We wanted to make it a 28mm game to attract attention, and used Lasalle 2 rules as the club was intimately involved in their play testing and if we were questioned on the rules we should be fairly knowledgeable...
It was set up as an attack/defense game so that the smaller Austrian side could be handled by just one player if a member of the public wanted to join in...
Similarly the scenario was straight forward, based on the eve of Eckmuhl. The Austrians held the two villages of Ober and Unter Laichling, the French had to take both for a win...If either side committed their reserve heavy cavalry, that forfeited a victory point, and capturing the enemy's baggage marker also won a point... The Austrian team of Russell and Caesar deliberated on tactics, and in the true spirit of the 1809 reforms, plumped for...
defending in line! Whereas the French came on in the same old way...
Similarly the scenario was straight forward, based on the eve of Eckmuhl. The Austrians held the two villages of Ober and Unter Laichling, the French had to take both for a win...If either side committed their reserve heavy cavalry, that forfeited a victory point, and capturing the enemy's baggage marker also won a point... The Austrian team of Russell and Caesar deliberated on tactics, and in the true spirit of the 1809 reforms, plumped for...
With regard to using Lasalle 2 rules, its worth mentioning that Russell, pictured in the centre below, rarely gets to wargame with us, being in the retail industry. And this was his first encounter with the rules. Within a few moves he was handling the Austrian defence like a pro - damn him!
As the French columns surged and retreated around the rocks that were the two villages,
I attempted to open up the action by advancing the French light cavalry on the right flank, the Austrians wisely forming square.
But trying to 'out-cavalry' an Austrian army is rarely a good move...
Having pounded the Austrian square with my horse battery,
my Chasseurs a Cheval were able to charge and break it...
But the Austrian horse were soon able to force them back to their start line!
After we'd spent a respectful amount of time exchanging volleys with the Kaiserliks...
...it was high time to muster for the assaults! David was methodical in his approach to Ober Laichling...
Whereas I just piled in to Unter Laichling!
I was deservedly bundled out again by an immediate Austrian counter attack by troops Caesar had the foresight to move up out of reserve, but with some lucky throws managed to take the village a second time...
David's well planned and executed assault on the other hand was staved off by stoic Austrian defence, so overall the game was a hard fought draw!
