Roll with the fates

 Today, we returned to the Seven Years War, with my victorious Prussians hoping to get yet another famous victory over the Russians!

Despite my Prussians out-scouting the Russians - I failed to get either flank sector to deploy in, so I deployed in standard style with a long double line of infantry with artillery on the flanks, and my vaunted cavalry behind the flanks, ready to deploy out.

My army, forced to have my right wing horse deploy in a wood!

The Russians deployed similarly but with their guns deployed along the line. Amazingly, neither of us had any Incompetent brigadiers, and we had Competent brigadiers (Phil had two, me one, which was with my right wing horse) 

All was looking good!

Then I rolled for my command dice, the left horse got a 1...

...as did the Infantry next to them...

One 3! - but the fourth got a 1 too!

Seydlitz in the wood got a 3, but being Competent, this went up to a 4!

With Frederick's additional order, the left wing Kuirassiers began to deploy.

Seydlitz led his whole force out of the wood.

The only infantry advance I could manage with those dice was to advance the Frei Korps!!!

The Russians had similar though less severe command problems, so soon I got my dragoons on the left chasing after the Kuirassiers.

My infantry were still unable to advance - but the Russians had been able to take the hill in front of their centre.

My right wing horse deployed easily, and the Hussars went forward to support the Frei Korps.

The Russians were happy to stay on their hill, and their artillery was soon in range.

My left wing artillery was disordered by their first volley!

Their artillery was active on their left too...

...a volley of cannister disordered my Frei Korps.

I hoped either the Hussars or light infantry would be able to destroy the Russian artillery on the flank to allow my heavy horse free rein.

These moved up in preparation to engage the strangely quiescent Russian cavalry.

My left wing horse was faced with a hill covered with Russian horse.

My left wing artillery fired...

Phil had turned a second line regiment to protect his flank, my fire got 'bounce through' which disordered his manoeuvering infantry.

Phil had his cavalry in good order on the hill, what would he do with them?

The Russian brigadier moved to steady his infantry.

Phil advanced a Cuirassier regiment to face my Hussars.

As Phil chomped on a sandwich, I hoped my Hussars might catch the Cuirassiers at the halt if I got a good charge in?

Piffle! I rolled badly and the Hussars halted!

My Frei Korps tried to storm the gun, but likewise failed their charge roll!

On the other wing, I brought up another Kuirassier regiment to hopefully deter the Russian infantry from venturing forth to engage my lead regiment.

No luck! The brave Russians advanced and got a good volley on my poor Kurassiers!

The lead Russian Cuirassier regiment now advanced confidently.

A brisk charge by the Russian horse swept my Kuirassiers away and both went off table.

Back on the other side, my Frei Korps stormed the Russian gun!

My Hussars AGAIN failed to advance though!

Phil turned a battalion and a great volley ripped the victorious Frei Korps to pieces!

As the Prussian and Russian heavies joined combat, the remains of the Frei Korps routed towards their base line!

Amazingly, on this flank too, my Kuirassiers baulked, and were routed by the supposedly inferior Russian Cuirassiers!

The Hussars had seen enough and retreated off the table.

I only had one regiment left on my right...

...and my left was faced with a line of infantry, with the probability of the Pursuing Cuirassiers returning on my flank!

Thanks to the failure of my infantry to advance, and some shocking die rolls, I decided I now had no chance of winning, and preserved my army for another day!

Well done to Phil's Russians! It was a fun game!