Phalanx 2025 and Gentlemen Pensioners AWI Breed's Hill

 Saturday 21st June saw Will and I drive over to St Helens for the Phalanx show.  Beacon Gaming Club were involved in two games this year.  El Presidente Si Graham laid out a participation game using modified Lion Rampant rules with the Lance and Longbow Society (David and Steve).  The battle of Arsuf in the third crusade (1191 CE).  Richard the Lionheart was skirting the sea in the foreground, suddenly finding himself ambushed by Saladin and his Muslim host.  Richard was trying to prevent his knights charging off into the wild blue, so the crusaders had to roll to see if Richard changes his no charge order, succeeding on a 6 turn 1, 5+ turn 2, etc.  We played it through twice and both ended with crusader victories.

Beacon members Dave and Owain, with some assistance from Ian, put on a post D-day scenario, with British marines and paratroopers, plus Sherman support, advancing into a heavily defended built-up area.  The table looked superb and no real surprise they won best in show.

The day after Phalanx, Will and I headed across to join the Gentlemen Pensioners game organised and hosted by Steve.  This year was close enough to the 250th anniversary of Breed's Hill, part of the Bunker Hill battle during the AWI siege of Boston.  Played using Patriots and Loyalists, which none of the players had used before, but we learned quickly.

On the British right and centre, the battalions advanced at speed, initially under cover of a bombardment from two medium artillery batteries, until the target was masked by the advancing infantry.

The rebs fired off a lot of their limited ammunition, thinning the ranks of the British as they came on.

But eventually the British closed with the left flank of the redoubt, while fanning out to take the rebels lining the fences behind under fire.

Sadly, no photos of the British grenadiers storming into the redoubt at the point of the bayonet, but after a lot of losses.  The rebels were already filtering troops from their right, although the umpire, Steve, decided they would probably disengage and fall back to Bunker Hill to rearm and resupply.

Some links to Will's and David's reports.

https://willwarweb.blogspot.com/2025/06/bunker-hill-1775-refight.html?m=1

https://wargameamateur.blogspot.com/2025/07/bunker-hill-gentlemen-pensioners-sunday.html?m=1

All in all, a great couple of days gaming and adding some goodies to the stash.

Thanks for looking.