1870 - The Battle at Schoefferhoferleicht

It was a SUNDAY GAME - and we decided to go for 10mm Franco-Prussian War (my collection) at a totally fictional battle with the newly second edition of the Valour & Fortitude - testing the French and Prussian army sheets. Who knows were this would lead to - I might actually read these rules... ;)

Mike drew the french card and thus had to defend against a full Prussian corps (played by me) plus an entire cavalry division, while waiting for half a division of infantry reserve, a corps artillery reserve and a corps cavalry reserve coming in later (diced out turns 1d6). 

The first artillery bombardments were quite civil, but then turned quick nasty. My Prussian were on the attack on flanks and centre, while Mike tried to hold the line.

First relief was a cavalry reserve that would come in but on the wrong end. while the French guard cavalry and the Prussian cavalry division clashed on the left flank -  interesting detail the Prussian Uhlans were stonewalling French Guard Cuirassiers two times!! They would not break - simple!

Then on the centre Mikes infantry division got off the hill to a counter attack - mon dieu! Totallement against the defensive doctrine, but very effectual! My heavy Krupp guns were shot (partly) off the hill by chassepot.

On the right wing Mike had to withdraw and my second division of infantry marched to get around to outflank the French.

Then the left flank cavalry battle got sour. my victorious regiments were all exhausted and just in that moment the reserve of the artillery came in on that corner - Ouch!

All the way through the line my first attack came to an halt and more and more units hit the grass. Still Mikes centre was retreating - BUT I had allocated enough "black spots" that even if I would have smashed his last shaken units in the centre, he would have still killed more than my Prussians. And a fresh half-division was just on the board marching to relief - Well done! A sounding French victory! Even by NOT sticking to the historical doctrine and do the unthinkable and attack!

Rulewise:

The system is of course OK, but the Armysheets need some more historical finesse.

We will adjust the Prone rule a bit more, divide the regiment actually into their battalions (so playing Army leader / divisional leader and Brigade commands) ad some other stuff needs fine tuning - but nothing that some more testing won't iron out. :)

Initial set up

The cavalry clashes

Prussian Hussars do not fear!

Nobody breaks the Uhlans.

The Prussian "two-horn attack"

My cavalry flank is getting exhausted

Did I mentioned that the Uhlans do not break?

The French get surrounded.

Some tactical wins at the flank.

The French centre gets a pounding.

Both lines in the death zone.

The newly arrived artillery in front of my immobile and exhausted division.

The Prussian Guard that died in front of the Mitrailleuese

The French are wavering but not faltering.

Some Dragoons sweep off a shaken line.

But yet again - no break in the French line.

A consolidated flank.

And new arrivals that broke the Prussian camel...

1815 - Watersomething - There is something wrong with our Cuirassiers today ...

THE BIG SUNDAY GAME - this time with Jack and Davids collections of 12mm Napoleonics with a broad bandwidth of troops from all over the world, just like the multiple participants of this spectacle on each side too many to name them or too lazy to remember, testing the the new updated rules of Valour & Fortitude 2.0.

The setup was on a very broad table 12 by 4 foot, with three villages in the middle (the objectives of  the battle with 3,2 and respective 1 point).  As we departed into two teams, I was drafted into the Allied propaganda campaign and given the best troops on the continent. Prussian Landwehr and some Hussars and Lancers. Opposite of me was Bart with the entirety of the French cavalry including all cuirassiers and carabiners - what could possibly go wrong?

Our delusional CinC gave me the order to "hold out". I replied I would give him 5 or best 6 turns, then my/our/this flank would not exist anymore. My only and best ally was an old decrepit Dutch windmill on a hill and the hopefully bad luck of the opponent.

Bart wanted to outflank me and set directly to march towards me. I never would have a chance, so first I set out the Prussian Lancers to block and to get killed. Then the Hussars and then my Landwehr squares would be slowly shot to pieces.

Somehow though my Hussars were from the ilk of the Black Hussars, two Cuirassier units never got past them. Also the "path" around the windmill was really tight for all the troops so a bottleneck appeared.

Finally after Mike returned from the centre and advanced with his infantry towards my Landwehr, Bart and Mike shot my Landwehr squares to hell. Thank God, it was the 9th turn when I had to retreat with my beaten artillery and two Hussars regiments that went through the wringer (I had held out three turns longer than I promised!) - but we had won by this time, two of the three villages were in our hand and we had more casualties inflicted than our enemies.

Hard to say what Bart could have done better, probably only differently. Interesting in this case the "at the double" rules that would favour rapid re-deployment of flank units in this game system. Maybe next time...

All in all we had a lot of fun - but no way I will start a 12mm project thank you very much. Life is too short.

The rules I must say have been cleaned up - it is more logical and they are quicker to play. I still miss the intricate differences of the Black Powder supplements BUT that wasn't the scope of the design of these rules (quick and dirty shall it be).

Initial set up: Allies left - French right

My Uhlans, Hussars, the windmill and my Landwehr...

Opposite of me, Bart with all the French cavalry ...

Second turn, my brigades already deployed in their correct positions...

The sacrifice of my Uhlans ...

My Landwehr under constant fire ...

The battle was fought ...

The second round of combat for the Uhlans ...

Then it was the time for the Hussars ...

If the Husssars break it would be over ..

But in the centre we made progress ...

The main building was captured - point victorty!