Last weeks WSS battle

As the post title suggests my dad and I had a WSS game last week using the very enjoyable rule set Volley and Bayonet, unfortunately I have been pre occupied and unable to blog the game before now so this post is only a brief of the game (still with plenty of pictures). Last time using this period I was victorious with the British so this time we changed roles so I was in command of the French and Austrains and Irish.

Our deployment revealed my Large Brigade of French cavalry opposite the British cavalry which would ensure a massive cavalry engagement.

I deployed two French brigades in the centre compromising of six regiments in each

The British centre looked strong with the Guard regiment positioned right in the centre

My Bavarians were tasked with holding the right flank and along with a brigade of French Dragoons and a nice 'block' of Bavarian Currasiers.

My dad grabbed the initive early in the game and managed to grab the defensive hedgerows across the centre of the table, my task was now very clear, I was going to have to take the attack to the British and hope that first volley or two didn't do to much damage to my troops.

The cavalry engagement was set underway as the British cavalry charged the first line of French cavalry. However the Two French guard cavalry units proved their status as elite cavalry and smashed the first wave of the Britsh cavalry attack.

The Austrian Currasiers move in support of the French right of centre as the 2nd French brigade starts to falter under the fire of the British.

My small Irish brigade surprised me in their performance as they attacked the British right flank, I had expected this brigade to become broken as they were outnumbered by the Britsh  facing them, however they were (just) to survive the game and after a couple of rounds of hard close quarter fighting they managed to help exhaust the British infantry brigade

The fighting in the centre wasn't going to well for my French, none more so than when I was a little over enthusiastic in the movement of a French regiment into short range of the British musket and canister of the artilley, one round of shooting saw the French quickly turn tail and RUN!!

However the same could not be said of the cavalry fight, my dad demonstrated on a number of occasions how not to roll melee dice as his cavalry brigades were broken almost by the 'exceptional' French Guard cavalry. The second line of French cavalry comfortably repelled the last desperate attack by the British cavalry, with all the the British cavalry exhausted my French cavalry now could turn onto the flank of the British centre.

Over on the French right flank my Dragoons were unopposed by any cavalry and quickly they were able to flank the Austrain infantry position. Although the Dragoons were all but exhausted by their repeated attacks against Austrain infantry, their persistent attacks payed dividend as the Austrain brigade was to be become exhausted before they could be re-enforced by the late arriving Austrain reserve Currasiers.

With the French Dragoons doing the donkey work the Bavarians pushed foward managed to drive the defending Austrians back exhausted, before reorganising to face the threat of the Austrain Currasiers whom had arrived from their position in reserve.

With both the flanks secured the remains of my French central brigades fall back away from musket fire range, however the British artillery still manages to cause enough casualties to exhaust the 1st infantry brigade, although I had taken quite a battering in the centre my two French brigades had just about held on long enough to allow the French cavalry to start to turn onto the British flank.

The French cavalry finally starts to attack the flank of the centre of the British centre sweeping away a couple of infantry regiments and exhausting the British brigade on the right centre, with this new threat now on their flank any advantage my dad had in the centre was now lost.

With time almost up my dad conceded defeat, ultimately the very poor showing from his cavalry brigade(s)had cost him dearly, and the fact that my cavalry remained almost unscathed from the cavalry combat was a bitter blow to my dads efforts. 

Another cracking game using volley and bayonet and if I'm not mistaken I have a 100% win ratio fighting WSS, maybe this is my lucky period 😉

WSS game using Volley and bayonet

Last weekend saw myself and my dad fight a battle using his Marlburian 10mm armies this time using volley and bayonet rules. I have used the rules before albeit a bit back but after a quick read over them again in the few days before the game I felt more than comfortable playing a game with them. I played the Britsh and Austrain force which had been sent to relieve the siege of the city by a French force which had besiged it for a couple of weeks .

The outskirts of the besiged city, in the distance the battle lines can be seen forming

British infantry led by the Scots Guards in the centre

British lines advance over the fields towards the French in the distance

French allies in four regiments of Bavarains 

On the right flank of the battle my cavalry clashed with the French horse, despite my superior numbers I lost this fight and the majority of my Calvary was routed, only my Dragoons managed to hang around 

to late in the battle before they became broken

Over on my left flank the combined Austrain and English brigade made short work of the Irish as all three regiments were broken without to much fuss after a couple of devasting volleys broke the Irish resistance.

Both armies are almost with in musket range as the centres close on each other

Left centre saw an almighty fire fight with my British guards and line against the French infantry. Some tricky morale throws were needed to be passed and the arrival of my second line and the Austrains fresh from there victory over the Irish swung the advantage to the British as these fresh units managed to eventually break the French infantry and artillery.

This has a domino effect along the line as the French centre completely collapsed leaving only a couple of disordered shot up regiments to defend against the advancing British.

Despite the lose of my British cavalry my Dragoons managed to hold there lines until the reserve Austrain Currasiers reinforced the right flank . My dad moved in for the jugular at this point as he realised the battle was all but lost as his centre had been completely broken and this was his last chance to turn my right flank completely. However despite now having the numbers and with the arrival of his Currasiers my dad proceeded to roll some shocking dice as two regiments of Currasiers somehow managed to lose a two on one fight against there Austrain counterparts and then in turn both failed there morale routing. When the dust settled from all the cavalry melees the British right flank had held and broken the French cavalry against the odds.

The English and Austrain sweep across the battlefield unopposed as the remains French infantry flee as the battle is lost and the siege is lifted

The final positions show the French centre and right flank completely gone. Also the French cavalry have been repulsed in their attack on the British right flank leaving only the Bavarians as a capable fighting force.

Well it turned out to be a major victory for the British and her allies as I comprehensively beat my dads French army. My infantry preformed well and I think I found the right balance in this game of when to commit my second lines into the action. I had made my brigades larger than my dads French in this game and we both felt this proved desicive when it came down to nitty gritty of the fire fight. I was able to withdraw my units which had suffered heavy casualties and replace them with fresh units were my dad didn't have this option, however as I stated in the AAR I over came some potentially damaging morale roles which had I have failed could easily have seen my centre collapse. My cavalry were poor on the day and unbelievably they managed to hold the flank when all looked lost as my dad proved to be the architect of his own down fall as his luck with dice escaped him in the final turn as he attempted to completely rout my battered right flank, failing quite spectacularly when it looked easier to win! It was a great game and after having a couple of games fighting with the period it is definetly growing on me. (Since this game my dad has rebased all the British into two lines per base). I enjoyed the rules, nice and simple but enough to depth to keep the game interesting. Our next game will see us fighting Wilson's Creek in a Blackpowder ACW game. Robie and Colin refought this battle at the battleground show a couple of weeks ago and I quite fancied having a crack at it using the Rebs, this time though we will be refighting it in 10mm.