FoL goes Franco Prussian

[Westbury]

Like so many wargamers we've got figures stored away that hardly see the light of day and our Franco Prussian skirmish is a prime example of that; probably 60 odd figures all told and gamed with once!
So today we remedied that and got two small forces out for a casual game. But what about rules? We don't have any specific rules for the period and I'm not inclined to write a set so we opted for FoL and free kriegspieled as we went along the bits that didn't feel right.
Basic scenario was two foraging parties entering a large farm, complete with various outbuildings and fields, looking to feed their respective armies. Scattered around were, pigs, cattle, grain sacks and various carts loaded for the market.

[Westbury]

We diced randomly for entry positions and as luck would have it the two forces arrived diagonally opposite; the French around the back of the main house and the Prussians through a break in the hedging hidden by a store house.
In the opening moves neither side could see each other so 3 of the French headed for the close by pig pen while the NCO & officer took cover by a wagon and the rest of the party spread out heading for carts; the Prussians split into 2 groups, one heading for the windmill and surrounding walls and the other out from the store house heading towards the cows.

[Westbury]

Forgot.

[Westbury]

The French quickly hopped into the pig pen and stole 3 animals but then things went wrong 
One of the pigs got a bit angry, attacked Pierre and knocked him to the ground senseless - we were using Jokers as a disaster so when this one played we reasoned that the pig would 'melee' its captor - the pig won and by the rules it killed the soldier but that was just too ridiculous    so we ruled just knocked out.
Then the shooting started....

[Westbury]

The Prussians had obviously decided to fort up and gun the valiant French down as they went about their business of looting local farmers - typical shabby German trick 
So at the cart just outside the windmill a couple of brave Frenchmen went down in an ambush not helped by the so called covering fire from the leadership being in fact just the NCO because the officer was out of range with only a pistol!
In a small moment of sunshine another Frenchman managed to get a cart out of a store room and start moving when the wheel fell off! - another Joker

[Helen]

Lovely looking game.

[Westbury]

The Prussians were now getting closer as the game went on and bringing more fire to bare - we ruled the needle gun would use the bow ranges to portray the differences of the time.
The French persevered with their pig stealing, Robert & Andre were well away with their prizes and Pierre chose a more docile beast and trailed behind them, safe from the shooting because the rest of the party were soaking up the shot.
When the French NCO was wounded the officer decided it was time to withdraw so hopped out of the wagon he had been commanding from reasoning that France needed his leadership skills 

[Westbury]

Ultimately the French were driven from the farm with 3 pigs leaving the Prussians with the bulk of the supplies.
The French suffered 4 dead and 2 wounded, the Prussians only 1 dead and 1 wounded.
The rules gave us a game and it was fun but will need a bit of work to make them a bit more period specific if we are to use them again. It's a bit of a barren field for C19th skirmish rules.

[waterproof]

Very nice idea for a skirmish, commandeering in enemy territory. In your explanation, it sounds like the French are scrambling to get food and the Prussians are just waiting and shooting at the French like hunters at rabbits. I don't know the rules you mentioned, but I will take up the idea for a skirmish of my own. I particularly like the terrain and the game table.
I like very much this era, the age of unification wars. I would also like to buy one or the other of the new models of the Perry series.
The last great appearance of large armies in colored uniforms.

[fred]

Great looking figures and table.

We find with skirmish games, having most of the terrain in the middle of the table is important - cuts down lines of sight, and forces the two teams to contest the objectives. If one team can sit back and shoot the other off the table, its never a great game.

With the capture the loot scenarios it is good if there can be some timer effect that means that only loot off the table at the end of the game counts - if you can kill the opposition early fine, you have free turns to grab loot, but just leaving loot on the table shouldn’t count.

[has.been]

Great game Ian, but rash statement that.

and I'm not inclined to write a set

It's a bit of a barren field for C19th skirmish rules.

Surprised you don't just fiddle a (little) bit with Western Gunfight
al-la Botch Blake, Kid Caldwell & Long Haired Steve Curtis. You
certainly know those rules very well & they are 'C19th skirmish rules'.

typical shabby German trick 

the valiant French

Can we guess what side Monsieur Ian played?

Nice to see the game, thanks for posting.

 

[Westbury]

Pete.
My first choice was to use the western gunfight rules but Dave wasn't inclined. The different factors and range of weaponry might have made it a bit more interesting.

[has.been]

Pete.
My first choice was to use the western gunfight rules but Dave wasn't inclined. The different factors and range of weaponry might have made it a bit more interesting.

I would have thought a unit card (Postcard size) with the stats,
weapon & squad members, would have suited this perfectly.
You could always merge bits from FFofL that you liked e.g.
Jokers & card activation etc.

[Westbury]

Completely agree Pete.
Actually trialling something similar for our mods to 'Black Ops' for the multi player Syrian game.

[majorsmith]

Nice looking game,