units are arriving piecemeal. 

The first units arrive and head for the hill

Weight of numbers is already one-sided

Another unit of Albionians has turned up

and gets onto the hill

only to be destroyed

Late in the day, the army of Uqbalistan have total control of the objective

Albionian fire begins to dent the enemy but confidence has collapsed and Exhaustion Point arrives

Day's end - another victory for Uqbalistan

 Campaign Scoreboard: KU 6 AAU 0

The Albionians now need to win the last two battles to avoid defeat. Recent events suggest that this is unlikely.

Logjam

 Attempting to extricate themselves from their  incursion into the Kingdom of Uqbal, the Albionian force is marching West towards their own territory. As the road passes between a densely wooded area and a small lake, they stumble across a force of tribesmen. 

To achieve a victory, the Albionian Army of Uqbal (AAU) must clear the road of the tribesmen (who are in the pay of the Kingdom of Uqbalistan (KU)). This objective is achieved if there are no KU troops either on the road or in a grid adjacent to it. Only a single unit of tribesmen (skirmishers) and no Albionians are able to enter the wood. The lake is too deep to ford. The lack of space to manoeuvre is likely to cause a bottleneck on the road. 

Game 2 Bottleneck

The Albionians arrive ready for action (having good scouts helps)

"Clear the road you fellows"

At this point I just want to mention the Albionain Artillery battery who were completely hopeless; even when they got a bonus for not having moved they could only manage to hit a few defenseless trees. The Artillery Officer has been persuaded to resign his commission.

Cavalry charge Camelry

The Tribesmen stoically hold their ground

Midday the fire fight grinds on

With the treeline finally cleared the Albionians press forward

but can't get enough men into the gap

and reach Exhaustion Point with Tribesmen still adjacent to the road

The AAU has suffered another set back.

 Campaign Scoreboard: KU 3 AAU 0

Incursion

 I couldn't resist starting another OHW Mini-Campaign today - the scenarios to be played were rolled for as in the previous version (see here) and are as follows:

1. Scenario 21 Twin Objectives

2. Scenario 24 Bottleneck

3. Scenario 17 Encounter

4. Scenario 6 Flank Attack 1

5. Scenario 20 Fighting Retreat

As in the previous mini-campaign, I'll be using Portable Wargame rules (with occasional changes if it suits the Scenario). I'm using my Late 19th Century setting, an imaginary continent called Uqbal that is being colonized by some equally imaginary Great Powers, one of whom is the Kingdom of Albionia.

Background

In a serious attempt to smash the illegal, and morally reprehensible, slave trade, a brigade from the Albionian Army in Uqbal, in pursuit of the Slave Traders, has crossed the Eastern border into the Kingdom of Uqbalistan (causing umbridge in the latter). Quite naturally, the King sees this action as an incursion into his territory and sends a force of his own to chase the intruders away. The two force's initial meeting sees the Uqbalis split, and holding two objectives; a hill and some ruins. For Albionia to win the battle their larger force must have captured both by Turn 15.

Game 1 Twin Objectives

The majority of the Uqbali force defend the ruins

The Albionians advance on both objectives

Albionian Cavalry and Mounted Police attempt to soften up the defenders

The Rifles (Light Infantry) and Regular Line Infantry attack the hill

Infantry replace the cavalry attacking the ruins

The first objective has been taken

The Rifles rush to join the attack on the ruins

but time is running out and casualties mounting

The Albionians reach Exhaustion Point having failed to capture the 2nd objective

So the first battle is won by the Kingdom of Uqbalistan (KU) to the chagrin of the Albionian Army of Uqbal (AAU).

Using the same scoring system as the last campaign, the scoreboard after one game reads:

KU 1 AAU 0