OT 2018 Round 5

Apologies, Dan and I played this early in the month and I forgot to submit. I have been pretty busy lately, so I will report result and not much on the play by play, as that can be seen on the replay if desired.

Game 1
Greg O (Allies) 9 banners
Cavie (French) 8 banners

This game was a dog fight, started with vicious exchanges on the left, with lots of cavalry action. Then the game shifted to the center and that battle came down to a couple of rolls either way.

Game 2
Greg O (French) 9 banners
Cavie (Allies) 1 banner

The French pushed it hard and the cards and dice where in support of that approach and it was a hard game for the Prussians.

Game 2

RiverWanderer (French): 9
ToganAlpher (Prussians): 3

Once more, the opening action was on the Prussian Left. However, the French held back on that flank and the first assault came from the Prussians in the centre. After this was repulsed, the Prussians advanced in force on their Left and so began the main struggle in the French right & right-centre part of the battle-field which continued for the rest of the game.

The Prussians had repulsed French cavalry around Bleddin but a unit continued to cause trouble working with French infantry in the centre. Meanwhile, on their right flank, the Prussians suffered heavily from ranged combat by roving French Light infantry.

In the final stages, bold attacks by Prussian forces across the board managed to snag a couple of depleted French units but in the end the French were able to maintain their lead (albeit with one particularly lucky French volley). One banner from victory, French units in the centre survived another Prussian assault in a good position and counter-attacked to take the win.

An interesting instance of this scenario for its action across most of the board. Thanks to Togan for a good game.

Game #1:

ToganAlper (French): 7
RiverWanderer (Prussian): 9

A long, cat and mouse, battle of attrition, with most banners hard-won; just one single-attack wipe-out and one Leader kill in the whole game.

The French Right flank was the focal point throughout the game, with the Prussians soon battered and their cavalry almost exhausted by the initial French infantry and cavalry assaults. When the smoke cleared (briefly), it looked as though fresh French cavalry would dominate the flank and keep the Prussians at bay. Then a timely Grand Manoeuvre brought Prussian reinforcements from the centre and drew half of the French cavalry away to follow the more tempting targets, allowing Prussian infantry a chance to fight their way across to Bleddin, securing the flank at last. Lucky and unlucky die rolls abounded on each side. In the end game, French coordinated action in the centre set up their potential victory but the Prussians hung on just long enough to get a final run of luck to win the day.

Thanks to Togan for a very close fought game. I look forward to round 2 on Sunday.




Technical note, we encountered some Vassal fun whereby sometimes a card would disappear from my hand. Eventually, we twigged that this was linked to when Togan draw a Command Card and we fixed it by re-syncing me to him. In future, if this happens, I would say the player who last drew should resync and then both players draw a card. If at game start, I would exit and restart the game. Perhaps someone has come across this bug and can give better advice,

looking for game results by the end of this weekend please.

Game #2:

Mark (French): 5
Giulio (Prussian): 9

Again a long and tactical game. As expected, the French cavalry attempted a breakthrough in the right flank but it did not work so well. The game went on with progressive depletion of troops on both sides. But Prussians field a larger army, so in the long run, this is beneficial for the Prussians. At the end the French resistance on the right was minimal and the Prussian managed to take the village for one victory banner. If you are interested, there's a new episode of the McGilchrist 's School of Napoleonic Tactics when Mark surrounds one Prussian cavalry unit by moving a Line out of the village leaving a garrison there. I can tell you that this caught the Prussian general totally by surprise. If I had been a judge, I'd have granted him a victory banner just for the idea. The dice, alas, did not support the bold move.

Game #2:

soul1st (French): 5
Stanislav27 (Prussian): 9

Just like the first battle, the second one was a thrilling and closely fought affair.

Twan's French forces sought to implement an audacious plan, drawin my flank forces in by withdrawing before hitting me with a hammer-blow led by his grenadiers in the centre. I started with a bunch of scout cards and originally planned to pummel Bleddin with an artillery battery, but the crafty French withdrawal denied me the opportunity. In the end, the tactics cards I drew through "scouting" proved highly efficient, however. Likewise, I was lucky with my lc1-rolls, killing two leaders in that fashion.

The French attack in the centre was thwarted with the eager, but isolated French grenadiers falling to a combined arms attack by Prussian Light Infantry and artillery.

In the French left, the Prussians were advancing methodically, but very slowly and that sector of the battlefield saw very little action.

Instead, it was on the French right, where Twan mounted some very entertaining and effective counterplay. With multiple turns focusing almost exclusively on cavalry (including a Cavalry Charge (FR) - Cavalry Charge (PR) - Counterattack (FR) sequence), the French chasseurs à cheval destroyed the entire contingent of Prussian cavalry in addition to an artillery battery. The battle was even at this point, with the Prussians mouting an ineffective resistance on the French right rather than focusing elsewhere.

That mistake was rectified once the French cavalry force ran out of suitable targets on the Prussian left. The Prussians pushed forward in the centre, killing a severely weakened unit of French Infantry and occupying Wartenburg. The French launched a brave but ultimately unsuccessful counterattack on both Wartenburg and Bleddin. The Prussians held on, however, winning control of the battlefield.

---

Thanks a lot to Twan for two great battles that were close. No doubt, I had the greater luck in terms of dice rolls and Tactics Cards, but Twan never gave up and kept fighting with guile, creativity and determination. A most worthy opponent whom I hope I shall meet again on future fields of battle.

---

(We started the logfile a bit late)

Game #1:

soul1st (Prussian): 2
Stanislav27 (French): 9

A hard-fought battle, which was decided in the French right and centre. The French left around Wartenburg saw very little action.

Twan's Prussian forces started the battle very well. They put pressure on the French position at Bleddin and managed to kill off Franquemont with a long-range artillery shot (1d + subsequent lc2). Luck swiftly swung the French way afterwards, however. The French utilized their light cavalry to check the deadly Prussian formation on the Prussian right. With one cavalry charge (and another one later in the battle), the French horsemen devastated their Prussian counterparts. Fortunate dice and cards also allowed the French to withdraw their depleted units without losing cohesion (in total, I managed to withdraw four 1-block units away from the front line and to my rear).

Twan sought to shift his forces from the centre and right towards the centre and centre-left with his Light Infantry proving very efficient from their outpost next to the marshes. However, the French made good use of a Forced March and a few powerful tactician cards to seize the initiative in the centre. The French grenadiers were a devastating force until they met their heroic end at the hand of the Prussian skirmishers.

In the end, the battle again swung to the French left, where the second cavalry charge further weakened the Prussian formation. The coup de grace came from the excellent French Light Infantrymen who charged and dispathed the pesky artillery battery that had commenced the battle so successfully for the Prussians.

---

A very entertaining and tight battle. The scoreline does not reflect the state of affairs very well, since so many of my units were close to destruction. I was just fortunate to be able to take them away from harm and that Twan's cards and dice did not allow him to kill them off. Twan is an excellent opponent, and I very much look forward to the re-match.

Report for game Zamba Bone (French) vs. CaptTonio (Prussian)

Result: French Win (9-4)

A very impatient French general pushed his forces forward from the beginning, but did not get much out of it. After a successful Bombard, the Prussians executed an outstanding Force March on the Prussian Right Flank and drove the French back, leaving only half an LT and the Artillery of the French Left alive. The Prussian Grenadiers, and an LN which sneaked in through the Center, took both Steinmetz town hexes simultaneously.
With a Force March, a Bayonet Charge, and an Attack Center in hand, the French saw their best chance in driving forward recklessly in the Center. One of the force marching LN managed to destroy the damaged Grenadiers in the town and retake one town hex, while the rest pushed through the middle. While unsuccessful initially (the Guard Grenadiers doing mediocre damage and dying immediately), the subsequent Bayonet charge in combination with an Inspired Infantry (battle again after advancing) worked out very well. An LN broke through the Prussian starting formation and eliminated two units (the second being a militia on the base line, by rolling one saber and two flags). The Prussians were taken by surprise and could only muster a minor counterattack in the center (a Probe Center and a Scout Center being the only Center cards they had available). The Prussian Cavalry from the Left tried to salvage the Center but ran into a solid French 1-block-square.
A French Coordinated Advance was a key turn: The only remaining undamaged French infantry (an LT) damaged the Prussian Artillery with a lucky strike (2 hits out of 4), the Infantry in square killed a 1-block RI, and the aforementioned half LT on the Left destroyed a damaged Rifle Infantry on the Left. The fourth order was a French Cavalry on the Right but that one had to swallow Prussian Artillery Cannister. The Prussians hit back on their left but could not kill the retreating French Cavalry. After that, the rest of the French Cavalry joined the fray on the French Right, and together with the heroic LT they achieved victory.

Yep, Giulio did, in the end, move only one unit. But he ordered two, and actually planned to move both initially. In fact the second unit, the LN, was left ordered which technically makes the turn illegal, but I know I'm being a pedant here
Besides, as I said, he made no kills ... and although Giulio did have the better cards and dice, he played them extremely well to make such a huge banner count final score. I'm already looking forward to watching the reverse match.

I took it as an act of faith that he had whatever card he desired, but I suspect this was the
"-Or- Issue an order to one unit of your choice." option, which I did check..

the only card I'd have been surprised to see was a Probe, because I had the complete set..

Bangla wrote: Giulio played a "Take Command Left" card and then moved on the right.

True. And it was a perfectly legal move

Mark, you were obviously pretty disengaged late on, and just wanted the game to end. Giulio played a "Take Command Left" card and then moved on the right. As it turned out, it was one of the few turns where he didn't cause a casualty or a retreat! You obviously were'nt paying much attention by this stage.
Still, you get those games where you can't do anything with the cards and dice. What price a 9-0 your way next time?

Mark-McG wrote: I was the Prussians, Giulio the French.

Yes, thanks. I corrected the report.

Final score tells the whole story.. Prussians couldn't hit, drew useless cards. I was the Prussians, Giulio the French.

Game 1
giulio (French) 9 banners
mark (Prussian) 1 banner

A rather tactical game that lasted for two hours. Thanks to good Command cards and nice support of Tacticians cards, French infantry and cavalry acted aggressively on their right flank. I think Mark lacked mobility where he most needed it. The final score does not tell the whole story. Several times the Prussians were on the verge of reversing the course of the battle. But when they finally collapsed on the French right, their fate was sealed. I forgot to save a log file but Mark will post it.

Game 2
Bangla (Prussian) 9 banners
Kandras78 (French) 3 banners

The Prussians again formed a grand battery, to stifle any French attack on the left, which never came. Their main thrust was in the centre, where Grenadiers and line infantry supported light cavalry attacking the Prussians there. The Prussians held, their cavalry attacking the Grenadiers themselves, and leaving that elite unit at the mercy of the artillery.
Then the French made a push on the right. Light cavalry attacking the Prussian cavalry there, who somehow survived, and a cavalry charge countered the French attacks. The French then marched out of Bleddin and the nearby woods to press the attack, but the Prussians held again, whittling down the French units with a Bayonet Charge. Desperate measures were needed by the French, and a final Cavalry Charge with two one-block LC units failed to kill weakened artillery units. One was decimated, the other set up for an infantry attack immediately afterwards.
The planned Prussian push for Wartenburg never happened as the French melted away on the right flank.
Two good games with András. Very difficult for the French in both games, and the dice were definitely with the Prussian in game 2.

Game 1
Kandras78 (Prussian) 9 banners
Bangla (French) 6 banners

The Prussians began by looking to form two large batteries. Obviously a Bombardment to come. The French countered by withdrawing on the left and advancing their cavalry on their right. A charge broke up the artillery on their right, but the cavalry came back battered. Then the The French raced out to a lead but then the Prussians began their inevitable push. Numbers on their left won them the day, and the artillery on the other flank kept the French on the defensive. In the end, a charge into Wartenburg by the Grenadiers clinched the final banner for the Prussians. The French took out a final banner upon seeing all was lost.

Next instalment in two days.......

Hello
If Kandras78 is on the forum at the moment, I hope he realises we're supposed to be playing now. Fingers crossed he sees this.

Hi

This is a message to Stanislav27 to please read his personal messages in order to set up our game for round 5

Regards,

soul1st

(Twan van Dijk tvandijk1@gmail.com)

Hoping to hear from Toganalper to arrange our games...no reply to my pm from a few days ago, so posting here in case anyone can contact him for me.

Thank you,

Game 2
Gonzo (Prussian) 9 banners
EZPickens (French) 5 banners

Game progressed slowly as Prussian artillery whittled down several French units. French Cav charge was repulsed and small village taken. French held Wartenburg securely, but French push in the middle met with withering range fire before they could close. Great match and a most worthy opponent.

EZPickins (Prussians) 9 Banners
Gonzo (French) 7 Banners

The Prussians had some success on their left in the early going. Infantry with art support were able some to eliminate some of the French infantry. The cavalry then charged and killed Mecklinburg along with his infantry. They were driven off but soon returned to take out the last arty on this flank. The action the shifted to my right flank. I held on long enough to play GM and get units into and around Wartenburg which was held until the end. I also managed to get a battered LC into Bleddin a bit later . A few turns later the final blow came as a French LT couldn't survive the gauntlet as it suffered 4 attacks in an attempt to save itself. It was a fun game versus a very fine opponent.

Game 2
Mike Stanley (scipio1zama) Prussians – 9 banners
Chris McKerron (Mantra) French – 7 banners
Early maneuvering took place on the Prussian left as I moved Light Troops into the woods and started lining up 2 artillery batteries and providing each with a leader. As I was setting this up, the French responded by subjecting my LT in the woods to constant effective fire and by moving their cavalry forward.

The idea was to use my Leader card to pummel the French units in Bleddin with the artillery. Then I got greedy and erred in moving the artillery too far forward. The French cavalry and infantry attacked in melee and in the ensuing kerfuffle, the Prussians lost both artillery pieces, a leader and a LN. This cost the French a LT, LN, and two LC. It also left the Prussians with a couple of 1-block LT to try to move out of harm’s way. While my three cavalry units blocked French access to the weakened LTs, they were also all but useless against the French garrison now ensconced in Bleddin, which the Prussians never took. Meanwhile, the French were also moving 3 infantry units from the center over toward their right to keep the pressure on, one of which soon killed a Prussian LC.

I had been holding a Bayonet Charge for a while, finding little use for it. Then I was able to Counterattack the French use of a La Grande Manoeuvre which gave me the opportunity to move my polyglot Prussian force (LT, GR and 2 LN) into position. Next turn the Bayonet Charge was on, greatly aided by excellent die rolls for my units and lackluster battle backs in return. Eventually this flank cost the French 2 LN and a LT, AND the Prussians were able to occupy both Wartenburg hexes for 2 additional banners (the Prussians losing a LN in the process.). A desperate final attack by the French on their right (which with luck could have cost the Prussians 2 units and a leader) killed just one RI.

Chris has reported on the other game, which he won as the Prussians. These were two long, but action-packed games, rough and tumble, but a lot of fun.

Hi
This is a message to Kandras78 to please read his personal messages, and then get in contact with me at the email address given. I've tried to message him twice to set up our games, so this posting is a last resort
Cheers
Bangla

Here is the game file for Game 1