Byzantium v. Arabs

 Byzantium: Mark & Mike
Arabs: Jim, Nick & Chris

The Byzantines are on the far side of the table. They have  dployed all their cavalry on their right flank.   The Arabs put 1/4 of their cavalry on their right flank & 3/4's on their left.

The Byzantines immediately advanced their cavalry.  The Arabs sent our horse archers to fire & retire to protect their heavy cav from the enemy horse archers.

The Arab heavy cav is for now holding on against cataphracts.  Byantine light cavry is attacked the Arab infantry to cover the cataphract's flank.
On the far flank the Arab horse is trying to disrupt the Byzantine infantry's advance.

On the near flank the cataphracts have defeated the fist line of Arab cavalry & is now engaged witht eh second line.  The Arab horse archers have reformed into close order to support the second line.
Arab infantry is attackong the light cavalry covering the Cataphracts flank.

The Cataphracts are finally prevailing, but are themselves spent in the progress.
But the battel is being decided in the centre where the Arabs made the mistake of massing their light infantry & thus leaving gaps in their line.  The Byzantines exploited the gaps to make flank attacks that destroyed the Arab centre. 

The Arabs probably erred in not concentrating their cavalry, but their big mistake was leaving gaps in the infantry line.

The armies were equal in poits according the o the current spreadsheet, but recent experience has been that better quality armies are winning all the battles indicating that the points system needs a tweek.

Battle of Jamappes 1792

A scenario based on the battle of Jemappes of 1792 between the revolting French & the Austrians.  In the real battle the Austrians were outnumbered about 14,000 to 36,000.  I tweeked the OOB to reduce the discrpancy so the French had a 50% advantage in points.  The key issues being retained - that is a mob of half trained by zealous Frigs against a smaller professional army in a good defensive position.  The figures are PeterC's 15mm on loan.
French: Mike & Mark.
Austrians: Jim & Chris.

Pic from the French side.  Only the Austrians visible to the French are on the table.  Austrian infnatry & artillery a manning defensive works on the ridge between two woods.

The French make a general advance with a weighted right flank & theri cavalry on their left.

The French attack the woods on the right & discover yegers in the woods on both flanks.

The yegers fall back in the far woods behind a line of grenadiers.  The French charge the grenadiers in mass. In the centre the artillery exchange fire as the French infantry mostly stay just out of artillery range.

As a hot fight continues in the far woods, the French advance towards the near wood.  On the ridge, the Austrians have retired some units shaken by artillery & replaced them with fresh troops.

In the far wood the Grenadiers saw off the first wave,  but the second wave broke them.  The Austrians have pulled back from the far end of the ridge to avoid being attacked in flank.  Sustrain cavalry ahs been revealed covering both flanks.  The French cavalry have begun to advance on teh Austrian right.

The Austrians have pulled back their left as the French move on thee angel in their line.
Austrian infantry are holding on in the near wood.
The Aistrians have sent some of their left flank cavary to supprt their right flank which is under attack by the French cavalry. 

At 10pm we called nightfall.

The French have lost 5 inf & 2 art broken, 4 inf & 3 art shaken.
The Austrians have 3 inf broken, 3 inf, 1 cav & 2 art shaken.

The French still have 16 inf, 6 cav & 3 art fit to fight.
The Austrians only have 6 inf, 5 cav & 4 art fit to fight & have been driven out of their defensive position.  

Clearly the Austrians will have to retreat overnight & the French will claim victory.

Still in the 30 years war

Just back from an 8 day bushwalk I was too bushed to set up something new, so recycled Empire v. Dutch again. PeterW was visiting from Canberra.

Empire: Mike & Chris.
Dutch: Jim, Renfrey & PeterW

The Empire are on the far side.  Cavaltry on  both flanks, P&S in the centre, musketeers in the woods with Landasscneckts behind.
The Dutch concentrated their horse on their right, P&S in the centre with musketeers on both flanks of the P&S.

The Dutch advanced in the centre to reach the ridgeline first.

The Empire charged up the ridge in the centre while the Dutch cavalry attacked on their right flank.

Both attacks lead to wins & losses on bith sides with the winners to knackered to exploit a breakthru.

On the right, the Dutch cavalry fell back & the Empire's horse was disinclined to follow up.
In the centre, the Dutch second line took the ridge line back.

The Empire made cavalry charges up the ridge against shaken P&S with some sucess, but the Dutch stull had enough reserves to make them fall back again.

The Dutch now advanced again in the centre & left.

The Empire tried anotehr counterattack on the far flank, but they couldn't stop the Dutch advance & the Empire centrte & right collapsed.

Once again the Empire lost.  It seems that even though the points system says the forces are evenly matched, a larger number of small units trunps a smaller number of big ones. 

30 Years War: The Empire v. Dutch

We took the same armies as last week, except made the Swedes Dutch so no vets & gave them more infantry to compensate.
Empire: Mark & Chris.
Dutch: JIm, SteveJ & Mike.

The Empire are on the far side of the table.  They have massed all their cavalry on their right flank & rested their left on a wood full of musketeers.
The Dutch have half their cavalry on each flank.  

On the near flank the Dutch cavalry have fallen back onto a ridge & are moving infantry to support the cavalry.   On the far flank the Dutch cavalry have started an advance around the enemy's left flank.

The terrain, infantry support & the dice gods are giving the Dutch the upper hand in the big cavalry fight on the near flank.  On the far flank Dutch cavary are attacking Landschneckts behind the wood.

On the near flank the Empire's attack has run out of steam. On the far flank the Landschneckts have beaten off one attack, but there are plenty more Dutch cavalry.  In the centre the P&S seem comntent o pin each other down while the artillery takes pot shots.

On the near flank the last viable Empire cavalry unit has been stopped by a musketeer unit blessed with hot dice.  On the far flank the Landscheckts are being overcome.

With the flanks secured, the Dutch infantry have begun to advance on the Empire's tercios.
With almost no viable cavaly left, the Empire generals decided it was time to coincede the battle & retreat while they can.

30 years war: The Empire v. Swedes

Empire: Renfrey, Mike & Jim
Swedes: Mark & Chris 

Swedes on far side:
The Empire has massed all their cavalry on their left wing.
The Swedes split theirs half on each flank, but are sending half theor left wing cavalry accross their rear to support their right.

On the near flank the Swedes have advanced to pin the Empire, but not engage.
On the far flank the REmpire's cavalry have charged home.

The Swedish cavalry from their left struck the Empire cavalry in flank & turned the cavalry fight imn tjheir favour.

Seeing their left in trouble, the Empire made a desperate attack with tercios in the centre, but the attack failed.   The Empire conceded the battle.
The Swedes ahd a better plan, well executed then the dice gods enforsed it to make a very decisive result.

Medeival Battle

After duing some serous simulations we had some comic relrif tonight with a Medieval mutiplayer game. Each of the 7 players had their own small battle, with random deployment & alliances.
 

York: Jim bottom left, Mark middle near side, Chris right near side, Renfrey middle far side.
Lancastrians: SteveD left side, Mike far side left, SteveJ far side right.

SteveD went for Jim.
Mike pinned Renfrey with bsi foot & charged at Mark with his horse.
Mark took on MIke's horse & moved to aupport Jim.

SteveD got he upper hand over Jim, but Mark broke thru Mike's horse & hit his flank.

Jim's battle was broken, but so was SteveD's & Mike's.
Nothing had happened at the far end so SteveJ could march away intact leaving the Yorkist with the field.

Continuation of yesterday's battle as a solo excercise

We called the battle a draw when we finished yesterday.  Today I played on solo to see what mioght ahve happened. Pic is drone view after my excercise.

From the left:
The Prussian 5th division kade a fighting retreat to the creek/village line.  Bernadotte's 3rd brigade has lost too many casuaklties to continue the attack.

The Prussian 4th division infantry has held the wood.  Bernadotte's 1st brigade gained the edge of thr wood, but with too many casualties to procede.

The Prussian 3rd brigade infantry managed to break off from the pocket between Bernadotte's 2nd brigade & part of Davout's 3rd brigade. The Prussians have retreated to the creek & village line, supported by cuirassiers & artillery.

Davout's centre held off a last desperate attack by Prussian dragoons, who have fallen back shaken, but there aren't enough French infatntry left to counterattack.

The Prussian 2 Div inf have taken the wood, but with suck high casulaties they cannot push on.

The Prussian 1st Div & Asv guard infantry have pushed Davout's 21st brigade back, but cannot push on further.   

So our judgement of the outcome yesterday was correct.  The wargame was a draw.    The Prussians have lost more men & can no longer advance, but the French don't have enough left to advance either.  In the big picture, the Prussians would have to withdraw overnight anyway because of the result of Eylau, but they still have enough intact cavalry to stop a pursuit turning into a rout & make an orderly withdrawal.  

Auerstadt with Bernadotte showing up

With some of the old Cambridge Rd gang visiting from UK, Canberra & Black Hills we had 8 present for this Friday afternoon battle using PeterC's 15mm Napoleonics.  Our reseach indicated that fighting the historical scenario acurratel wouldn't be a lot of fun as we don't have any players in the group dumb enough to simulate the historical Prussian tactics & hamstringing them by too may restrcitions woudl make it a boring game.  So we made a scenario where Bernadotte showed up.

At the start  Davout is deployed in the foreground with the Prussians arriving in a long column of 6 mixed arms divisions.

The Prussians deployed slowly as the divisons came up.

As the Prussians began their attack on Davout, Bernadotte's cavalry came onto the table on the road halfway down the left side of the table.

The Prussain Reserve Corps at the rear opf the colum is deplying to their right to face Bernadotte as the Advance Guard cautiously attacks Davout.

Bernadatte sends part of his force forward at the Prussian Reserve & part thu the woods to support Davout. Davout begins a counteratack.
Prussians cuirassiers made a charge against Bernadottes centre in an attempt to disrupt his deployment.  It had some success, but there was no reserve to support them so they pulled back.  

On the right, the terrain is favouring Davout's defence against supererior numbers.
In the centre Prussian dragoons have almost broken thru tDavout's line .|
On the left of Davout's line hsi counterattck is pincered bthe Prussians against Berndotte's infabtry in the woods.
In the distance, the Prussian Reserve is fighting a delaying action against Bernadotte's advance on their LOC.

After 5pm dusk was called. 
Davout's line has held, though the centre only just.  His left is close to breaking out to join Bernadotte. 

Casualties are light as most of the time was taken up in deployment.
Davout has lost 8 inf out of 18, 1 cav out of 3, no art out of 2 broken.
Bernadotte has lost  inf out of 18 & 1 cav out of 3, & no art out of 2 broken.
Prussian's Avance Guard has lost 7 inf out of 20, 6 cav out of 16 & no art 5 broken.
Prussia's Reserve has lost 4.5 inf out of 12, no cav out of 4 & 1 art out of 3 broken. 

There was no clear winner at nightfall. 

The Prussians lost 29% units broken, the French 22%.
At the start the French were outnumbered by 34%, but the points were equal as the French had better quality troops & comamnd.
The Prussians lost 29% units broken, the French 22%, so the butcher's bill favoured the French, but the Prussians did far better than historically when Bernadotte. didn't show up. 

Starategically, that aftermath would have to be a Prussian withdrawal as Jena was being lost at the same  time, but theis army is still fit to fight & maintained cavalry superiority so an orderly retreat would be achieved.