Campaign Games

As mentioned in a couple of my earlier posts I have been involved in a WSS campaign with Mick. Due to location we will probably only get in two to three games a year. We each generated  troops to a total of 600 points which was then split into three armies of our own choosing, we wouldn't know what was in each others armies until we faced them. We were allowed a reserve which contained points for spare officers, pontoons and redoubts for use in certain scenarios. Losses to our armies can only be replaced at the end of the campaign year and depending on losses may not bring you up to full strength.

Our first battle was fought back in February and was over a border town. The victor was he who held the town after 30 + 1d6 turns. This turned out to be a rather cagey affair, much different to normal pitched battles. We also added in a rule that only the brigadier was placed on the table for movement until they were spotted by the enemy. Then your brigade revealed itself. Luckily for me I had purchased a cheap unit of hussars who were to prove their worth, scouting ahead they allowed me to quickly identify enemy brigades and proved a thorn in Mick's side for the whole game.

Initially Mick captured the town with a small brigade of dragoons with my hussars looking on. Unfortunately for Mick my next two brigades were of infantry and artillery, enough to force him to yield the town. Mick eventually threw in the Gardes Francais but my infantry managed to hols the line and repel a number of assaults. Out on my right flank my Cuirassiers supported by an infantry brigade overran the French artillery, capturing 5 guns. With his flank turned Mick began to withdraw to preserve his army.

The battlefield

Hussars locating the French dragoons

French Dragoons capture the town

Imperialists retake the town

Imperialist right flank

Gardes Francais begin their assaults

The second battle at the weekend was a river crossing with the added incentive to capture a Port. Unlike the first game this was a bloody affair with heavy casualties particularly among the French infantry. On the river their were four bridges to capture with the fifth in the port which spread over both sides of the river. Special mention has to go to Bothmers Dragoons which captured one of the bridges and held out over 15 turns against repeated french infantry attacks. Once again Mick found his artillery overrun and captured while his troops in the Port were slowly surrounded. i then soften them up with turn after turn of artillery fire before my Hessian and English foot stormed the Port and captured it, thus handing me a second victory.

The Port begins to fill with troops

Far north imperialist cavalry cross the river

Bothmers Dragoons occupy the village with Horse and dragoons in support

Pioneers start work on an pontoon bridge

Gardes Suiss attempt to hit the allied flank

Bothmers are surrounded but hold on

Gardes Suiss repulsed by English and Hessian foot

Imperialist cavalry overrun the French guns

Successful assault on the port

I'm already looking forward to the next game which is a convoy scenario, we may fight this one twice so we both get a chance as the attacker and defender.