1759 - Battle at Fourarmiesewitsch - Seven Years War

 Somehow it was Sunday again and all previous arrangements went out of the window, so that in that spirit we decided to go for a 28mm, Seven Years War (Seven Years rules) fictional battle including all collections and every little miniature we had. Bart would play his Saxons along side my Prussians while opposing him were me (as the Russians) and John as the Austrians. We had a 16x6 foot table and enough fourage to survive a big Sunday game in the sun.

The Austro-Russian side deployed first and then Bart could exploit that by following suite, so he had a bit better command structure (9 real commands plus the automatic staff officer) while me and John basically had two armies with 5 commands each. We outnumbered him, but he had the better troop quality.

And that was the problem in a nutshell, we just enjoyed ourselves too much rolling dices and pushing miniatures along the board that we just approached the enemy as and when units and small opportunities arrived. Bart was able to exploit that and fending off our piecemeal attacks each on its own.

His dice rolling was also better than mine, which on the whole is not really difficult, especially on that day. John was too eager to send his cavalry into the slaughter, frontal attacks especially on formed line were multiple times tested - yes, its possible, but even if the defender rolls bad and at the same time the attacker/horse rolls good, the result is a sorrowful limping back of the not so proud cavalry.

My Russians used their howitzer for the first time! But otherwise had no chance of using their nationality special rules (+1 support - but Bart did not attack my infantry  ... hmmpf)

We lost a lot of horses that day, my flank caved in and my centre was pulverised until it was no more and the Prussian main batteries were literally running out of ammo (we sometimes play with a certain amount of ammunition, to give it an extra difficulty). 

Bart won decidedly a difficult battle - congrats ... but we will do it again I presume, as everybody including the inept Austro-Russian commanders, had a lot of fun!

Russian losses: more than a full brigade inclusive a commander - 8 units
Austrian losses: 5 units

Saxo-Prussian losses: 5 units

Initial deployment on the right the Austo-Russians

The Saxo-Prussian Cavalry flank right before me

The Russian line, in the background the Austrians

The Austrian flank

and opposite the Prussian infantry

opening moves

The Russians advance!

Even got some villages!

While the line is neat and unbroken

The cavalry combat on my side begins

I'm already losing units

... and more units ...

The Seydlitz hussars are threatening my cuirassiers!!!

While the Austrians try single attacks

Bart pointing to our thining centre

By that time my flank collapsed

And I tried to cling onto farm houses ...

The Reusch Hussars eying up my disordered dragoons

Meanwhile the beautiful Saxons advance to the village

Russian grenadiers are hiding/defending the huts

same on the Austrian side ...

while the main part of the Austrians just not advance ...???

John the Austrian CinC musing ...

I hold the corner more or less ...

Now my cavalry is outnumbered!

The Prussian Cuirassiers advance ...

while my thin centre waivers ...

And the Austrians enjoy complicated marching patterns ...

a single grenadier charge ... hmmm

apart from picking my units up .. all quiet on my flank

the village holds

The Austrians try it another time

but without support ... ouch!

The last Austrian Hussar charge ...

... landed directly on the death toll table! (utmost right)

The Saxon-Prusian DT - table speaks for itself

Sooner than later my flank would have been outflanked!

So just someone needs to tell the Austrians that they lost ...