SPI's Wellington's Victory Actual Play - with someone else!

 I forget the movie, but the Lead asks the crowd "How many of you have had sex?" After several raise their hands, the Lead clarifies, "Other than with yourselves!" What hands were raised now descend.

I'm reminded of this scene anytime I talk about playing wargames. Ask me if I play, arm shoots straight up with second-hand support and bouncing in my seat up and down. Let the other shoe drop, though, and my hand will meekly come down. Yes, most of my wargaming is a solo enterprise. I was in the Bonnie Brae (now defunct) game store one day buying GMT's The Battle for North Africa and the clerk comes up to me to ask whether I plan on playing the game or was I just a "collector"? Ouch dude, thanks for reminding me I have no friends. I don't want to be a game "collector", but only playing solo games with Vassal (before it was set up the game one afternoon and have it taken down four hours later, un-played, because there is no room for it to stay up) makes my physical copies of some great games just that. A collection. I prefer to be a player of games, not a collector. 

But the amount of time I have been able to play with someone else any of these table-top board wargames tells me if it was not for the collectors I would not, as a player, have an industry to shop. 

And desperately groping for a physical gaming connection did get me to post some solo play online. Which led to a fine gaming enthusiast reaching out to me suggesting a play of SPI's monster wargame Wellington's Victory. 

You could not pick a game I am more willing to play than Wellington's Victory. We agreed to use Tabletop Simulator for the gaming software, and Steam for the gaming platform. I have never used TTS before, but it is a better choice for live face-to-face play than Vassal. This is because the software goes out of its way to simulate leaning over an actual game board, shuffling pieces, and rolling die. 

We are playing RAW, the Historical Scenario, and have played a total of 13 turns. As the French I decided to implement an En Echelon attack, beginning with a historical opening assault on the Chateaux Hougomont. To my surprise, my opponent backed off of this "hardpoint" and has left my divisions of the II Corp free to isolate and surround the farmhouse. 

In the center I push forward two divisions from D'elorn's I Corp and as much artillery as I can muster and begin my attack on La Hay Sant-whatever. Holding this farmhouse in the center and free-reign over Hougomont I should be able to push the Allied forces off the top of the ridge.

Here is a link to a great review of this game by a blogger, really worth the read. Maps & Counters