![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdXNdrDZGj3vfZbejy_xKlU0cZgT5sWgn3Pl3f5TmUWQRNzW16tJZ71hN1pbmIlaIto29IzFSKK-93AyxaIqjgaI8BDozk_n33tAyHzM3Fj1KTM8S045MDjc-HmuYjr70Ord52tVpKSAGg_uZU1TG86_blLYuzKavOMXYkL2RaElpF2Q1d-ZIdzA=w287-h400)
As I have discussed in the past, Sharpe is the reason I got into wargaming. The hero in the
Bernard Cornwell novels and the subsequent
TV series, galvanised me to start wargaming. I remember looking at my son's collection of 28mm LOTR figures and saying maybe I would like to do that, but I was not really into fantasy. Twenty years ago, I was enjoying the Sharpe series of novels and the shows staring Sean Bean and I said why not. An off I went. I subsequently painted over three thousand 28mm Napoleonic figures but then decided they were not going to work for tactical wargaming so I sold them all and with the proceeds bought 4000 painted 18 mm figures! At the time I was dabbling with Sharpe Practice so I held back around 100 figures. I do not think they ever saw the table as by now I was heavily into other historical eras. I had played a few games but there was something about some of the mechanisms in SP2, that confused me, especially in respect to Napoleonic wargaming. At the same time, I discovered Muskets and & Tomahawks ( I love SAGA) and used this rule set for 18th century skirmish wargaming mostly though for the French Indian War. A recent
blog article by the Tactical Painter made me reconsider this and a couple of days ago when I was searching about for something to play with my friend Pierre-Yves, I suggested why not try SP2. I knew he was building forces for Infamy Infamy, so this would be a nice sequa as they are quite similar. I pulled out my figures, dusted them off, and found my 28mm Spanish terrain that I have never used and set up a game. I watched a couple of videos, I found the On Table Top
introduction video pretty helpful and at 1930h were were set up on Discord and ready to play.
FORCES
British-FM 9
Lt Sharpe LIII
Sgt Harper LII (chosen man)
Sgt Hakeswill LI (filth)
2 units of South Essex (line)-16 men
1 unit of 95th Rifles (lights)-8 men
1 unit of the 60th Rifles (lights)-8 men
1 unit of 95th Rifles (skirmish light infantry)-6 men
French-FM 11
Major Ducos LIII
Major Dubronet LII
Sgt Bouef LI
5é legére (skirmishers)-6 men
33é ligne (conscripts)-8 men
2 units of 24é voltiguers (line)-16 men
2 units of the 4é Dragoons (grenadier)-16 men
THE ACTION
We decided to play scenario 2, I did place 3 markers as instructed in the scenario in each of the buildings as well as placing 3 civilians. But once the game started I had no idea how to work this so we skipped it as well as not adding any supports. This was P-Y's first game and my first in a very long time so best to keep it simple.
We played for about 2 hours and did get in quite a few turns. I will post some photos with some narration but we finished up before there was a meaningful conclusion but P-Y was ahead on FM, but believe I had killed a couple of more men. A lot of shock on both sides as you will see from the photos.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Aph8YfiyAw82hNyrzt1jihFjxF95ZgFE3lRQ_aVAFlZ786RTCPNszff5LDcej0mnNNznFYzDgmmoM4dSjHWq1RAWuejlC0xsDsPLTMSMNgnck8x4jASDBRNc0hdPkIZFoQn7cadxUbVcdrJ53oj8r5sPzoebgq13RTQ-52CjsfRQDReesPZAAA/w400-h250/CBBE44DB-ACCA-4ED2-89DF-0B690E0B5096_1_201_a.heic) |
Sharpe with Obadiah. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF7ADuFsDJmUcCbuis_TX61m4Qtd7jdtpAFE8yNfRTjMiOhNj3s6TvBfBPXQWV-D1aLU5jUoNBtW7f346082cPhX4uI_4QJ6znYJeNBISNp0XqouqPVPG09DyO3as5fHXUb2cttU7Nqj2cpv9ljucFFiSBUzyw4zNuAjqDyUwnFfaoLvkpeW48BA/w400-h264/0E423B85-8CDE-478A-8F7A-BCA9501FE58D_1_201_a.heic) |
I brought the South Essex on with Obadiah, with the 95th Rifles with Sharpe south of the road, it was important to keep Obadiah on a short leash! Harper lead the formed 95th and the 60th Rifles down the road. As you can see they got a bit of a pasting. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgChbAvYrLcWfzFQYWhOMHFo4JsTPXyA3ns4jXcuuzLzWvmTgzp40z6MU7FxiYS4TPsQXa3UQYc8FJKzOExOVl_sMOHSZ09LU-ICvtewnBRQt0E_A6ITXbokd-sj-LjtEsBC5NmryShP1mRTuSsHMvr7Tg-lRyXhTx8T3Hn0ZDoYwEzMwa2F0qAlA/w400-h263/7E987EFE-56E6-4AA2-8D74-FB9417D10469_1_201_a.heic) |
A Portuguese priest |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYMkx0_KwVqonzT71A1FwnD7zJfLMPrjoimVjdsur_YF7F2UfnHVCofNKiRb0v6LT-XwFMnVgfhXQkNbjvOc8EtAPo46TUL_cXuYkJ0UtXxcX_bt6OUG2h263Sgj-QPCYMFdPVfp2Id19QCemxLHM0wUO5IsaWE9tq54DPhTyLUTQKjyOgNyoiw/w400-h225/52DF2F70-79DD-48C5-BBBB-53082E55CD49_1_201_a.heic) |
The South Essex were able to cross to hedge rows without a lot of difficulty and gave the 33é line conscripts a bit of a pasting but P-Y was able to bring the 4é Dragoon Grenadiers (you are allowed to substitute when you only have 100 figures) in line under Major Ducos. As you can see quite a fire fight erupted. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXsd5cshAFitlidz98m_muToWlXRCi4AyE390fckuqU1RyqmkswXYxNu2kE-XzkkNajsw76dXTRAkW7_YZDGUBAqdzSNzJYXwyGcmNLlFSMccbhvZswv10taKQHeuxbkLl8jWFQ80B5kTWA50RSu5QuQuSZ1FlkE-DEDF7RgKBKILEphgkxVRIng/w400-h268/0787ECD3-C2BB-48B1-B781-08896A7665DB_1_201_a.heic) |
Back to the road, this was a bit of a mistake as the 24é voltiguers were able to give it to Harper and his men. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtufGQ3GzjcOIj07lrjC-18-NYnq15zwSUZFlMvwH-wrc19IThAQmapGqYioH1QjAuIXY3w2bKRTgsKofh6CQEkykwuYRD4cGfTg3c0GoYv7A8fmET8g5UrRT6Zq9lyCX3SnaGM530mgIevsuEQ8bVtqkbbnZV7REzwkdes262l8dyGlYFK46R7g/w400-h344/A5C4F52E-7E7B-40AF-ABF5-5A98005D3086_1_201_a.heic) |
overview |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgte9tNdfRRgFJE9EiA2QjrQZz0zv7nWt_zM3b-DBoCQnp9gDkxHmlFUxRW7KmkpDc_diVYpFFWZH5TxgIZz1m30rxEwnwS-Q8NQQe85EEzQPLy5Uj9nqLmqNq10kItiIacn0m3qCPwlDkFqx6N0XPBh31VWZgrqwrQU0-__5Sy0LYFdug0lv8yUQ/w400-h246/C01237E7-ADAC-439E-B94C-0205B2DFEF82_1_201_a.heic) |
Some sabot work still to do. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAA6Y775aWwIA37Bz9WE5gtACtxJFg3wcHWHUB6Ulb-6S9WSl_FbycDdzF0LDS1u3Zl_x60wyq48pUyIqBIraxu1yFjkDDkIHFBqQx3Xm1Zu2LO53ZraIIJyiDJ-X0COuekjzugKUQzMgjq8hkYvGGRRFP9GVgeHK9IFUWlmwXumxGCYbEAqUC9g/w400-h280/D0967694-3846-4BAC-8057-9373D95876E5_1_201_a.heic) |
A Fish Wife |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0RoiTi_3VpzsJvwttk28hq1arQ6FM1BnSyU84p9uLP8Txt2bnO5B9pLtWXkug6flAg4Uskw8crrQ-EqT5gpciVWPjYhupBB3UOObu7iRZt61WRJEmSC266sQ4vCamTDMk01E-uRWUiQeDR1IGDfkH1tSEi84s_VFbd43SKJ9sx6y9mCPltk2FA/w400-h240/EC850371-B4CD-42BA-A79C-1D233B9B3597_1_201_a.heic) |
Sgt Harper |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitKGgSta-W_qFAjfni0EhAa6UJ_bBWq6TWfI34EK9g_oecGi69Yk2AtpVMTBylXrsKzOBfNYNQuOgP1EqClHCBHahrCXyj65epZrOMC1bxHqLaVzn3ZtTJbPZg0sH-aDWV2M3C07z2ICbUAdElfm_Ylh0dgVzzeqDquLHPa7B7B7mUnT1h_TA2Fg/w400-h244/F6EBA930-1A6F-4172-B32B-6A0D4470FB47_1_201_a.heic) |
A dangerous Portuguese lad with a knife, Sharpe knew better then to confront him. |
We both quite enjoyed the game, we had a few questions which I believe we have clarified. I am still not sure about the Present-Controlled Volley-Uncontrolled Volley sequence but I suspect I will be able to work it out. I suspect we will have another game next week.