Game 1 vs Stephen Stead and his Swedes
If you want to test a Renaissance army, put it up against a great player such as Steve and a brutal army such as Swedes. During the Renaissance, this army was as close as you could get to a professional, elite force. However, it was fighting too far from home and no matter how good you are, attrition, disease and your enemies ganging up on you will eventually be your undoing - but not before establishing a near legendary reputation!
The Swedes have their own challenges to face. Superior (and even Exceptional) foot with high elan, battalion guns and the ability to shoot before charging in; superior cavalry, commanded shot, guns and dragoons. Yes they were small, but lethal!
Yeah, ouch.
The table was a barren, featureless plain (Hi Nobby)!
Deployment: My foot, being completely outclassed, hung back. On the left my cossacks and Panceri looked at a juicy target of dragoon and commanded foot, while on the right both units of Hussars and Rayters lined up on three units of Steve's cavalry. If I were to win, that would be the spot where I could do it
Very quickly my left hand cavalry force moved up to threaten the foot advance, drawing out the dragoons and commanded foot, if I could get into these, game on!
Steve moved one of his pike and shot units up to support his endangered cavalry line as I moved to pick my targets.
I also moved up a unit of foot to counter the threat of Steve's foot to my cavalry. They stood no chance, but they might distract from the important bit!
Bugger! I mean, as far as cards go, that's pretty naff!
It all goes off! Hussars on the left in a good position to do some damage. The Rayters are there to also try to cause as much damage as possible before my second unit can get in. However, that foot unit is a problem.
Yup, my Hussars fought so well on impact that despite being up everywhere, we lost. Typical performance from them really! The Rayters lost a base too.
And after Melee The Red Hussars were in real problems, despite facing an equal opponent! He had lost one base from six, I had lost 2!!! Meanwhile, my Blue Hussars were actually doing alright vs a superior, but nervous pike block.
On the left, in a swirling maelstrom of shot, I was being enveloped by Swedes...
My second Rayters and supporting foot close in. Steve adjusts and sends another unit of foot to help counter me.
My attempted charge on the left is about to be stopped by charging nervous foot! Oh come on...
Rayters ride to the rescue.
My approaching foot cause a wound shooting on a black die (the worst possible shooting die), an event worth celebrating!
We cause a wound! Maybe, just maybe...
No, foot cannot intercept a charge by cavalry, especially out in teh nervous flank zone. We lose a base on the way in to shooting, but we contact the commanded foot. This could be a nice, easy win!
And in melee we knock then down to a wound from breaking! Come on! But 2 S results on the right means my cavalry fails to break the unprotected foot, and the Swedish foot to my right is about to cause me a world of hurt.
Think this might be a Swede mash!
My foot decides it might actually need to do something, and quick!
The fighting continues. I was making no headway, at all. Despite being up along most of the line, I could not get anything while I was bleeding bases.
Crunch! That flank charge puts paid to my cavalry! Double skull on the result doesn't increase your longevity.
Turning to face to engage, but not enough cards to break off.
Again, a green and yellow miss, while Steve rolled the wound on a white that was enough to break my Panceri! (0-2) This was not in the plan.
The only wound I did with my cossacks!
Over on the left, after two hours of game time fighting, it all collapsed! The Red Hussars break, as do the Blues, taking the both the Rayers with them! We did, however, break one of Steve's cavalry, but this was little consolation, too little, too late. (2-10)
Suddenly the flank where the cream of my army had been was now a wide open space with Swedish cavalry enjoying unlimited spaces to play!
So much space that Steve was able to swing his Superior Finns into a position to charge my foot on my baseline! Yoiks! In the far distance, my foot breaks one of his foot units, but for me, that was it!
Denumont! Oh well, it was fun.
With the collapse of my Cossacks, it was a well deserved 4-15 to Mr Stead.
What I could have improved?
Moving up to shoot the Swedish foot quicker. It led to Steve being able to support on either flank. Also, checking the combat factors, my Poles cavalry should have been better than the Finns, as I was armoured, but he had pistols, so Green vs Green was a risk that didn't pay off.
So, onto Game 2 vs Bruce Rowlett's Huguenots.
The Swedes have their own challenges to face. Superior (and even Exceptional) foot with high elan, battalion guns and the ability to shoot before charging in; superior cavalry, commanded shot, guns and dragoons. Yes they were small, but lethal!
The table was a barren, featureless plain (Hi Nobby)!
Deployment: My foot, being completely outclassed, hung back. On the left my cossacks and Panceri looked at a juicy target of dragoon and commanded foot, while on the right both units of Hussars and Rayters lined up on three units of Steve's cavalry. If I were to win, that would be the spot where I could do it
Very quickly my left hand cavalry force moved up to threaten the foot advance, drawing out the dragoons and commanded foot, if I could get into these, game on!
Steve moved one of his pike and shot units up to support his endangered cavalry line as I moved to pick my targets.
I also moved up a unit of foot to counter the threat of Steve's foot to my cavalry. They stood no chance, but they might distract from the important bit!
Bugger! I mean, as far as cards go, that's pretty naff!
It all goes off! Hussars on the left in a good position to do some damage. The Rayters are there to also try to cause as much damage as possible before my second unit can get in. However, that foot unit is a problem.
Yup, my Hussars fought so well on impact that despite being up everywhere, we lost. Typical performance from them really! The Rayters lost a base too.
And after Melee The Red Hussars were in real problems, despite facing an equal opponent! He had lost one base from six, I had lost 2!!! Meanwhile, my Blue Hussars were actually doing alright vs a superior, but nervous pike block.
On the left, in a swirling maelstrom of shot, I was being enveloped by Swedes...
My second Rayters and supporting foot close in. Steve adjusts and sends another unit of foot to help counter me.
My attempted charge on the left is about to be stopped by charging nervous foot! Oh come on...
Rayters ride to the rescue.
My approaching foot cause a wound shooting on a black die (the worst possible shooting die), an event worth celebrating!
We cause a wound! Maybe, just maybe...
No, foot cannot intercept a charge by cavalry, especially out in teh nervous flank zone. We lose a base on the way in to shooting, but we contact the commanded foot. This could be a nice, easy win!
And in melee we knock then down to a wound from breaking! Come on! But 2 S results on the right means my cavalry fails to break the unprotected foot, and the Swedish foot to my right is about to cause me a world of hurt.
Think this might be a Swede mash!
The fighting continues. I was making no headway, at all. Despite being up along most of the line, I could not get anything while I was bleeding bases.
Crunch! That flank charge puts paid to my cavalry! Double skull on the result doesn't increase your longevity.
Turning to face to engage, but not enough cards to break off.
Again, a green and yellow miss, while Steve rolled the wound on a white that was enough to break my Panceri! (0-2) This was not in the plan.
The only wound I did with my cossacks!
Over on the left, after two hours of game time fighting, it all collapsed! The Red Hussars break, as do the Blues, taking the both the Rayers with them! We did, however, break one of Steve's cavalry, but this was little consolation, too little, too late. (2-10)
Suddenly the flank where the cream of my army had been was now a wide open space with Swedish cavalry enjoying unlimited spaces to play!
So much space that Steve was able to swing his Superior Finns into a position to charge my foot on my baseline! Yoiks! In the far distance, my foot breaks one of his foot units, but for me, that was it!
Denumont! Oh well, it was fun.
What I could have improved?
Moving up to shoot the Swedish foot quicker. It led to Steve being able to support on either flank. Also, checking the combat factors, my Poles cavalry should have been better than the Finns, as I was armoured, but he had pistols, so Green vs Green was a risk that didn't pay off.
So, onto Game 2 vs Bruce Rowlett's Huguenots.
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