Annexation of Chiraz - Game #4 - Return to the Arsenal - Set up and Game

At last you breathe, some table top action.. well,of a kind.. this one was played out over 13 or 14 moves... on Skype!

You may remember that the campaign started with the attack on the gunpowder mill and arsenal at Petreville – which DG won :

Set Up/OOB
The Game

..in this scenario, the fourth in the campaign, an Allied relief force (me) has arrived to attempt to take back the mill..

Forces are as per the following (NB. No artillery - the chance of stray cannon balls is still to horrible to even contemplate... )

Country	Unit Type	Unit Name	SP	MP
French	Cavalry	Souastre	5	6
French	Infantry	Bearn	5	6
French	Infantry	Navarre	5	6
French	Infantry	Toulouse	5	6
French	Infantry	Nivernais	5	6
Country	Unit Type	Unit Name	SP	MP
Allies	Cavalry	Schomberg	5	6
Allies	Infantry	North and Grey	5	6
Allies	Infantry	Dering	5	6
Allies	Infantry	Goor	5	6
Allies	Infantry	Beinheim	5	6

Set up notes:

• As the forces are small, no Brigadiers were allocated, just the C-in-C..

• French will be defending the arsenal, and can deploy anywhere on the table below the road running across the top of the following; the Allies (me) enter the table from the edge at the top of the following:

• You'll note that the forces are equivalent (even down to morale bonus), but that the French start the game in control of the (fortified) mill; the Allies get the traditional weighting in favour of the attacker from the fact that in my rules British and Dutch troops get a firing bonus (it emulates firing by platoon)

• It’s a 6’ x 4’ table and we used our usual WSS rules (a modification of the Will McNally AWI rules - details on my project page [clicky])

• Both sides can deploy in any formation they prefer - the French may start the game inside the buildings if so preferred. 

• Wood is open; all hills are gentle; river not crossable except at the bridges (which are wide enough for one base width column); rocky outcrops are rough ground; the mill has a surrounding wall; houses will hold one unit each/the mill and church will take two

• Winning conditions: The winning side needs to ‘control’ the mill at the end of the game… DG came up with a hideously complex formula for working this out - I agreed to it of course, but put him in charge of counting the casualties and working out if any of the conditions in the formula had been met! (For the record they worked out quite well.. )
   
  • "Control" means sole occupancy of the mill
  • Game ends when at the end of a Turn one side
  • 1] Has 8 or less SP remaining [68% + losses]
    and
  • 2] Has a negative 2+ SP difference from the other side
    and
  • 2] Does not control the mill
    or
  • 3] Concedes
  
  That side is then obliged to quit the field. So, as long as a side controls the mill they can't lose  Hint: Read the following slowly and carefully :o)))))) (he knows me so well )

EG1: Side A 7 SP, Side B 8 SP Mill control N/A; Game continues [1 SP difference]
EG2: Side A 6 SP, Side B 4 SP Side B controls mill; Game continues [Side A has a positive 2 SP difference, but Side B controls the mill]
EG3: Side A 4 SP, Side B 6 SP Side B controls mill; Game ends [Side A 4 SP Side B 8 SP, negative 2 SP difference,Side B controls mill. Side A quits the field]
   .. and finally :o)
EG4: Side A 7 SP Side B 4 SP Mill uncontrolled; Game Drawn [Both sides <= 8 SP, 3 SP difference, Mill uncontrolled, Both sides exhausted and quit the field]

The Game:

The game started with French deployment and DG chose to garrison the two houses faving my entry with a regiment apiece, and two regiments in the mill ..  he positioned his cavalry by the church bridge to act as a mobile reserve

I chose to bring all of my forces on in column, from the road top left of the map above..  just for once I had a plan..  frontal assaults are deadly and I was hoping I could string DG out enough that I could force an entry...  and it worked... leaving Goor as a reserve, I marched with the rest of my force quickly down the mill access road; DG had to move Toulouse to cover, but wasn't quite quick enough with Nivernais, and Schomberg's dashed at the wall in column, and charged over it into their flank and routed them... now isn't that a cracking mental picture..

Schombergs have charged over the wall- Nivernais can be seen "departing" to the village - red pin - Toulouse remain but are looking perturbed.. On the road, Beinheim are far right, Derings (green flag), and at the back North and Greys regiment

Now I'll admit right here that I had some amazing dice throws on the evening and that was just the first.. pausing only to gather their horses however, Schomberg weren't finished, and wheeling right they then proceeded to do the same to Toulouse!

Things were not going all my way however as DG had bought his cavalry up - Beinheim deployed to line, fluffed it, and were caught mid manoeuvre and sent running... Derings came up and sent the cavalry running with a well aimed volley, and also saved the day..

A few moves later - Toulouse have been sent packing (far wall) - Derings (green flag) have stabilised the flank, Beinheim (centre bottom) have recovered and are getting a good talking to from the C-in-C. On the other flank Goor are sending out crashing volleys while retiring slowly (and single-handedly keeping half of DG's infantry otherwise occupied!). North and Greys regiment has entered the powder mill to consolidate gains

...and so to the next phase of the battle as DG fought manfully to regain the upper hand...

Gathering Toulouse he put them into the mill building, and a move later they were joined by the now recovered, Nivernais - North and Grey were too slow and Toulouse just beat them to it

I bought up Derings and both sides then started exchanging volleys... two crashing volleys (two double sixes, successive moves!) from Derings did for Toulouse; cover or no, they routed - Derings then followed up with a successful assault on the mill - they were in!

North and Greys were not so successful however, and a failed assault, followed by a failed morale throw saw them heading off for safety in some discomfort..

In the meanwhile Schombergs had followed up on their earlier success and routed DG's cavalry - at this point the picture was as follows:

Derings enter the mill... Brave boys!

...and on the other flank (following), Goor continued to do sterling service, alternating musketry between DG's regiments so as to save themselves from direct assault, while continuing to retire slowly...

Couldn't go on forever though and in the end DG got them (following) too late to change the overall picture though...

Back in the mill and a ferocious fight ensued within the confines of the building with Derings eventually victorious and expelling Nivernais for good (picture following)..

At which point DG told me that his complex formula had resulted in a victory for me as he was below 8SP's in total, with me having a positive 2 SP difference and also being in control of the mill.. hurrah!!

Post match analysis:

First the butchers bill..

Country	Unit Type	Unit Name	SP	MP
French	Cavalry	Souastre	1	2
French	Infantry	Bearn	2	3
French	Infantry	Navarre	3	4
French	Infantry	Toulouse	1	2
French	Infantry	Nivernais	1	2
		Points remaining:	8/25
Country	Unit Type	Unit Name	SP	MP
Allies	Cavalry	Schomberg	5	6
Allies	Infantry	North and Grey	2	3
Allies	Infantry	Dering	5	6
Allies	Infantry	Goor	3	4
Allies	Infantry	Beinheim	4	5
		Points remaining:	19/25

So the French got a right thumping - the points lost is slightly misleading, as a fair amount of them were as a result of my outrageous dice rolls - four of them were lost just as a result of those two double sixes! Having said that I was most chuffed with my plan..

Laurels and battle honours go to Derings and Schombergs (who continue to be my favourite cavalry regiment), and I think possibly Goor as well for holding that flank on their own-some for so long..

Playing via Skype worked out reasonably well but there is no doubt that the remote player suffers from having to see everything via the camera - going to see if for the next game I can suspend the camera above the table to give DG a better view

This one played out in about 3 and a half hours, which is better than 6 months plus...

Cheers DG!