A quiet but productive week so far.

No game this week unfortunately. I was supposed to be having Paul over yesterday but I had to cancel as I wasn't and still aren't physically up to organising and hosting a game. Robbie and John aren't available today either so gaming plans are on hold until the weekend when I'm hoping Peter will stagger down the hill again for another AWI/wine drinking session.

On the up side, I have managed to get more French for my FRW Suvorov project completed and based up, and in doing so realised that as usual I've gone a bit (more than a bit) mad and now have two battalions shy of four Demi-brigades, including skirmish stands, plus a couple of combined grenadiers. With four (or is it five?) battalions left to do that's far too many. I also have four squadrons of French Chasseurs a Cheval that I had painted for me, with a couple of squadrons of heavy cavalry to do. I thought I'd better get started on artillery and commanders so that's the task for the next week.

I've not had time or the energy to take any photos but will do so before the weekend as the figures are presently cluttering up the dining room table waiting to go into their billets.

The Battle of Cowpens

On Saturday evening Peter came down the hill for a game. This was great as it meant I could escape the torment that is Saturday night tv and leave my wife to enjoy (?) the X Factor and 'Strictly' in peace.  Peter also brought some wine which was an added (but expected and planned for) bonus.

My AWI collection has not seen the light of day since we had the building work done on the house in 2014, so, wanting a game that would be relatively easy to set up, fun and last for 3 hours or so, or at least until the wine ran out I plumped for Cowpens, where Colonel Banastre Tarleton got his ass well and truly whipped! I used the scenario (sort of) from the Black Powder supplement Rebellion. John and I had fought this battle several years ago (see elsewhere on this blog) and the British had avoided defeat by fighting the Rebels to a bloody draw. How would it go this time? Peter took the British and I had the Rebels/Patriots (delete as applicable). We played down the length of my table on what was a fairly open battlefield. I ignored the usual army break point rule, instead each army would be broken if they lost two-thirds of their units shaken or broken. Peter only had a single command figure, Tarleton, so getting orders through and more importantly, rallying points off were going to be crucial. The flip-side was that with the exception of my Continental dragoons and two battalions of Continental infantry, the other nine units were all militia of varying quality ranging from 'flakey' to absolute 'pants'!

 The British army under Tarleton.  From l to r: HM 7th Foot, Royal Artillery, British Legion infantry, Light companies, 17th Light Dragoons. 2nd rank: HM 71st Foot, British Legion cavalry. Out of shot to the left was a detached troop of the Legion.

 Rebel skirmishers in the scrub/trees supported in the distance by a brigade of Militia. The third line and the cavalry are out of sight at the rear.

 The Legion cavalry charged one group of skirmishers who fled before them. HM 7th Foot (here played by HM 23rd) close with the other skirmisher unit.

 The detached troop of Legion cavalry on the left wing. They achieved little in the game other than becoming shaken by Rebel musketry when they tried to charge. Peter couldn't rally them as he had more pressing matters to deal with.

 The 7th were disordered by the Rebel skirmishers so the 71st passed through them and charged with the bayonet. My skirmishers evaded (i.e. fled).

 On the other flank Peter charged one of my Militia battalions with the main body of the Legion cavalry. The Militia held and actually drove the Legion off shaken and in disorder.

 In the centre the Rebel third line has moved up (including two Continental battalions) to support the wavering Militia in the second line, now under pressure from the British Light battalion, the Legion infantry and the 7th and 71st regiments.

 The British are in trouble. The 7th failed a break test and fled the field, while the Legion infantry were shaken. Two Rebel Militia battalions had also broken and another was shaken, so the game could go either way at this point.

 Militia and Legion infantry slug it out in the centre.

 The Continentals are about to outflank the British line.

 Militia cavalry slowly make their way towards the fighting. They never got anywhere near the enemy, which is probably a good thing.

 Out on my left, the 17th Light Dragoons had got themselves in a pickle. They'd charged one of my battalions in the rear but failed to break it. They had to withdrawn and were then hit by my Continental dragoons and forced to retreat shaken.

 A somewhat emptier battlefield. My Continentals flanking the British but under fire from the guns and the 71st, with the Light battalion the only unshaken units in the British army.

 The British centre. In the distance can be seen the Continental dragoons poised to charge the flank of the still shaken Legion cavalry.

 Tarleton rallies a point off the Legion infantry.

 British Legion and the 17th Light Dragoons trying to rally before the Continental dragoons charge them.

 HM 71st and the artillery. 

My Continental battalion led by the Rebel commander on the British flank.

At this point not only did the wine run out but a quick roll call revealed that the British had lost (broken or shaken) five out of eight units, while the Rebels had lost seven out of twelve. I declared it a minor Rebel victory as they'd effectively neutralised or destroyed the bulk of the British force while managing to escape annihilation at the wrong end of British bayonets and sabres. Not quite the stunning victory I was hoping for but a victory nevertheless. I think the British have a hard time in this game as with only one commander issuing orders and rallying points off there is only so much they can do before failing a command roll and bringing the turn to an end. This happened to Peter several times. It was fortunate that all his cavalry were classed as marauders and therefore ignored distance when testing, but his infantry line became overextended and fragmented. Of course the Rebels had more commanders but they were, with the exception of the CinC, the cavalry and the third line, all pretty poor. To be honest, I mishandled my skirmishers and allowed my second line to take a battering before my third line could engage, but I got away with it. 

A great game and a great period. Man of the match goes to the Continental dragoons.

Where have my favourite blogs gone to?

Woke up this morning and when I went to look at my blog I saw that all the links to my favourite blogs that were on the right hand side of my blog last night have vanished! Very strange. Even more odd is that when I tried to put them back it wouldn't let me. Looking around the web it doesn't seem to have happened to anyone else.....

Never mind though, I will get my resident IT guru (Mrs Carryingsonupthedale) to have a look.

First Demi-Brigade completed for my Suvorov project

As the title of the post suggests I've now finished the first formation for my French in Italy and Switzerland. I now have a full demi-brigade of three battalions, a battalion of combined grenadiers and a swarm of skirmishers. Some of these have been featured in an earlier post but not in their entirety. The figures are all Elite Miniatures from their "collectors' range".

A second demi-brigade (Trent Miniatures) is almost done, as are two battalions of light infantry and another of combined elites. I've started on some artillery and commanders for both sides and expect to have the second fusilier battalion of the Rosenberg/Moscow Grenadiers done by the end of the weekend coming up.

Not sure if I have a game this week. Hope so.

Two trips to look forward to and a FRW update

Yesterday I booked a few days next month in Lisbon for Mrs Carrryingsonpthedale and me. She has family there and she also has other family links going back to the Napoleonic Wars when her great, great, etc grandfather was a physician attached to the Portuguese army. His family settled there after the war and they are all buried in the English Cemetery in Lisbon. It'll be nice to put photos of their graves on Katherine's family tree which I've been working on since about 2012.

I have also booked a long weekend in Antwerp that just happens to coincide with Crisis 2016. What chance of that happening, eh? I am really looking forward to it.

No game this week as family and a busy life have intervened but back to normal next week. I do have two more battalions of French almost finished (just the basing to complete) and six more very close to completion. I did farm out some infantry and cavalry to be painted for me and 24 Austrian Cheveaulegers and 24 French Chasseurs a Cheval should be with me by the end of the month. I really must get on with finishing my remaining Russians and getting the artillery and generals for both sides started. And lots of Cossacks! Lots and lots!

Speaking of artillery, I picked up some mdf guns, limbers and caissons off Warbases. I've put the them together and they're great. Once painted I shall post a few pictures. I just need some mountain guns for the Russians now!

Just for David B: More Russians for Suvarov in the Alps, and the first of the French.

More progress with my FRW Russians and French for Suvarovs campaign in Switzerland.

 The two photos above are of one of the fusilier battalions of the Moscow grenadier regiment. (Eureka Minis)

 This photo and the two below are of the7th Jager regiment, again Eureka miniatures.

 The following are pictures of my first French, Elite Miniatures, two btns of the 13th Demi-Brigade and some skirmishers.

I'm working on the third battalion of the 13th DB and a composite battalion of grenadiers for the French and a regiment of two battalions of Russians in greatcoat from Eureka that I bought off plan so to speak as they're not yet listed.

I need to do some artillery and cavalry plus a few commanders, but there's plenty of time.......or maybe there isn't.

Heat, fly spray and the Thirty Years War again.

After the beating the Imperial troops under Robbie had last week using Pike and Shot I offered to restage the game this week but using Impetus Baroque. It was relatively easy to rearrange the orders of battle and unit composition in order to make the switch and there are suggested 'army lists' in the back of the rule book to help with troop factors and capabilities. Now, I am not a particular fan of Army Lists but these were handy for getting troop capabilities right(ish) within the context of the rules although I did make some changes based on my own reading and understanding of TYW Swedish and Imperial forces. The problem we had last week were the maxim gun-armed Swedish shot (well that's what I'm sure Robbie thought they had). The Swedes should have fire superiority but not the way Pike and Shot suggested it should be reflected with three sub units of shot to each pike block. But thats another discussion entirely.

Anyway, the orders of battle were re-jiggled and all was ready. Paul joined Robbie on the Imperial side while John and I reprised our roles leading the Swedes, with me as CinC again.

 Battle is joined. I put all our horse on the right again supported by a brigade of lower-class Mercenary infantry. John's task was to push the elite veteran Yellow and Blue Brigades straight up the hill to dislodge the Imperial troops using their superior firepower and training. Mmmmm? Robbie had deployed his vastly superior cavalry on each flank, with Pappenheim's elite brigade facing my horse.

 In the centre one of  the three regiments making up the Blue Brigade advances supported by our artillery.

 The Blue Brigade reach the walled hills with the Yellow Guard regiment in support. We couldn't tempt the Imperial tercios across the fields. When they did advance we were to regret it!

 Pesky Croats on our right flank. The first regiment charged my Scots regiment in the flank but were held off and they in turn were charged and routed by my dragoon regiment. Sadly my dragoons were severely mauled in the process and retreated to the town for the remainder of the game.

 I underestimated the Croats and allowed (but not on purpose) their second squadron to hit my flank as I approached the Imperial dragoons in the woods. A bad move on my part.

 In the centre my horse and commanded shot advanced while a unit of Finns charged a disordered Tercio and actually drove it back twice before grinding to a halt. A second Tercio was advancing on our centre supported by artillery. Treks are very powerful units in these rules, as long as you can get them into melee and don't get shot up too much in the process.

 The Finns locked in combat while a squadron of Swedish horse flanks another Tercio.

 Imperial cuirassiers about to charge the White Regiment. The latter failed their test for defensive fire and were hit by undamaged cuirassiers. Fortunately the cuirassiers didn't get their impetus dice as they were facing pikes, so were held.

 One of the anomalies in the rules is that dragoons seem to a little too effective. On our left, a regiment of Imperial dragoons charged one of our regiments and held it until it in turn was hit in the flank. On my flank my battered Scots regiment was charged by Robbie's dragoons who eventually gained the upper hand and broke my unit. OK I chucked some bad dice but I don't think TYW dragoons would or could have achieved that much success against a veteran infantry regiment. Never mind, it didn't matter in the long run.

 On the left, John's demotivated Saxons had stayed put for most of the battle,  only advancing to line the wall-off field. Paul charged one regiment with his cuirassiers but they were repulsed by closing fire. He then charged his supporting regiment in. They hit and pushed the doughty Saxons back back but failed to break them.

 Back in the centre Robbie and Paul had finally realised that they would never win a firefight with the Swedes and advance towards the Blue Brigade, destroying one regiment in the process. They followed up and hit the Yellow Lifeguard regiment who just managed to hold the Imperial tercio.

 My mixed regiment of horse and commanded shot in the centre held off the Imperial cuirassiers while to their left my musket-armed regiment of foot were eventually successful, thanks to a flank charge by my cavalry, in driving back their opponents.

 My horse, having broken the foot which they'd hit in the flank followed through, rode over an Imperial battery and hit Wallenstein's Lifeguard at the halt. They drove them back for two consecutive rounds of melee before breaking them. There was now a massive gap in the Imperial line and both infantry brigades were shattered.

 Robbie conceded defeat at this point. His foot were shattered and his horse were badly mauled, rose on although Paul's horse on the flank were holding their own and driving the Saxons back.

 Wallenstein's Lifeguard hit by pursuing Swedish horse.

 Imperial Harquebusiers covering the withdrawal of their army.

 The Saxons on the Swedish left, still holding.

 Wallenstein makes his escape covered by his one remaining tercios.

 Gustav II Adolf did bugger all in the battle, mainly as I forgot I could use him proactively if I wished. In fact I actually forgot he was on the table at one point.

 I gave the Swedes one regiment made up solely of shot as I understand that as well as the commanded musketeers which were made up of 'surplus' personnel, some units had 'lost' their pikemen, the latter trade not being a popular one in the Swedish army.

 My German 'Green Regiment' bravely doing very little throughout the game other than cover my right flank after the Scots ran away.

 Another view of the German 'White Regiment' locked in combat with Imperial cuirassiers. 

 Rounding up Imperial stragglers.

The Colonel of the Scots regiment which ran away so ignominiously receives the judgement of the court martial.

Well, it was a great game and a tough one, but quite exhausting if only because it was a very hot airless day, made worse by the fact that the Swedes deployed chemical warfare in the form of some fly spray when several wasps had the temerity to fly in through the open window! 

We've not played with these rules for a while so were a little rusty but we soon got back into the swing. By lunchtime John and I thought that the Imperial army would be triumphant as it was pushing back our centre and had held up the flanks. All of a sudden it was another story as the Imperial centre collapsed in very short order and it was all over. Imperial casualties, in terms of losses, were pretty catastrophic at over 50%, but the Swedish losses were also almost 40%.

The sequence of play in Baroque took a little getting used to again but the game speeded up as the day progressed. Robbie was happier with the result than the previous week even tough the Imperial army still lost, but if I think that I was to adopt these rules permanently for the TYW I'd need far too much re-basing and reorganising. And I'd have to do my Poles too!

Next time I think we shall go back to the Seven Years War using Honours of War as its been rather a long time since the last time Frederick and Co were on the table.