The Battle of Elchingen 1805

 

With the recent release of Valour & Fortitude Version 4, the next Horse and Musket theme night at the Wollongong Wargamers was eagerly anticipated. Above, the Austrian team: Darren, Peter and David II.

Peter adapted the excellent Little Wars TV Lasalle II Ulm scenario to V&F. With six experienced players, he hoped we could complete this Corps level battle in an evening. V&F is simple, fast and elegant, but could we really get a result that quickly?

The game did not get off to a good start for the French (Caesar, David I and yours truly) when someone (no need for details, it could have happened to anybody) blundered on their Brigade Activation and blocked the bridge, leaving Caesar's lone brigade out forward on a limb, and David's brigades fuming impatiently on the wrong side of the bridgehead:

Somewhat ahistorically, David II took full advantage of the French embarrassment to advance boldly to nip the bridgehead in the bud:

Whilst an Austrian crossfire targeted Caesar's lone brigade:

The next turn the bottlenecked brigade was given the automatic activation and surged forward:

But by this time David II had begun to deploy and Caesar was no longer alone in taking all the Austrian enfilade fire:

Yet Caesar's brigade advanced steadily out towards Ober-Elchingen:

Forming up to stage a text book assault on the village:

Ober-Elchingen falls to the French:

And with Marshal Ney personally leading,  a follow up assault clears out the Austrians linking the village to the Abbey, scoring victory points both for the village and the defeated Kaiserlik brigades:

However, on the opposite flank, David IIs musketry and artillery was impeding French deployment:

And for the time being the battlefield appeared to be swarming with Kaiserliks, many of them elite Grenadiers!

Fortunately for the French, David I leads on the French Heavy Cavalry:

Who soon put a stop to the Austrian push on the bridgehead!

With French reinforcements now flowing freely across the Danube:

The Austrians are pushed back well away from the river, losing several defeat points:

Despite Marshal Ney's valour, the Austrian commitment of their reserve Kuirassiers restores the situation in the centre somewhat:

But it is too little, too late for the unfortunate General Mack, as the only line of retreat back to Austrian is firmly closed!

Using Peter's wonderful collection of 15/18mm AB miniatures, we used a ground scale of 2/3rds inches. So yes, Version 4 of Valour & Fortitude delivered a fast paced game with an authentic outcome - a corps level battle fought out in a couple of hours!

Waterloo Express!

 

Yesterday's Wollongong Wargamers meet was also the 211th Anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, 18 June 1815. We were committed to run a second playtest of the draft Valour & Fortitude Version 4. Therefore...

Unfortunately, real life intervened with a couple of key players having to drop out. The plan was heavily curtailed. The Prussians weren't coming!

The French order of battle was slightly reduced:

Caesar, the French commander, strategically deployed his two additional 'Divisional Leaders' we were playtesting so as to have good C2 right across the 10 foot battlefield:

French brigades were large, which also eases C2 and makes for a quicker game:

Historically, Caesar deployed the French in strength on his left wing, opposite Hougomont. With the Imperial Guard leading Reille's Corps from the outset. So not that historical!

In the centre, D'Erlon's Corps was well supported by cavalry...

Very well supported!

 

Stormed on three sides by the Old Guard, Hougomont fell after a bloody melee...

An evening's game of this size was always going to be short, so I tentatively advanced a counter attack to retake the chateau - General Haig's drinks cabinet couldn't be left in French hands!

But the Old Guard beat me to the punch and came on fast!

It was time to send in the heavy brigade! The Scots Greys duly charged and broke a square!

But this didn't have much of an impact on the French hordes. I came down off the ridge in a bid to make my volley fire tell...

It worked for a short while...

At least I had gained some breathing space!

On my left, the French cavalry kept me pinned to the ridge, the British gunners doing all the work:

Belatedly, my Light Brigade joined in the fun!

Only to be met by the Imperial Guard Heavy Cavalry - Light Dragoons against the Horse Grenadiers!

To cap it all the French assault on La Haye Sainte in the centre fell at the first assault!

On a positive note, we had a good and thorough playtest which picked out a couple of anomalies and questions. (These have been posted on the Valour and Fortitude - Gamers Group)

But overall, we concluded that Valour & Fortitude is now even better at delivering large games fast with authentic outcomes. And just as much fun as before!

Battle of Montmirail 1814

 

The Wollongong Wargamers horse and musketeers: on the left the Prussian team, their Russian ally in the right foreground, and their three French opponents right background. Darren's Iron Cross is no accident, as will be revealed:

At first sight the Allied superiority, in the relatively bare landscape, looked unassailable:

But the French were deploying the creme de la creme:

The Allied hordes were positioned to encompass the French:

So that outnumbered though they were, deployment space was limited. Potentially, a powerful punch!

Dusk approaching, the game would only last 6 turns, so the Allies lost no time in advancing to contact:

The French team responded equally aggressively:

Sneaking the Old Guard Cavalry through the snowy, forested wilderness on their right flank to gain more deployment space and outflank the Prussians:

Hordes of Cossacks on the French left forced the Young Guard into squares. The Chasseurs of the Old Guard contemptuously deployed into line, to fight as God intended!

However it was the Prussians who launched the first assaults, on the Middle Guard: big mistake!

The Allies paused for thought...

The French Heavy Cavalry kept up momentum on the increasingly pressured Prussian left flank:

Which was being outflanked to the rear by the Imperial horse:

And thoroughly chewed up by the Middle Guard:

Over on the Allied right flank the Cossacks had now tied down the entire Young Guard with a series of Hit and Run attacks:

Whilst dispatching the Dragoon brigade away at the double in an attempt to shore up their crumbling left flank:

In the centre, the Prussians were keeping up the pressure, warily and carefully marshalling their forces to put in a well supported attack on the Grenadiers of the Old Guard. But what is this? Can it be? La Garde Recule! Hence Darren's Iron Cross!

Fortunately for the French, a series of well timed Heavy Cavalry charges restored the situation in the centre:

Whilst the Old Guard Cavalry emerged from the woods...

To complete the rout of the Prussian left flank:

With the Allied Dragoon brigade arriving just to late to restore the Allied flank, it was time to call it: The French had inflicted 4 Army defeat points on the Allies, whilst suffering none.

The French team bask in their well deserved victory!