Annexation of Chiraz - Game #3 - Incident at Drew - Game Moves 11 to End

I'll keep this short as the look of an online computer game can never compare with moving the little lead men, but DG and I have had no opportunity to game for some time, and given we live 2 or 300 miles apart this is the only quick option... it's even worse this year as Colours was cancelled, so my three guaranteed games a year were cut to two straight away...

So I would refer you to this post [clicky] for the setup - which was back in March - yep - we've been playing this game for over half a year, and this post [clicky] for the first dozen moves...

At the point the game ended, we were on move 57, so you can see we went on for some time!

In summary then - the winner of the game needs to control all four bridges - any less than that is a loss...

In the screen shots - the following will be useful when identifying units...

I think it safe to say that strategies changed throughout the game, but for the first 15/16 my aim was to consolidate ownership of the bridges, and then to launch a flank attack from my left (the furthest from my entry point..)

Goor and Beinheim try the flank attack (top left) but DG is rushing troops to counter - I have holding forces on the other three bridges....  the old "pin him and strike" routine (he thought hopefully).. The move after this Schomberg broke and ran for a while as a result of the pounding from DG's artillery..

Four moves later and we have stalemate - DG has managed to conter the attack and is digging in against all the other bridges - turning into a WWI scenario - neither if us wants to attack as we know the casualties will be great...

Five moves later and both Schomberg and Chartres have been battered into submission - so the right bridge/flank is largely open - for the rest it was all artillery fire and a stately minuet as units danced round each other looking for an opening... my left flank (right of the picture) is still stalemate...

Five moves later and I am withdrawing troops on my left to bolster the centre - the action on my left has not been without some success however, as I managed to drive off the Royal Italien with a bloody nose (bottom right of picture)...

At this point in the game the Allies have lost both allied Chiraz units, Schomberg's, and North and Grey's..  the French have lost two cavalry units (Chartres and Orleans) and infantry regiment Bearn - fairly even after a little over 30 moves - 5 hours in real time... a bloody struggle with no clear winner yet

Five moves later and both sides have withdrawn to their own sides of the river - but now it's time for DG to go on to the offensive - not looking good for me on my right..One good piece of news - I've driven off his artillery, and in hindsight I think that was the game changer...

Five moves later, and between move 35 and now, things begin to come round to me.. on the right, where it had looked so poor, DG had sent both Navarre and Bourbonnaise across the bridge, and my Dutch regiment had seen them both off with musketry beofre they could close..  after that though the morale dice gods were with me and they both routed away => flank safe...  Shame I couldn't say the same on my left flank!

Five moves later and those two poor French regiments have routed to destruction - flank is safe. On the other flank DG has gone defensive and occupied the built up area - he's bought up the poor benighted Royal Italien but they're facing off steady muskets and artillery, and won't be long for this game...

Mexican stand off - no way I'm attacking him in the built up area - but if he stays there he can't meet the victory conditions..

End of the game - I have sent my cavalry on a long sweep round the flank..  DG's infantry is isolated - he offers to surrender in return for the right to march away with colours flying, and muskets shouldered..  I gladly accede...

...and so we got to the end of the game...

Post match analysis:

• Both sides had huge casualties - one of the problems we've identified is that the rules we use are largely tactical in focus and there are no such things as army level morale/break points. For the next scenario DG has suggested some we can use...  this game lasted about 10 or 15 moves longer than it should have - one of the reasons for this I think is the way that the game was played..  with a day between each move there was none of the immediacy you get in an across the table game where player morale is as important as troop morale
• We had some interesting "discussions" throughout the game - as DG and I are want to do - some of these will make it to the next version/iteration of the rules. We had at least a weeks worth of discussion on whether DG's units should be allowed to enter a building backwards...until DG pointed I had done it myself earlier in the game!
• Have to say that my opinion of the campaign as a whole has not changed much - and I still think this is a much poorer show than the first campaign book...

Onwards and upwards...  DG and I have already discussed the next scenario, which features a return to the powder mill, and a relief force! This game will be over Skype, but I have some prep to do first...