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Saturday 30 July 2022

Back to playtesting

 Today we got my cardboard Triremes out again to try the provisional rules I am writing for them. Since last game, I sorted out ramming and shearing attacks.

Lawrence had 4 Triremes, in a tight formation.

The play sheets and manoeuvre templates, modified after last game.
Phil had 4 Triremes to face Lawrence. Oddly he started with the name slips on the ship forecastles!- his ships were in a more open order than Lawrence's.
Phil advanced at a high rate, tiring his crews early in the game. Lawrence turned his ships obviously trying to outflank Phil's ships.
It became clear that Lawrence was not going to get round the flank easily!
Phil now shipped his oars, and diced to get his crews fresh again.
As Phil's ships began to slow as they coasted, Lawrence's ships maintained a steady easy rowing rate.
It would be interesting to see how the lines met, Lawrence's left looked vulnerable to a ram attack but for Phil resting his crews.
As the Marines and archers swarmed on deck, Lawrence turned sharply, with his ships going to board rather than shear (Phil had no vulnerable oars anyway!) In the rules I had allowed marines to board stationary ships in contact without grappling, this was a mistake!
As the archers and slingers peppered each other...
... some of Lawrence's archers were killed, but Lawrence killed a stand of Hoplites!, Lawrence had got his marines on board Phil's left hand ship, but Phil backwatered, leaving them isolated on his upper deck!
Phil moved his free Trireme round Lawrence's flank, cutting down Lawrence's marines in a crossfire.
Phil now closed again and boarded one of Lawrence's ships.
We stopped the game then, with me furiously writing amended rules to add into the next version. Phil and Lawrence had captured a ship each.

As planned, we than had a couple of card games, Lawrence had brought down,
The Good, the Bad, and the Munchkin! - and a more amusing game, Braggart.

A worthwhile day all around!

Saturday 23 July 2022

Prussian resurgence?

 Today, we returned to an old favourite, Seven Years War!

As we are able to respect the differences between the current Ruzzian leadership, and the Russia of Elizabeth Petrovnya we decided to have a Prussian/Russian battle!

As is normal these days, Phil as Russian commander threw brilliant initiative dice, which, together with having more light cavalry meant he got the initiative, and in addition could deploy in both of the table's flank sectors!!!

The table, 2 low hills a wood and a deep morass causing no-one any problems!

My Prussians, commanded by myself and Peter.
Phil's right wing with heavy cavalry led by Kalmyks.
The Russian centre.
Lawrence also had a large cavalry wing, for a while commanded by Erika who had to leave to attend a Pride march in Newcastle at lunchtime. 
They were led by the Serbski Hussars.
As the game started, Erika sent the Hussars, supported by a Cuirassier regiment forward, in the hope of catching my cavalry napping!
The majority of the Russian horse on that wing didn't get their orders!
Phil sent the Russian right wing horse forward, the Kalmyk horse archers leading!
These were supported by Corps of Observation Grenadiers.
The Russian centre, under Lawrence, pushed forward rapidly, but several regiments in the second line got left behind!
My right wing Cavalry pushed forward to deploy against the larger Russian cavalry force.
Peter had Seydlitz and got his Hussars supported by a Kuirassier regiment deployed quickly.
Erika sent the Serbski Hussars in to attack my Kuirassiers, neatly avoiding my Frei Korps!
As the right wing Russian Cavalry formed up on a hill, the Kalmyks rode forward only to come under devastating fire from Peter's artillery.
Phil had a Dragoon regiment in reserve.
The Kalmyks took heavy casualties from the Prussian guns and shamefully routed through the following Cuirassiers!
They definitely had somewhere they would rather be!
Lawrence had assumed command of the left wing Russian Cavalry, and withdrew the Hussars allowing the following Cuirassiers to engage mine.
The rest of the Russian horse on that wing waited patiently behind.
I managed to get my right wing horse deployed in support of my leading regiment.
The Russian infantry was slowly moving forward to allow the slower regiment to catch up.
With the Kalmyks gone, Peter retreated his Hussars and allowed his heavy Cavalry to advance.
As the Russian infantry advanced, their supporting Artillery shredded one of Peter's Fusilier battalions.
Several of my regiments were hit too, and my Heavy Battery was de-crewed!
Two Prussian regiments retreated through the second line!
Peter's Artillery blasted the Corps of Observation grenadiers, who also retreated through their second line.
The Prussian cavalry got their first win of the day as my regiment beat their Russian counterparts.
Sadly, things did not go as I wanted, and the Russians routed slower than they should, rather than breaking through the reserve regiments.
My cavalry caught them and cut them to pieces before taking the survivors prisoner.
The lone regiment left facing the Russian centre stopped them with accurate fire.
My Grenadiers also stood against the Russian Grenadiers.
Despite taking heavy losses, the Prussians bravely held their ground.
Behind these two regiments, the Prussian brigadiers struggled to get their regiments back in order.
Peter's regiment were bravely fending off the entire Russian right!
My Grenadiers, too were holding up the Russian left!
Peter's Kuirassiers moved forward to attack Phil's Cuirassiers, but the Corps of Observation Grenadiers about faced and fired into their rear, fortunately the Kuirassiers were only disordered by the fire. 
On Peter's extreme left, his Kuirassiers were charged by more Russian Cuirassiers, but the Prussian horse again prevailed, though with heavy losses on both sides.
The Russian horse were stopped, not routed, and continued to fight.
My Grenadiers got a good volley against the Russian Grenadiers, partly redressing the losses my men had taken.
The Russians held, and volleyed back, wrecking one of my Battalions.
Peter's Kuirassiers regained their order and charged down onto the Russian Cuirassiers, earning a hard fought victory.
The stopped regiment on his left destroyed the Russian regiment after a hard melee.
On the right, My Kuirassiers had beaten another Russian Kuirassier regiment, (which retreated)- but now blown, were in turn charged by Russian Horse Grenadiers!
My poor, brave Prussians were destroyed.
My Grenadiers were down to one stand, which again survived its Morale roll!!!
Peter had his second line regiments advance, and they smashed a Russian regiment.
The steadfast Prussian artillery now fired at the Corps of Observation Musketeers, who routed ignominiously! one of the Russian gun crews abandoned their guns in sympathy!
The Russians had now run out of steam and ceded the battle.
On their left, I had a fresh Kuirassier and Dragoon regiments facing the tired Hussars and Horse Grenadiers.
Peter was really winning - the Russian Cavalry was retreating, and the right wing infantry was broken or unsteady.

So, a very hard fought Prussian victory!- Nun danket alle Gott!