LAST BATTLE OF THIS YEAR - Gross-Peronitz 1760

As my club mates mostly are too lazy to read my SYW rules, they wanted to test Rank&File in that era, which inspired me to not read these rules either. As this was probably the last proper battle of this year, I wanted to do something differently in this total fictional scenario and gave the Russian a nice sturdy veteran army, while the Saxons and the Prussians were mostly uninspired greenies or just about to desert. (Miniatures by Front Rank, Foundry and Crusaders all my collection apart from the Cran Tara Saxons in Barts possession).

The Russians (Peter and Mike) had more shock troop cavalry, better guns, and better troop quality (all veterans). While the Saxo-Prussian force (me, Alisdair and Bart) had one infantry brigade more, but less guns, all light cannons, and all infantry were down graded to greenies (and the grenadiers to normal) and just two shock cavalry instead of four. It would be a walk over for the Russians.

So the Russians appeared on the hills and began to shell our lines with their medium guns. We instead capturing the two BUAs Gross-Peronitz and Klein-Peronitzen in the second turn. Our CinC General Entschuldigung (Sorry!) Alisdair didn't throw very good at the initiative and helped to paint a picture of an totally un-prussian force phlegmatic and slow.

But then Peter attacked with his Cuirassiers and the real battle began. As per usual I could count on his abysmal red skull dice, he is particular unfortunately with red dice lately (political? subconscious??). So I slaughtered his Hussars with my "black"!!!! Death Skull Hussars (maybe black skull dice next? just a suggestion ... or just throwing the dice instead of laying them out like a gout ridden rabbit).

We didn't have that much time as we liked, due to the fact that the people who had read the rules, didn't have read them as good as the ones who did not.

My Black-Death-Skull-Judgement-day-Hussars couldn't be stopped at flanking fire from a half blind Russian veteran musketeer regiment and chased the remnants of the Hussars and nearly killed the Russian CinC. Then they broke through and were behind their lines - Ouch!

Mike wanted to save the situation but his dragoons were just a bit too late, so that I could let the Black Skull Hussars charge the Pavlovian Palast Guard from behind! They had to flee through their frightened comrades toward the Prussian lines. This is when we decided to pull the curtains over the ensuing massacre because of the the festive spirit of this seasonal event! We killed more Russians than them Prussians - so a clear victory for the underdog!

We had all a wonderful time! - and the lesson is: Don't drink diet fizzy drinks, don't buy red dice and read the goddamn rules! ;)

The Prussian initial deployment - the Peroni fraction

The Russian initial deployment - the diet coke fraction

The battle field at the beginning

The Prussian advance to the Klein-Hill

The Hussars of both clash for the first time

all other march along

The Russians set position on the Gross-Hill.

While the Prussians slow down

The other Russian flank advance

The Saxon flank under the iron grip of the Peroni fraction.

Black (and Skulls) beats Yellow

That regiment had it that day!!!

Flanking fire from Musketeers? - pah!

The two armies come nearer

Again the Prussian Hussars attack!

While the Prussian centre gets hammered

Shot to pieces by the Russian artillery

Line after line marched into the hellish din

Gross-Hill is Russian hand

The battle of Klein-Peronitz is full swing

The Russian cuirassiers could have swung the tide but decided otherwise
(Peter is NOT a cavalry man!)

And then my Death Skull Hussars were behind enemy lines!!

The Russian flank just closes up

The last attack of the Hussars

The Pavlovian Guard has to stumble toward our lines

In an all out attack the Russian stumble forward

But just as expected by the Saxon flank

Gross-Peronitz still in our hand