Victorian Napoleonics Championships - Kendall's report

Moderators: philqw78, terrys, hammy, Blathergut, Slitherine Core

Post Reply
KendallB
Sergeant First Class - Elite Panzer IIIL
Sergeant First Class - Elite Panzer IIIL
Posts: 416
Joined: Fri Sep 18, 2009 9:01 pm
Location: North Shore, New Zealand

Victorian Napoleonics Championships - Kendall's report

Post by KendallB »

Here are my battle reports for the tournament.

Game 1. Salamanca vs Andrew
Roll a 1 for initiative… but so does Andrew! Good job I’m +5! I’m using the 650 point army so only one Prussian infantry division vs Andrew’s 800 point army that contains guard shock and guard line! I send the Austrians on the flank march and assault the hills with the Prussians and Russians. Plan was to get the Cossacks to slow down the enemy and the Austrians to bolt for the rest of the army. However I got greedy when a potential flank charge reared its head and eventually lost all except for the Jaegers. Still it was a holding effort which they did well. On the left the Russians smashed through a dragoon unit and then heroically charged squares to draw attention away from the main fight for the hills. One Prussian infantry held off two cavalry units and the other three advanced to the second hill. One landwehr got routed from shooting but the tooled up line broke a Prussian line but couldn’t quite get the wavering artillery unit – until the Russian Guard Uhlans charged through the enemy line, pursued, turned around and routed two more units. Time was called with me holding the two hills and Andrew the town. Andrew also held the other hill which both of us mistakenly thought was an objective! Good see-saw game with a great opponent that has a most impressive capacity for beer! Apparently I was the only attacker to win Salamanca in the tournament.

Game 2. Borodino vs Dan
Dan has already posted his report on this game and there’s not much I can add except that this was the first time that I got to use the 800 point army in the manner that I’d always envisioned it with two SC line led by DCs supported by tooled up line to the flanks and an AC line to the rear. I decided to ignore the scenario conditions and go for the army break. A bit of luck on my part with getting the second move in the first turn saw me close the distance on Dan’s line before he could get a chance to react. Another good person to play against.

Game 3. Hanau vs Kit
Damn, have to play another Kiwi! Kit and I have played each other several times at conventions in NZ but we have never actually beaten each other although both of us have come close. Again I attack but have only got 2 divisions (7 units) on table. Kit has his 650 point army which means no SV guard shock heavies! I start with the Prussians with the Hussars and the Russians. I moved up towards Kit’s line who was deployed forward – the guard Uhlans were supporting the Prussian infantry while the guard Dragoons and guard hussars forced their way around the right flank and forced Kit to move his cavalry around. Unfortunately I had forgotten that Kit’s cavalry unit behind his guns were impetuous and moved a little too close with my Hussars. The British cavalry erupted through his guns, disordering them in the process. In the combat I got 4 hits to Kit’s 3 and to add insult, I killed the DC who was leading the British cavalry. The British then broke, routing back through the guns who took another cohesion loss when they saw the rout and then broke when they were trampled by the routing cavalry. My pursuit finished agonisingly short of Kit’s second, disordered, gun battery. So after the first turn I only need one more unit for a 30-10. In my next turn I launched an attack with the Prussian infantry and guard Uhlans at the artillery and a line. I also charged the guard Hussars into a British light cavalry. The artillery stopped a landwehr but not the line which caused it to abandon after combat. The Uhlan hit the now wavering line and ran it down while the Hussars routed their opponents. A 30-10 win and I get a chance to look at the trade stand and buy some buildings! Big cheer from the both of us when the much maligned Cumberland Hussars (poor conscript LC) rolled a 6 then rerolled to a 5 to pass a CT on seeing the cavalry unit break.

Game 4 Waterloo vs. Mike
The second day has turned into a club meeting 2,780km from home as I face another Kiwi. This one is going to be tough as Mike runs his Ottomans very well and I have yet to beat him. I’m also attacking on a table where the attacker hasn’t yet won. I decide to go for La Haye Sainte as Mike has garrisoned it with an irregular light infantry with no supports. A bit of good luck sees one landwehr unit roll two 6s in combat for 3 combat phases to rout them out. Meanwhile the rest of the line is in extreme trouble and I’m nearly broken. Fortunately I have remembered that he has a flank march coming on and have turned around 2 infantry and the guard hussars. I jump on the flank march and rout a couple of units, saving my bacon. Time is called with my wavering units hurriedly back-pedalling but still in possession of 2 objectives for the win. It was a very stressful and draining game indeed, with mistakes on both sides. I’m the only attacker to win Waterloo.

So all up four wins out of four games and I get second place on count back to Brett.

It was an excellent convention which was different to the normal and really made you think about your army and how to play the game. Not knowing who you were playing, what scenario or even which army you’ll be using made for a fun time. Thanks to Richard for organising the event and the Aussies for their hospitality during the weekend. Hopefully next year it will be held so I don’t have to catch the overnight plane and arrive back in Auckland at 5:30am to start teaching at 9:00!!
pugsville
Sergeant - 7.5 cm FK 16 nA
Sergeant - 7.5 cm FK 16 nA
Posts: 223
Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2013 5:42 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Victorian Napoleonics Championships - Kendall's report

Post by pugsville »

Richard Gordons stats for results is wrong (well at least in this instance). I won 1st round at Waterloo as the attacker.
KendallB
Sergeant First Class - Elite Panzer IIIL
Sergeant First Class - Elite Panzer IIIL
Posts: 416
Joined: Fri Sep 18, 2009 9:01 pm
Location: North Shore, New Zealand

Re: Victorian Napoleonics Championships - Kendall's report

Post by KendallB »

Ah! Well done!

Personally I think that scenario is a real toughie for the attacker. Then again, my army wasn't really set up for attacking buildings.

How did you manage your win?
pugsville
Sergeant - 7.5 cm FK 16 nA
Sergeant - 7.5 cm FK 16 nA
Posts: 223
Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2013 5:42 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Victorian Napoleonics Championships - Kendall's report

Post by pugsville »

I attacked the Division east of the Building with most of my army tore it apart pretty quickly, I think the defender should not deploy out there. (better in a more compact between the two buildings) Terrain can prevent lateral movement enabling one section of an army to be beaten in detail. It was pretty simple, though my cavalry got around the flanks (which made it all too easy really) . Much rather attack in this battle , though I had 4 batteries of guns (only 1 heavy) concentrated one hev & med on the village no problem.
Post Reply

Return to “FoGN After Action Reports (AAR)”