Tuesday 28 June 2016

My French Napolionic army defeated followed by England's exit from the euros

On the same day that England's football team put in a pity full performance (yet again) to be sent home from the euros early (yet again) I  managed to get a game of Blucher in against my dad using our French and Austrain armies which as with the football, ended in defeat for my French (Although I put up much more spirited performance). The game had started promising for my French as I launched a large attack against my dads right flank with my 1st Corp and managed to drive the defending Austrain troops from the hill and even cause a lot of damage onto the second line of Austrains. However this is where my attack ran out of steam and ground to a halt as I was, on reflection far to cautious in committing my second Corp and heavy cavalry who I deployed rather poorly to be fair. Had I grasped the small opportunity I had and attacked with more troops I feel I could have broken the Austrain army. Another mistake I made was not engaging the Austrain  left flank, I elected to task my Saxon Corp to just hold the flank, when my dad realised I was simply just defending, he moved his infantry over unopposed to assist with the main battle on the right flank and centre, leaving some cavalry brigades to hassle my Saxons. This action from my dad really swung the game in his favour and ultimately my French army was broken late in the day. I really should have committed the Saxon brigades into action against the Austrain left, although I knew I wouldn't beat them and would probably lose the Saxons I would have at least kept the Austrain flank pinned. But the main problem I have playing Blucher is how to use my cavalry effectively, I just can't seem to get the balance right when to and not to attack. Again in this game my dad used his cavalry to good effect launching a well timed counter attack while my heavy cavalry brigades only really had sporadic sucess far to late in the game, really to far out of the action to change the result of ne game. However despite having plenty to think about in Napolionic warfare tactics I still fully enjoyed the game and although my army was in a beaten position for much of   Later stages of the game I still tried to take the game to my dad and came very close to breaking the somewhat battered Austrain army, some rather lacklustre dice rolling in the combat from yours truely in the last couple of turns ended any hope of a unlikely victory. Here are some photos of the action...

The French 1st Corp advances against the Austrian right flank
The Austrain infantry awaits the attack volumes of the French
The French 1st corps launches its assault onto the Austrain held hill
The French heavy cavalry Corp have little success against the prepared Austrain infantry
Part of the austrain II Corp supported by artillery advance towards the Saxon infantry
The French I Corp take the hill from the reeling Austrains as the Austrain commander commits his reserve cavalry in the form of Currasiers 
Austrain Dragoons and Hussars on the gallop move across the Saxon lines
How the battlefield looked at dinner time 
The Austrain view of the French I Corp attack on the hill
As the Draggons and hussars move across to the centre a brigade of Austrain Grenzer move in support
French Currasiers intercept the hussars/Ulans from there flanking move
The last real attack late in the battle by the French see's the brigades of the II Corp counter charged by the reserve Austrain infantry who halt the attack
The final assault by the French cavalry is launched against the prepared positions of the battered Austrain infantry who had seen off the attack of the French II Corp 
The Austrain squares hold firm and the routing of the French Dragoons see's the Austrains victorious.
The battlefield at the end of the game, the battlefield a lot more sparse than when it started.

1 comment:

  1. Neil,
    It looks a great game, and you should be very proud about just how good the units look. Keep trying and study more history.

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