Time for another Wednesday Wargaming Battle Report! This week we were playing some By Fire and Sword. This time with a bit bigger armies, both sides are around 10 or 11 points or there about, and are pretty close to maxing out the Skirmish lists. I went for the Imperial Roman Outpost force, basically infantry with a few dragoons, because that is what I have the most points of currently. Still really want to get some Ottomans done but haven't had time. Facing off where the dreaded Poles, lots of cavalry now.
We played the Delay the Enemy scenario, where both sides are fighting to capture a pair of hills, and one side is trying to escape off the board edge, and the other wants to keep them on. As my force was on foot, it only really made sense for them to be the delaying army.
The Polish had a pretty big advantage in Recconisance due to them being mounted, and me not. So used that to get a Force March, allowing them to move up one unit before the game started.
Here we are before the proper start. One big scary unit of Cossack's is already charging right at me! I put my Pike units on the ground with a few musketeers, idea was to trap the poles and make them fight me. Maybe head for the hill after. Then I had a bigger unit of musketeers and a cannon on the hill, with the dragoons. Trying to find a safe spot to not get run down!
First turn the Poles advanced and I mostly sat on defend orders. Turns out it was probably a mistake to not creep up the pikes to threaten the hill while I had the chance but live and learn. I moved out the dragoons thinking I could try for some flanking maybe.
Turn 2 my dragoons realize that fighting Pancerni is not a good idea so run away, and the Cossacks charge, but can't quite make it due to the hill slowing things down as we learned. They lost a base to concentrated fire. Still seeming ok for me.
Next turn it feels that all the horses in Poland are getting right in my face. But command is a bit of a problem so that helps delay things. My infantry on the hill has lost a base to a charge by this point, but they held on winning the combat by 1 point. Defending a hill costing the Cossacks their impetus bonus, and giving me some resolution bonuses.
Next turn things start to happen. The poles coming down their hill rudely ignore my pikes, who I stupidly backed up just out of 20cm which would have forced them to be charged, and just run over my small infantry unit. Another unit tries to slip past between my pikes and the forest. On my hill the cossacks lost another stand or 2 and were disordered. This pretty much ended their attempts at that hill, and most of the other units pulled back. But the light horse unit was able to spend a few turns shooting and killed my cannon. The unit of 3 Pancerni that had broken through proceeded off the table, and at the end of the game the 2 light horse were just at the very edge.
So looking at the victory points, we both got 2 for capturing a hill, and we both got 1 for having acceptable losses of around 25% or so. But the Poles also got a point for breaking through with 3 stands, so were able to win.
The pikes still have not been able to get in a combat!
At this point I am feeling that I really need to paint the Imperial Light artillery set I picked up which has the 3 light cannons my force can have. Assume I would do allot better with 3 propper cannons, instead of borrowing one from my Swedes due to being lazy...
Really enjoyed this game again, and it looks good I find also. Hopefully will get a chance to paint some mroe forces after Cangames, and round 2 of Old West and new Saga Armies.... Ah crap
Thanks;
Mike
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