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Miniatures Adventure => Pikes, Muskets and Flouncy Shirts => Topic started by: Skrapwelder on 14 November 2009, 07:21:52 AM

Title: Fire until the cows come home!
Post by: Skrapwelder on 14 November 2009, 07:21:52 AM
Friday the thirteenth saw Leadfool hosting a Cossack cattle raid. The following is a quick report taken mostly from my own vantage as Andre Triskadecovitch, Hetman of the Zapiroshki Cossacks.

A raiding party of Cossacks is returning to their fortified camp on the bank of a small creek with several herd of purloined cattle. In an attempt to cut them off the Polish forces have managed to slip several infantry units between the returning raiders and their camp. With the rest of the Polish army in hot pursuit the Cossacks goal is to get back across the creek with their stolen cattle.

Setup for the game:

The Cossacks started with all their infantry on one end of the board with the Cossack cavalry and the stolen cattle entering from the opposite end of the table. The first wave of Polis cvary came on one turn behind the Cossacks with the second wave of heavier Polish cavalry coming on one turn later.

Photos of the battle:

(http://rotanddrivel.com/cossackone.jpg)
The raiders view looking towards the Cossack camp through the scant opposition offered by some German mercenaries.

(http://rotanddrivel.com/cossacktwo.jpg)
Cossacks ride!.

(http://rotanddrivel.com/cossackfour.jpg)
The Tabor and its defenders in the Cossack camp.

(http://rotanddrivel.com/cossackfive.jpg)
A look down the line of the creek where the bulk of the Cossack forces await the return of the cattle raiders.

(http://rotanddrivel.com/cossacksix.jpg)
Two of the Hetman on the right try to draw the Poles within range of the muskets in the camp while the raiders try desperately to get the cattle across the river. German Ritters made it very hard on one group picking them apart with a constant peppering of pistol fire.

(http://rotanddrivel.com/cossackseven.jpg)
The Husaria arrive.

(http://rotanddrivel.com/cossackeight.jpg)
Excited Cossacks surged across the creek, eager to engage the Poles.

(http://rotanddrivel.com/cossacknine.jpg)
The Hetmen get the line back into order and start firing on the Poleish troops as they come within range.

(http://rotanddrivel.com/cossackeleven.jpg)
The cows come home. These cows are of a particularly ugly breed of brutes known as the Black Kine of Krakow.

(http://rotanddrivel.com/cossacktwelve.jpg)
Two Hetmen continue to taunt the Polish Cavalry. The Cavalry charged, attempting to contact the Cossacks who nimbly brought their horses across the creek and the pursuing Poles within range of the camps muskets. By this time all the cattle had been brought into the camp. One troop of Ritters made an assault on some Cossack archers on the far end of the camp and were repulsed so violently that the fight went out of the remaining Poles. The camp was too tough a nut to crack, but the Poles knew they would have another shot at the Cossacks soon.
Title: Re: Fire until the cows come home!
Post by: Malamute on 14 November 2009, 08:18:11 AM
Great looking game, A wonderful subject, not that often gamed. :)
Title: Re: Fire until the cows come home!
Post by: Captain Blood on 14 November 2009, 08:28:39 AM
Superb. A lovely milieu. Great looking game.  :)
Title: Re: Fire until the cows come home!
Post by: Westfalia Chris on 14 November 2009, 10:23:06 AM
These cows are of a particularly ugly breed of brutes known as the Black Kine of Krakow.

Why, you can say that again. I´d never have guessed that the oh-so-pious Poles would take to something as evil as cross-breeding boars and cattle. ;)  lol

A splendid game report! I particularly like the use of "autumn-foliage" trees. Nice break from the usual spring/summer green ones.
Title: Re: Fire until the cows come home!
Post by: Furt on 14 November 2009, 11:32:49 AM
Awesome - Cossacks rule!!  :)

Love those trees - very striking.
Title: Re: Fire until the cows come home!
Post by: Gluteus Maximus on 14 November 2009, 12:41:46 PM
Great looking game, A wonderful subject, not that often gamed. :)

Yes, I've always been fasciinated by cossacks - a bit like pirates on horseback  lol

Those autumnal trees look as if they shouldn't work, but they look splendid and give it a very seasonal look.

Another fantastic game!

Looking forward to the winter offering  ;)
Title: Re: Fire until the cows come home!
Post by: DFlynSqrl on 14 November 2009, 01:00:31 PM
Great looking game Skrapwelder.  That's a really fun idea for a scenario.
Title: Re: Fire until the cows come home!
Post by: Hitman on 14 November 2009, 02:22:58 PM
Great looking figures and terrain set up. The autumn colours on the trees are perfect for this time of year...but those "cattle" figures (LOL). Thanks for sharing...nice photography.
Regards,
Hitman
 8)
Title: Re: Fire until the cows come home!
Post by: Plynkes on 14 November 2009, 02:57:43 PM
Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness!

What beautiful pictures. I can't stop coming back to this thread to look at them again. I haven't got any painting done yet this afternoon because of this.
Title: Re: Fire until the cows come home!
Post by: Skrapwelder on 14 November 2009, 03:50:17 PM
Thanks very much. The scenario, setup and much of the rule modifications were Mr Leadfool's. I resisted the trees at first but as many noticed they look wonderful. This period is a guilty pleasure of mine and I don't get to play it often enough.

There are many comparisons that can be made between this period and locale and the American West. Hopefully I can convince Leadfool to play a few more of these as I have dragged out and dusted off a set of rule modifications for this period for the Gunfight! rules from Flagship games.
Title: Re: Fire until the cows come home!
Post by: Dr X on 15 November 2009, 05:00:30 AM
Very cool looking game.  :-*  Very UGLY cows!    ;D LOL
Title: Re: Fire until the cows come home!
Post by: leadfool on 15 November 2009, 05:44:15 AM
Skrapwelder, thanks for posting the photos.  The game turned out well and the authumn trees did look good. 
The trees are from a craft store called Micheals.  They are from the Thanksgiving village sets.  I think lemax also makes them.  The colors looked particularly vibrant with skarapwleders photos.
I think we will be playing with these figures again.  The pirate comment got me to thinking, what about a pirate vs cossack game?
Hopefully Skrapwelder will keep posting photos, because I never remember my camera.

BTW there were cows and Pigs being herded back,
Title: Re: Fire until the cows come home!
Post by: leadfool on 16 November 2009, 07:07:03 AM
Pirates and cossacks coud be with gunfight rules or legends of the high seas rules
Title: Re: Fire until the cows come home!
Post by: Galloping Major on 16 November 2009, 12:23:58 PM
Great stuff  :)
Title: Re: Fire until the cows come home!
Post by: richarDISNEY on 16 November 2009, 03:02:49 PM
Well, Skrapwelder and Leadfool, too bad I missed it!  It looks like it was a great game!
Title: Re: Fire until the cows come home!
Post by: leadfool on 17 November 2009, 06:53:08 AM
Well Richard, whose fault is that????? ;)
Title: Re: Fire until the cows come home!
Post by: warrenpeace on 17 November 2009, 10:22:23 PM
Thanks for posting the pics of a very colorful game.  Guess I'm going to have to rush over to Michael's for some trees!

I wonder if I have to blame any of you guys for getting me into miniatures, since I first tried wargaming with miniatures in Sacramento in the early 1990's.  Back then miniatures were played in an upstairs room over a smokey bingo hall.  Tried SYW with 15mm using Volley Fire, WW2 skirmish with 28mm, Apaches vs. US cavalry using 28mm, and ACW ironclads.  I still have a few 15mm SYW that I bought in Sacramento then, along with a copy of Volley Fire rules.  Looks like the miniature wargame scene is still strong there.
Title: Re: Fire until the cows come home!
Post by: leadfool on 19 November 2009, 08:49:15 AM
Warrenbruhn,  I still have nightmares about that smoky room.  I would make it a point after getting home from the games to change cloths in the garage and then shower.  That place really stunk.  But the rent was cheap.
Now we game in a great large hall, that is attached to a game store, (Great Escape Games), which is run by Gary Lane.  It is a real boon to the Sacramento scene.  They have held 45 table tournaments in there.
Title: Re: Fire until the cows come home!
Post by: Rev. Aubrey Upjohn on 06 December 2009, 10:41:26 AM
[...] I particularly like the use of "autumn-foliage" trees. Nice break from the usual spring/summer green ones.

I've been told golden autumn is called "złota jesień" in Polish.