HAVOC Games Trio 2024

As scheduled, I ran three games at HAVOC this year, one each Saturday afternoon, Saturday evening, and Sunday morning. I couldn't have done that without the invaluable assistance of my freind, Thomas, who accompanied me this year. Each game was set several centuries apart  from the others!

Saturday afternoon it was "From the Rhine (Confederation) to the Danube", with Battle Command rules by Brent Oman. I had 6 slots and 5 players, so I took the last command, the Hessians and Badeners, opposite Thomas with about 1/3 of the Austrians.  

Mark T had the Wurttembergers. This was very fitting, as it was Mark who tipped me off to the Great Piano Wargames figures in the first place. 

Both sides got stuck in pretty quickly. 

The Kaiserlicks are attacking the Wurttembergers boldly on their right. 

Austrian Cuirassiers charging in the Center. 

Austrian and Wurttemberg cavalry charge and countercharge. 

Heavy fighting in the Center.

Puffs of smoke indicate units that need to "reload" before they can shoot again. 

At one point, the Austrians were out of Army Morale points, and the Confederation was up by almost 9, but the game ended with the Austrians up 3; I declared it a draw, as it was still anyone's game.. at least until the dreaded Army Morale Card is turned!

Saturday evening saw my 15 mm Renaissance Galleys in action. 

We had three players on one side, and two on the other. The early game saw a couple of ramming actions. One ship has already sunken. 

After a bit, the ships mostly battled it out with their bow cannons and small arms fire. 

A galley on the other side struck its colors, but nobody on the other side had breathing space to borad her!

A couple more ships slip under the waves! Curiously, this game there were no boarding actions attempted. 

Saturday AM saw the Battle of Tewkesbury on the table; overview is seen above. 

Somerset's Lancastrian command.

Cautious Lord Wenlock, and his accompanying figurehead, Price Edward. 

Lord Devon on the Lancastrian left. 

Lord Hasting's command on the Yorkist right. 

King Edward IV's command, with his archers and cannons deployed well forward. 

Gloucester's command will come on later behind King Edward IV. 

Midgame; Hasting's Yorkists have defeated Devon's Lancastrians, and Hasting's Battle is moving to assist King Edward in the upcoming clash with Wernlock's Battle. Meanwhile, the Yorkists are surprised to see Somerset's Battle crest the low ridgeline. 

Late game; King Edward IV is hit, and Somerset's men engage Gloucester's. In relatively even combat, Somerset's dice far outperform those of Gloucester, and the Yorkist opposition is destroyed before you can say "Kingmaker!" With 4 players, the game was over in 2 hours, as expected.