Monday, August 15, 2016

Avante Garde!

The advanced guards of the main armies drew near each other sometime around noon on the Sabbath.  That would not deter them from doing their duty and seek to seize key ground and prevent their opponents from doing a reconnaissance of the main body.

The Prussians had a grenadier, fusilier and musketeer battalion, with a mess of the von Kleist Freikorp lights in support.  A regiment of hussars and dragoons with a light gun completed the line-up.  The Austro-French force was similar though a little heavier.  Two German regiments in French service, along with an Austrian grenadier and grenzer battalion formed the bulk of the force, with an 8 pdr. and regiments of hussars and cuirassiers leading the way.

Rules are Batailles du Ancien Regime.  Normally we play with 60 figure battalions and squadrons of 12 figures each with two to three squadrons completing a regiment.  But the rules are flexible and so are we, so with only a 9x6' table to work with and desiring maneuverability room I opted to go with 36 figure battalions and 16 figure cavalry regiments.  Cards determine movement and firing order and with many options available, I went with brigade activation.

Prussians march on table, infantry heavy on their left.

The Allies came on also infantry heavy on the left.  The far left.

Prussian lights open their ranks as the cavalry are faced with a
tough choice. 

Prussian infantry begin their flanking moves.

The Austrian cavalry decides to retire behind their advancing
infantry, but end up in musket range, losing seven cuirassiers.
Meanwhile the Prussian jagers draw a lot of opening volleys
and disappear.

Got my maneuvering, as we are now fighting the long way on
the table.  Card draws and saves are not going our way.

Prussian hussars seek to gain the rear of the Allies.  Grenzers in
the built up area will drop two.

Losing every firefight, the Austrian commander opts to charge
with the French units on each end of his line.  Hussars move to
head of their opposite number.

Win one, lose one.  Hussars charge opposing hussars but are
disordered by woods and tie their opponents.

Austrian grenadiers are charged and while initially successful
end up routing.  All Allied line infantry are routing.

Even the Austrian cuirassiers are unable to defeat the Prussian
hussars and rout.  The grenzers and hussars will escape in good
order, but the rest are routing.
So a notable victory for Prussia.  Each side had to determine their deployment and march on table and the Prussian had the superior plan.  We were dancing to their tune from the start.  But, I got my "new" Austrians on the table for the first time so I accomplished that.  And, under a time constraint we easily completed the game in 2+ hours.

 

1 comment:

  1. Maneuver games are a lot of fun. Congratulations and thank you for posting the AAR. Cheers,
    Bill P.

    ReplyDelete