Christmas campaign 2024

Started by fsn, 26 December 2024, 02:34:56 PM

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pierre the shy

Good stuff fsn.

As others have observed, your battles are great, straight out of one of the classic 60's or 70's wargaming books.

That bridge has seen a lot of action in the last couple of games! :)
"Bomps a daisy....it's enough to make you weep!"

fsn

Quote from: pierre the shy on 01 January 2025, 10:24:11 PMAs others have observed, your battles are great, straight out of one of the classic 60's or 70's wargaming books.
I'm going to take that as a compliment.

Charles Grant was a great influence on me. His battles with Hilton Hunt miniatures all marching across the table, filled my youthful heart with inspiration. 
Lord Oik of Runcorn (You may refer to me as Milord Oik)

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2023 - the year of Gerald:
2024 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

fsn

Move 8
The Brunswick light infantry begin to (rather easily) expel the Grenzer battalion from the convent. The 2nd Grenzer battalion forms to support its sister unit - being opposed by a heavy skirmish screen from a 2nd Brunswick battalion.

The Brunswick line brigade in square prepares the receive the attack of the Austrian light cavalry.

Ominously, two Austrian Grenadier battalions tramp on behind the cavalry.



Move 9

At last! Some Austrian artillery arrives behind the Grenadiers, as does the first regiment of infantry. Better still Gyulai gallops past the infantry regiment to take command. He plans for hiss mass of infantry to bypass the convent and head for the main body of the Light Brigade. he sends a galloper to the Genzer to "get your brown coated ruffians out of the way", and one to the Light Cavalry ordering them keep the Line Brigade fixed in place. He has no way of communicating with the Cuirassiers, who are now even less inclined to charge over the bridge with Brunswickers on both side of the road.
Meanwhile, the first Austran Light Cavalry attack goes in against the Brunswick squares.



Move 10
The Austrian light cavalry draw off, disorganised. 

At the Convent, the Grenzer begin to withdraw and the Brunswick light infantry follow. Is this a good idea?

The Austrian infantry form in attack columns, directed at the middle of the Brunswick light infantry brigade.



Move 11
The first Austrian light cavalry begins to reform, whilst the second puts in a flaccid attack - taking fire from the Advance Guard battalion in the woods. The three Austrian infantry masses begin their attack.



With the Line Brigade effectively stymied by the Light Cavalry, one light battalion being assaulted 6 Austrian battalions and another light battalion in danger of being cut off in a fruitless defence of the Convent, the Duke of Brunswick orders a retreat.

Austrian Victory
Yes, I stop games when a decisive point has been reached. The one battalion of the Light Brigade (64 figures) has 540 Austrian closing steadily. They would pause only long enough for the battalion in the Convent to extricate itself, then withdraw screened by the cavalry. The line brigade would retire covered by the Advance Guard using the woods and church to stave off the Austrian cavalry.

The Austrian cuirassiers would take a few moves to cross the bridge and assemble, though they'd have to wait for the infantry to clear the way first.   

Next up: Quarter Final 3 - Wurttemberg vs Britain
 
Lord Oik of Runcorn (You may refer to me as Milord Oik)

Oik of the Year 2013, 2014; Prize for originality and 'having a go, bless him', 2015
3 votes in the 2016 Painting Competition!; 2017-2019 The Wilderness years
Oik of the Year 2020; 7 votes in the 2021 Painting Competition
11 votes in the 2022 Painting Competition (Double figures!)
2023 - the year of Gerald:
2024 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

paulr

:-bd  =D>  :-bd  =D>

A great looking game, particularly the three Austrian infantry masses

It makes complete sense to stop a game when the point of decision has been reached. In your case it should be easy to agree this with your opponent  ;)
Lord Lensman of Wellington
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pierre the shy

Quote from: fsn on 02 January 2025, 11:08:59 AMI'm going to take that as a compliment. 

It was certainly intended to be  :)
"Bomps a daisy....it's enough to make you weep!"

fred.

A cool second half to the game - I did think the Brunswick early deployment would help them, but they didn't seem able to get to grips with the few early Austrians. Then it just seemed that the Austrian steam roller arrived - all 500 of them  :o

I assume you are using the 'put everything on the table' method of army selection? So those that have been favoured in the painting and buying stages, get more numbers on the table?
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fsn

Quote from: fred. on 02 January 2025, 07:35:52 PMA cool second half to the game - I did think the Brunswick early deployment would help them, but they didn't seem able to get to grips with the few early Austrians. Then it just seemed that the Austrian steam roller arrived - all 500 of them  :o
You're quite right. The Grenzers were not going to do much on their own, and the key was the Austrian light cavalry arriving which hampered the movement of Brunswick line brigade. Even I was impressed and/or depressed (depending on which side of the table I was) when I saw the massed Austrian infantry!

Quote from: fred. on 02 January 2025, 07:35:52 PMI assume you are using the 'put everything on the table' method of army selection? So those that have been favoured in the painting and buying stages, get more numbers on the table?
I do try and have armies of about the same strength, but keep the "flavour" of the original. The Austrians are cavalry heavy, and the Russians have lots of artillery. The Swedes fielded 780 infantry, 120 cavalry and 3 batteries; the Danes 795, 100 and 4. I base each one on a named order of battle. The Swedes from Leipzig, the Danes from Sehested.

The Brunswick Corps (from 1815) suffers from being historically so small- only 512 infantry, 90 cavalry and 2 batteries.
Lord Oik of Runcorn (You may refer to me as Milord Oik)

Oik of the Year 2013, 2014; Prize for originality and 'having a go, bless him', 2015
3 votes in the 2016 Painting Competition!; 2017-2019 The Wilderness years
Oik of the Year 2020; 7 votes in the 2021 Painting Competition
11 votes in the 2022 Painting Competition (Double figures!)
2023 - the year of Gerald:
2024 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

fsn

Quarter Final 3 Wurttemberg vs Great Britain

I've trimmed down the British here to have the same sort of size as the Wurttembergers - 3 infantry and 2 cavalry brigades. The difference will be that the British have a Corps Commander (Hill) as well as two divisional commanders (Clinton and Coleville) which should give them some freedom from Lady Die.

Move 1 von Koch's Wurttenberg brigade came on by Ghost farm. The KGL brigade of du Plat march on at the opposite corner. 

The 4 battalions of the KGL start

Move 2 du Plat seems indifferent to the advancing Wurttembergers and carries on with his country walk. This seems to annoy von Koch, who decides to attack.

The 4th & 5th Wurttemberg regiments make for the KGL 

Move 3 von Koch chivvies his units into attack column, whilst the KGL move on serenely, their support artillery making it onto the table.


Elsewehere, mid-table von Hugel with the 1st and 2nd Regiments move on the road. At the other end of the road, the British heavy cavalry brigade of Ponsonby sight the Wurttembergers and immediately decide to attack.  (Who'd have thunk?)

Move 4
von Hugel's brigade has the road blocked, so the light brigade of von Brusselle can't come on the table yet. However, the Divisional commander von Franquemont gallops past the stalled bridade to give von Hugel some sage advice.

A Wurttemberg light cavalry brigade also appears - wrong side of the bridge.

For the British, division commander Clinton arrive by the church, leading the light brigade of Adam.
British light infantry and Rifles of Adam's brigade

As the 1st Dragoons form into line, the 2nd British Dragoons appear behind them. Ponsonby chivvies them into line.   

Move 5
At Ghost Farm, the Wurttemberg columns move solemnly to attack. The 1st KGL Battalion turns smartly to line and begins steady volley fire.  Meanwhile, the remaining KGL battalions continue as if on a Sunday parade at Hyde Park, du Plat waving them on whist nonchalantly smoking a cigar.



Daddy Hill leads 4th Division Commander Colville and Mitchell's brigade between Adam's brigade and the cavalry.

The Wurttemberg ChL, obviously having more gumption/bravery/stupidity than the Austrian Cuirassiers from the last battle, begin to cross the bridge. The British 1D, pausing briefly, see a new, closer, weaker target than and infantry brigade, and begin to roll down on the disorganised Wwurtembergers.
 


End of Move 5
We seem to have three balanced, yet separate actions. By the bridge, the plucky Wurttemberg light cavalry will have a tough fight against the British heavies.

In the middle, the bulk of the British infantry will face off against the bulk of the Wurttemberg infantry.

By Ghost Farm, the KGL seem to be very unconcerned by the approaching Wurttemberg brigade.

Still to come on are a British light cavalry brigade  (Vandeleur's Light Dragoons), the 2nd Wurttemberg light cavalry brigade (which is stuck behind the first) and the Wurttemberg light infantry (which is patiently waiting for von Hugel's troops to get out the way.)

To be continued ...
Lord Oik of Runcorn (You may refer to me as Milord Oik)

Oik of the Year 2013, 2014; Prize for originality and 'having a go, bless him', 2015
3 votes in the 2016 Painting Competition!; 2017-2019 The Wilderness years
Oik of the Year 2020; 7 votes in the 2021 Painting Competition
11 votes in the 2022 Painting Competition (Double figures!)
2023 - the year of Gerald:
2024 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

Duke Speedy of Leighton

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2016 Pendraken Painting Competion Participation Prize  (Lucky Dip Catagory) Winner

paulr

Lord Lensman of Wellington
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fsn

*Grump*

I've had a bad few days. I've lost my notes from the Brits vs Wurttemberg game, and the photos I took of the end of it and the Bavaria / Poland game have disappeared into the ether. Bavaria won.

The rest of the Brits vs Wurttemberg will not have the move by move description, I'll do it in the three separate areas.

In the south, by Ghost Farm, the KGL brigade performed perfectly. The 1st Bttn delivered controlled volleys into the advancing columns, as the 2nd Bttn moved perfectly to flank the Wurttemberg columns, each company coming into line and pouring fire as they could. Caught by foire from 2 directions, the first Wurttemberg battalion checked. The second stumbled. The KGL charged and the two leading Wurttemberg  units broke and ran; causing the following battalions to become disordered and easy prey for the advancing KGL.



In the centre, the British heavy cavalry brigade continued in "charging at everything". The Scots Greys assaulted the Wurttemberg square, whilst the following 6th Dragoons spotted an undeployed artillery battery, and hurled themselves at it. Although the Scots Greys were eventually thrown back by the square, the British Light Dragoon brigade had deployed to take over the assault. Meanwhile, the 6th, having gone behind the square were in a position to threaten the rear of the main body of the Wurttembergers.   

Meanwhile, the British light infantry brigade deployed skirmishers and then thickened up into line, causing the von Hugels's second regiment (ironically the 2nd) some casualties and consternation. Von Hugel's men started taking fire from two battalions of the 95th Rifles, and von Hugel fell prey to one of these sharpshooters. 



At the bridge, the British 1st Dragoons threw over the Wurttemberg Cheveau Legers, but followed them over the bridge. The second Wurttemberg regiment had deployed and counter charged, throwing the British back in disorder. Fortunately, the British light dragoons were in a position to support and the bridge became a stalemate.   



The Wurttemberg right had been destroyed by the KGL. The left was in stalemate with the British cavalry over the bridge, and the centre was being attacked by both cavalry and infantry, with a regiment of British heavy cavalry reforming in the Wurttemberg rear.

Worse still for von Franquemont, British artillery was close to being deployed against the juicy target of the infantry square. He clapped his spurs to his horse and led his battered troops off the field.

   
That's the last of the quarter finals. The semi finals are set as Sweden vs Austria and Britain vs Bavaria.

I am fed up with that *%"*&ing bridge, so I have decided to do a new map for the semis - with no *%"*&ing bridges.

Lord Oik of Runcorn (You may refer to me as Milord Oik)

Oik of the Year 2013, 2014; Prize for originality and 'having a go, bless him', 2015
3 votes in the 2016 Painting Competition!; 2017-2019 The Wilderness years
Oik of the Year 2020; 7 votes in the 2021 Painting Competition
11 votes in the 2022 Painting Competition (Double figures!)
2023 - the year of Gerald:
2024 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

Duke Speedy of Leighton

Is that a technical term for the bridge, or the bridge near the village of...
You may refer to me as: Your Grace, Duke Speedy of Leighton.
2016 Pendraken Painting Competion Participation Prize  (Lucky Dip Catagory) Winner

d_Guy

Quote from: Duke Speedy of Leighton on 18 January 2025, 07:22:50 PMIs that a technical term for the bridge, or the bridge near the village of...

I think it is something similar to a swinging bridge.
Encumbered by Idjits, we pressed on

Ithoriel

Quote from: Duke Speedy of Leighton on 18 January 2025, 07:22:50 PMIs that a technical term for the bridge, or the bridge near the village of...

I believe the correct term (since Jan 1st 2021) is "that Fugging bridge". The inhabitants having grown tired of having their signs stolen and the general merriment of the English speaking world at their village's previous name.  ;)  :)  :)
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paulr

Another great looking game :-bd  =D>  :-bd  =D>

Quote...
In the south, by Ghost Farm, the KGL brigade performed perfectly...
As is to be expected

I hope this week improves and fighting where there isn't a bridge seems eminently sensible
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