Steedo came over and we squeeze in a scenario based on the Battle of Bladensburg from Neil Thomas' One-Hour Wargames (number 26 if you are interested). It took longer than an hour to!
We doubled the forces from the book. So Steedo took 6 regular foot and 2 artillery as the defender and I took 5 regular horse and 7 regular foot.
Initial deployment below.
Morts makes a sweeping rush on his left flank ......the cadance national advantage gets the troops into link as well.
With the use of find a way the cavalry are through the wood and it looks like it is all over .....
First blood to the attacking Swedes - Steedo is thinking can we get another game in. But his army morale only drops by 1 point......
Steedo does juggling with his line and causes damage to the middle unit in the force. Morts thinks not a problem.....
Steedo's plan comes off (Ooo err) - middle unit destroyed and now there are 2 forces for Morts to have to move ..... And 3 points off army morale .... Still 9 to go shouldn't be a problem....
Time to unleash the horse on the infantry and artillery on the hill!
Steedo's national advantage "Steady Lads" nicely muffs up the attack! Here I think Maurice has a nice way of dealing with horse vs foot .... The horse can't get anymore damage on the foot except by charging - but Steedo's volley phase will put pay to any thoughts of a glorious cavalry charge through the artillery park! By the end of the game that single infantry unit emptied the saddles of 2 Swedish cavalry regiments......
Coupled with this was Steedo isolating the last 2 foot units on the Swedish left ..... Army morale down to 3 ....... It's all going wrong!
The Swedish general (well me) legs it over to activate the other half of the army! Quickly getting the cavalry across!
Take them in the flank ..... The dice gods were not with me! The horse repulsed! Run away - which is the correct tactic against those nasty infantry volleys!
Of course as Steedo moved to counter my horse his flank was exposed for my foot to exploit!
It was almost if there was a combined arms attack plan ......
By this time we had whittled each other down to 1 army morale point each ... "The death of a Hero" card was very helpful!
The next kill would clinch it!
Unfortunately it wasn't to be Steedo's day ..... But it was a damn close run thing!
Victory to Morts and the Swedes - but the cost was high! 2 units of horse and 3 units of foot broken and army morale down to 1. Steedo was very unlucky - only 4 units destroyed, and heavily outnumbered from the start. A great game very tense, very pleased I won this one.
Maurice is a really nice game with tactical choices to be made all the time .... Not having the right cards is frustrating but adds to the challenge. The habit of getting focused on our part of the battlefield or one unit .... Knowing when to pass to collect cards and knowing when to let units be destroyed.....
Like so many things I want to get an imagi-nations campaign up and running for this. But when with my short attention span!
Morning gaming is very civilised - tea, coffee and millionaire shortbread. A recommended activity.
Morts
Thanks for the game and refreshments! Tense game and about right as s 2.5 hr play considering we doubled forces. If only I had followed up your last cavalry hiding I column in the woods!
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