Waterloo Bloody Big Bash Day North - 27th June 2026 - the AAR

 Two weeks ago a group of like minded folk gathered in Sheffield for Bash Day North, which was held at Crookes Social Club

Bash Days feature a number of games using the BBB ruleset, usually using 6mm figures, with a spread of historical periods.

A number of luminaries from the Oxford Club supported the event - Chris - who wrote the rules in collaboration with Dave W, Crispin, Bruce, Mark J and Mark Smith, who wrote the Waterloo scenario that we were using.

I have posted about previous Waterloo games before here, here and finally here.  

Set-up - Mike and I set up the terrain and waited for interested parties to turn up and take charge:

For the French we had Russ and Chris, for the Allies Matt and Mark J, later Emily joined this team.  North is to the left of this picture, I umpired for the Western side of the table and Mike B (the other Ilkley Irregular) umpired for the Eastern half.

Turn 2

The French went for a left hook and besieged the chateau of Hougoumont.  In the centre they formed a gun line and pushed into the British left.  The mass of troops to the middle right of the picture is the French Guard, who move on turn 3.

Turn 4

By turn 4 the French were putting pressure on the Allied right and centre, whilst sending the Guard to deal with the Prussians arriving from the East.

Turn 6

By turn 6 the French had taken Hougoumont but the tempo of the left hook was slowing.  at the far side of the table the Prussians were shaking out into line as the Guard deployed to stop them.

Turn 8

After a ding dong battle in the French centre and left, France had taken La Haye Sainte & Hougoumont.  The Allies still held the ridge and retook Papelotte, whilst hooking up with the Prussians.  At the start of turn 9, either side could still win.

Turn 9

The battle closed with the French centre and left wings, as well as the Allied right, able to defend well but unable to make further headway.  On the Allied left the Prussians made headway against the French defenders, but were unable to breakthrough.  The game ended in a draw.

Afterthoughts

Firstly, a big thank you to my fellow umpire Mike and our worthy contestants.  Win or lose, it looked like they were enjoying themselves.

BBB once again delivered an exciting re-run of a historical event, close enough to actual history but with opportunities to do better on the day.  

Because the BBB rules are fairly simple, Generals spent more time making decisions and reacting to the game than micro-managing their armies in detail, there was definite ebb and flow as the battle progressed.

It was still all to play for till the last turn - the French left nearly launched a cavalry strike to get Mont St Jean, in the British rear, the Prussians nearly got behind the French lines.

I hope that this inspires you to have a go!

Allied & Prussian troops from Mike's collection, I provided the French.

Waterloo at Fiasco - Sunday 26th October

FIASCO, hosted by Leeds Wargames club, is our nearest big wargames show.  Having already run Waterloo at Joy of Six (see here) it was a much simpler option to organise than last time.  I had also got a proper French Guard Commander stand painted (see here) and was keen to get him in action.  See here for the map and more details.

This time Mike and I were joined by Ned and Charlie, who took the French.  Neither had played Waterloo before, whilst Mike and I had several games under our belt.  So, how did it go on the day?

Set-up - the picture from the British right.  I apologise in advance for the graininess of some pictures - we didn't stop playing for photos.  The French mass is top middle.  The British hold (from left to right) Papelotte, La Haye Sainte and Hougoumont.  Mont St Jean & Plancenoit are further objectives, as is the destruction of the French Foot Grenadiers & Chasseurs of the Guard

Move 2 By the end of move 2 the French had taken Papelotte and surrounded Hougoumont.  The British right had advanced the Brunswick & Dutch troops.

Sideways view - along the line of the battle, British to the left, French to the right.

Move 4  On the British right Charlie has successfully stormed and taken Hougoumont.  His left takes on the Brunswick & Dutch troops.  Ned has started to redeploy to face the Prussians.

The start of the Prussian arrival - forcing Ned to start building a defence line!

  

Move 6   By the end of move 6 the British were under threat - Ned had broken through the hedge line and Charlie had made progress against my large units, causing both of them to go spent.  In the middle the French gear up for an assault on La Haye Sainte.  To the left of the British the Prussians move steadily forward, as the French deploy their cavalry reserves to counter this attack.  

Move 8 On the British right my spent troops had retreated to cover.  Charlie had attempted to assault my part of the ridge but without success.  His lefthand troops were also now spent.  In the middle the Guard assaulted La Haye Sainte. 

On the left Mike's British had sent the french back down the hill and his Prussians advanced steadily on Papelotte and Plancenoit.

Move 9  The last move saw the French assault on La Haye Sainte fail, as did the Prussian assault on Plancenoit.  As the Allies held two objectives the battle was deemed a draw.  

Thanks & Thoughts

Thanks to Mike, Ned & Charlie for playing on the day, rolling the dice and engaging in Banter!  Thanks also to the Leeds club for organising FIASCO and hosting us for the day.

Waterloo provides a challenging battle, with tension for the British in holding on to their defensive line, decisions for the French about where and when to attack the British, as well as the crucial decision over when to pivot against the Prussians.

Charlie and Ned both did well as the French, with Charlie taking out Hougoumont and Ned breaking through the hedges.  Charlie then struggled to assault my defenders (hiding behind the hedge) and his left hook got blunted and stopped.

Ned's offensive ran out of steam and then had to be abandoned as the Prussians threatened the French right.

As with all BBB games, most of the players were acting/reacting most of the time and it was tense all the way down to the wire.  On the very last move Mike's Prussians could have taken Plancenoit, which would have given the Allies a win, rather than a draw.

Waterloo will be offered again at the Battleground show, Sat 29th Nov 2025 at Middlesborough Sports Village TS4 3AE.  Doors are open 10-3 and entry is free.  Come along and release your inner Napoleon!

 

Waterloo at Joy of Six - the AAR

 Just over a week ago I headed south to Sheffield for our Joy of Six game - Waterloo!

The Day

Mike and I set up the terrain and deployed the troops ready for action.  We very quickly got some gamers interested in playing "for a turn or two".  Some of the players were completely new to gaming - others had bought a copy of the rules, had played solo but weren't really confident that they were playing right - what better way to test your understanding than playing one of the most interesting and famous battles in history!

Mike did an excellent job of umpiring whilst I was less involved in the battle, more talking to potential gamers, answering questions and getting involved where needed.

I had forgotten to charge my phone, so my wife did an excellent job of taking photos and ensuring that we were fed and watered throughout the day.  Last year - (click here) she had come to observe, was asked to play and lead the Austrians to a crushing victory! This year she was glad to just observe...

We were really pleased that Chris Pringle, rules author (see here for his blog) had come up North with Mark Smith, who wrote the scenario book we used.  They spent the day circulating between the BBB games on offer and chatting with the gamers.

After a hard fought battle lasting eight turns with continual action from about 10.15 to 16.00, with much rolling of dice and charging of troops, the Allies won.  

Photos:

Early on in the battle - the French (to the left) are advancing.

My one usable photo.  Mike, in his brand new "Ilkley Irregulars" t-shirt, umpires the three French on the right taking on the Anglo Dutch defenders on the left.

In the background, other games were available ....

About the same time, the other side of the table.

Thumbs up from Napoleon - our first gamer to join and last to leave the table!

From the French (south) side, later in the game.  Still plenty of action in the middle, Prussians arriving lower right.

Drone shot - East at the top, North to the left.  The Allies on the left defend the ridge as the French take La Haye Sainte and swarm Hougoumont.

Conclusions, thoughts but firstly - THANKS:

1. Venue - Thank you to Peter, Lindy and the Baccus team for an excellent venue, helpful stewards and a great show!  

2. Rules - Thanks to Chris for an excellent set of rules that deliver HQGE - fast moving, absorbing games with most players doing something most of the time.  Thanks to Mark for this, the last scenario in his latest book.  We had some spare copies of the book available on the day and were pleased that these were all successfully re-homed!  Thanks for your support on the day!

3. Umpire - many thanks to Mike for ensuring that players got to have a great time on the day!  A further big thanks for making the terrain (excellent!) which contributed considerably to the visual impact of the game.

4. Players - many thanks to those of you who turned up on the day.  It was great to see you getting stuck in to the battle - played with style, banter and good humour!

Conclusions

It was a really good day and a great opportunity to show how BBB can enable a few mates to play a significant battle in an accessible manner.  Most of the players had just started, but the joy of BBB is that you concentrate on decisions, with a lot of the "admin" being done simply, efficiently and reliably within the rules and dice results.

It's been a lot of fun putting on the game and I'm pleased with the interest that we generated.

Thoughts - resources

There are a number of BBB resources that gamers can access, as follows:

1. Chris's BBB blog gives regular updates on the latest goings on in BBB world. 

2. There's an io.group for BBB - gives free scenarios, AARs, advice, clarifications, etc.

3. For figures and conversions, look at this blog and others.  Personally I really like Baccus 6mm, other manufacturers and ranges are available. 

4. There's a Facebook page here that also has plenty of material to look at and read.

Finally - all in all it was a great day - well worth it.  I guess i need to start thinking about JoS 2026....

La Rothiére 1st February 1814 - refight Friday 7 March 2025

 The next battle in the BBB scenario book is La Rothiére, 1st February 1814.  Napoleon is now defending France and on French soil.  The Allies, Austrians, Bavarians, Prussians and Russians are seeking to break through the French defences and head for Paris.

Here's the map.  

I took the French army and Mike was the Allies.  The scenario is 7 hour long turns.  There are special rules to cover the terrain (awful - mud everywhere!) and it's hampering effect on movement.  

Set up

Our initial deployments looked like this.  All photos taken from the south (French) side of the map.  Red markers are objectives (victory points).  I expected a tidal wave of Allies & planned a dogged retreat to the bottom right hand corner.

Turn 2 

By the end of turn 2, things were still OK for the French.  On the left I held onto the town of Morvilliers (bottom left) as the terrain and stream broke up Mike's Austro/Bavarian V Korps assault.  In the middle of the ridge was a battery backed up by cavalry.

Top left IV Korps moves towards the undefended ridge, seeking to cross it and take the objective village of La Giberie

On the other side of the battlefield, I hold La Rothiére (on the middle road) and the river crossing town of Dienville.  Mike has struggled to move his infantry forward, his artillery need a whole move to deploy, so he's not yet got his guns into action.  At the bottom of the picture the column s my mobile reserves, the block at bottom right can't move till turn 3.

Turn 4

On the left the brave defenders of Morvilliers repel numerous assaults as the difficult terrain and disrupted results hamper Mike's attempts to bring his numbers to bear.  In the top left corner Mike has only just reached the wooded ridge.

In the middle the Allies are moving slowly forward.  The brave defenders of la Rothiére hang on despite being outnumbered.  On the right I still stoutly defend Dienville and control the river crossing.  

Turn 6

The fighting around Morviliers continues, with the town defenders confident enough to form a line holding the ridge supported by artillery.  The Allies have put cavalry in the village, but my French cavalry have faced off against this threat.  Mike's troops swarm La Giberie, amazingly the defenders hang on, despite being massively outnumbered.

Here's the close up of the fight around Morvilliers.....

On the middle and right side of the battle,  the fight went well for the French.  The defenders of La Rothiére were slowly pushed out, but there was no decisive breakthrough.  The French lost Dienville but managed to retake it.  The French denied the river crossing to the Allies.   

Turn 7

On the left the French lost La Giberie as numbers finally worked for Mike.  

At Morvilliers the French defenders broke up repeated Allied assaults and inflicted enough casualties to cause one Allied to go spent, so no more charging across streams and up hills for them!

 

On the right the French held a position just outside La Rothiére and firmly in control of Dienville.  Both sides took casualties (that's spent Frenchmen behind the frontline), however the French didn't break and the Allies started to run out of troops capable of continuing the fight.  

Conclusion

At the close of play I still had 4 objectives - Mike had taken La Giberie and La Rothiére, but this had been a slow process.  Mike had taken Dienville, but the assault unit had then received no support, so was ejected, in turn, from the town. 

I had some really good die rolls and Mike had not had the same die success.  He needed to attack, but this proved a slow business and the artillery need a full move to deploy.  

I had expected to lose Morvilliers, however against my expectations (and Mike's hopes) the defenders managed to repel all boarders.

It's a great scenario, we played it through in a day and I thoroughly recommend it!

 

Dresden - 26 & 27 August 1813, refight Friday 17 & 24 January 2025

 The battle of Dresden, 26 & 27 August 1813, is the next scenario that Mike and I have tackled from Dr Mark Smith's "Napoleon's Bloody Big Battles" scenario book.  I had played it once before, a number of years ago, as French and really not done well.  This was Mike's first go at the scenario.

Mark has introduced some interesting elements to this scenario - the French have fortified redoubts to occupy, with half a gun in each.  The incessant rain on the first day of the battle means that the river that splits the French right/Austrian left area of operations becomes impassible, so on the French right flank it is about holding/dominating the two bridging points.

I chose French, Mike opted to be the Austro/Prussian/Russian coalition.

The map:

Set up

The whole battlefield - the Elbe is the wide river, lower left.  The Weisseritz is the medium sized river, this is impassible on day 2 and only has two crossing points.  The bright green rectangle is the Gross Garten.  Shedloads of French troops wait to be released into Dresden from the Eastern bank.

The French left, Dresden and it's suburbs lower left, a thin cordon of defenders in the redoubts.  I deployed a 4 block unit and gun as far forward as possible as a "speed bump".

The French right - a couple of redoubts, otherwise just empty of my defenders!

Turn 2

At the end of turn two the French have re-inforced Dresden.  More re-inforcements wait to cross into the city.

The French left wing, with French troops in the Gross Garten buying time.

The French middle - holding off the Russians in the centre, but only just.

The French right - the Austrian advance has stalled and i diverted my reserves here.  Mike has already had one unit go spent.

Dresden city hall - actually it's for a Franco Prussian game, but it gives a bit of grandeur!

Turn 4

By turn 4 the battle was shaping well for the French as night fell at the end of day 1.  On the left, Dresden is a solid wall of French defenders and Mike halts outside the city limits.

In the middle Mike did take a redoubt, but the French & Allies are now racing to put troops on the hill.

On the right, Mike took up defensive positions, whilst my French controlled both river crossings.

Turn 6

At the end of turn 6, two turns after the night interval, the battle was going well for the French.  On the left the city was well defended, mainly by the Young Guard.  For some reason the Old Guard infantry kept failing their movement rolls!

In the middle a to and fro battle developed for possession of the hill, with both sides attacking and then getting repulsed.  This is where I channelled my reserves and aggressive/killer best troops.

On the right the Austrians could only hold on, so both sides did not do much fighting.  The Austrians started to direct their attention to the upstream bridge.

Turn 8

By the end of turn 8 the French left had advanced to take on the Allied right and was regaining the Gross Garten, putting pressure on the Allied middle and trying to retake the hill.

The French right held the Austrian left and blocked the Allied advance on the upstream bridge.

Turn 9

At the end of turn 9 the French had won a decisive victory.  On the left, they were catching and destroying the retreating Allies.  Dresden is now empty of French defenders!

In the middle the battle for the hill continued as the Allies clung on.

On the right the Austrian left held on, but the troops trying to take the upstream bridge had broken and retreated with heavy losses.

Game end

In this game everything had gone well for the French.  The Austrians had low movement rolls and had not taken any redoubts or suburbs early on.  The French "roadblock" unit in the Gross Garten was destroyed, but contributed to the Allied right's slow progress.  

The French re-inforcements deployed quickly and the French right did really well, stopping the Austrian left and inflicting enough casualties early on to stop the Austrians and make them go defensive.

This secure right flank enabled the French to concentrate on the middle and left sectors, where French quality and quantity stopped the Austrians then drove them back.  The French were able to keep moving and ensure that reserves were fed into the weak-spots in the line.  The battle for the central hill was a real to and fro affair, but by the end of the game this position was in danger of being outflanked.

It was a really enjoyable game, my thanks to Mike as a worthy opponent.