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Saturday 24 March 2018

The French strike back!

Today, we had our last game before the Easter break, and Lawrence was determined to better his armies previous performances - so it was 7 Years war again!

As usual, we used my own set of rules (Link)

--I had a slightly different composition Russian army against Lawrence's Franco-Reichsarmee one.



We, as usual, drew 3 quality chits for our C-In C's - Phil, on my side, drew 3 identical Average chits, so no choice there!
 Our opponent managed the same trick!
After allocating other counters for our brigadiers, I declared some troops I had hidden behind a hill in my deployment area! 
I had given the Russians a slightly stronger front line, which overlapped the opposing French line. Phil put his Cuirassiers, Horse Grenadiers and Cossacks on our right, facing an equivalent Reichs cavalry brigade. 
Opposite me, 2 Austrian Kuirassier regiments supported by the French 'La Reine' regiment of Cheveaux legeres. 
 As attackers - I moved my hidden cavalry quickly to take a low hill.
Our infantry advanced on the French, hoping our extra numbers would tell. 
Opposite my wing, the Austrians only managed to get one regiment, Bretlach, moving to face me. 
Opposite Phil, the enemy cavalry began to advance and deploy. 
The French centre stayed in front of a wood - as usual, the Reichs artillery got a 6 on his first roll!
 ...and disorganised a battalion of Russian grenadiers!
My Prince Fedorovitch Cuirassiers had almost reached the hill...
...backed by 3rd Cuirassiers, and flanked by my Kalmuks and Arkhangelogorodskiy Dragoons. My artillery was having problems, as they were under my Incompetent infantry brigadier!
He had only just managed to get his infantry advancing! 
On Phil's wing, Lawrence's Kuirassiers failed to charge! Would Phil be able to catch them at stand? 
...er, no! - another 1 on the D6! 
Lawrence, meanwhile, was bringing some hidden infantry out of the wood in the middle of his deployment area to back up the Austrian cavalry.
A quick overview of the battle at this point, from Phil's side of the table. 
I had the hill! and was ready to take on the Austrians! 
My infantry had engaged their French opposite numbers. 
 Phil had advanced on the reserved French centre. 
He had his horse facing the Reichsarmee and was sending his Cossacks round their flank. 
The French centre opened fire! 
The first Russian line recoiled through the second line. 
Lawrence's Reichs kuirassiers had routed Phil's first line cuirassiers, and barreled into the Horse Grenadiers, who not only held, but wiped the Germans out!
My first line infantry had been driven off by the French, despite their greater numbers, but the second line drove the victorious french back through their own second line!
I tried to send my dragoons in to rout them, but my die roll was another 1!
My Prince Fedorovitch Cuirassiers charged regiment Bretlach...
...and promptly routed, pursued by the victorious Austrians!

On Phil's side, his grenadiers were fighting Blau-Wurtzburg, surely we would win here?
In the centre, the second line had taken over from the shattered front line.
Phil's Horse dragoons routed the Reichs cavalry second line, supported by the Cossacks.
On my wing, things were going from bad to worse as 3rd cuirassiers broke and were chased off by the remnants of Bretlach!
At least my artillery was still firing, and the front line infantry was reforming as the new second line.
The heavy gun destroyed a stand of La Reine, who were moving to engage my dragoons.
Again, despite this giving my men the advantage, La Reine was soon chasing my poor Arkhangelogorodskiy Dragoons off table too!, I had only my Kalmuks, guns and some battalions from the centre left.

Blau Wurtzburg was holding its own against our vaunted grenadiers!
On their flank, the indomitable Horse Grenadiers were advancing on the last line, dragoons, of the Reichs cavalry.
The enemy dragoons, threatened from the flank by the Don Cossacks, fell back.
Back on my wing, fresh battalions secured the French right.
The Russian centre was in tatters, the front line routed and the rest withdrew from the massed artillery.
On our right, Phil's grenadiers were still unable to progress past Blau Wurtzburg, and his Cossacks had charged...and been routed by the Reichs dragoons, but Phil's Horse grenadiers were ready to pounce on them.
So ended the battle, I reckon the French had the day, though both sides had exhausted themselves. It was a good game though, and it was good to see Lawrence getting some luck this week!

Saturday 17 March 2018

Taking the 'P' out of Prussian!

Today, we had another 7 Years War game, this time using my reinforced Russian army, the last time I used it it had only 3 regiments of 'Heavy Cavalry' - not so today!
For the first time in a while, I got to be attacker, so Lawrence deployed first, but got the table side of his choice, and is able to deploy a single brigade after I had placed my troops.


Lawrence deployed a standard infantry centre between 2 marshy areas, and had the Reichs cavalry behind his left, the Austrians on his right.
My newly painted cavalry brigade deployed opposite the Austrians, supported by 2 gun batteries on a hill. I had the Prince Fedorovitch Cuirassiers, followed by 3rd Cuirassier and Kazanskiy Cuirassiers, supported by the Arkhangelogorodskiy Dragoons...all newly painted, so they HAD to be used!
On my right I deployed my old brigade, the Novotrotskiy Curassiers, followed by the Kargopolskiy Horse Grenadiers and the Tobolskiy Dragoons.
We now drew our Generals quality chits, Poor Fermor, my C-in-C had 3 to choose from. All 3 were 'Cautious Average'!!! 
 2 of my infantry brigades had 'Cautious Incompetent' brigadiers! the rest were average, apart from my new left wing commander who was 'Brave Competent'!
Lawrence also had one Cautious Incompetent, but the rest were ok!  
I started, only the Novotrotskiy Curassiers got moving, the rest dithered!
 Would one regiment be enough?
 My infantry centre managed to get moving, with help from the C-In-C, and advanced slowly.
The Ace Brigadier I had commanding my strong left wing got everything going easily! 
The Reichsarmee gun opened fire on my advancing infantry... 
 ...followed by the whole line.
The Reichs gun caused disorder in one of my Grenadier battalions. 
 The Austrians, led by Regiment Trauttmansdorff, advanced to engage my left. 
A French legion - previously unseen, deployed through the marshes in the Austrians support. 
Although the French artillery kept firing, my men suffered no more mischief from them! 
Lawrence decided to advance his infantry to engage mine, and his Reichs Kuirrasiers moved to engage my Novotrotskiy Curassiers
My heavy artillery on the hill now found the Austrians in range... 
Trauttmansdorff was disordered, but this was not enough to slow them.
As can be seen, regiment Bretlach followed Trauttmansdorff, this got them out of the way of the closing infantry lines.
The French legion began to emerge from the marshland!
The Reichs cavalry moved forward to engage my cuirassiers. 
On the other flank, Regiment Trauttmansdorff charged my Prince Fedorovitch Cuirassiers, who failed to counter charge! Did disaster loom?
The Austrians were shredded during their charge by the Russian battery on the hill, and were consequently beaten by my Cuirassiers! 
 The brave Austrians, now only at 1/3 strength, managed to extricate themselves to rally back. Their Russian opponents were only too happy to rally in place. 
 My howitzer battery supporting my right now halted and opened fire.
 Their shells disordered the Reichs cavalry as they attacked my Cuirassiers.
 Although the Novotrotskiy Curassiers took damage in the fierce melee, they routed their 2 opposing regiments and chased them off.
 Lawrence had left some dragoons on the hill, hoping to engage my Cuirassiers in flank, but they were dismayed by the defeat of the Reichs Kuirassiers and refused to attack.
However, urged on by their Brigadier, they soon moved forward to attack my Horse Grenadiers. 
As my rallied Novotrotskiy regiment tried to rejoin their brigade, they saw a French demi-brigade moving to engage them.
Back on my left, the 3rd Cuirassiers moved to sweep away the remnants of Regiment Trauttmansdorff...
...behind them, I kept the Prince Fedorovitch Cuirassiers in reserve, and sent the Arkhangelogorodskiy Dragoons behind the artillery to protect the flank of my infantry.
Those French infantry moved rapidly to engage my victorious Cuirassiers, who had no escape route! 
 Ah, back to the Bayreuth dragoons charging my Horse Grenadiers!
Bayreuth won, but my Kargopolskiy regiment managed to break off and rally back.
 My Howitzer batter was still firing...
 ...and blew up an opposing French gun battery! I finally got to  use one of my wreck markers I painted last year!
The 3rd Cuirassiers had destroyed the last of Regiment Trauttmansdorff - and now hoped to engage Bretlach.
On the other wing, my battered Horse Grenadiers refused to re-engage with the enemy dragoons. 
The Bayreuth, fortunately, were equally unwilling to commit themselves! 
The French light gun fired in support of the advancing Austrians...
 ...and killed a squadron of 3rd Cuirassiers!
On the other wing, those French infantry advanced on my hapless Cuirassiers...  
...but missed! The Cuirassiers managed to slip behind the French and escape! 
Another turn, the Horse Grenadiers just stood looking at the enemy... 
...and the enemy just looked back! 
On the other wing, the Arkhangelogorodskiy Dragoons, remember them? - now raced past the artillery and charged the French legion which was threatening the infantry lines, who were engaging ineffectually. The French routed! Regiment Bretlach was dismayed and began to retreat!
This disaster left the French right open to my Horse and artillery - (and the French infantry had only beaten 2 battalions of grenadiers in my infantry line, mainly due to the poor Brigadiers I had!) while I was winning in the other 2 brigade actions.) - So the French decided to disengage.

That was a long and complex game! It was decided mainly by my good dice rolling at key moments. I was overfaced by the enemy cavalry on 3 occasions, but my tough Russians managed to win anyway!.

My good luck has to change sometime!