A Wargame At Last

Yesterday I finally managed to get a game in!  Graham & I traveled to MAWS' new venue in Eccles, Greater Manchester.  It was the first outing for my new Early TYW German Protestant army complete with a newly painted Transylvanian ally.  The army list I used is below:



Off the table things didn't really go according to plan.

First Graham's train was delayed by the closure of Lime Street Station.  Next Graham, who's not been well, wasn't in the best of shape when we arrived in Eccles so we delayed the start of the game for a while.

All this gave we time to look round the new venue which is light & airy.  Geoff Pearson & Brian Pierpoint were just starting a large 15 mm Team Yankee game:



Here's Graham (seated) gathering his thoughts as Geoff (L) & Brain (R) finish the set-up:



After a while we got our 650 point Field of Glory Renaissance (FOGR) game under way. Graham had brought his Early TYW French army and I was concerned that the French impact foot would rip through my average infantry if they got close enough.

I decided to group my infantry and dragoons on the right and use the cavalry to cover the other. It is fair to say this worked.  This photo shows the situation from my baseline at the end of the game:



The two battle groups of Dragoons held the broken ground on the right destroying the single unit of French Dragoons sent to contest the terrain.  They then held off a battle group of Determined Horse who couldn't get past without exposing a flank.



On the left the Transylvanian Boyers did sterling work destroying two units  of Determined Horse one after the other and destroying a French general in the pursuit! They then played a part in surrounding a unit of French light horse.

Meanwhile, in what turned out to be Graham's last move, a fragmented French pike and shot battle group failed to rally.  This set up the coup de grâce.  I promptly charged the fragmented infantry which just as promptly broke (that's 4 French battle groups lost if you're counting).  I also charged the surrounded light horse who couldn't evade.

At this point the French conceded: the light horse where totally out-matched and the destruction of the fifth and final battle group was inevitable.

I was shocked at the damage the armoured cavaliers did to the unarmoured determined horse.  My dice rolling was good but then so was Graham's.  He avoided losing bases two or three times when the odds were very much against him.  I suppose what goes around comes around.

All in all a good return to renaissance wargaming.  It must be nearly 18 months since I last played FOGR and I was a bit nervous at the start but soon settled into the game.

I need to do more of this.