Mark, and all
Apologies to all for the lateness of our second game. Due to my travelling for three weeks to the US on business, plus a trip to Hawaii for John just as I was able to get time to play. (Damn, forgot to ask him how Hawaii was!). Hopefully, we'll both be faster playing our games in round two.

Round 1, Game 2 Elchingen, 14 October 1805
Bangla - French, 7 Banners, 14 blocks lost
EZPickens - Austrian, 2 Banners, 30 blocks lost

As the French I had great cards, plus numerical advantage. An attack towards the church and village threatened to overwhelm the Austrian, who countered with his cuirassiers. Changing focus, the French went after the horsemen and soon had them killed. Then a switch to the other flank and a cavalry charge with the other cuirassiers the target. Took a couple of turns but, with both his elite cavalry units gone, the Austrian was on the back foot and was finally chased out of the village in the centre. A final mass attack on his Grenadiers coming to counterattack the village won the day.
The cards were certainly on my side as I always had great options and the ability to keep the pressure on where it mattered most. A tough one for John.

The logfile is missing the first French turn. Sorry about that.

Game 1
Bayernkinie - Austrian 7 Banners (16 blocks lost)
asyncritus - French 5 Banners (32 blocks lost)

Game 2
Bayernkinie - French 7 Banners (15 blocks lost)
asyncritus - Austrian 3 Banners (30 blocks lost)

Our second game kicked off with hot action on the left flank which pretty much ended in a draw and not much left there. Action moved to the right and center with an aggressive French BC card and then the battle raged for control of the abbey and town. French held both and gained two banners, enough to add to 5 banners from kills to win. French payed aggressive and it paid off in this game. David is a great player and sport, glad he's joined in the MT and OT's!

Combined Games with FrenchricusRex
Game 1 Greg O Allies lost 5-7
Game 2 Greg O French won 7-1

Round 1 Game 2: Elchingen 304
tlangston28 (Austrian) : 7 Banners , 11 blocks lost
Grondeaux (French) : 2 Banners, 29 blocks lost

(EDIT: to keep block count consistent on loss with game 1 posting)



On our second game of the the first round, Almost the entire battle was fought on the French Right Flank. After an initial French approach, the Austrians countered with the HA and CU moving up and the HA taking a pot shot at a LN unit drawing first blood. This setup an combined arms attack on the next Austrian turn that was foiled by a French first strike that ultimately destroyed the CU. The French then setup 2 different assaults, one on the GR unit in the Abbey which, while ultimately clearing the church, cost them much in the way of casualties as the Austrians were able to spend a turn firing on the approaching line and then were able to play a First Strike and a First Infantry Combat Tact card on two different melees. This left the French right with all units containing 1 or 2 blocks. The second assault came in the center as he played a cavalry charge to threaten the FA on the hill with LC and a HA combined arms and the Austrian HA on the right. A play of an Artillery Canister card forced the LC to retreat back to the Danube and the HC attack on the Austrian HA did not result in a kill. On the follow up turns, A counter attack on the HC by an Austrian LC eliminated the HC and the attached leader. The followup breakthrough was able to eliminate the LN unit in the abbey. Having both of these assaults blunted by tactical cards and unlucky die rolls put the French on their heels. A final cavalry charge by the Austrians eliminated a 1 block FA and the followup bonus attack defeated a 2 block LN unit in square, combining arms with an HA unit.

As mentioned at the beginning we were both tied to the French Right / Austrian Left as our card play seemed to indicate that. My tactician cards were very opportune: Artillery Canister, First Infantry Combat and Capable Tactician. This allowed me to collect the First strike card played by Grondeaux on my initial CU charge, giving me 3 opportunities to turn the tables on assaults. Grondeaux I believe played his hand to the best that could be done, but it seems as in the first game, the French assault on the right faltered, in the first game to cold dice and in this game to the Austrians having optimal tactician cards to play. Another enjoyable game with Thom.

Round 1, Game 1
Elchingen, 14 October, 1805
FrenchricusRex (French, Ney): 7 banners
Gottoman (Allied, Riesch): 5 banners


A close fight indeed. French guns opened the ball, but the Austrians answered in kind. French legere attempted a push on Elchling, but were slowed and forced into square by Austrian cuirassiers. Riesch, sensing the threat of supported French cavalry, bolstered his position in Elchling and on the heights. Perhaps trying to make a name for himself, Ney threw the dragoons at the center of the Austrian line between the heights and the town. They managed a breakthrough, only to be thrown back by Austrian grape from the heights and musket fire from the town. On the French right, the Austrian cuirassiers were wreaking havoc, but were played out by musket fire from the woods. The French then massed on the right, preparing for an all-out assault on the Abbey Church. La Victoire est a Nous could be heard through the crisp Autumn air as the Mahler's division advanced on the church. bayonets flashing, the French swept the Austrian grenadiers from the churchyard. But Riesch pushed back in the center, routing what remained of the initial French push on the heights with murderous volleys from his big battalions. Mahler, seeing his opportunity, pushed into the Austrian left/rear, mopping up stragglers as he went.

At the end of the day, Ney had taken the Abbey Church and unhinging the Austrian left, threatening Riesch's interior lines. Riesch still held the heights and the town, but had taken very serious casualties throughout. A near run thing.

Greg was a most gracious opponent, setting straight many of my newbie ways. He revealed to me that his hand at the end of the game was entirely right flank cards... useless. He was living "card to card," and played it very well. I am very much looking forward to our next game!

kind of disappointing to see only 6 games of 12 played this close to the deadline, though I understand some have been played and not reported. So I'll extend the deadline to the end of this weekend, Sept 18. Please get those games played and the results reported.

Round 1, Game 1 Elchingen, 14 October 1805
Game 1
Gonzo (Allied): 7 banners won
Mark McG (French): 6 banners won

A rather bizarre game where my dice were smoking hot in the early part of the game, I was getting things like 5 ART hits on 7 dice. French reached 5-0 ahead. But the dice couldn't last, and the cards started snookering French plans. A load of Right cards (5 of 6 cards) meant the vital centre was on starvation rations. French got to 6-1, and then the Austrians took 6 banners in a row in a dramatic turn around. Mainly this was the result of a French assault on the Abbey, which a 2 strength Austrian Grenadier defied 3 full strength French Line and put them into graves.



Game 2
Mark McG (Allied): 1 banners won
Gonzo (French): 7 banners won

The shoe on the other foot here, from the outset I couldn't hit a damn thing, and it persisted that way for the entire game. The only Austrian kill was getting 2 CAV on 5 dice vs a Heavy Cavalry retiring. Everything else just folded up, the Abbey fell without a single French casualty. Worse still, as the game progressed, the Austrian cards got worse, all flank cards and half were the now vacant Left Flank.

Game got broken up by a VASSAL outage, and about a week elapsed between pt1 and Pt2

Round 1, Game 1 Elchingen, 14 October 1805
EZPickens - French, 7 Banners, 32 blocks lost
Bangla - Austrian, 6 Banners, 27 blocks lost

I'll post a report of this one in due course, but just to show we have moved this match-up to halfway Needless to say, a close one which could have gone either way.

Round 1, Game 1 Elchingen 14 October 1805
tlangston28 - French 3 Banners, 35 blocks lost
Grondeaux - Austrian 7 Banners, 20 blocks lost

The Austrians were favored by some very well-timed good dice rolls in this match, along with a critical turn where the French luck deserted them. The French started out occupying Elchingen with their LT. The Austrians countered with a combined arms attack by Grenadiers using Sappers, which forced the French out of half the town. The French heavy cavalry then attacked, and destroyed, the Austrian ART in the center. The Austrian LC then attacked the French HC up hill, and got lucky, destroying them. Their bonus attack by them on Elchingen destroyed the French LT, and the Austrian LC moved into the town. The French then executed a well-planned bayonet charge on the Abbey Church. Unfortunately for him, his dice turned stone cold at this point. The Austrian battle back attacks and their follow up the next turn left the French mauled and forced to pull back from the church. Further French attacks on the center eventually cleared all but one hill hex of Austrians. The CU on the Austrian right then took out the French ART. After the Austrians picked off a 1 block French INF, a CU attack on a French LC on the hill resulted in a lucky kill, and the game.
For most of the game, it was too close to call, and could have gone either way. Thanks to Tony for an enjoyable afternoon spent on the battlefield.

For those reading I would just like to add that Sansmerci was not being harsh by saying I made a mistake by moving my LT unit out on the left. It was something I put forward post game as I knew how it had hurt me and my chances following that move. It was a costly costly mistake that left them hanging there and also meant my artillery was now unsupported. The fact the FA got a flag against it in the first dice rolled by the CU attacking them meaning a retreat and no battle back and then was destoyed in the 2nd roll exemplifies this.

Also, after our chat, I realised how close I had come. Had it not been for 2 x garrison counters the Austrians had, I could have been better placed to push on for the win earlier. They prevented me from firing and then advancing on the struggling Austrian units that were in range of my attacking LT infantry. Instead, they had to waste a turn attacking the garrisons and thereafter, the French comeback was on.

An excellent game and good comeback by Sansmerci WELL DONE ....... But seeing as he is the finalist in the other Tourney, I'll count it as a good result at this stage getting one win

Game 2 Elchingen 14 October 1805
Vince Hughes (The MP) - French 4 Banners
Steve Walker (Sansmerci) - Austrian 7 Banners

Learned an important tactic from Vince in the first game which was not to leave the hills. The French had the hot dice at the beginning when cavalry charge took out the Austrian Arty and blasted the Austrian LC to one block. After the Austrian counter attack a first strike card left only one block remaining on two Austrian cavalry which Vince quickly killed both. The match was 4 to 0 banners and I thought I would lose 7 to 0. A bayonet charge saved the Austrians taking out a leader, HC and LC. Now the fighting was around Elchingen changing hands several times. A short supply card moved a full strength French LN
out of the Abby saving a banner. Then the French made a mistake moving the LT out of the woods on the left to get three shots at a lone Austrian LN. This led to the Austrian CU attack on the French FA killing it and then putting the French LT in square leading to its death by the Austrian LN. At this point the game was 6-4 Austrians and ended with a Austrian LN taking out a one block French unit in Elchingen. This was a really close one and could have easily gone the other way.

"Just drop an email to John (EZ) - he usually answers very quickly"

I did send John a private message, and then posted here as well. No response yet.

Well lets slip a game result in amongst this in order to show something is moving along.

GAME 1- Elchingen

Vince Hughes TheMP (Allied) 7
SansMerci (French) 6

Let it be said from the off that this was a very close and very tough game that went down to the wire. In fact, it was one of those games that are great to watch as an observer. Both players were probably on their last card needed for a win when the result was finally decided.

The French attacked initially but were hit hard by the dice losing 2 banners very quickly. The Austrians then assembled their cavalry within charge range before playing the Cavalry Charge card. Despite 2 x CU units being used, it was their LC that had the most success and the charge really ended up as Much Ado About Nothing ... Ineffective alas.

The game settled into more of a thinking session as both sides ate away at the other, gaining and losing advantages. At one point it seemed as if the French were ready to tip things their way, and then the Austrians came back for more fight. A French Bayonet Charge also looked as if it might capture the Abbey, but the Austrian Grenadiers there held out allowing reinforcing troops to arrive and then in turn, hit the French hard in reply destroying at least 2 more units.

The score reached 6-6 and with only left flank cards in my hand, I had to use them to get my HA unit on the left and a deplted CU unit to chase a French LN unit on its own with a leader. The HA gained the advantage with a 'Cannister' card when the French LN attacked them and a card or two later, they eliminated the French LN unit for the win. This was not before time as the French themselves looked set to win with their next card play as their strong attack against the hill-line that had already knocked off some banners was about to demolish another unit in battalion mass up there. A very exciting and tense game. Sansmerci has the logfile and I presume will no doubt post it when he writes.

I'm not up to the level I'd like to be yet on the new expansion, and I did realise some time after playing this game that I forgot to leave garrisons in town hexes I vacated. I did re-populate with a unit but shouldn't have had to worry in the first place. Must remember to deploy a Garrison in future as empty town hexes provide banners to the opposition in some scenarios (like this one).

Just drop an email to John (EZ) - he usually answers very quickly

EZ played a Great War scenario yesterday, so he is around

Not a great start to the tournament. I haven't heard back yet, and I'm wondering whether EZ is on vacation. But with a deadline of Sept 15th, I'm travelling for vacation and business from Sept 5-22, so time is getting tight. Especially if EZ is in the US or Oz as I'm in Europe.

Hi All,

I understand that most of the open and mini tournaments are played using the VASSAL chat window rather than SKYPE and in speaking with Bangla, he mentioned that there are conventions for using the chat window to communicate intentions. He has mentioned that he would go over those but is there a summary or explanation page on the 'etiquette' of playing in a mini or open tourney? We all do use SKYPE in the CACCN tourney but I would like to make sure that I am following the open tourney rules concerning any of these conventions.

Thanks,
Tony

EDIT - Nevermind - I found the conventions link on the article page with the matchups

To EZ Pickens
Hi. I sent you a private message last week about setting up our games. Not sure if you've seen it. Can you get in touch?

Same here to "asyncritus"

To EZ Pickens
Hi. I sent you a private message last week about setting up our games. Not sure if you've seen it. Can you get in touch?
Cheers
Bangla

not at all, good timing because I was otherwise having a bye.

so I'll substitute you in for the BYE, and that means you play me.

Hey Mark, is it too late to get in? New to this particular title but have played several basic games.