A first dabble at the Franco-Dutch War

Finally got round to playing a game this week as my dad and I took ourselves up to Colin's for the day to have a (what would turn out to be a thrilling) game of impetus Baroque using Colin's lovely 28mm Anglo Dutch/ French armies. I have used these rules recently, although using a different period though it was still in the pike and Shotte era, so I had a decent understanding of how the rules work, although I did forget about certain rules for troop types as the game progressed which in the end was to prove quite significant. Colin and I took command of the French and my dad took command of the Anglo Dutch, I myself was given command of the guard cavalry and foot brigades,(our best troops) tasked with holding the right flank against superior numbers. Three objectives lay across the field along basically the centre table line, to the left a church yard, centre a large hill and a road junction to the right. Our main attack was to be across the centre where we hoped (and succeeded) to surprise my dad by placing all our cavalry in the centre to lead the attack rather than the more conventional cavalry on the flanks.(we used a hidden deployment method) We hoped to be able to smash the Dutch centre with our cavalry before the cavalry become somewhat spent and then secure it with the large brigade of infantry in reserve, over on the left the final infantry brigade and dragoon units were to secure and hold the church objective. As the title of the post suggests this is a complete alien period to me so I ain't going to pretend I know what each unit is in the following pictures, however if you pop onto the following link to Colin's blog you will find a much more detailed report of the game.

http://www.carryingsonupthedale.com/2016/06/louis-phwoooaaarrrrteenth-on-tv-and-on.html

Here are the photos of the game unfolding to the dramatic final turn conclusion...

The imposing sight of the French cavalry in all there might behind the centre hill

The French guard brigade supported by the heavy cannons

The French Dragoons make a early dash to secure the church yard objective

A Dutch infantry brigade facing the French guard grasp the cover of the hedgerow

The Dutch guard battalions launch an assault onto the Dragoons to drive them from the church yard

tally Ho.... The French cavalry launch there attack against the somewhat nervous Spanish pike

French heavy artillery set there sights on their sitting duck Dutch enemies and proceed to miss every shot in the game!

The Dutch guards fire fighting with a Swiss battalion in the fight for the church objective

This unit on the French army was my favourite on display, Grand stuff indeed!

The view of the French cavalry as they smash into the ranks of Spanish infantry, all but one battalion from the Spanish brigade was destroyed by the rampaging French cavalry, however they managed to hold the centre just long enough to allow my dad to counter attack it with a brigade of Dutch cavalry who arrived from the right flank just as the centre looked lost, needless to say the French cavalry lost heavy casualties in the grand charge.

The Dutch guard cavalry bypass the church yard looking to out flank the French line.

As well as the Spanish taking the blunt of the French cavalry charge a unit of allied scots were charged by a unit of the French guard horse, eventually the scots broke after a number of turns locked in combat.

The Anglo Dutch troops advance over the hedgerow to pursue the somewhat shot up lead French guard battalion

My dad pondering his next move after seen his Spanish troops on the receiving end of hefty cavalry charge..

The Dutch guard horse engage the French right flank, despite repeated efforts the Dutch cavalry could not break the stubborn French resistance, just as well as a break through here would have seen the French army flanked by a large presence of cavalry which would have been disastrous.

My Veteran allied scots unit finally late in the battle advance and unleash a salvo before charging into combat with the Hanoverian Dutch allies.

With the French cavalry now running out of steam trying to finish off the remaining Spanish infantry, the Dutch guard horse snatch the oppertunity to counter charge into the flank of the French, unsurprisingly the French cavalry have had enough and break

And these imperial Currasiers were my favourite cavalry unit, really striking figures in great poses..

Now with the threat of the French cavalry totally nullified the Dutch cavalry launch there counter attack onto the French infantry lines with a battalion of Swiss the first to succumb to the heavy cavalry.

The final action of the final turn saw my Scots beaten and routed in combat with the hanovarians taking us over our break point for our army, this was where I forgot that this unit had the iron offices trait meaning I could have re rolled my failed discipline test, oh well we shall never know what might have been....

This had been a fantastic game and a great credit to the rules, every move seemed action packed and for almost the entire game it really could of gone either way. A couple of failed pursuits I feel from our French cavalry lsaved the Spanish infantry from been totally destroyed and the Dutch centre completely broken,this allowed my dad to reposition his cavalry brigade to counter charge our battered out of position cavalry and pursue into our advancing reserve infantry. The Dragoons proved difficult for my dad to dislodge from the church yard though eventually they were driven out by the Dutch guard battalions on the final turn. All three objectives were still their to be won by both sides if the game had continued...if only..if only I had remembered that bloody re roll :-) .......

The final shot of the caranage left across the battlefield 

I'm not much of a betting man BUT...

My money's on that This is not going to end pretty!!

Victory for the British in a game of Blucher

British infantry deploys ready to meet the French columns

Last weekend we played out a cracking game of Blucher using our French and British armies. We played our usual 300 points aside and this time my dad had deliberately left the battlefield fairly open so to encourage a attacking game from both sides. What played out over the next few hours was a game of ups and downs for both sides, just about every unit on the table was involved in some kind of action and needless to say both armies suffered high casualties. Alas though it was my French army that broke first when a brigade of British dragoons rode down a retreating brigade of French line infantry, This action saw my army reach its breaking point of seven units destroyed. The real turning point of the game was that my dad was able to retreat several units from the table when they were down to one elan point, depriving me of the points i required to break his army. Had he been unable to do this the game could quite easily been a French victory. I threw everything i had at the British lines including three brigades of Dragoons who despite catching the British unprepared could not break them despite repeated efforts. (despite having to re roll successful hits my dad has a uncanny ability to still roll enough hits to WIN! the combat in these situations). The British cavalry in the end managed to be the game winner when they were committed late in the game against a already battered French centre and repulsed the remains of the French attack and broke the centre. Once again the British infantry proved really stubborn and i was on the receiving end of a couple of rather devastating volley fire when my dads dice started to roll an alarming number of sixes. Both of us suffered highs and lows on our command rolls in the game, one time i was rolled 3 x 6's! and it wasn't a good day to be a sub commander as we both lost all of them as casualties during the game. This is probably the best game i have played so far using Blucher, it made for a really enjoyable, tense game which until the final moves could have been won by either side.

The elite french brigades of the 1st corp attack across the fields defended by the Brunswick's

British Hussars attack and rout a brigade of French infantry who have been on the end of a 'hard pounding'  from the British artillery

The initial attack from the first columns of French break through into the British lines

The French reserve corp is committed to the attack on the centre under the firing support from 12 pdr Batteries

The Brunswick's manage repulse the French attack under the watchful eye of the Duke of Brunswick who with his rally ability had kept these brigades in the fight, however he was to fall as a casualty for his troubles

With the first British line in full retreat the French reserve corp attacks the British second line

Mid way point of the battle

The french attack is repulsed and the remaining British brigades unleash a deadly round of volley fire into the wavering French columns

With the French army now on the retreat the British infantry advance to to seal the victory

British Dragoons catch the retreating French infantry brigade finally breaking the French resistance

The rather sparse battlefield as the French army is broken

An Ariel view of the battlefield shows how depleted both armies were at the end of the game

The remains of the British army out of 21 units, the back line the troops are spent (down to one elan point) with two units down to two elan points leaving 2 brigades of cavalry and 4 brigades of infantry left as a fighting force

And even worse were the French with 6 brigades down to 2 elan points leaving only 2 brigades each of infantry and cavalry that could be classed to be in a fighting condition out of a starting 21 units.

And finally the sub commanders who all fell in battle while activity trying to rally their troops in the thick of the action

A first try at Impetus Baroque

       William of Orange army lines up ready to defeat the waiting King James II army

After a recent game my dad had umpired up at Colin's house using the new Impetus Baroque rules he was keen to let me have a go at using them so he had decided that we would use his William of Orange and King James II armies to show case how the system worked. I took the roll of King James and was tasked with defending the position on the out skirts of a town behind a stream. I have played this period once before using pike and Shotte but going back through my blog to find the AAR of the game I found that unbelievably it was almost exactly 2years to the day when I last had a game with them! So as was the case then the period is very unfamiliar to me so I won't go into the ins and outs of the units used (mainly as I'm not greatly sure what was what looking back at the photos I'm afraid). 

The British guard brigade supported by heavy cannons stare down the Kings army

A Irish brigade dug in behind the walls of the farm

Jacobite cavalry clash with their Dutch guard counter parts

The advance defensive line of the French detachment comes in for some heavy fire from the muskets of Williams men

I have used Impetus rules before so I had a slight understanding of how the mechanics worked although I never really warmed to them when we used them in the war of the roses games. However I must say I really enjoyed the Impetus Baroque system which imho I felt played much better. Once we had played a few turns and I had made abit of a hash of my cavalry movement, I started to get my head around the command system and when to interrupt your oppents move, well at least attempt to, I found that the game moved swiftly with plenty of decision making to be done. In the end our (trial) game finished as a draw, my cavalry on the right flank had completely routed two of my dads cavalry brigades after a number of rounds charging/counter charging and won that particular flank, however in the centre my French brigade which was the initial line of defense had been decimated and my second line was under a heavy attack from my dads English guard brigade. On the left flank I had lost my Dragoons but the Irish brigade holding the farm area was winning against the attacking Dutch forces. It was a fun game and yeah I think I enjoyed the Impetus Baroque rules just as much as I do using pike and Shotte which is a good thing as my dad is aiming to use Impetus Baroque for this period permanently. Hopefully it won't be another 2years to the next time I play with these (beautiful) armies..

The Dragoons struggle to hold off the attack from Williams cavalry

The guard musketry fire proves to much for the French pike regiment

The French line begins to waver under increasing heavy fire

The Jacobite cavalry start to win the fight against the Dutch guard cavalry

The elite guard brigade Ready to cross the stream and assault the waiting Irish troops

The Dutch line starts to break as it can't find away through the Irish defences

Irish pike take the fight to the unexpecting guard muskets