Tuesday, April 07, 2015

Napoleonic 6 players

We recycled the 1st Newbury battlefield from last week for a Napoleonic game tonight. 

French: Mark (left flank inf). Mike (centre inf).  Jim ( right flank cav).
Prussian: SteveJ (right flank inf). Austrian: Chris (centre inf). Dave (Left flank cav).
 The Austro-Prussians are on the left.
Mike had advanced boldly in the French centre, but his comrades on the flanks are lagging behind. 
After initial success, the French attack in the centre ran out of steam and found itself in danger of being attacked from both flanks, but Mike managed to withdraw from the pocket.  The French flanking forces continue to have rotten command rolls.
Mike had redeployed into a firing line and is getting some support from Mark on the near flank.  Steve's Prussians have gone onto the offensive and are putting pressure on Mark.   On the far flank the French cavalry finally got moving and the classic swirling cavalry melee is in progress.  The numbers are equal, but the Austrians have some cuirassiers while the French have artillery support.  
Things have been looking bad for the French for a long time.  Their cavalry was hard pressed on the far flank, Mike was beaten back in the centre & Mark was being pushed back by the Prussians on the near flank.  But suddenly it turned around.  Both side's cavalry was down to half strength, but the Austrians failed a rally and had all 3 remaining shaken so they broke.  The French cavalry had 2 survivors shaken & one hussar unit one off shaken. At the same time in the centre, some hot shooting by the French put Chris's infantry on half strength & all shaken so they broke too.  Like the cavalry, the French centre had 3 surviving units, 2 shaken & 1 on black. 

As always Hail Frederick gave us a fast, exciting, good looking and close game.  It took less than an hour & a half.

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