The Lure Of Old School .

I usually have a game set up to play , but this week my table has been gathering rubbish, books and boxes of figures - so I had a good clear up and wondered - what to play !? . After a think and a cup of tea (and biscuits) I decided on my old favourite - 40mm SYW(ish) . Here we see the Allied Commander The Duke of Cumberland (Fat Billy) and his somewhat slimmer Aide.

I set some terrain up and used the contents of the first box I came across for the Allies (on the left) and diced for their set up positions using the old Featherstone formula - 1-left flank, 2 - left centre, 3 - centre, 4 - right centre , 5 - right flank , 6 - in reserve . The Allies have the British 20th Foote , the Brunswick Regt. Von Zastrow and a company of Prussian Fuziliers (newly painted) and the Prussian Hussars Regt. Reusch

The French Commander The Duke of Camembert (left) watch a unit of Ulhans speed down the road aiming for the Allied centre. The other units in the French army are Regt. Du Roi , Regt. Orleans and a gun and crew. Again I diced for their deployment positions as I did with their enemy.

The rules being used are my old favourites Batailes de l Ancien Regime.

The French Regt. Du Roi deployed in column of companies  , with the Regt. Orleans behind the village , the artillery is on the extreme right flank beyond them .

There is some confusion as the Regt. Orleans have to manoeuvre around the village to find ground to deploy . too their left the Regt. Du Roi deploy into line.

First blood to the Allies ! , the 20th Foote deploy into line and the left company 'gives fire' on the Uhlans as the move down the road. 

The situation at the end of the second move, The French are struggling to gain space to deploy as the Allies form line and the Brunswickers move around the wooded  hill on the upper right of the photo to flank the enemy . The game will be 15 moves long and I will report on it's progress in due course...…..