War of Spanish Succession Game

Today we played the War of Spanish Succession game that we had to postpone from last week.

Eight players were involved. On each side there were two cavalry commands and two infantry. It was a simply "beat the crap out of 'em" game.

The Allied deployment

The French deployment

The full table

The recently built church stood in the centre of the table

I commanded a body of French cavalry, five regiments strong. Opposite me was an equivalent force of English horse. My object was to draw them into a fight where I could get the better if them. But they moved first

Here they come...

And more of them...

Things got off to a roaring start for me with my cuirassiers smashing two English battalions (the furst by the skin of their teeth, I might add).

Then the fight with the English horse began. I did well, destroying two regiments and forcing the other three back.

In the thick of the fray

"En Avant.."

The Garde du Corps go in

Oops...things aren't looking so good here...

...and even worse here...with just one if my five regiments left...and that didn't last long.

With the French cavalry collapsing on both flanks, the allies could sweep forward and drive the French from the field...it was a bad day for Marshal Vendome.

An now for a bunch if photos of the rest if the battle, that I struggle to put into sequence because I was focused on my own defeat! However, if does celebrate this fabulous army collected over 47 years from Citadel, Dixon, Minifigs, Foundry, Ebor and probably some other manufacturers.

Venfome rode in comfort...

Action on the War of Spanish Succession

Today for four and a bit hours, eight of us played a War of Spanish Succession game.

I need to be upfront and state that none of these figures are mine. All are from the collection of another in our group.

The armies were formed with the cavalry on the flanks, the artillery in the centre and infantry either side of the guns, between the cavalry. My involvement on the Anglo-Dutch left meant I didn't follow the action too closely. So what follows is a fairly random presentation of images (many of which have been supplied by another player) to which no have added some comments.

The table at the start of play.

The English battalions preparing for action.

The captured standards are presented.

The general's coach

Austrian infantry has  deployed

The French cavalry on the right wing.

And more on the left

The kettle drummer stirs the regiment.

The British cavalry creep past the old water mill

The English cavalry preparing to attack

The Maison du Roi ride to the attack

Austrian cuirassiers

The clash

The Dragons du Roi

En Avant!

The heavy guns fire

The Austrian cavalry prepare to receive the French attack

The Anglo-Dutch right wing

Looking up the tablet from the Anglo-Dutch right.

The French cavalry advance 

Looking up up the table from the Anglo-Dutch left

The Dutch infantry

The Franco-Spanish left

The guns continue to pound away