French vs Imperial WSS

[Last Hussar]

From the game last Friday 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lasthussar/sets/72157630167051178/with/7389587022/
1128 Infantry, 384 Cavalry, 6 guns, 38 First Fire markers, 12 Generals, various hangers on, and 1 Carriage (containing Mistress, not seen).

[Hertsblue]

Now, that's what I call a game. None of your namby-pamby skirmishes. Good job LH. 

[nikharwood]

Agreed - very nicely done! 

[Ben Waterhouse]

That's how it should look, lovely.

[robert]

Marvellous game - well done - try Maurice rules though, much more fun than BP - imho

[Nosher]

Line em up and knock em down

Years since I have played 'everything you have got on the table'... Agreed that Maurice is tons better than BP though

[Last Hussar]

I've wriiten my own mod for BP

http://lasthussar.wordpress.com/2011/02/01/war-of-spanish-succession-for-black-powder/

[sunjester]

I think Last Hussar's mods work well for the period, or at least they give us a game that we are both happy with.

A lot of games end up in an infantry stalemate, we do not often get an decisive victory for either side. We usually agree in a civilised manner, as befits gentlemen, who has the advantage. These have been the only games I've experienced where I've have a prolonged debate at the end of the game with both generals insisting that the other had won!

Of course there's the odd battle, like this one, where Last Hussar's dice luck strikes and a third of his infantry run away at the first sight of French cold steel.

I did download Maurice Lite and read through it a couple of times, but it really didn't appeal to me at all. Each to their own.

[Last Hussar]

Sunjester is a very bad man.  At the moment he has 20 bn foot, I have 18, I have 14 Regt horse, he has 12 I think.  He has 'found' enough spares to make another 5 bns, having ordered the command recently.  That means I need to buy more, the git.

[nikharwood]

Sunjester is a very bad man.  At the moment he has 20 bn foot, I have 18, I have 14 Regt horse, he has 12 I think.  He has 'found' enough spares to make another 5 bns, having ordered the command recently.  That means I need to buy more, the git.

You two are heading down the joyous road to M.A.D. methinks  

[sunjester]

Sunjester is a very bad man.  At the moment he has 20 bn foot, I have 18, I have 14 Regt horse, he has 12 I think.  He has 'found' enough spares to make another 5 bns, having ordered the command recently.  That means I need to buy more, the git.

I think of it as doing my bit to help kickstart the economy, or at least put food on Dave and Leon's tables!

[Leon]

I think of it as doing my bit to help kickstart the economy, or at least put food on Dave and Leon's tables!

[Hertsblue]

Sunjester is a very bad man.  At the moment he has 20 bn foot, I have 18, I have 14 Regt horse, he has 12 I think.  He has 'found' enough spares to make another 5 bns, having ordered the command recently.  That means I need to buy more, the git.

Either; a) you're using very small battalions, or b) he grossly over-orders, or c) you're being played, mate. 

[sunjester]

Either; a) you're using very small battalions, or b) he grossly over-orders, or c) you're being played, mate. 

a) Last Hussar insists on using 6 figures per 20mm base, I use 4. So my battalions are 24 figures.

b) Originally I ordered some army packs, then added odd bits as I needed them. So I did have a fair number of "spare" infantry left.

c)   

[Last Hussar]

He is being very quiet about yesterday's game.  Ask him how his French did against the Prussians being led by my son, over whom he had 3:2 foot, and 2:1 cavalry advantage. 

As my dining table extends to 10ft long, and is 3'6" wide, and the fact my wife is in London for 2 weeks (she is a volunteer 'Games Maker' at Stratford - the people in purple and pink t-shirts at the Olympics) we got another 'Everything' game in.  My Austrians did it properly - nice straight lines, using cavalry to slowly roll up the Italians/Bavarians from the flank.  The Prussians managed to turn it into the Age of Reason equivalent of a back street bar brawl- at one point foming a cavalry square!

[Hertsblue]

I'd expect the Prussians to do a Rossbach on the French - but cavalry square!?! Not on this planet! 

[sunjester]

I'd expect the Prussians to do a Rossbach on the French - but cavalry square!?! Not on this planet! 

Prussian cavalry in 4 lines, first line retreats in disorder to behind the others. French cavalry to the front, French cavalry to the right and French infantry advancing on the left. The Prussians turn one unit to face each threat, leaving the disordered unit at the rear et voila! A cavalry square!

[sunjester]

He is being very quiet about yesterday's game.  Ask him how his French did against the Prussians being led by my son, over whom he had 3:2 foot, and 2:1 cavalry advantage. 

I wish to complain about the quality of the metal used by Pendraken to mould Prussian infantry! It is definately much harder than that used for the Austrians. (Perhaps it's denser?)

The French did very well against the Prussians, wiping out the entire front line of 3 battalions. Unfortunately no-one explained to the Prussians that when you take 50% losses you are meant to give up, or at least retreat! Nor are you supposed to win consecutive melees when fighting against 2:1 odds.

It was a matter of time before I broke the Prussians, my problem was my Itailan and Bavarian allies were routing faster than I could push the Prussians back.

[Hertsblue]

Prussian cavalry in 4 lines, first line retreats in disorder to behind the others. French cavalry to the front, French cavalry to the right and French infantry advancing on the left. The Prussians turn one unit to face each threat, leaving the disordered unit at the rear et voila! A cavalry square!

That high-pitched hum you can hear is Old Fritz revolving in his grave! 

[Last Hussar]

The square was co-incidental rather than planned!  They just turned to face each threat.

I also wish to complain about metal quality.  I have previously complained about the Austrian infantry being cowards.  Well Austrian cuirassiers are unable to beat infantry units they have charged in the flank. Twice.