GNW Maurice Scenario

Last night got to play Sam Mustafa's Maurice 18th century rules for the first time in about a year. I really like Maurice as a game - the use of cards make change from must of the systems I play and I feel makes it very tactical. 

The scenario we played was from Miniature Wargames issue 140 called River Luhe 1626 based on a possible thirty years war engagement between the Danes and Imperialists, however it was transposed 80 odd years later to the Great Northern War with the Swedes and Russians taking the roles of combatants respectively. 

The Map

The river is fordable for infantry and cavalry. Objectives for Swedes hold the bridges. For the Russians take both the bridges or one bridge and the road junction in A5. 

Swedes can deploy anywhere North of the river. Russians arrive as indicated in army breakdown, but rolling to see if the brigade arrive on the Western or Eastern road.

The forces were as follows:

Swedes - 75 points and 18 points National Advantages (Cavaliers and a la Baionnette) Army Morale 9

5 regiments of foot (1 elite)

4 regiments of horse (1 elite)

Russians - 74 points, Army Morale 14

Turn 1 

2 regiments of foot (1 conscript)

3 regiments of dragoons

Arrives Turn 3

3 regiments of foot (2 elite)

1 regiments of dragoons 

1 Artillery battery 

Arrives Turn 5

2 regiments of foot (1 conscript)

1 regiments of dragoons 

1 Artillery battery

In retrospect the Russians should have had some points on National Advantages and/or an extra infrantry unit.

Starting positions

Swedes take up forward position with infantry in the centre and cavalry on the flanks - classic dispositions for the period. First Russian brigade arriving on the eastern road.

Russians begin to deploy - Swedes watch.

Turn 3

Very aggressive move from the Russians as 3 regiments of dragoons charge across the river - picking up a disruption marker. An inconclusive initial engagement where the outnumbered Swedes held their own. The battle was mainly fought on the eastern side of the battlefield.

The Russians second brigade arrive - unfortunately this is how they stayed for the entire battle apart from the artillery! Two elite units did nothing!

Turn4

Swedish counter charge devastates the Russians!

The aftermath - 3 dragoon regiments broken! With some poor dice rolling the Russian morale drops by 8 points!

Turn7 ish

The 3rd Russian brigade has arrived - bombardment has destroyed one of the Swedish Horse regiments. The other crossed the river to take the Russians in the flank, only to discover bad going which wasn't on the map! The Russians have sent a dragoon regiment far behind the Swedish line.

A turn or 2 later 

The Swedes have marched their elite cavalry from the western flank to engage the dragoons. This should have been over quickly but for the playing of Valeur et Discipline - which kept Russian dragoons in the fight and weeken the Swedish Horse. In the end the Swedish Horse were finished off by a bombard action and the dragoons by a volley after an about face by the foot at the end of the line. Russian volleys had also broken the Swedish Horse at the extreme eastern end of the battlefield. The Swedes army morale was down to 1 point the Russians were on 5.

Turn 9 or 10 could be 11 ....

Russians use Capture Intelligence card and take the Confusion card ... They use the Confusion card to bring a unit across the river - they plan to isolate and destroy it thus breaking the  Swedish army and winning the game. But they bring across the Swedish elite!

They wheel to take the Russians in the flank! With the aid of the thick smoke the survive canister in the flank!

No volley phase!

They charge into the flanks - that negative 6 is a real killer

High rolling meant the Russians lose their 5 remaining Army morale points .... A victory to the blue boys of Sweden.  A damned close run thing!

A couple of rules errors forgot the effect of pikes -1 for musketry and +1 for charging foot.

A good game and thanks to Steedo for being the forces of the Tsar. In retrospect the Russians didn't use their second brigade (apart from the artillery) which contained 2 elites - this was a big error as if they had been deployed I think Steedo could have won on the western side of the battle field. 

Losses were 3 regiments of horse for the Swedes, 4 regiments of dragoons and 2 regiments of foot for the Russians.