Back to 1762

Today, it was my turn to choose the game, so I opted to go back to the Seven Years War.
I used my Russians again, and Lawrence his Austrians, he was joined by Phil with a Reichsarmee force.

Lawrence got the best of the deployment dice, and was the attacker...he was also allowed to deploy in the flank sectors.

The battlefield, Austrians on the left, my Russians on the right. (NB: the hills with trees on are steep hills, disordering to most troops)

I had deployed first, being the defender, I had hidden some troops in the wood on my right, fairly obvious, but useful to make the Austrians unsure of my intentions!

Phil's force on the right of the Austrian line, with a heavy cavalry presence. 

On their left, Lawrence, with more infantry and less cavalry. 

 Phil managed to get his cavalry moving forward. 

 His infantry occupied a low hill in front of his position.

Lawrence's Austrian battalions made a good show as they advanced in good order. 

He also probed my right with his cavalry. 

I was unable to get my Russians moving, only 1 regiment of Don Cossacks a regiment of cuirassiers and some dragoons tried to extend my left against the advancing hordes. 

I advanced my grenadiers to make way for some artillery to deploy. 

 Two of my Cuirassier regiments managed to leave the wood to face Lawrence.

 Things did not go well!--my first regiment charged the first Austrian regiment and routed!

The Austrians followed up into my fresh second regiment... 

The Austrians won this too! 

All my cuirassiers on this wing had broken disgracefully! 

 As the Austrian horse followed up, my horse Grenadiers retreated in dismay back into the woods.

The Austrian artillery began to pound my infantry. 

 At long range, they only managed to disorder a battalion of grenadiers.

On the other wing, I got my Cossacks in to face Phil's horse, who were disordered by the steep hill.

Phil's infantry, untouched by my artillery, engaged my line. 

If this line went, it would probably cost me the battle! 

Lawrence's Austrian infantry advanced on my grenadiers... 

...They opened fire...

...Two of my grenadier battalions were damaged. 

Phils infantry fired and destroyed one of my guns, and disordered my dismounted dragoons. 

 My men returned fire, despite their disorder, they managed to hit the Austrians.

Phil's men too were badly hit by the Russian return fire. 

 I held fire with my dragoons, wanting to save their 'First Fire' bonus till they had regained their order!

 I was slowly getting more horse out on my left, fortunately, Phil's cavalry commander was a Brave Incompetent, and despite Phil's best efforts, his cavalry was happily watching my manoeuvres from the hill!!!

 I decided to risk advancing to point blank range in an attempt to force a decision, I knew this was risky!

My line fired! - a near perfect volley!

 The right wing battalions broke under the fire... 

...as did the next two! 

My grenadiers managed to hit the blue faced regiment... 

...which fell back in disorder, disordering the second line.

One brave Austrian regiment stood its ground and almost destroyed a grenadier battalion! (Amazingly, the grenadiers stood their ground despite their losses!) 

 On Phil's wing, his Kuirassiers finaly charged and scattered my Cossacks!

 His other regiment hit my cuirassiers...

...they broke! My victorious Novotroitskiy Cuirassiers then pursued into the following unit of Austrian cuirassiers, and beat them too! It was like the other wing, in reverse!

 At this point, the Austrians decided to cede the field to the battered Russians!

For much of the game, I had felt I was going to suffer a major defeat, as one disaster followed another, but the Russian infantry and the Novotroitskiy Cuirassiers pulled my fat from the fire!

I felt sorry for Lawrence and Phil, they had fought a tremendous battle, and really should have won!