VCOW February 2021- Saturday Morning

WD's Virtual Conference of Wargamers (VCOW) was this weekend. Bigger and more ambitious than last year's, I even got round to offering a session.

As discussed earlier on the blog I ran a game of Taiping Era. I used the scenario from last Tuesday, but adjusted the EVA down by half, to stop them being over mighty. The players were Tony and Simon, who played the EVA and the Hunan Army respectively, and Alan and Michael (who called in from Iowa at 3am his time) who played the Taiping.

The Taiping got to move first, and advanced aggressively.

Tony decided with his reduced numbers to form line with his artillery, and blast away at the Taiping as they came on.

Simon was much less tentative with his handling of the Mongols. They rushed forwards, charging the massed Miao muskets (although one unit balked at charging home).

Massed firing drove the Mongols off, and they retired to reform.

Undaunted, the rest of the Hunan army pressed forwards.

On the left Tony redeployed his artillery to the centre, where the Taiping seemed to have detected a gap in the Imperialist line.

Eschewing the chance to overrun a limbered gun, the Taiping skirmishers took on their opposite numbers.

More musketry on the left as the Taiping carried on their attempt to rush the EVA.

On the other flank the Hunan Army and the Taiping Shih led by the Chung Wang closed.

The Taiping charged the EVA. Desperate hand to hand fighting was to follow.

The Taiping skirmishers had gained the upper hand, as one of the Mongol horse units came across to plug the increasingly large hole in the line.

Firing broke out intensely on the Taiping left.

On the Taiping right the EVA opened fire to keep their opponents at bay. The artillery on their flank pounded the Taiping infantry trying to turn the line.

Mixed fortunes for the EVA, as one unit holds its ground, one is driven back and one pushes forwards.

The firefight on the other wing intensifies.

Gordon and the rifle battalion see off their opponents, and break through the line.

The right wing of the left hand shih survives an onslaught, but at the cost of the Chung Wang. There will be many tears in the heavenly kingdom.

The Taiping cavalry charge the Mongols, they are held up, but the Mongol leader, Prince Sung-Hai is killed.

Gordon continues his cross battlefield march, sweeping all before him.

Alas we had to finish before the final denouement. The EVA had survived some hard pressing, and were just gaining the upper hand on their wing, but the Hunan Army were being driven back relentlessly. The Taiping probably just edged it, but as night fell, both sides withdrew to their encampments.

Reducing the EVA balanced the game much better, but I'm still not sure how fair the scenario is. Both armies were handled very differently to the previous game. As I only knew one of the players well beforehand I didn't know how they'd react, but they all participated magnificently.

This game also featured my newly mobile webcam, that I can now readily dismount so the players can see close ups. Forgot to take any screen shots with it. Chump.

Anyhow, thanks to one and all for those who took part and claimed to have enjoyed themselves, and to the half dozen or so who showed up throughout the game to have a look at what was going on.

Right, time for a lunchbreak before the afternoon sessions.