FoGR - The Thirty Years War at Warfare 2013
Swedish vs Later Imperial Spanish
Game 1 Swedish vs Early Swedish
Game 2 Swedish vs ECW Royalist
Game 3 Swedish vs Later Imperial Spanish
Game 4 Swedish vs Later Imperial Spanish
It's the second day, and after leaping up the table against the Royalists the next opponent for the Swedes is the potentially tough-as-old-boots Spanish - an army with more Superior and Elite troops than almost any other.
The lists for the Swedish and Later Imperial Spanish from this game, as well as all the other lists from the games at Warfare can be seen here in the FoGR Wiki.
Stone me ! There is an enclosed field in the middle of the table, but surprisingly little terrain elsewhere on either flank as Jim unsportingly wins the initiative thus depriving me of the chance to field the Manor House yet again. Faced with the clogging terrain, both sides elect to weight the left hand side of the table (as we look at it).
What's Going on Here Then?
The Spanish have deployed defensively, with commanded out Elite Shotte dominating the enclosed field which itself dominates the battlefield. Their high quality mounted wing is rather neutralized by the cluttered terrain, but more accurately by the 4 Swedish gunnes. The Swedes have a clear avenue down which to attack with their foote, and are supporting the attack with the Horse and commanded shot combination on their right. The Swedish left flank is protected by a small woodland, and has been left for the two Dragoon units to delay any enemy - which in this case is a handful of the weaker Spanish horse.
The opening salvos of the game are issued by the Swedish artillery park, which causes the Spanish horse to go skittering away to seek cover behind a large hill - a somewhat unusual feature to see on a FoGR battlefield due to the ever-present risk of it ending up in your opponents deployment area.
FoGR hint - Artillery on a hill can shoot over friendly troops. This is pretty cool.
The Spaniards immediately take a siesta after the exertions of moving their horse out of the firing line, and the Swedes realise that they may actually have to do some advancing and attacking in this game, and start to inch forwards as their artillery park shifts its aim to the line of good quality infantry units on the opposing side of the table. The Spanish infantry mutter darkly under their somewhat garlicky breath as they try to work out why their general feels the mounted can move out of the gunners arc of fire, whilst they have to apparently sit and take it
With the rest of the Swedish army somewhat cluttered and badly deployed to make a proper advance, one unit of Superior Salvo foote races out in the lead, supported by carbine-armed horse who are outpacing their commanded shotte (who will need to catch up before the Spanish Cuirassiers come back out to play)
The Spanish withdraw their foote from the front line and cautiously manoeuvre their mounted troops, pulling even further back out of the reach of the Swedish gunnes who are now concentrating their fire on one unfortunate unit which sits next to the enclosed field. On the left the Swedes have enough units to block the gap between the terrain pieces as Spanish foote and horse probe for an opening.
Relentless cannon fire is making the Spanish very nervous, as what looks like the key unit in their whole line takes a pounding, losing bases and cohesion.
Seeing the opportunity to smash through the already wobbling unit and sweep onto the artillery, and perhaps even the baggage, 2 Swedish units start to converge on the hapless Spaniards..
What's Going on Here Then?
The Spaniards have pulled their vulnerable Horse back out of artillery range, and continue to wait for the Swedish advance to reach them - which it surely will, although the Swedes are not charging full speed, as their artillery outguns the Spanish park. The Swedish gunnes have been consistently pounding the Spanish units on the end of their line of infantry, and have caused considerable damage to one of them. The Spanish infantry hold the enclosed field with no real threat to them from the Swedes, but are in turn somewhat out of the main part of the game. On the left Spanish horse are fruitlessly chasing Swedish dragoons - to no effect.
As the cannonballs continue to fly, musketry is added to the already potent cocktail the Swedish mixicologists are preparing for the Spanish foote. What will triumph - smoked salmon or cured ham (although neither is really a cocktail ingredient, is it?)
In a world of irrelevant on the far left, Spanish horse have been distracted from worrying about the economy by the thought of securing some points of their own, and are trying to catch some wily and fast moving Swedish dragoons - whilst this does risk a Dragoon unit the Swedish general is relatively happy as it is also keeping one of the Spanish Generals well away from the area of the board where the key action will certainly take place.
In what to all intents and purposes appears to be something which can rightfully claim the title of "a plan", the various components of the Swedish army start to fit together, as if assembled with an allen key using instructions which can be comprehended by mere mortals not in possession of degrees in brain surgery ..
Brain Surgery
Bolstered by a general, the lynchpin of the Spanish army has now recovered cohesion but has lost more bases as two Swedish Battalions converge on it. The Spaniards defending the gunnes think quite seriously about finishing their 2 hour lunchbreak a little early and returning to a state of readiness, although that of course still does allow a little time for another coffee and a small custard-based desert.
All the noise and excitement has however piqued the interest of the slumbering beast of musket-based potency that is 8 commanded-out Elite Spanish musketeers. They rise from their picnic on the edge of the enclosed field and start to turn ponderously towards the onrushing tide of nationally-appropriately attired Swedes converging on their colleagues.
Visiting Sweden
The two lines are now ready and the infantry are poised to go - but with fatalities racking up on the Spanish side and an advantage in shooting the Swedish Horse are in two minds as to whether charging in is even necessary -surely the Spaniards have to attack them?
And they do - Cuirassiers charge, yelling opaque and obscene Spanish Curses as they clatter into the supported and Protected Carbine-armed Swedes. The risk is huge, with little room for error on the Spanish side with units stacked up behind their eager and confident Cuirassiers. They have been waiting all game for this chance, and they seem keen to grasp it after their earlier ignominious retreat from the Swedish Gunnes
What's Going on Here Then?
Finally the two armies have come to blows at close quarters, and the Spanish are rocked back by the ferocity of the Swedish charge. The battle will be decided in the infantry and Horse exchange on the left, and this has caused the Elite Musketeers to turn and move back into the enclosed field to threaten the Swedish flank, and support the badly damaged unit holding up the end of their line, and effectively protecting the Spanish gunnes as well. The Swedes have responded by pushing infantry towards the Musketeers from two directions. Nothing meaningful continues to happen on the left
The Yellow Brigade goes in! Clattering two units the fearsome Swedish charge hits home led by a general to make it a rather outrageous "hit on 3's, re-roll 1's and 2's" combat at impact!
FoGR hint - With the Swedes neding 3's to hit and the Spanish needing 5's, a loss at Impact is almost inevitable for the Spanish. However, in Melee both sides are equal, so knowing they will lose the Impact phase, the Spanish need to make sure they do all they can to survive the Cohesion Test that will follow the combat. This means adding in Generals and Rear Support - which they have done here. Even so thet are looking for a score of 7 or more on two dice, with 4 negative modifiers (1 hit per 3 bases, lost by 2 hits, lost to Salvo Foote at Impact, and here Lost 25% already) and 2 positive ones (General With UNit, and Rear Support). Being Superior they can re-roll 1's. All in all, a close run thing....but without the 2 positive modifiers they would have almost no hope at all
Mindful however of the presence of the Elite musketeers, who have managed to get into range to do an intercept charge, the Blue unit stands firm and continues to shoot. The Yellows are surely enough to take the one casualty the Spanish unit protecting the artillery needs to be broken?
Sweden
As the Elite Spaniards continue to fire, the Blue unit is forced into the last refuge of the incompetent - forming square. But with another Swedish brigade coming into shot, and the 3-strong Spanish unit surely not long for this world, the tables will soon turn in Sweden's favour..? On the far side the Spanish horse have also been broken, and Arquebus-armed Spaniards are suddenly looking like potential game-winners as they turn towards the flank of the Spanish foote
Or possibly not, as massed musketry vaporises the rather shocked Blue Brigade, leaving a large hole in the Swedish plan, whilst all the time the 3-strong Spanish unit continues to refuse to break..
What's Going on Here Then?
The Spanish horse on the right have been broken in attempting to stand up to the Swedish firepower, and the Swedish horse now have almost free reign to roll up the Spanish line - but astonishingly the infantry on the left hand end of the Spanish line have stood firm against everything the Swedes can throw at them. The Elite Musketeers have helped save the day, but are now themselves at risk as multiple units converge on them. Nothing continues unabated on the left. The only winner from this point onwards will be the Swedish army
Many Swedish units are now joining in the attack, and the Spanish line is getting thinner almost everywhere. If the Blue Brigade had survived, the game would be as good as won, but still Sweden enjoys advantages almost everywhere, with excess units manoeuvring for advantage
But with that the game times out - somewhat unfortunately denying the Swedes not only an outright win, but actually condemning them to a marginal loss!
Click here for the report of the next game in this competition, or read on for the post match summaries from the Generals involved, as well as another episode of legendary expert analysis from Hannibal
Post Match Summary from the Swedish Commander
Well, like what a totally dissapointing outcome! It's almost as bad as the day I missed out on that handbag in the Louis Vuiton shop because I was on the phone to by BBF and missed the shop opening times - like, I just haaaad to go back the next day and buy it in the sale, which was such a grody thing to do, like, yeuch, totally yeuch.
Anyways darlings, this did feel like my boys were doing much of the right things here, and the way they moved around was so lovely - colour co-ordinated as well, which is super. I mean, I’ve always been a big fan of my hands and in this game I felt that they were actually pushing the toys in the right directions for most of the game, which is lovely, super lovely right?
I’m Sure, in fact I’m So Sure this would have been a win if we had just snuck in a couple more moves before time got called. However to walk away on the wrong end of the result, well, I mean - one of my generals looked just like a James Bond who’s fallen out of a biscuit factory - totally baby, totally.
Really, I hope we can get some pace up in the last game as this still means there is a hope of a pretty bauble from the trophy collection to be won. I'm going to have to really go for it though, like, that time over at Prince Johannes estate when we were on the lawn and he called me the Tiger Woods of croquet - all pretty rah, so lets get on with it shall we?
Hannibal's Post Match Analysis
Forsooth! Thou art a fawning pale-hearted pantaloon not to finish off this mewling apology for an army! The craven Spaniard sat like a target, and yet your men were not even in a fit state to advance towards a stationary foe? How can this omission of deployment not be remarked upon as a disaster of your own making I wonder.... and the answer is in an analysis on your part as incompetent as your actual prformance in the game!
The Spaniard was never about to launch himself at your potent combination of attacking prowess, so why dids't you think he might? 4 Gunnes is indeed a pretty trick, but it does also abdicate responsibility for winning the game to the capricious gods of dice - and here, you failed to offer them sacrifices to appease them, and the result was as may be expected. What's the matter you dissentious rogue that, rubbing the poor itch of your opinion, you make for yourselves scabs of disaster to cover the knees of shame? The Swedes live to attack, and so attack you must - the enemy cannot be tempted out of a hole, so you must reach down it yourself - as, finally you did, but here much too late to effect the result you perhaps should have wished for.
And, in a third game in a row the terrain falls the same, and again the option of commanded out shotte surprises you. Thou whoreson dread-bolted miscreant! How many times does this lesson need to be repeated before you learn that the only way to fix them in place is to attack them - and for that perchance you need your own unit of shotte, and armed with Salvo they indeed would put fear in the hearts of such mere mortals as these opponents today, turning enemy held terrain into a target for their defeat at a stroke
Go to your batter, you are nowt but a dry heaving fool for not prosecuting this game to a conclusion. Be gone and I'll no more of you until the next game comes around - and if you have learnt but one lesson by then perhaps this weekend will not have been a total waste!
Click here for the report of the next game in this competition
You can also comment, "like" or give feedback on these reports on either the Madaxeman.com Facebook Page or the Madaxeman.com Blogger Site.
Game 1 Swedish vs Early Swedish
Game 2 Swedish vs ECW Royalist
Game 3 Swedish vs Later Imperial Spanish
Game 4 Swedish vs Later Imperial Spanish
FoG Renaissance
Order on Amazon here
FoG Reports Pageloads to date.
View My Stats for My FoG Pages
