DBA 15-19K SYW Allies vs French

Dandy gentlemen with lovely handkerchiefs, play the harpsichords, it's Seven Years War action now.  The Prussians & British against ze French.  The Allies consisted of a General, 2 x Prussian Jagers(2), 2 x Prussian Cuirassiers(3) as Knights, 4 Prussian Muskets(3), 2 x Prussian Guards as Muskets(4), 1 x Prussian Artillery(3), 1 x British Cavalry(3), 2 x British Muskets(3), 1 x British Guards as Muskets(4) = 15 elements.  The French army, 1 General, 9 x muskets(3), 3 x Cavalry(3), 2 x Artillery(3) = 14 elements.  The Prussian Jagers would be deployed in the two villages.  The rest of the forces would be marching on the roads.

We would use the Recoil Attrition system, the numbers in brackets above showing the number of times a unit can Recoil before being destroyed.  Jack would play ze French & yours truly the Allies.

Prussian Cuirassiers attacking French Infantry

The Battlefield

French Cavalry in the vanguard
Dandy French General 'Garcon de Barcon' leads forward the foot. 

The British hurry to help their Allies

The Prussian army race to deploy, Baron Von Munchausen urges on the troops.

Good PiPs & they're all  given to the British

The Cavalry screen the deployment of the Infantry 

3 French Cavalry versus 2 Prussian Knights

The Cavalry fight it out, whilst the Prussians deploy into line

The French Line extends

Back & forth in the Cavalry action

The British wait until the French deploy....

The correct form observed, now its time to fight.  The French win the initial fire fight.

A new round & the British charge in....

'They don't like it up em'

Back & forth, back & forth....

The lines are drawn, overview at this point.

It's a tough fight 

First Blood to the Allies

The British make a breakthrough!

Next round & the French strike back....
 Musketry takes out one of the Cuirassiers, whilst the Cavalry destroy the other.

ADVANCE!!!

The lines advance until Musket range.

The British Cavalry goes for the flank & is cut off by the French.
The British Infantry gets stuck in.

The French are sent packing by the British

Oh No! The British Cavalry are destroyed.

Superb Prussian Musket fire destroys the French line!
Victory for the Allies.

Final overview of the battlefield.

It took many rounds to deploy both sides ready for action, but it was worth the wait.  Though the British were on their last recoils.  A very colourful game, I can see why the Seven Years War is popular.

Strangely Artillery didn't play much part in the game.  Jack did make a observation that Artillery doesn't seem that effective in our games.  Maybe we'll 'up' the combat factor for them in future games.

Balaclava: The Heavies & the 93rd

The first part of the Battle of Balaclava now.  A bit more brutal with the set-up though, some fact some fiction.  The Russian Cavalry is already streaming across the valley, the British Heavy Brigade has broken camp & riding to intercept.  The 93rd Highlanders are deployed & waiting to take the Russian Cavalry.  As a side show, a sizeable Russian Infantry force is to launch an attack on the hill held by British Naval units.  Jack would be the Russians, could he succeed & take the British positions?

The Charge of the Heavy Brigade by Alfred Tennyson
http://www.poetryarchive.org/poetryarchive/singlePoem.do?poemId=1571

Balaclava : The Battle in the South Valley

The Russians swarm across the valley

'Left Wheel into Line!' - Scarlett leads forward the Heavy Brigade

Hordes of Russian Cavalry

The 93rd prepare for the Russians

The British Naval position 

The 93rd fire at the Russian Cavalry, the 'Thin Red Line!!!'

The Russian cavalry is checked...

BOOM! The Russian Infantry will never close the distance...

Overview, the Russian Cavalry charge into the Highlanders.
Whilst Jack manages to release some Cavalry, which way would they go?

Rock Hard... The Highlanders send the Russians backward.

'CHARGE!!!!!'  In go the 300

British Heavies versus Russian Light, no contest... Jacks moaning

Another round, more casualties for the Russians.

Jack rallies his Cavalry & tries another attack.
 He adds his extra Cavalry to get an overlap...

HA! The chest is puffed out, the British Lion is supreme!

Another round & the Heavies attack again!  Game over....

Final positions, the Russian Cavalry is sent packing.

A nice little game, the Russian Lights were no match for the British Heavies.  PiPs were poor for Jack & the Russian Infantry stalled badly, to be fair his combat dice were shocking as well.  Never mind, you can only beat what's put in front of you.  Jack, get packing away the figures.... lol.

There's still a couple of Historic engagements to fight in our Crimean Campaign.  Though there were a few elements to this game that has got us thinking of having a mega Crimean scrap....

The Thin Red Line

DBA Battle of Bosworth

Following on from our visit to the Bosworth Battlefield Museum, Amy & I had the re-fight.  We used the Army Lists from the Fanaticus site http://www.fanaticus.org/DBA/battles/bosworth.html .  Which meant raiding every medieval army that we have to make up the numbers.  Amy took the side of Henry Tudor & the Stanleys, yours truly the forces of 'good king' Richard...lol.  The Stanleys would have to be activated, requiring a roll every turn until the desired outcome.

The battlefield set-up

The view from King Richard's position

General Amy, sporting the national costume of every British youth - 'the hoody'

The lines prepare to clash

Henry with his welsh lads...

Richard III and his mighty host of knights

They're off!

Richard spies a hole in the lines... he's off!

Err... Amy gets the required roll for activation of the Stanley's.

A grand sight

The Stanley forces are straight in.

The Stanley's had a host of Cavalry

First Blood to the Yorkist's

On the other flank, the battle commences..

Back on the other flank, the Yorkist Knights plough through the Lancastrian's

The English border horse hold off the Stanley Cavalry

Whoops... Blades & Spears carve up Yorkist Bows..

Ggggrrr... Now the Scots Pike are at it

Wayhay! That's better the Yorkist left flank is winning through.

It would be a mighty scrap with the Stanley's...

Yorkist Spear take down Welsh Archers

The Battle at this point, the Yorkist left is looking good, however the Stanleys pressure on the right.
 Whilst in the centre King Richard spies a gap & makes his way to Henry Tudor... 

Lovely, the lines are engaged everywhere...

Richard leaves behind some of his entourage... a mistake?

The Yorkist left flank is breaking through...

Scrap on... King Richard vs Henry Tudor

The Yorkist Spears carve up the enemy

Richard's on his own, as the Welsh Boyo's force back his Knights

Now Richard is forced back...

It would be a mighty scrap, more Yorkist troops join the King.

The Stanley troops start mopping up, now the Yorkist  right is under threat.

Now Henry Tudor is getting the advantage...

Whoops a daisy... The Yorkist right is broken, half the troops leg it, PiPs are needed to hold the rest in place.

Whilst on the Yorkist left, the Lancastrian's are broken, would it be a massacre?

Slowly the Lancastrian centre is pushed back, surely a Yorkist victory is near....?

Bah! The Lancastrian's hold on the left.

Thers's no stopping the Yorkist's!!!!

Battlefield Review... The Yorkists are winning, the black line is the starting point.

Boo! The Stanley Cavalry is winning through.

NOOOOOOOO!!!!   King Richard has fallen! Amy is over the moon!

History repeats itself, the House of Lancaster reigns supreme, it was a mega scrap indeed.  To be fair, the battle revolved around the fight between Richard & Henry, each side had a command broken.  I shake my head, all these troops to be put away..... ;o)