Field of Glory Renaissance in Britcon 2011
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It would by now normally be the end of any decent competition, but the pain goes on... and in the dead of night, a 4th game looms against a clubmate, Simon...
Simon was using a TYW Catholic list which can be seen here. The Catholics are based on all-yellow/sand bases with a bit of dark grass on them (apart from a couple of artillery at the back).
In the photos of these battles the (3) Superior foot units in my army have Blue or Red coats, the other (Average) foot all have Grey coats. The two units of Determined Horse are identical, so if you can see one you know what it is. The Dragoons are blue and red and start as units of 3 bases, and there is a 4-strong unit of foote with musket and bayonet who are dressed in white with a chequered flag, and who aren't Impact Foot and who don't have a pikeman base in the unit. The guns are pretty obvious (they are painted red anyway).
The Thirty Years War
On with the battle...
The Catholic army was full of Surprises, and in fact, was so big even the table was just "full", full stop. The maddest thing was three - count them - three units of artillery. Luckily my plan was to attack swiftly, as the Catholic plan was surely to sit back and be attacked.... I had even attempted to do a flank march, on the assumption that the Catholics would be corner sitting
The French advance was a majestic masterclass in how to move an entire army with the aid of the Great Commander. On the right some unwise German Light Horse tried to slow the Line Cavalry... quite how 4 LH with carbines hoped to slow the Creme of the French army, led by a general to boot was a bit of a mystery though..
Oh.... Aaah, I can see that being effective... 2 Artillery opened up to help the 2 Carbines, and the French lost a base and went DISR
On the French left, a skilful matchup... the French had 50% more men, but otherwise the troops were identical.. Could Louis XIV's men mess this one up...?
The French Line horse pressed on, and were shot again... Fragged this time !
In the middle, the Guardes Swisse were also being battered by the German Gunnery as they moved forward as fast as was humanly possible
The French Dragoons were so confident they even left the safety of an enclosed field and ventured out into the open
One of the French Line Horse received an urgent text message from home, and with the third round of shooting in the game they turned and fled - in response to the first 3 rounds of shooting... And the flank march had not arrived...
This both surprised and delighted the German Horse, who found themselves gifted with a massive open door which they bounded through into the rear of the French Army. The game was already as good as lost ....
Maybe not.... The French foote had cleverly concentrated their casualties on the one unit of non-Frenchmen, the Guardes Suisse - so a coherent French infantry army was closing in on the decidedly average - but numerous - Germans. A target rich environment maybe...?
The Germans were obliging and falling like Teutonic Ninepins to the French musketry. Maybe the infantry could win before the German horse rolled them up from behind...?
The German Horse had easier prey in mind... the French King's courtesans cowered in the toilet at the bottom of his garden in abject fear
The French eventually get close enough to put in a charge - they pile into the German lines at the double.... but fail to make much of an impact at Impact
The Guardes Suisse were busy making things as hard as possible for themselves in the meanwhile and shedding bases as they advanced towards the wall of artillery and muskets all as part of an elaborate plan to prove how hard they were to the Frenchmen who were paying them to fight on their behalf....
The French in combat and on foot were a markedly different proposition to the French on horseback being shot at - the Germans evaporated before them !
But the Germans found reserves of steel not seen before, and started to claw their way back into the game....No-one wobbled on the German side as some of their units routed, and the combat ground on and on. Hopefully it would not go to penalties...!
French and German units both sort of cheated (in retrospect) by making probably illegal formation changes as they closed on each other. German LH harassed the brave Frenchmen as they forced their way forward into a hail of artillery fire
The Germans would not crack as the French threw Generals into the fray to stiffen their lines !
Both sides fed more and more troops into the ever widening line of hand to hand combat, and as smoke rolled across the battlefield and muckets cracked the mist occasionally cleared to show a desparate struggle...
But it was a desparate struggle that one French unit was no longer part of, as fragmented and charged from two sides, it simply evaporated and was removed from play. In a poorly thought out modern day political metaphor, The French Right Wing was gradually becoming synonymous with the French Centre
The Dragoons had clearly despatched their opponents in a battle so predictable the official war photographer had not bothered to take a picture, and they swept in to help out the embattled French Line foote
Vive le France! The German centre has a huge hole finally punched into it as the third guard unit piles in....
With both sides losing units, but the French army being far smaller, a lot is riding on the French Right Flank.
But even more is riding on the resilient German centre - engaged for what seems like hours, but resolutely refusng to die, they have held up the entire left hook of the French army
The French gunners prepare to add another language to the ever growing list of foreign tongues their are having to learn over the course of the weekend as capture looks them in the rear yet again.
The embattled Germans refuse to die as French swarm in from all angles....
It is still possible!! The Right Wing Frenchmen shoot, and force a wobble in their target - a big result here and a highly improbable chain reaction could be set off which will with a huge slice of luck and lashings of the Cream of Good Fortune sprinked with Unfeasible Coincidence Cocoa Powder, topple the whole German army (yeah, right....)
How on earth is this still going on! Louis XIV joins the combat to bolster the morale of the Guards unit, now reduced to half strength.... they need to win or the game is done...
The French get ready to deliver what they hope will be a killer charge
"Guten Tag Herr Cuirassier" say the French Gunners...
But, with another death roll of doom, the French Guards lose another base, and are swept away in defeat - moments before their opponents are crushed by a multitude of charges. .
The Result is another 19-6 defeat
Post Match Summary
With Glory and Panache we charged gamely into a position of tremendous strength, and my Generalshi gave my men abundant opportunities to prove their mettle
Unfortunately,the metal of the enemy cannonballs and their unerring accuracy against my household guards on horses meant the plan was unhinged before it had a chance to work
It was a gallant battle in the center,and one which my stout men hoped to win the dy in, but sometimes these things are not to be
What's a poor man to do eh? Well,you need to ask someone else that question,as I havemore money than a bank vault full of money spiders
Hannibal's Post Match Analysis
Hannibal Reply 1
Not so much a battle report,more a huge translation of hypocrisy, vilely compiled, profound simplicity.To the sound of the Guns you marched,but that is supposed to mean strategic movement,not adown the barrel charge to your doom you buffoon
Whoever thinks up these plans of yours is a slave whose gall coins slanders like a mint - but here there was so little imagination and,well,'planning' involved that I doubt you would even qualify to file this report in the Grande Librarie Francaise du Crap Plans
Defeat is not a necessity, but sometimes looking at you I think the prospect of victory is a wonder and a pointing stock to every idle rascal to come and have points from your hand in anticipation thatthe dice alone will win you the game.
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