There Will Be A Great Battle

In Patagonia

The history of Aurikania and Pathagounia

The complete unabridged history in four volumes

With copious notes on the manner of the original manuscript

This is the story of two imagi-nations Set in a time long ago.

Table of Contents Volume I-III:
I  The foundation of the territories and the naming of the provinces.
            A. Ancient Times, see The Island of Marnon and other historical fables.
            B. The War and the division of Auricania and Patagonia
II Early Naval Architecture

Victualing documents from the museum of nautical artifacts. Patagonia 1782.

III  The Royal families: Prominent Families and Individuals
IV The Lineage of the House of Patagonia

V  The Armies

The overhead view of the battle field.  Auricania defending on the left edge of the image.  Patagonian assault began on the right edge of the image.

Opening view of the muster to defense.  Auricanian line and reserves form up in the streets of the Delft Gin Center.

Patagonian assault.  This was a surprise attack during the holiday season.  Preemptive attack on the forces of Queen Marie by the aggressive King Michael.

Nice sunrise view of the Patagonain line troops.

Scouting the enemy flank.

Auricanian banner unfurls on the wind.

The heat of the battle rages.  Cannons and musket balls whiz through the air.

VI The Armies Part the Second
VII  The Rules of Warfare
VIII  The Naval Atlas of the Western Sea and the colonies
IX  The Island of Marnon and early histories including fantastic stories and myths from long ago
X  The solar calendar of the Auricanian and Patagonian hemisphere
Illustrations:
Plate 1: Maps
Plate 2 Illustrations

Plate 3 Photographic engravings

Thanks for looking in.  More edits in a bit.

The Texas Revolution: Scenarios written for One Hour Wargames

The Texas Revolution:

Scenarios written for One Hour Wargames

By Kenneth Van Pelt

Battle of Gonzales

Situation: The Battle of Gonzales was the first military engagement of the Texas Revolution. It was fought near Gonzales, Texas, on October 2, 1835, between rebellious Texian settlers and a detachment of Mexican army soldiers .

In 1831, Mexican authorities gave the settlers of Gonzales a small cannon to help protect them from frequent Comanche raids. Over the next four years, the political situation in Mexico deteriorated, and in 1835 several states revolted. As the unrest spread, Colonel Domingo de Ugartechea, the commander of all Mexican troops in Texas, felt it unwise to leave the residents of Gonzales with a weapon and requested the return of the cannon.

When the initial request was refused, Ugartechea sent 100 dragoons to retrieve the cannon. The soldiers neared Gonzales on September 29, but the colonists used a variety of excuses to keep them from the town, while secretly sending messengers to request assistance from nearby communities. Within two days, up to 140 Texians gathered in Gonzales, all determined not to give up the cannon. On October 1, settlers voted to initiate a fight. Mexican soldiers opened fire as Texians approached their camp in the early hours of October 2. After several hours of desultory firing, the Mexican soldiers withdrew.[1]

Although the skirmish had little military significance, it marked a clear break between the colonists and the Mexican government and is considered to have been the start of the Texas Revolution. News of the skirmish spread throughout the United States, where it was often referred to as the "Lexington of Texas". The cannon's fate is disputed. It may have been buried and rediscovered in 1936, or it may have been seized by Mexican troops after the Battle of the Alamo.

Army Sizes:  Mexican Army: 4 Units. 1 Infantry, 1 Skirmisher, 2 Cavalry.   Texian Army: 6 Units 3 Infantry, 2 Skirmisher, 1 Artillery.

Deployment:

Mexican Army in zones 7,8,9 facing North.

Texian Army 1 Infantry and 1 Artillery zone 2.

Reinforcements:  The Texian army rolls a dice at the beginning of every turn and receives a unit on the North map edge on the roll of 4, 5, 6.  The Mexican army does not receive any more reinforcements.

Special Rules:  The Guadalupe river is difficult to cross and the ferry has been removed by the Texians.  To cross a unit must begin the move adjacent to the river and roll a 5, or 6 to cross. Texians add +1 to their die roll.

Game Length and Turn Order: 15 rounds and the Texians move first in each turn.

Victory Conditions:  Major Victory: Mexicans win if they make contact with the cannon artillery piece located in zone 2.  If they make contact the unit is captured and loses all remaining strength points. Marginal Victory: Capturing the gun and taking casualties or losing a unit.

Failure: Taking any casualties on the Infantry and skirmisher units.

Texians win a Major Victory if they are in possession of the cannon at the end of the game.

Inspiration:  One Hour Wargames by Neil Thomas and the Wikipedia site on the Texas Revolution.

Battle of Goliad Scenarios for OHW

Battle of Goliad

 Situation: The Battle of Goliad was the second skirmish of the Texas Revolution. In the early-morning hours of October 9, 1835, Texas settlers attacked the Mexican Army soldiers garrisoned at Presidio La Bahía, a fort near the Mexican Texas settlement of Goliad. La Bahía lay halfway between the only other large garrison of Mexican soldiers (at Presidio San Antonio de Bexar) and the then-important Texas port of Copano.

In September, Texians began plotting to kidnap Mexican General Martín Perfecto de Cos, who was en route to Goliad to attempt to quell the unrest in Texas. The plan was initially dismissed by the central committee coordinating the rebellion. However, within days of the Texian victory at the Battle of Gonzales, Captain George Collinsworth and members of the Texian militia in Matagorda began marching towards Goliad. The Texians soon learned that Cos and his men had already departed for San Antonio de Béxar but continued their march.

The garrison at La Bahía was understaffed and could not mount an effective defense of the fort's perimeter. Using axes borrowed from townspeople, Texians were able to chop through a door and enter the complex before the bulk of the soldiers were aware of their presence. After a 30-minute battle, the Mexican garrison, under Colonel Juan López Sandoval, surrendered. One Mexican soldier had been killed and three others wounded, while only one Texian had been injured. The majority of the Mexican soldiers were instructed to leave Texas, and the Texians confiscated $10,000 worth of provisions and several cannons, which they soon transported to the Texian Army for use in the Siege of Béxar. The victory isolated Cos's men in Béxar from the coast, forcing them to rely on a long overland march to request or receive reinforcements or supplies.

Army Sizes: Mexican Army: 4 Units Infantry.  Texian Army 3 Units Infantry 3 Units Skirmishers.

Deployment:  Mexican Army all 4 units in zone 5, the presidio.  Texian army may deploy on any table edge.

Reinforcements: No reinforcements.

Special Rules: The Mexican Units cannot fire or move until they activate with a roll of 4,5,6.  Once activated they are active and will fight the remainder of the game. 

The presidio should have four gates marked on each fort side facing.  These have a hit point value of 5 and will stop unit traffic until they are opened by the Mexicans or destroyed with combat by the Texians. Firing into the presidio target units take only half fire effect.

Game Length and Turn Order:  The game is 15 rounds and the Texians move first in each round.

Victory Conditions: Texians score a major victory if the capture the presidio.  Mexicans score a marginal victory if they get 2 units off the table.

Inspiration:

Collecting Toy Soldiers American History Summer Camp

I had a great week at Barstow Summer Camp with a group of kids that I got the opportunity to share the hobby of collecting toy soldiers.

This week long summer camp featured the American Civil War as our topic of discussion and gaming.  I used the BMC civil war plastic 54mm troops to explore the collection aspect of the hobby and to teach the kids to paint miniatures.

We set up a simple map campaign game.  Each student got to be an army commander.  I had 12 students during the week.

The campaign map.  Click to see a larger image.  I have used this map for three summers.

The battle of Quincy Crossing.  An encounter that occurred on the campaign map.

The miniatures started out as unpainted plastic obviously, but we explored the painting part of the hobby.  The students engaged in this at their discretion and some developed an interest in this part of the hobby.

At the end of the week we had a battle royale with all of the commanders take home army on the map.

Rome's Conquest of Gaul

Rome's conquest of Gaul. 

Proconsul Julius Caesar marches into the valley of the Rhine. Crossing the Rhine River with three cohorts. It is the year 58 BC. Julius is responding to the possibility of an uprising among the tribes of the Celts. It is rumored that the Viromanduii are dissatisfied with their lands and want expansion. 

They are neutral aggressive versus the Romans. If this unrest is not quelled it will spread to the other tribes. So taking the VIIth VIIIth and IXth cohorts into the valley, Julius Caesar and his Commanders must put down this uprising.

 It is early April in the year 58 BC. The first battle featuring Titus Labienus versus Commius of the Viromanduii is a victory for the Gauls. Rome reels under the defeat.

Commius of the Viromanduii

Titus Labienus, commander of the VII Cohort.  Surveys the lines and orders the skirmishers forward.

NT One Hour Wargames Scenario 15 and the Finale to the Medieval Campaign

Finale to the 3 game campaign.  Red general has deployed his army #2 onto the table 24" in from the North edge of the table.  Two units are deployed into the fortified towns.  Both of these units are levies.  This give them suitable protection and the ability to man the cities' missile weapons.

Red Army deployment.  The units are double stands from my Britains collection.  Previous battles used only one stand per unit.  This bulked up the table and looked really nice in my imagination.  In the above image we are looking North from the Blue army lines.  We see two towns/encampments with fortification and an impenetrable wood on the Eastern battlefield.

"Come and get some!", Red commander, Battle 3.

The Blue host.  Army number #4 is on the go line and ready to take the first turn.

And they have opened the battle with archery fire on the Western fort.

Glorious 54s.

From North looking South

Red attacks the blue line and does significant damage.

Cry Havoc!  The tumult of battle!

Battle rages during turn two.

Red knights break in the center.  They were flanked by blue men at arms.

Trading damage.  Blue now loses a unit of knights and is also weak in the center.

When it is your turn you must score hits.  This is an impetus, aggressive game.

Red loses another knight retinue that was supporting the Western fort.

Western fort falls.  The levy breaks and runs.  It took a lot of turns.  This is likely turn 6 or 7.

Northern fort stands tough.  Two units of blue are headlong retreat to the baseline.

This scenario allows blue to "refit".  Here in the late turns of the game comes the reloaded full blue army.  A glorious chivalric wall of steal and horse ride down the Northern fort.

Fifteen hits and another levy breaks.

Turn 13 and Blue takes the two fortified encampments.

Thanks for looking in.

If this were to continue the next two scenarios would be 22 and then 28.  All randomly rolled.  I think I am going to go back to the beginning because now I feel I have the rules down to memory and the game could be played pretty quickly with a minimal setup time.  Probably could solo a five game campaign in an evening.  Not bad.  Not Morschauser, but not bad.