16 October 2025

UWS Programme for 2025

Although we usually have several games running at each of our monthly meetings, we encourage members to commit in advance to run at least one game per month. That way we hope to ensure there's at least one thing happening every month!

The table below shows what is planned so far and what happned.

David M.

Date

Period

Scale

Rules (if known)

Organiser(s)

22 Feb

Horse & Musket , War of the Spanish Succession

Lord of the Rings

Seven years war

Medieval

WW2

28mm



28mm

15mm

28mm

20mm

Black Powder



Midguard

Field of Battle 3

Lion Rampant

Battlegroup

Andy



Chris Caves

Gary

Leslie

David

29 March

English Civil War



Lord of the Rings 

Cold War 

Ancients
Late Roman v Sassanid

World War 2 

 

 


MEBG

7 Days to the River Rhine


Billy McClenaghan 


Keith Branagh

Chris Caves


Adam & David P




Mike

26 April

Napoleonic Peninsular war

Seven years war
Sharp Practice 2


Field of Battle 3
David Maltman.


Gary

31 May

WW2 theme for VE Day

First play Chain of command 2

Op Blue Coat


Normandy


Sci Fi 



28mm


20mm


15mm


6mm



Chain of Command 2


Phils own rues based on WRG

Panzer Grenadier Deluxe

Alpha strike
Various


Jeremy Dowd


Phil McGilton


Gary


Jeremy Mullholland
28 June

Ancients (Romans v Germans)

Boer War

Katzbach ( Napoleonic )

WWII

28mm


25mm

15mm



Infamy! Infamy!


The men who would be kings.
FOB3


Battlegroup
David Smylie


Phil McGilton

Gary


David P and Adam
26 July

Napoleonic 

Tsushima 
(Ironclad naval) 

Sudan

28mm

1/2400


6mm

General d'armie 2

Tsushima


Front rank...Fire

Andy

David Taylor


Leslie Tipping

30 August

WW2


Modern, Swedes vs Russians


28mm


1/72

Bolt Action


Seven days to the Rhine

Chris Caves and David Maltman


Paddy McG.

27 Sept

Rorke's Drift

WW2

25mm

20mm

Front rank...Fire

Chain of Command 2

Phil McGilton

Jeremy Dowd


25 Oct

WW2

ECW

28mm

Chain of Command 2

Jeremy Dowd

Leslie Tipping


29 Nov

Return of The Village People

Napoleonic 

28mm


28mm

Lion Rampant


Sharpe Practice


Leslie Tipping

Jeremy D, Chris and David M

?? Dec




 

 

 
 

27 September 2025

Overview.

Good turnout this month given the holidays. I believe we had 17 people involved in playing 4 games.


The games were : 


WW2 action in operation Market Garden.

WSS Blenhiem.

Zulu war, Rourkes drift.

Ancients, Late Roman vs Sassanid.


Setup time.






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Photos curtesy of the Editor. 

Blenhiem, 1704.

Game from the War of the Spanish Succession. Using Black powder in 28mm.













Players

French             : Bryn, Billy McClenaghan.

Grand Alliance : Andy Smith, Gary.

AAR by Gary.

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I managed to get included in a 28mm Malburian game being run by Bryn, Billy and Andy (so not a small game) using Black Powder which suits this sort of big bash venture.

I was paired with Andy in command of the Allied forces facing Bryn and Billy commanding French of the Sun King.

A pile of units involved and I had control of a Brigade of 4 Scottish Foot, a Brigade of 6 Allied Foot (Dutch, Swedes and Hessians) and a huge Cavalry command of 12 Squadrons (4 Dragoons and 8 Heavy Cavalry) and a couple of Artillery pieces in support.

Andy had 3 or 4 Brigades of Foot (20+ units) and at least 1 Mounted Brigade plus Artillery.

French had several Foot and Cavalry Brigades which included Swiss, Irish and Bavarians alongside the French.

Very enjoyable game ensued with plenty of action, I was facing Bryn and Andy faced Billy mostly.

Allies had a stream to negotiate (game loosely based on Blenheim battlefield) with on 3 crossing points that artillery could use and marched on in column from off-board.

French deployed along their table edge but with some of Billys Brigades off-table on their left flank (able to come on through Oberglau village).

I advanced my massed mounted force on extreme left adjacent to suburbs of Blenheim (really only decorative for game purposes) with Infantry occupying central areas.

Highlights on my left wing included:

Two of my Dragoons dismounting to form a sort of skirmish line popping away at some French units (Shaking a unit of Foot) before being chased off by enemy cavalry.

My Foot units getting across stream at a quick pace and getting deployed before French could intervene.

I launched several cavalry charges (not much choice as soo many) some of which contacted enemy others were staggered by enemy closing fire (Bryns shooting was pretty good all day long) and did manage to break a French Foot Brigade early on.

Both sides Cavalry then mostly faced off against each other as reluctant to close without a firm advantage.

My Foot Brigades advanced into a hail of musketry and artillery fire (guns do not roll many dice in BP but any Casualties or Morale tests inflicted are hard to pass) and returned desultory fire despite having advantage of Platoon Fire (ie an extra dice if steady).

This firefight lasted several turns and eventually another French and both of my Foot Brigades were broken.

All the while Andy was trying to assault Oberglau and counter Billys French cavalry and both suffered a real log jam of units.

Andy had a Foot Brigade that (and I kid you not) failed to move at all for a whopping 9 turns (scarcely credible as only need a 7 or less on 2D6 to generate at least 1 move !!!!), Billy also had his reserves delayed or 'stuck in the mud'.

Bryn and I both tried a couple of last gasp fatalistic charges but neither of us could break another enemy Brigade at games end.

Andy had lost 3 (?) Brigades including British Guard contingent and I think similar for Billy so a minor French win was (grudgingly) declared.

One interesting twist employed was each player having 5 re-rolls (of any single dice including enemies) for use which saved me a couple of times for failed morale rolls and inflicted a loss on Bryn.

The game blow by blow.

Allied right late in game, note Allied Brigade 'stuck' behind guns as they were for 9 full turns !!!!!.


My Scots and Allied Foot engage Bavarians in Center (both mine later broken).


Massed Allied Horse and Dragoons fully occupy French on Allied left (good rally rolls on my part here).


View from French right as I push forward in center.


All kit supplied by Bryn, Billy and Andy (left to right).


Action hots up around Oberglau.


Trying to exert pressure on French center but their guns done lots of damage.


Allied Foot Brigade still stuck (commander needed hung drawn and quartered).


Some very nice flags on display with Andys units.


So much Cavalry so little room.


Cowardly French curs holding back in center.


Traffic jam unfolding.



My Mounted suffered several Disorders and Shaken but I was able to rotate units and Rally.


French guns (3 batteries) made advance a bloody prospect.


My cavalry negotiate stream in column.


French right smaller but more numerous Brigades.


French center with guns and Bavarians, French and Swiss in triple lines.


More French cavalry in support on left.


Andys mounted cross stream as foot lag behind.


My foot cross in column.



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Photos curtesy of Gary.