Vimeiro - Full Fat, WIP

For regular followers of this blog, you will be aware that I have referred to "when I run the Vimeiro full fat game", i.e. the big one. Well in case you were thinking it was a fantasy, a game from myth, I thought I would provide some reassurance that the plan progresses, to run this game, probably next month.

As I write this post I am adding the final commanders to the order of battle including a scratch build of General Junot himself, based on an ADC from the excellent set from  AB - Fighting 15's  and, as you will see from the pictures below, working on the final piece of terrain to add, that being the River Maciera which flows behind Vimeiro Hill and through the village towards the sea. In addition I am waiting for a stone bridge on order from Timecast to complete the two bridge crossings over the river, these being important crossing points particularly for the British.

So the pictures below give my interpretation of the whole Vimiero ridge position based on the map above. This is the map from the Vimiero full fat scenario I have posted in my downloads section. The scenario is constructed for Carnage & Glory II but would easily convert to other rule sets. The ground scale is one inch to fifty paces (37.5 yards) a pace being 27 inches.

The view looking along the Eastern ridge with Ventosa Farm in the foreground

Looking North with Vimiero Hill and Vimiero village nestled below the Eastern ridge. Note the River Maciera has still to be modelled.

View from behind Vimiero in the British lines. Note the rocky out crop on the reverse slope of the Western ridge that restricts any movement off it.

The road along the Eastern ridge that Junot attempted to use, to turn Wellesley's position

The view up to Ventosa where Junot's first flanking column mistakenly approached the Eastern ridge

The hamlet of Toledo with Vimiero behind. The main area of Junot's attack

This will be the first battle that will use the whole table. The table being constructed back in the Easter holidays with my eldest son Tom. It is also the first time I have used sculpted styrene as an under lay to capture the rolling nature of the terrain. I'm really pleased with the result and think it helps simulate the lines of sight the commanders on the day had to cope with.

We will be trying out "blinds" for the first time to add to the confusion during the approach to battle, so I will be trying out several new ideas.

In addition to trying out new things, I will update the scenario briefing based on my play test and add some terrain notes that I have thought of since I wrote the first version.