This time we actually played one
of the scenarios out of the book. We decided on a meeting engagement and then
rolled on the appropriate tables to determine forces and table edges and
whatnot.
I like the scenario generation
system. There are five basic scenarios; the Pitched Battle, the Meeting
Engagement, the Rearguard Action, the Flank Attack, and the Mini Game. For each
scenario, you roll on a table to determine the make up of your force – a much
better system that simple point buy system – though you need to own six
infantry, two skirmish, three cavalry and three artillery units for any given
army to be able to cover all of the possibilities…
Galicia, Late August 1850
SITUATION
After executing a
brilliant
fighting retreat, the Austrian commander, Gen. Felix von Breunner,
has regrouped his men, received reinforcements and been resupplied and is now
ready to meet the Russian forces under General Yuri Yaroslavich Bertolovski.
Shortly after the general advance had been ordered, a message arrived at the
General HQ that a force of Russians has been spotted advancing on the right
flank! Von Breunner ordered forces diverted to meet the Russian advance.
SCENARIO
As I mentioned we chose to play
the meeting engagement. With most scenarios the meeting engagement is meant to
be played on a `4’x3’ table using centimetres, we played on a 4’x8’ table using
inches. There were three objectives placed about the table. At the end of turn
15 whoever held at least two of them would be the winner.
We dice for force make-up, who
would be attacker and defender and which side of the table the defender would
set up on (the attacker would set up opposite).
Each side is to start with three
units on the table, the remaining units were to be organized into columns of
two units. Then each commander had to determine what order he wanted each of
these columns to arrive in. arrival of columns would be diced for at the
beginning of each movement phase.
FORCES
Austrians (under Gen. Felix von
Breunner)
2x Light Infantry
4x Regular Infantry
2x Artillery
2x Cavalry
Russians (under General Yuri
Yaroslavich Bertolovski)
6x Regular Infantry
2x Artillery
2x Cavalry
THE GAME
We diced for the forces we would
get (see above). Then we diced for who was “defending” – that was me – in this
case it just meant John went first. Then I diced to see which end of the table
I was defending – it turned out I was defending the east end – one of the short
ends of the table. I was to set up three of my units within 15” of the east end
(one infantry, one skirmish, and one cavalry). John would do the same, except
the Russians apparently don’t get skirmish units… So I think he set up an
additional regular infantry unit.
(Remember: click on the pictures
for a bigger version)
The starting Austian forces. Infantry,
Cavalry, and Jäger/Light Infantry (skirmishers).
The Russian Forces at the end of
their first move – one infantry unit already in possession of the town (one of
the objectives).
John moving his Rusians. This is
probably turn two or three. Russian cavalry is already in possession of the
hill (one of the other objectives).
The third objective is the
village in the foreground. One of my Austiran infantry units is beside it. I
originally planned to pass it by and deploy in line before it in the fields
between the two towns, or veer towards the hill with the infantry as it seemed
it would be the most contested objective. Unfortunately I didn’t get ANY
reinforcements for the first three turns, whereas John got ALL of his reinforcements
in the first three or four turns!!
By the timeI was about to pass the village, there were Russian guns
about to set up on the opposite end of the field which would blow away my
infantry in the open, so they made a shorp turn into the village shortly after
this and awaited the arrival of reinforcements.
The cavalry battle! There was a
great cavalry battle for the hill that went back and forth for more than a few
turns as we both rushed our cavalry forward to secure that objective! This is a few turns into it as we’ve both lost a few stands!
Things looking bad for the
Austrian cavalry; taking serious losses and more Russians advancing quickly up
to the battle!!
Finally Austrian reinforcements
started arriving around turn four. I think I had reinforcements two turns in a
row, but the rest didn’t come on for a few more turns..
The Austiran Jägers – they
didn’t want to venture too far from the safety of the woods with all those
Russian cavalry galloping around! Later they would be a major pain in the side of the Russian infantry and artillery defending the hill.
Austrian Cavalry reinforcements
finally arrive!
I finally got one of my guns
past the village and set it up to fire into the flanks of the advancing
Russians heading towards the hill.
It did some serious damage to the Russian cavalry!
Mental Note: keep cavalry out of
the line of fire of artillery!!
The battle slowly developing.
The Russian cavalry in the open
near the top of the picture recently retreated from a battle with the Austiran
cavalry and overran one of their own infantry units destroying it!!
Mental Note #2: Keep infantry
units out of the way of potentially retreating cavalry!!
This was probably turn ten or
eleven. The cavalry forces have more or less shot their bolt. The Russians have
infantry on the reverse slope of the hill, my infantry are still advancing
towards it taking fire from two Russian artillery batteries. My artillery
batteries had also been firing at Russian infantry and cavalry headin towards
the hill, but at this point are just shooting at the Russian artillery.
Four Austiran infantry
battalions converging on the hill defended by two Russian infantry battalions
and a gun – though there are Russian guns firing from the Austrians flank and
more Russian infantry on the way as well. All the Russian Cavalry was wiped out
by this point.
I think it was on the next turn
that Russian infantry marched up onto the hill. The Austrian Infantry was being
mauled by the Russian guns firing canister. The two closest Austrian battalions
had to deploy into line and try and shoot it out with the Russian infantry and
guns and hope that the other two Austrian Infantry battalions advancing on the
Russians flank would make it there on time!
On the very last turn (Turn
Fifteen!) one of the Austrian Infantry battalions charged up the hill attacking
the flank of a Russian battalion that had been taking fire from the front and
flank and were considerably weakened. The Austrians drove them off, taking the
east end of the hill. The last remaining element of Russian cavalry charged the
Russian guns from the rear and wiped them out.
At the beginning of the battle
John predicted that we would never make it to turn fifteen – that it would all
be decided will before that… At Turn Fifteen it was a draw. We both held on
village, but the hill was still contested.
It’s hard to say which way it
would have gone if we’d played on another few turns. My Austrian infantry in
front of the hill had been mauled and only had open or two stands left. I had a
full strength battalion a turn or two away from the hill and another in pretty
good condition ON the hill. But John also had an infantry battalion still on
the hill, and, I think, two more advancing towards it! I still had my two
artillery batteries, john had lost one and the other had taken some hits… I
just don’t know… could have gone either way.
I Do know it was a LOT of fun.
We played fifteen turns in about three hours – what other game of this size and
period can you do THAT in!? I’m definitely looking forward to the next
engagement…
Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:
While I was at John’s I picked up a unit of his 40mm 1914
French to paint up for him and I am working on those now. I haven’t been able
to get much other work done on my own 1914 masters, but hopefully I will get
back to them shortly. After painting the 40mm 1914 french I’m hoping I’ll be
able to quickly finish up the rest of my own 28mm 1914 French as I only have
one infantry unit and one cavalry unit left and then they are DONE! Or as done
as they’re gong to be for the foreseeable future – I have no plans to add
anything else to the force any time soon (unless I found a suitable mounted
general officer or two to command the force… Maybe I could use the
French
High command and /or the
French
communications team from
Scarab
Miniatures - though I’d have to carve off the Adrian helmets from two
of the signalers as they weren’t used in 1914…
