Pendraken Miniatures Forum

Wider Wargaming => Batreps => Topic started by: ronan on 04 August 2013, 01:48:07 PM

Title: SYW : my first battle - Might and Reason
Post by: ronan on 04 August 2013, 01:48:07 PM
Hello
We played Might and Reason for the first time ( actually, two times using the same scenario, I lost both of them  :'(  )
As I said here, Maurice is not my kind of game, but I discovered M&R, and I like it.
I need to paint more french... lots of !  ;)

http://smolensk.homelinux.org/?p=1742 (http://smolensk.homelinux.org/?p=1742)

(http://smolensk.homelinux.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/MetR_LudoRonan_030813_15_20130804_001951.jpg)

Thank you.
Title: Re: SYW : my first battle - Might and Reason
Post by: Duke Speedy of Leighton on 04 August 2013, 01:54:39 PM
Nice report. Always need more French! Reminds me, must get on with 1870 stuff!
Title: Re: SYW : my first battle - Might and Reason
Post by: nikharwood on 04 August 2013, 02:04:38 PM
Nicely done, ronan - what do you prefer about M&R over Maurice (I've not played M&R)?
Title: Re: SYW : my first battle - Might and Reason
Post by: ronan on 04 August 2013, 02:42:46 PM
With Maurice (and also with Longstreet Lite)  I find myself "playing the cards". I don't feel like I'm a general. Surely it's about my habit of play. ( I think they are good rules, but not for me.)
M&R use pools of dices in a "usual" way.  I also may play solo. ( very useful : our 1940 campaign is temporarily stopped, as our SCW 1936. Some of y opponents went on holidays. ) (1)

Thank you for reading, gentlemen !

(1) or may be I should play while they're not here, I may win ?  :-\
:d
Title: Re: SYW : my first battle - Might and Reason
Post by: GordonY on 04 August 2013, 03:22:38 PM
Yeah I've got Might and Reason but have never played it, yet. Also the only bad comments I've heard about it is that if you want to win, play Prussians!! That might account for your two defeats Ronan.
Title: Re: SYW : my first battle - Might and Reason
Post by: ronan on 04 August 2013, 03:57:04 PM
Yes, you're right,  that's why I read : Prussians win.
But it was true (at least in the beginning ), and it's always possible to tweak it : less army points and show me who you are Frederick-the-not-so-great !  :d  )
We will also play in campaign mode ( we LOVE campaigns, no one plays as in a casual game.) One guy of our crew bought Soldier Kings, for that purpose.

and... I often lose : bad plans, bad dice ( often ! it became a joke here  :-[ ), and suicidal strategies !  ;)
Title: Re: SYW : my first battle - Might and Reason
Post by: nikharwood on 04 August 2013, 04:37:18 PM
Quote from: ronan on 04 August 2013, 02:42:46 PM
With Maurice (and also with Longstreet Lite)  I find myself "playing the cards". I don't feel like I'm a general. Surely it's about my habit of play. ( I think they are good rules, but not for me.)
M&R use pools of dices in a "usual" way.  I also may play solo. ( very useful : our 1940 campaign is temporarily stopped, as our SCW 1936. Some of y opponents went on holidays. ) (1)

Thank you for reading, gentlemen !

(1) or may be I should play while they're not here, I may win ?  :-\
:d

Cool - thanks for that, it's useful - as I find the same with Maurice really...might have to look at M&R...
Title: Re: SYW : my first battle - Might and Reason
Post by: Hertsblue on 04 August 2013, 06:30:07 PM
Interesting battle, Ronan, although you're a brave man to take on Prussians at 2 to 3 odds. And I like your blog - it allows me to practise my French.  :-bd
Title: Re: SYW : my first battle - Might and Reason
Post by: petercooman on 04 August 2013, 06:36:50 PM
Very nice!!
Title: Re: SYW : my first battle - Might and Reason
Post by: ronan on 04 August 2013, 07:07:19 PM
you're welcome guys !
thank you.
Title: Re: SYW : my first battle - Might and Reason
Post by: GordonY on 04 August 2013, 07:55:29 PM
Nik, M&R is available from Sam's website for about £11 as a PDF.
Title: Re: SYW : my first battle - Might and Reason
Post by: sixsideddice on 05 August 2013, 10:06:47 AM
Very nice batrep sir.... I really enjoyed reading it and looking at your marvellous photos. Splendid stuff. It`s always good to see a battle report; gets the inspirational juices working with renewed enthusiasm.

Six  8)
Title: Re: SYW : my first battle - Might and Reason
Post by: nikharwood on 05 August 2013, 08:49:13 PM
Quote from: GordonY on 04 August 2013, 07:55:29 PM
Nik, M&R is available from Sam's website for about £11 as a PDF.

Cool...might just be getting that then  :)
Title: Re: SYW : my first battle - Might and Reason
Post by: Techno on 05 August 2013, 09:16:50 PM
Excellent !!
Thanks Ronan.
Cheers - Phil.
Title: Re: SYW : my first battle - Might and Reason
Post by: Fenton on 05 August 2013, 10:29:06 PM
I wish I had bought the PDF version, I bought the hardback and it fell apart within a a week
Title: Re: SYW : my first battle - Might and Reason
Post by: GordonY on 06 August 2013, 04:57:18 AM
Gimme your E-mail address Fenton, I'm sure that as you've bought the book Sam wouldnt be put out by your getting the PDF from me.
Title: Re: SYW : my first battle - Might and Reason
Post by: Fenton on 06 August 2013, 07:30:04 AM
HI Gordon


Its ok thanks for the offer I have hole punched it and put it in a binder, just annoys me that books fall apart
Title: Re: SYW : my first battle - Might and Reason
Post by: GordonY on 06 August 2013, 07:37:11 AM
At least in a binder it lays open on the table at the page you want, but yeah poor quality binding is very annoying.
Title: Re: SYW : my first battle - Might and Reason
Post by: ronan on 11 November 2013, 02:50:34 PM
Hello

I painted almost enough french to play another game. ( the French may win ! )
http://smolensk.homelinux.org/?p=2342 (http://smolensk.homelinux.org/?p=2342)
I really like Might and Reason !  :D
Title: Re: SYW : my first battle - Might and Reason
Post by: Duke Speedy of Leighton on 11 November 2013, 03:41:48 PM
Very nice report!  8)
Title: Re: SYW : my first battle - Might and Reason
Post by: Hertsblue on 12 November 2013, 09:09:35 AM
Fascinating battle, Ronan. The rules obviously worked well.
Title: Re: SYW : my first battle - Might and Reason
Post by: ronan on 12 November 2013, 06:51:40 PM
Thank you  :)

Yes, these rules work well for us. ( Maurice didn't  )
I have to paint the fulll armies. ( and a friend of mine started the British army  )
Title: Re: SYW : my first battle - Might and Reason
Post by: Leman on 12 November 2013, 07:38:35 PM
Good photos. Have played Might and Reason once, as Austrians, and lost to the Prussians. Played Maurice a lot but found I could only win with Austrians if in defence. To be honest Black Powder, using the Age of Reason supplement, gives a really good game.
Title: Re: SYW : my first battle - Might and Reason
Post by: FierceKitty on 13 November 2013, 12:12:15 AM
A SYW ruleset where Prussians don't win a lot in competent hands is defective. The only really dangerous enemy should be the Russians. BTW, I was reading a bit about cavalry establishments the other day, and was dumbstruck to learn the cuirassier regiments usually outnumbered dragoon units. I'd always assumed that cuirassiers would have been more expensive elite units with the pick of men and horses, and thus a minority. I appear to have been mistaken.
Title: Re: SYW : my first battle - Might and Reason
Post by: ronan on 13 November 2013, 06:48:47 AM
I'm not sure the prussians were in competent hands this time  :-X
;)
Usually they win.
But from what I read, they also lost some battles in real life.

About the cuirassiers, could you tell me where you read that ? I'm interested.
Title: Re: SYW : my first battle - Might and Reason
Post by: Hertsblue on 13 November 2013, 11:15:22 AM
Christopher Duffy, the acknowledged authority on the SYW in English, lists 13 Cuirassier regiments versus 12 Dragoon regiments in his The Army of Frederick the Great. However, the Garde du Corps (cuirassiers) only had 3 squadrons instead of 5 and two of the dragoon regiments (nos 5 and 6) were 10 squadrons strong. The dragoons therefore actually had more squadrons than the cuirassiers. However, not all of them existed at the same time - at least one regiment of each arm was captured at Maxen.

And yes, Kolin, Zorndorf, Hochkirk, and Kunersdorf were, shall we say, less than successful for Frederick. And Maxen, where a small Prussian army was compelled to surrender, was a total disaster - although Frederick himself was not present.
Title: Re: SYW : my first battle - Might and Reason
Post by: FierceKitty on 13 November 2013, 11:51:17 AM
Must confess, I can't recall the site. Sorry.
Title: Re: SYW : my first battle - Might and Reason
Post by: Leman on 13 November 2013, 08:00:49 PM
If you look at Prussian orbats they often have more cuirassiers than dragoons present. The Austrians also had shed loads of cuirassiers.