Leignitz

Rich Wallace hosted a Seven Years War game using Carnage and Glory II, the Battle of Leignitz, 1760. Rich held the game outdoors under a tent on a sunny and warm 1st of July, 2012.  A gracious host, as ever, Rich's son grilled burgers and dogs while we manuvered through the Silesian dawn in the shade of Rich's tent.  The game started with limited visibility (200 paces).  Rich explained the strategic situation to us.  Fredrick, upon learning from a deserter that he was surrounded by three corps of Austrians (outnumbering his forces about three to one), moved from his previous encampment and relocated to the top of a plateau.  There his unexpected presence disturbed the Austrian manuveres.  The result was the battle of Leignitz which we refought. 

The Austrians, two commands of infantry raised to B grade to reflect the lessons learned during their prior bouts with Fredrick, and two cavalry commands, can be seen on the far side of the stream.  An open wood runs along one side of the table, the plateau is in pale green. Control of the Rehburg (or top of the plateau) would be critical.  One town can be seen in the right rear of the table with another just to the left of the shot.  Beautiful terrain as always from Rich.  Bravo! Gotta love that Teddy Bear fur.

The Austrians can set up within a foot from the table's edge.  Greg Symko, Leo Walsh and I took command of the Austrians.  We would face off against Scott Monteith and Mike Paine; all of us are experienced gamers familiar with C&G II.  We would have the opportunity to slightly reposition our troops before the game commenced.

Zeiten's Corps of Prussians located on the back side of the Rehburg plateau. 

Rich does such a nice job with terrain.  He uses 15mm buildings for his towns.  This town is capable of holding three units, one in each section of the town.

The Austrian first turn.  My infantry are closest to the camera, stretching over to the second gun and limber. I am able to get some of my troops across the stream.  Crossing the stream disorders and fatigues the troops.  On the far side of the bridge I have moved my troops up to the stream edge and will cross it next turn in one go.  The intent is to not have two turns disordered in the stream. 

We Austrians had the initiative on turn one.  Thinking that we would retain the initiative on turn two I sent my cavalry doubling down the road (750 paces times 2) in an attempt to get them into the open territory on the far end of the town and pose a threat to the Prussians.  You can see the Prussians advancing in their turn down off the hill.  They have been told that another corps of Austrians is somewhere about and have begun searching the wood (visibility is limited to 200 paces in the woods) and its still just 4AM or so.

Fredrick's minions advance down off the Rehberg to deal with the Austrians they are facing (but cannot yet see) across the stream.

My cavalry are on the other side of the town and the Prussians have formed a grenadier unit into column to enter the town.  A Prussian dragoon unit is also formed in column along the road closest to the hill.

Greg's Austrians advance toward the hill.  Some pushing into the woods.  They have a second line in support as is traditional and needed in this period. 

On my side of the lines I have reversed my cavalry and had them snake about in column to locate behind my advancing infantry.  Note the deployed battery facing down the road and the four Prussian infantry units with dragoons in support.  Scott always runs his troops well.  The Prussians had the initiative on turn two and used it to block off access on the far side of the town into the plain beyond, causing me to reroute my cavalry.  Scott also sent the infantry column ( a unit of grenadiers) into the central portion of the town (another three section town). 

I position a unit of heavy cavalry with their flank to the town. another faces down the roadway to keep it in check.  The infantry unit with the flag will form into column and advance to deploy into the town. 

Leo's troops, two units of Grenzers, a battery, a line infantry unit and two grenadier units appear in the woods.  The Prussians had been moving to counter the Austrian cavalry's forray down the road on the opposide side of the table.  But they had left a number of their own cavalry in place on the plateau. 

The Prussian cavalry, the troops best able to react to a change are seen heading toward Leo's Austrians (the white flags in the distance). 

Scott's Grenadier unit remains in the town center while Mike's infantry enters the town and prepares to move into the section of town closest to the Austrians.

It is now daylight with full visability.  We had just two turns of limited visability.  Fredrick ponders the view from the top of the plateau. 

Mike's Prussians about face and begin their march to thwart Leo's troops who have appeared in their rear.

The view from the plateau as my infantry approach the Prussians.  I am attempting to advance out of the effective range of his cannon and engage the Prussians.  Scott has been resting his troops and their first volleys will wreak havoc and devastation upon my kaiserlicks. 

The Prussian battery on the road cannot be avoided.  I have advanced my Hungarians toward it in the hopes of reducing the batteries effectiveness by engaging it with musketry.  The Prussian grenadiers supporting it have another idea in mind. 

This is where things went off the tracks abit for our team.  Greg and I had had our guns all target one Prussian unit, the fusillers with the light blue flag on the left of the picture.  It was shaken (disordered by the fire).  Greg attached his general and lead his troops in an assault on the unit, an effective strategy.  Unfortunately he had his other supporting units assault through the woods as well.  They encountered fresh Prussians whilst they had been fatigued by crossing the stream and traipsing through the woods. 

My Hungarians are also disordered by the exchange of fire with the battery and the Prussians.  My Austrian line  units also received a fresh and devasting volley from the Prussians to their front. 

Mike attached a general (Zeiten) and launch his hussars against the grenzers deployed in open order, with predictable results.  The other unit of grenzers are now in deep trouble.  they are facing a second unit of hussars in open order and have an infantry unit bearing down on their flank, not to mention the formed hussars to their rear.  The woods are open woods so don't offer the protection from cavalry and formed troops that one might expect. 

The result of assault, both Greg and I have two units rout.  I did not want to attach my general to rally the troops in the front rank as this would put him at risk of becoming a casualty in a counterattack, as Greg's general became in the firefight that emerged after his troops sent the disorder Prussians scampering through the grenadiers formed behind them.  Greg's troops advanced into the fire of Scott's supports and the general went down.

The Prussian cavalry continue to move to counter the Austrians who have emerged on their flank. 

They effectively pin and seal the fate of the second Grenzer unit.  It will take one more turn to dispose of them for good.

Leo has moved a unit into the town at the rear of the plateau.  From here he can engage the adjacent Prussians.

The one moment of success on an otherwise dark day for the Austrians, my heavy cavalry charge the Prussian troops to their fore.  We lost 22 men and sabred down over 600 of Fredrick's finest.  One glimmer of hope on an otherwise dismal day. We had been soundly spanked by Scott and Mike (and Fredrick).  With six + units routed off the board for none of the Prussians, a tip of the proverbial hat is due to our opponents and our host.  Having relearned the lesson of softening up your opponent before assaulting them as well as the need to recover from fatigue before launching a general assault; I am eager to apply these lessons in a rematch.
Cheers.  Peter

Leipzig: Napoleon's Battles

The battle for the Kolmberg on the first day of Leipzig is one of the best and most balanced scenarios for Napoleon's Battles.  I have played it a half dozen times and its always a hotly contested game, usually decided on the last turn.  This occaison proved no exception to the rule.

The Austrians and a command of Prussian cavalry start the game entering from the south edge of the table.

A polygot French Allied Army with everything from Neopolitan Cavalry to Polish Infantry march onto the board from the two western roads and race toward the low hill pictured in left center of this picture, the Kolmberg.  Victory points are achieved for control of the hill and the town to its rear, behind the small woods to the the south of the hill. The French are in march column to increase their speed, a trade-off between speed and ability to defend as units in march column are very exposed.

Scott Monteith is a talented gamer and always a challenging opponent.  He is moving forward the Austrians and Prussians as fast as possible.

The French continue to race toward the Kolmberg. The artillery is limbered and the infantry is in march column.

The Austrian horders with light cavalry in line leading the advance are approaching the other side of the Kolmberg seen at the left of the picutre.  Note the Grenzers in Brown uniforms with blue pants heading toward the wooded area.

The French change formation in order to better contest the hill.  They have changed into column from march column.  Cavalry reinforces can be seen entering from the northwestern road.  (top left)

The Austrians start up the eastern side of the hill.  The Grenzers anchor one flank on the woods and the other is anchored on the town adjacent to the hill.  The Prussian cavalry remains on the eastern flank with reinforcing Austrian infantry approaching the rear to form a second line of battle.

The French also dress their lines and allow their supports to get closer to the fray, which will commence very soon.

Battle is joined.  The two Austrian hussars charge forward forcing a Baden and Hessian Guard unit to form square.  Note the French Dragoon unit with the yellow marker, its on react which means it can countercharge if it chooses.  This attack allows the austrians to move their artillery, jagers and grenzers onto the southern half of the hill.

Another Auustrian Hussar changes in order to pin the French Dragoons.  One of the hussar units contacts the Baden Square.  The other hits the Hessian Guard unit.

One Cavalry unit takes three hits and routs to the rear of the reinforcing Austrians.

Meanwhile to the north the Prussian landwer Cavalry forces a French infantry unit to form square, slowing their advance.  Both sides take a casualty.

The battle continues on the hill with the French Dragoons following up their victory over the Austrian Hussars by charging disordered into a limbered austrian gun and a Currasier unit. 

The battle swings back and forth, with the dragoons routing and the successful Austrian Curraisiers charging disordered into a column of their French opposite numbers - Heavy Cavalry versus Heavy Cavalry. Note the Neapolitan and French Squares formed to the north.

The Fench are victorious and pursue their retreating counterparts riding over the Austrian gun in the process. 

The Italians, Hessians and French infantry move into column to exchange fire with the Grenzers  and Jaegers to the south of the hill.

Classic Napoleon's Battles strategy, disorder your opponent with fire, then charge in the following turn.

The Grenzers pull back in hopes of averting this approach. 

Meanwhile, to the north of the hill the Prussian Cavalry and its supporting battery are assaulted by French Cavalry in column on column action.

The assualt is repulsed with casualties.  The battery has its fire effect halved.

The French cavalry routed to the rear await a commander to rally them or they may well bolt from the table.

The action heats up on the Kolmberg, with the second line of Austrians surging onto the hill.  The Austrian batteries and units seem to outnumber the French for the moment.

But the battles momentum swings again as the French push up additional units and the Hessian guard send the Austrians back off the hill.

The Prussian cavalry strike at the left most French column and are in turn hit by reacting French cavalry.

Once again fire combat leads to an assault on a disordered unit.  The French units on the southern side of the hill hit the disordered Austrian line. 

The French cavalry charges the disordered Austrian battery, forcing the supporting infantry to form square.

Finally the reinforcing Russian cavalry unit arrives and cossacks countercharge the French draggons which have just ridden down the Austrian guns.  The French have pushed the Austrians back to the edge of the hill. 

South of the woods the rallied Austrian hussars stand off the charging French cavalry to hold the town to the south of the hill.

The final scene on the Kolmberg.  The Austrians cling to the eastern edge of the hill.  The French have cleared the balance.  Russian Cossack and Russian Hussars have arrived at last but don't appear to have the opportunity to play a role in the outcome. 

The final scene from the French perspective.  They may well have cleared the balance of the hill.  But they are not in any position to maintain it.  A close fought game ending in a minor Austrian victory.