Sikh Wars - Général d'Armée 2

Mr Steve dug out his Sikh Wars collection this week to entertain us with a game of the new Général d'Armée 2, (GDA 2) the follow up to the successful GDA 1 from Dave  and Christopher Brown and published by Reisswitz Press and available through the Too Fat Lardies web site.

https://toofatlardies.co.uk/product-category/reisswitz-press/general-darmee/

Much pouring over rules and crib sheets entailed as this was the first game of GDA 2 for some of us and the rules are still relatively new to all of us and so not surprisingly the play was not entirely intuitive, but from my own impression, having a copy of and having played GDA 1, much of the new set will be very familiar to those with a similar experience, with tweaks to various aspects such as the options for commanders and aide-de-camp tokens, the new scouting rules and pre-set brigadier command qualities for example.

This AAR will not attempt to give an overview of GDA 2, but rather an impression, this being my first go with the rules, and mindful that there are several very informative overviews of the rules in blog and video format that those interested can check out.

For our game, we had a straight forward attack (British) and defence (Sikh) encounter with both sides having a reinforcement potential later in the game, and seeing the Sikh line anchored on a small village, the British objective.

My chaps form up for the attack with my brigade deployed two-up (British line and a Sepoy battalion) and one back (sepoy battalion) and with artillery in the centre preparing the ground ahead. Note the ADC in attendance to make sure the advance gets going on time.

My determined opponents ready to repel the British and Sepoy attack

Our brave Brits and their Sepoy comrades boldly advanced with infantry on the left flank and centre supported by cavalry on the British right flank, mirrored by the Sikh army, anchored on the village.

The British pushed forward on the two flanks managing to draw Sikh infantry from the centre in support of their troops around the village, before the British reserves came up in the centre to make a hard push there instead.

Unfortunately for the British left flank the Sikh guns proved particularly effective and the attacking infantry was very shot-up before arriving before the enemy infantry positions and despite driving off one of the Sikh infantry units and battering their guns, were themselves driven back in disorder and dispersal having failed to make any impression on the defence.

Similarly on the British right, the calvary had some early success, seeing the light dragoons defeat the first Sikh heavy cavalry regiment as it charged in, but then succumbing to the follow up counter-attack by the second regiment and causing the brigade to fall back.

As the British reserves pushed up to support an attack by the centre, the Sikh reserve moved on to reinforce the centre as the two British flank forces retired, leaving the British commander little choice but to forgo pressing the attack in the centre and calling it a day.

GDA 2 plays very straightforwardly with a entertaining play sequence of initiative determination, decision points on use of ADC's and the usual exchanges of combat dice rolls for shooting and melee that you would expect from rules produced by Dave Brown and are a good choice for a game at club with a few brigades on each side.

I would need to play them a few more times to comment on the more nuanced way of playing them, and we omitted the use of skirmishers which I would very much want to see in play in a horse and musket action, as they are very much part of any attacking force's 'softening up' tactic along with support from artillery before the attack force moves into contact.

Thank you to Mr Steve for a fun walk through of GDA 2 with something a bit different from the usual Napoleonic setting, all too familiar at club, and to Nathan, Ian, Ian Mc., Steve L. and Bob for making our game.

JJ