We returned to this one expecting to play for a few more weeks, it was not to be so!
This post is picture heavy over text as the battle concluded pretty swiftly if in fairly unspectacular fashion! These things happen sometimes.
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Action on the Austrian right, the skirmishers have withdrawn to let the masses sort it out.
Supporting battery by Elite Miniatures. |
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| Tony Laughton looking pensive & cold! He's on the mend, a bit... |
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| Nearer the centre the Austrian advance Guard give the Poles a bloody nose. |
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| Behind the above position more troops move up in support with a 12lb position battery getting ready. |
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On the Austrian left these light horse surge forward into a French horse battery... and bounce.
One of the joys of play testing rules is coming across these weird situations & seeing them rectified by the designers. |
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| On the Austrian extreme left yet another brigade moves up. |
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| Another Austrian battery this time in the centre firing against Saxons. |
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| The action see-sawed outside Tegkwitz. |
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| Supports behind the Austrian centre. |
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| The Poles are repelled allowing the Austrian to consolidate their grip on Starkenberg. |
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| The disgraced Austrian hussars retire to lick their wounds behind the lines, maybe the uhlans will fair better. |
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| In the Austrian rear the first of two brigades of Grenadiers arrive. |
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| Then a second arrives with the artillery reserve. |
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| The Austrian centre is getting stronger. |
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| These Jaeger form line to repel one last charge by the Poles. |
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| Both sides reform on the right for round 2! |
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| More supports for the Austrian centre. |
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| This shows the gap between Starkenberg & Tegkwitz both firmly in Austrian hands & well supported. |
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| This Austrian brigade to the left of Tegkwitz took a bruising but ultimately forced the attacking Saxons to retreat. |
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| The aforementioned Saxons in disarray. |
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| The Uhlans manage to run down the offending upstart French horse battery and face off against the French 9th Hussars. |
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| Austrian & Westphalian brigades hide behind a small hill to avoid trouble. |
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Saxon foot battery vignette, it's always a pleasure to this one on the table.
Created by Russian Tony on a whim! |
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| Saxons & 2nd class French line retiring... |
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| The last objective in French hands is this hill and everyone knows you can't hold ground with cavalry. |
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| French 3rd Hussars in their distinctive silver gray uniforms. |
The French attacks had all been rebuffed to the extent that their whole front was effectively in retreat or in the wrong place! The Austrians held two objectives & were contesting the third. They also held far more reserves. The French still had the Old & Middle Guard plus a brigade each of heavy cavalry & infantry but they were on deep reserve miles back. The Emperor decided against reinforcing a failing attack and instead retired.
The rules, General d'Armee, delivered a big game which banged along at a fair old pace; we set up, played & broke this one down in two evenings! Things
happen in these rules, you get results which
feel right and
look right. Other than the cavalry bouncing off the horse battery I don't recall any glitches although I'm sure greater minds than mine are developing these before they go to print sometime next year. In short this means more big games played per year.
Next up is a festive slaughter in the snow on our winter table which you've never seen before!
Until now...
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| Sneak preview - Chris looking chilly in the snow! |
Best wishes,
Jeremy
