A "Look, Sarge, No Charts: WWI" Game

At last Friday's HAWKs meeting, I got to play in Duncan Adam's WWI "Look, Sarge, No Charts" (LSNC) game.  Duncan has been working on modifying LSNC for WWI for a couple years now; combining elements of both the ACW version of the rules, and the WWII one. While he usually used his 25mm figures, mounted for another rules set, for these playtests, he recently took the plunge into 10mm for this period.  This was the first time his new 10mm WWI LSNC armies got to do battle.

My Brigade in their initial deployment, and two of the hills they needed to defend. 10mm WWI figures from Pendraken.

The scenario was from the early part of the war.  As the Germans are swinging southwest through Belgium, the French attack northeast into the hinge between these advancing Hun forces, and the other enemy forces on the German's left flank.  So, both sides had orders to attack; the French to seize a small town at the far corner of the table, and the German's to capture the three hills where the French first deploy.

One of the German Brigades opposite me, and the massed German artillery.

I took the command of the lone French brigade that starts on the table, facing two German brigades. There is another French Brigade that enters after the first turn.

The Germans immediately put pressure on my right flank

To begin, I boldly attacked on my left hoping to turn back the German right, catching them in a pincer as my friends entered on their other flank.   This attack soon petered out, and I  then found myself threatened on both flanks.  The concentrated German artillery was merciless, smashing any poor French unit who showed their heads in the open.

As I launch an ill fated attack on the Germans on my left.

With the arrival of my compatriots, some of the pressure was pulled away from my right, but all thoughts of attack were gone now, I was just desperately trying to hold the German's away from their objective.  It was up to the other brigade to try and seize our objective.

The French reinforcing brigade arrives.

In the end, we were very close to capturing the town, while the Germans had succeeded in capturing one of the hills, and were a turn away from the second.  All in all it was a close fought thing, and very exciting. I really love what Duncan has done with his modifications.  They really capture the punishing nature of this period of warfare, and you can see why it didn't take long for them all to start digging trenches.  And, his new armies were really beautifully painted, and a lot of fun to play with.