"One Hour Wargames" - Scenario 2 - "Pitched Battle (2)" - The Game

...and so, on to the game which was another short and sweet one...  nothing unusual or out of the ordinary about the scenario, but to be honest this early in the scenarios I wasn't expecting anything too different.  What I like is that the games are short, small, and contained.. perfect for Skype, where a bigger table, and more units, puts a bigger disadvantage on DG who is the other end of the line.. for anyone considering this as a possible way to get more games in then I would recommend getting the best video camera you can, and maybe even two, one for the table as a whole, and the other to use for closer views as required, as Skype allows you to switch between multiple camera's..

For this game we decided to use DG's variant of the Will McNally SYW variant I normally use for Marlburian games...  a variant of a variant...  real old school!   DG's rules differ in that he has focused on the morale strength of the unit rather than their physical strength  (which only has an effect in that it sets the starting morale level), so casualties are taken in terms of unit effectiveness (shaken/retire/retreat etc) rather than strength points lost... he has also rather cunningly organised them so that you have a one page summary per unit type..  quite handy...

Either way - on with the game...

DG had opted to defend the cross roads in force, so his initial deployment had all the infantry deployed there, with the artillery on his right flank, and the cavalry on his left. I decided to go for broke and had defended the hill with just one unit of infantry and the artillery, the rest of my force was deployed as an assault column to charge directly down the road for the crossroads...

The following is about move 5 or 6 (and this was a 15 move game), my assault column has deployed into line, initial artillery exchanges have been without result (a feature of the game! We blamed long ranges and the artillery was light). DG's starting deployment is unchanged - he's just moved forward a little..

This was the other flank..  little action with DG's cavalry at this stage just keeping a watching brief

Couple of turns later and we had the following...  BANG!!

My cavalry charged home (on Goor), I have also charged home on Rechteren (blue flag/white cross).. to my rear, Toulouse have turned to face DG's cavalry which has now decided to take a more active role..

... in the ensuing test to stand Goor broke and routed (red pin - and it was a feature of the game that infantry stood little or no chance against a cavalry charge), and Rechteren retreated/shaken (yellow pin).. both my units followed up and in the following move the cavalry then charged again (and also routed) Sturler's punching a massive hole in the centre of DG's line...

 ...which makes it sound like it was a whitewash..  it wasn't..  in the meanwhile DG had charged home on Toulouse and broke them, sending them heading for my base edge (they were eventually removed from the table after becoming entirely ineffective due to poor morale throws)..  the artillery managed to land one on Bearn (orange and red striped flag/white cross) who also retreated in some disarray and were then subsequently charged by DG's cavalry.

I had my C-in-C with Bearn to help with morale recovery, and when they failed the "test to stand" I had to test for him and he was killed! Happily, in the rules this has no effect other than to remove a potential source of morale recovery.. you could hear DG chortling all the way from Wales even without Skype! 

I had control of the crossroads (next), though, and just as my cavalry was about to see off Beinheim (next but one) DG advised through the ether that his army had reached breakpoint, and conceded... just as well, as I could see DG had my retreating Bearn regiment (yellow pin) in his scope

"You're next my beauties..."

Game over and (another) Franco-Bavarian win..

Post Match Analysis:

• Second win for the French, I sense a dramatic turnaround by DG is on its way!
• Quick game and over in an hour and a half, 10 turns, so about the same in game time as well (10 mins real time/turn)
• Butchers bill was as follows:
• NB. DG's artillery were not actually casualties - they retired (honourably) from the field..
  
  

• The rules played very well though DG has taken them away to tinker with, there were some concerns over the relative ineffectiveness of the artillery (though as above they were light, and we were firing at long range), some of the morale outcomes were bloody to say the least (at least one of the units was destroyed as a result of a poor morale throw), I think DG may also have had some concerns about how good cavalry were against infantry, both of us have gone away to do some reading on that..  I need to hoik out my trusty Chandler(s)..