We played our Somme game at the Bristol Big Uns club last Sunday.

We had six players, of whom 4, John, Steve, Ian and Thomas had never played before. Dave and myself have both played plenty of Great War games using the Great War rules, and Dave has kindly tolerated a number of Great War gaming days with some of my adjustments and additions.
The purpose of this game was to reflect one of the many Somme offensives in July 1916, and we used a hybrid of rules. We took a number of features from War & Conquest, but used the weapon stats and a few details from The Great War. The ultimate aim is for Scarab to produce a nice new exciting set of rules, and support it in the same way as we are supporting War & Conquest.
So on to the game. Foolishly, I forgot my camera as I ws attempting to remember all the armies (except Daves British and French) and terrain.
Luckily Dave remembered his, but the pics didn't turn out quite as well as expected but good enough so you can see what happened. Still no worries, we will be doing this sort of game again, and the basic set up can be seen in some of the previous Scarab Great War gaming day reports.
Other logistical details.
We commenced setting up a 12 ft by 4ft table at 6pm. We played the game and cleared away by 9.45pm. Very good going considering 4 players were brand new (although clearly, had wargamed before, so knew how to roll dice, and of course, all had War & Conquest, with several having also played quite a few games of that)
Points size, there were two British Terriotorial Battalions on the table, plus an extra company looking like French Foreign Legion. At a guess, about 3000 points under GW lists. The Germans (consisting mainly of Scarab Austrians) were around 1500 points, so it was a good balance for an attack and defend mission. Both sides had off table artillery, the British had 4, the Germans 2.
So onto the game in the next post

The British had to seize any 2 of 4 objectives to gain a draw (eg a foothold in the German Lines) 3 or more would be a victory, less would be varying degrees of loss.

From the British view, there was a village on the left, with an objective in the centre,



and a wood on the right with an objective on the table edge.



The remaining two were just behind the German first trench line.



The Germans could keep some forces off table as a reserve, as could the British, although clearly they would need to press on for victory!

Over six turns the British advanced steadily.



Dave was in overall command and also had the centre assault on the trench line



These were firmly rebuffed by Steve, assisted by Ian.

Ian was more pressed on his flank and the French, commanded by Thomas managed to secure the village.



On the wood side, although the British commanded by John, made it in,


they were pushed back

and so, having only gained one objective, it was a German victory!

Everyone enjoyed the game, we made use of Strategy Intervention Points from War & Conquest and also added some extra rules, These are being discussed on other topics within our forum.

My thanks to all the players and of course the battle itself turned out pretty much like the first day of the Somme, with heavy Allied casualties for a few gains.

Lest We Forget

Miniatures used

Scarab Miniatures and Great War Miniatures with a few Woodbine (Gripping Beast) mixed in.

All available from Scarabs webstore (and we are going to be adding Woodbine as well- ask if you want something soon as we order our stock in!)

Terrain a mix, but the trenches are from Kallistra, I didn't use the terrain boards to go with the trenches this time around.

We also produce two barbed wire packs, those and War & Conquest, also available from Scarab

Awesome thanks for this Rob/Dave.
Looking forward to some more games in the future and hopefully should have some of my own troops ready for then

Cheers,Steve.

My bum looks big these pictures

The game was much better than my pictures.

The french took their objective quite early on, but the germans hadn't contested that flank, and merely peppered them with a HMG until it was silenced by some artillery.

My battalion of territorials held the centre to draw some german fire. honest.

And on the other flank a second british battalion advanced on the wood. this one was contested by the germans, and as the germans were regulars, they were able to drive back the lesser skilled territorial british.

A good game, the british were hampered by the usual problem of no being able to reach the objectives in time! we did have one squadron of cavalry, but they deployed on the flank with the french and merely supported the objective we already had! Might have helped if I had deployed them to support the british in the wood. But who knows.

A good game all round.