Sunday 26 November 2017

Aughrim 1691

Another successful game with 'Field of Battle'.


Now I have extolled the virtues of these rules ad nauseum before, but I especially like the fact that what we read about in battle accounts seems to fall readily into the narrative generated by virtue of using them.


My favourite account of this battle comes from G.A.Hayes McCoy in 'Irish Battles: A Military History of Ireland', and he had written extensively on the battle in the 20th century.

Re-reading this, there were a few phrases that stuck with me, and I found myself explaining accounts through the rules mechanics:

'The boggy ground...proved a serious obstacle ...and forced him to confine operations to the two wings'.
(Any troops in the bog were 'out of command' - down dice for firing, down movement etc - a real pain in the allied centre)

'They had not been under unified control; indeed, some of their commanders had exceeded orders.'
We saw this in detail when some commanders rolled better on move cards, and surged forward, leaving flanks open, rather than conserving linear mass.

 'Sheldon and Luttrell, should have intervened to the full extent of their ability to hold Mackay back.'
In the game they held back - inactive for the most part, wary of a flanking cavalry charge across the bridge, after the 'special event' card decreed that the dragoons at Aughrim Castle had run out of ammunition.

'(General) St Ruth was decapitated by a cannonball.'
Any brigade commanders whose troops are in contact, or who rally, are subject to risk under the Army Morale card. a 1 in 12 in rules as written, though 1 in 20 is normally used. A different frontline personality was killed below - which put all troops in the first line out of command, until the next leadership card - and allowed the Williamites to make defining and swift gains, even as it looked as if they would be pushed back in the centre.


I guess we could make these points with any ruleset, though they seem very pertinent here. The only anomaly, and it's one that faces many 'tactical' non campaign games, is that Sarsfield's inaction in the real battle (in theory on the Jacobite right - though be careful when quoting this) could have been a direct result of his wanting to keep the avenues of escape open, such that much of the army could be saved if things went awry (see Hayes McCoy). In the confrontation below, that wasn't such a consideration (though I imagine that wargamers in a campaign game might scarcely come to blows in an effort to protect their armies - perhaps something for future consideration).


The Allied/Williamite left, showing the empty bog area, and Tristaun Bridge, which would be hotly contested, and the cavalry at the Pass of Urraghry.


Dragoons surge across on the Allied left.

Artillery action. What will become a deadly fire is evident from the 'Bloody Hollow' already.

On the Allied right, artillery beats at Aughrim Castle, with little effect.

Danes surge forward, getting caught (and put out of command) in the bog.



Tentative movements on the right against the castle.

Gains on the Allied left, allow some movement, and an effective 'beachhead' is made. This would prove decisive, and had the Jacobites locked this down early (and committed additional dragoons) the story would have been very different.

Hugenots and Danes trying to get out of the bog, manage to push skirmishers back from their cover.

Troops converge on the 'Bloody Hollow', which will devastate the infantry.

English / Irish moves on the Jacobite left, the bog takes no prisoners.

The Jacobites reinforce the right/centre, as the Allies move, inch by confounded inch.


Jacobite dragoons, short of reinforcements, break on the right.

...while English troops devolve into musketry on the opposite flank.


Cannon at the Bloody Hollow, ply their awful trade, routing two units, which though rallied later, will not re-enter the fray.


The right stalls. Dragoons at the castle and the threat of Jacobite cavalry (which historically were re-routed to the opposite flank, and perhaps could have made gains here) remains 'wathcing the enemy'.

'They're coming!'

Allied horse, gaining a massive run of cards, is able to cross and form, with poor response from the (fired) artillery and local musketry. This is very dangerous.


The flank bends.

Bloody murder is done at the edge of the enclosures, as units fall back, rally, re-engage.

In the action, General Dorrington, commanding the Jacobite first line, is killed. The Jacobite defence is stalled.

The ground is littered with...'out of command' tokens.

Too much pressure on the guns, and cavalry now free of the bog, threatens the flank. Sarsfield MUST commit the cavalry reserve, or all will be lost.

The 'Special Event' card comes up for the second time (after re-shuffle). As if the Jacobite luck couldn't get any worse, as dragoons at the castle find that they have been supplied with the wrong calibre of musket ball (you can find the local historical 'conspiracy theories' on line...I'm sure no no one was paid off ;)  )




Sarsfield commits the reserve flank cavalry to the battle. He may have the edge, if there is room to maneuvre.

On the left, Sheldon commits cavalry against pike - in the hope that the Jacobite ill luck might change.

The Allied centre is actually dangerously weak, though they have made gains after Dorrington's untimely demise.

Sparrow Cam...

Sheldon has exposed his flank on the left, misjudging the terrain perhaps...

The right becomes a desperate struggle.

Allied cavalry surge through on the Jacobite left now.

The Jacobite second line remains uncommitted. 'Now's your time lads!....Lads?'

The effect of destroyed units on the Jacobite right, and Sarsfield's desperate defence, means that the area empties rapidly. The Williamites have been able to absorb the Army Morale reduction, the Jacobites however have taken too many hits...

...the Army Morale card/check comes up. It's all over, as St Ruth orders a retreat.

In the end...the Jacobite right was weakened, and no gains could be made.

The centre was strong, and one push from Hamilton's second line could have ended the Williamite attack. They just ran out of time.

The left was looking dangerously suspect, with Allied cavalry incursion.


Great game with a great set of rules. In terms of narrative, these rules tell their own story. What else could we ask for. The card mechanic very much helps, and makes things very unpredictable. It pays to do as much as you can with the luck you are dealt. Not something we always see well outlined in rulesets.





21 comments:

  1. Awesome pictures, what a fantastic looking game with impressive armies...and smokes!

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    1. Cheers Phil. It took a while to set up - the light with the cotton wool is a battery operated 'tea light'. Nice effect I thought.
      I do need to get some maps done for future battles like this - I must try to do something like the maps that you have - they are superb.

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  2. Looks like the rules and situation work well together to give a goodly amount of drama. I do like the tea light special effects.

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    1. Cheers Norm. The rules certainly do reward endeavour...if you're lucky enough to get away with the move. If not, the same rules can punish units severely if misused. I guess, if it gives the feel of an historic account, it's perfect.
      Yeah - the tea light is a great effect - though the surrounding lighting needs some work for next time:)

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  3. Great AAR Duc. I always gravitate back to FOB for the horse and musket periods. Hard to beat for generating a plausible battle narrative.

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    1. Yes - best rules out there I think :) . I should have got you down for this one - but can do it again sometime. I'm looking at an Ardennes FoB:WWII game next perhaps. 'Hofalize Highway' from the old Command Decision: Bastogne book.

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  4. Absolutely brilliant! Great photos and I really liked how the rules play. Really created some excellent narrative! Very nice looking armies and terrain, too. Loved the smoke and fire effects.

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    1. Cheers Doug. I know it's a battle you have a fondness for. We were amazed by some of the similarities, yet also differences on the flanks too. The Jacobites had some bad luck losing Dorrington, and could all have been so very different.

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  5. Excellent AAR sir! The best part were your historical accounts mixed in with the battle occurrences. I am going to start doing that I think!
    And reading this really makes me want to break out FOB and give it a go.

    Also love the gaming mat as well!

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    1. Thanks mate. Yes, the accounts related to your mission statement for WWII should define how the rules work I guess. Have a look at the FoB WWII rules. They are an operational set, but there is stuff in there that makes a lot of sense...and no modifiers, just dice changes.

      I like the mat a lot more now. It took me a while to get used to, but it had to be viewed in context with the setup I think. It's from cigar box battles and works rather well in the pics I think.

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  6. Well done! Like others, I enjoyed seeing the cannon lit up. The photos lent a sense of a night attack. Also liked the "sparrow" view of the battlefield. Really helped me put the game into context. Well told with an intereting narrative.

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    1. Thanks Jonathan. Yes, the lighting went a bit wierd with he tea light, though I am still learning how to use a camera(phone)after all these years. I haven't found the 'assume that I am an idiot with a camera' button yet.

      Yes, the sparrow's eye view was my opponent's idea, and it really worked. I see what you mean; flanks become confusing, while a 'plan view' of the affair settles the argument.

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  7. Nice colourful report, I love armies with plenty of flags.

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    1. Cheers George. In this battle, most of the flags are accurate. When I start doing random battles from the Nine Years War, the dearth of available figures/flags in my collection is going to mean that historical accuracy goes to hell in a handbasket!

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  8. Great looking game as ever sir. A very engaging write up. I must also say the tea lights are a very effective idea and I will be shamelessly nicking it like the filthy roundstabout i am forthwith!!.

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    1. Tea lights work for gunpowder, and dragonfire ;)

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    2. Hhmmm I wonder if I could bodge one to balance on
      Girty?!!.

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    3. Oh yeah. That is a good idea!
      In the next few months, the distributor will be wondering why all the battery operated tea lights have sold out in the UK.
      Is it Christmas? Is it a blip in sales? No mate, bloody wargamers again! hehehehehe

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  9. Love the mixed historical commentary and game events.

    Having had three disastrous games of Piquet at conventions, where the poor hapless hosts had wildly unpredictable things happen and ruin the entire game, I'm not a fan of anything Piquet-ish. While it is true that certain periods and certain battlefields are very wild and unpredictable, I've found few gamers who enjoy that sort of experience.

    My latest theory of balancing realism and fun is to have dice involved in combat, movement and a turn initiative sequence that allows the order of player turns to flip, effectively giving one side two turns in a row. It isn't likely, but it does sometimes breathe new life into a side that has botched the first half of their scenario!

    Cheers, a.

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    1. Many thanks Alex. Field of Battle is very much Piquet Lite, without the long periods of one side's momentum - though I'm no Piquet expert of course - FoB has many subtle differnces.

      VEry keen to see your OHW WWII rules develop. Are you bringing the two turns in a row concept in there?

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  10. Interesting game, I have just completed the maps for a new book on this battle by Helion and Co.

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