Den Sellheimer Fließe: the Centre

With events on the advanced left flank taking such a terrible turn the red have been forced to divert two battalions, leaving the centre with only a pair of battalions waiting behind the hill crest.  A Jager unit has been moved to occupy the farmhouse to the right of the hill.

The Blue have a brigade of infantry, a cavalry regiment and a battery. It's time to see if the thin red line will hold.  The Blue are being lead by a skirmish line.

The central battlefield

The setup saw the Red deployed on table as defenders, however the Blue had limited options and I decided that an infantry attack on the ridge was a better idea than mixing it with that farmhouse.  Of course I knew that the Blue outnumbered the Red when I formulated this plan so in the interests of fairness a roll for red reinforcements will be made when the wild card counter comes out.  
The Dragoons only job is to prevent the Rifles from getting onto the flank of the column...  well its a plan.

And it transpires that there will be no reinforcements...

Blue move the column across the river.  Note the textbook method of how not to deploy a gun.

And the dragoons move up to support.  Wasn't he ordered to hold back? 

The Red crest the hill.  The Blue chips are from the previous draw.  Need keep my tables tidy but I get really involved in a game at a key point like this.

But Red Big Man 4 is the Wachtmeister, and he takes a section of skirmishers across the river.  That's put the cat among the dragoons...

The Red first volley is devastating

The Wachtmeister takes refuge in the river, more of a stream here.  This is a ford and it gives the Dragoons pause for thought as they chase back to the north bank to try to get to the rifles.   

The rifles shooting hits five and kills four...

Between the Red skirmishers and the rifles the Blue skirmishers break. 

And the Red line hammers away at the Blue

The second group of Rifles close in and shoot down more dragoons killing their Officer.  Blue morale is crumbling.

End game.  The Rifles close in from the flank as Blue withdraws.   Looks like the third game in this series will be the difficult as the Blue are effectively done for.   A great little game this one, but the use of the ford as difficult terrain was questionable...  Blame the Wachtmeister not me! 


Game 3 will be the Red Rifles defence of Kramerhofe against the Blue Reserve

Über Den Sellheimer Fließe

The Königreich der Röt has been receiving increasing hostility from the Grand Duchy of the Blau concerning the correct way to eat a boiled egg.  The Blau, quite rightly, insist that the slicing method should be used by any civilised epicure.  The Röt insist that tapping is the only true way to demonstrate cultured gastronomy.  

In face of these implacable attitudes it must be war...

Each side has divided into three brigade sized marching columns.  

In the pre-game maneuvering it quickly became clear that the town of Silberburg was to be the focus of the Blue attack.  The Red quickly moved to block the position, with the result that both forces now face off across the Sellhiemer river. 

The fearsome Brigadier Perlenkette has been sent by the Council of the Grand Duke to demonstrate against the right flank.  (My naming of Generals is only getting worse!)

The Prinz-Regent, commanding the Red has sent out his younger brother, Der Königliche Metzger, "The Royal Butcher" with the advance brigade on that flank.  The presence of Royalty in this Brigade means that an Elite Guards battalion is included.

The Red have had no luck in the pre-game, having had to use forced march cards to reach this blocking position.  They even suffered the indignity of a corrupt commissary officer who sold off the Commander's wine stores.  If Stores-Master Uriah Hackenbush ever appears in the Red Kingdom again he will face awkward questions and Summary Justice.

The Blue have drawn an additional Officer as part of the pregame, and this turned out to be Colonel Michel-Georges de Vique, a noted Cavalry Commander.  His talents have allowed the Blue Cavalry to discover a ford to the East of the old Silberburg Bridge.

Sorting  out the terrain

Blue Forces
Brig Gen Perlenkette 
12th Ligne
15th Ligne
30th Ligne
Composite Skirmish battalion

3rd Dragoons
5th Dragoons

Red Forces
B-Gen Der Königliche Metzger
Das Röt Grenadiers
4th Line
9th Line
14th Line
3rd Jager
Balltasche's Troop of the 2nd RHA

The Red defensive position is really strong.
They deploy entirely, awaiting the Blue attack.

The Blue deploy and swarm their lights across the bridge, a column marches in the rear

The Blue also deploy their Dragoons, two mounted and three dismounted groups.

Colonel Roterhahn (technically "Red rooster" but you get the idea) and his Dragoons have discovered the hidden ford.  Its all getting started...

View as the Blue advance

The Red prepare their first volley only yards from their own deployment point!

Blue Skirmishers attempt to screen the line

The Red waste their first volley on those damn skirmishers

Meanwhile dismounted dragoons harass the Red Skirmishers on the woods

The Blue Dragoons cross the Sellheimer Fließe, but it's the first time I`ve used the Dragoon company on table and I realise that I`m short on command for these guys 

The Red Gun tries to knock back the column

Blue first volley.  It's nasty.

And where the dragoons have command figures they are effective.

Dodgy dealings as the Dragoons get onto that ridge line and find that its flat.  Noted Cavalry Commander Colonel Michel-Georges de Vique was worth the money the Blue paid for him.

View from the Blue lines as they hammer the Reds

A combination of the Blue Skirmishers and the Dragoons destroy the Red Skirmishers

The mounted charge makes short work of the gun

And the Red line now has skirmishers behind its flanks

Breaking point

And these units pretty much didn`t move.  The Dragoons need more command than one Mounted and one dismounted Officer.

Men of Bronze: Battle of Chaeronea

The Battle of Chaeronea was fought in 338 BC, near the city of Chaeronea in Boeotia, between the Macedonians led by Philip II of Macedon and an alliance of city-states led by Athens and Thebes. The battle was the culmination of Philip's campaign in Greece.

I'm simple terms Phillip and his army marched down the main road in Boeotia towards Athens. The Greeks placed themselves across the road to block the Macedonian approach.

Details are sparse in the Men of Bronze rules, even though this is a scenario. Still I`m using it for a second try out and for familiarisation with the rules.  

Forces
The Greek Alliance
1 Theban Sacred Band – Elite Hoplites – 12 Points
1 Athenian Phalanx – Drilled Hoplites – 10 Points
1 Allied Phalanx – Militia Hoplites – 8 Points
1 Allied Peltasts – 6 Points
1 Allied Light Troops – Psiloi – 2 Points
Total = 38 Points

Phillip of Macedon 2 Macedonian Phalanx – 20 Points
1 Thessalian Phalanx – Drilled Hoplites – 8 points
1 Cavalry – 8 Points
1 Light Troops – Psiloi – 2 Points
Total = 38 Points

The Field of Chaeronea

The lines close

Charge and counter charge for the phalanx

The Pikemen batter the Allied Hoplites

The Macedonian cavalry sweep up the enemy Psiloi

The Macedonian phalanx pushes back the Hoplite centre

Total Victory on the right for the Macedonians

Worse than it looks as the Greek right routs and I fail discipline tests in the centre.  The Macedonians rolled over the Greeks and made it look easy.