Mini Malplaquet 1709

Last night the Wollongong Wargamers used Valour & Fortitude rules and 10mm figures to replay the Battle of Malplaquet 1709, from the War of Spanish Succession.

Peter had come up with a bath-tubbed scenario suitable for an evening's gaming. The wood of Sars was reduced in extent, and the French defenses were drastically reduced. Originally the woods concealed two lines of abatis and other obstacles; the open ground between was lined with trenches, breastworks, and nine redoubts. This was scaled down to just a pair of redoubts.

Blenheim Palace tapestry showing the woods being cleared
of abattis by British Pioneers.

Similarly, the orders of battle were reduced: on the Franco Bavarian side each of the three players had just an infantry and a cavalry brigade. The three attacking Allied players had slightly more units, as you'd expect given the challenge ahead of them.

View from Woods of Lanieres WNW to the Woods of Sars.

Now looking due West with the wood of Lanieres left foreground,
Aulnois right foreground and Woods of Thiery centre foreground.

Peter opposite my position on the French left flank pushed his cavalry deep into my flank whilst pressing forward with his infantry through the Woods of Sars...

My cavalry covering that flank were outnumbered, but Caesar, commanding the French centre, quickly moved to support me with his cavalry...

We discovered our cavalry was facing the renowned British Royal Horse Guards - the Blues no less! 

Bolstered by receipt of the Equine Breeding fate card, which would give an extra melee dice, Caesar went in anyway!

And vanquished those elite Gentlemen at arms! 

Meanwhile my infantry was being hard pressed by British infantry and their Disciplined Musketry...

Emboldened by this triumph of arms, we went all out to tidy up and secure the crisis on our left flank:

The Allied cavalry was nicely tidied away, but that British infantry kept on coming - my infantry brigade was now down to one regiment in the field and my Gardes Francais in the redoubt!

Meanwhile, on the right flank, contrary to scurrilous camp gossip, the rest of army did do something...fired off at least one volley in the general direction of the enemy, I'm told.

However it was in the centre that the issue was decided - that damned British infantry ignored volley and shot to assault our centre redoubt. With the protection of the redoubt proving somewhat illusory the Gardes Francais had no choice but to accept the Honours of War from Messieurs Les Anglais...

And with that loss, and both of our flanks now under continuous pressure, we seceded the field to the victorious Allies...

Once again Valour & Fortitude rules provided a fast and furious game, and in this 10mm scale, as one of just six players, I experienced that feeling of being part of a big battle Royal! Thanks to Peter for coming up with a top scenario that generated a fun and furious game.

Broadside Empires of Steel: Encounter Battle!

 

Last night at the Wollongong Wargamers Broadside: Empires of Steel was our themed game.

I and my elements of the High Seas Fleet Scouting force was up against Gary and the might of the Royal Navy Battlecruiser fleet! 400 points each:

Admiral Gary is on the left, discussing strategy with his Flag Captain, Caesar. Although this was only his second game of Broadside, Gary had beaten me in his first game. With RN Battlecruisers...

Although my BCs were undergunned compared to the RN, they were slightly faster. And I had an extra Light Cruiser, and intended to make full use of that!

Gary found the range very quickly, scoring a punishing first round salvo on Von Der Tann:

It looked like he was going for an anvil attack, splitting off his Light Cruisers to the south of me... 

Whilst his Battlecruisers would stand off along the table edge and use their range advantage to full effect:

Seydlitz was also quick to close to medium range and score hits on the Invincible, whilst my Light Cruisers set off to achieve a torpedo solution of their own:

The fast British Light Cruisers closed to torpedo range:

The first torpedo attack was from HMS Caroline - only one fish hit and caused only superficial damage:

Other British cruisers were closing in from the south, but Seydlitz' formidable secondary and tertiary batteries were able to sink HMAS Sydney, reducing the risk somewhat!

Gary took great care in setting up his next torpedo solution:

It paid off - the Seydlitz was sunk!

But not until having caused severe damage to HMS Lion!

Whilst my Light cruisers, with shorter ranged torpedoes, continued to attempt to get within range of the British heavy units, the remaining RN Light Cruisers had now got a solution on the struggling Von Der Tann. Together with serious damage from the British 12 inch guns, a series of torpedo hits ripped her bottom out!

A second win for Gary, and a convincing one!