Game from the War of the Spanish Succession. Using Black powder in 28mm.
Players
French : Bryn Rea, Ivan, Billy McClenaghan and Andy Torrens.
Grand Alliance : Andy Smith, Ian Anderson, Mike Leathem and David Maltman.
Think massive, 18' x 6' table, 4 players each side with their own quarter of the table.
Think 37 Grand Alliance infantry battalions and 29 cavalry squadrons at least on the table and similarly with the French and its Allies. Certainly the biggest game the editor has ever been involved in
For this battle you get a double set of AARs. The first from the Allied Commander in chief Captain-General Duke Andrew D Smith and the second from his junior understudy General Baron David W Maltman.
Field of Battle :
From Captain-General Duke Andrew D Smith
Today we played the Battle of Malplaquet 1709.
As we were a bit short of Allies we had them in defense.
The French had the 1st move, a few of their brigades didn't move, one of them was the French guards. There seems to be a theme to this as this is the 4th game we've had and each game they didn't move.
On move one the Allies moved into the trenches and a cavalry brigade moved of to the left flank and the heavy cavalry moved to the center ready to support either flank.
By turn 4 the French got their units moving forward by this time on the left flank there was a massive cavalry battle with lot's of to and froing on both sides losing cavalry units.
In the woods the dragoons on both sides were battling it out.
Whilst in the center the Dutch were holding up the French breaking 3 brigades through their fire power.
On the right flank the French guards after some time broke one Dutch brigade that was holding the village this also allowed the French to hit a Scottish battalion in the flank, ouch, but good dice saves saved them just a fall back.
On the Dutch far right flank after some hard fights the British brigade had to fall backwards in a bad way the French were not much better.
The Dutch guards were holding the 2nd line
The game was a draw as both sides held 2 towns each and both sides infantry were in a bad way.
The game blow by blow.
Table before the storm, 6 tables, 19 feet x 6 feet.
A peaceful day in the countryside before the armies turn up
French guard cavalry waiting to move forward
Allies move forward
French cavalry on the left flank move up
Allies cavalry units move to the left flank and the infantry move into the towns and defense line.
Hessian battalion moves up.
French cavalry move in
The Allied cavalry move to intercept
Allies cavalry move on the left flank and the heavy move to the center
Dutch infantry holding the center line and the French don't want to come out to play yet
French heavy cavalry move on the right flank
British infantry in line waiting for the French
At long last French guard cavalry move forward
The Scottish battalions move up on turn 3 which was good as they filled in the gaps in the Allies line
Prussian battalions fire power on the French halting the French move forward to a turn
Dutch heavy cavalry moving around to the center
French cavalry moving through light woods
The Bavarians advance.
French and Swiss guards get to move forward
French lines coming up in the same old fashion guess we will have to stop them in the same old way
French guard juggernaut coming on
Dutch cavalry push the French cavalry back from the left flank
The view from the Allied left flank. Near is the Large cavalry melee, further out and the dragoon exchange musketry and the infantry move in the back them up on both sides. In the center the French infantry meat grinder heads toward the dug in allied infantry ready to give them a damn good volleying. In the back of the allied center can be seen the large cavalry deterrent
The view from the Allied right flank. The cavalry making their way through or round the large forest.
The infantry meat grinder advances in the center.
The joys of static artillery , with nothing to fire at as the infantry advance.
Dutch carabiners waiting to go, part of the large center deterrent.
French guards take the 1st town.
Dutch guards hold the right flank.
French push on the Dutch defense lines.
Dutch lines shoot down the French lines breaking up a brigade.
Point blank fire from the Dutch.
The left flank Dutch cavalry died after winning the battles the dice gods said no you have had enough winning now it's time to lose. Good job there were some fresh Dutch battalions out there stopping the French cavalry from swinging around the flank.
The French and Swiss guards push on.
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From General Baron David W Maltman. Life on the left flank.
On the British left flank this rookie general, who only got the position because his papa knows the Duke, was opposed by the experienced French General Guillaume McClenaghan. An officer who had spent his time under the shadow of the Lilly banners in Ireland and other parts. Young Maltman was lacking in experience of both the rules and the tactics of the period.
Some good dice rolls got all the Alliance little fellows on the table on the first and second moves.
Infantry moved into the town along with the artillery unit.
They then moved out into the forest to attack the French infantry and leave some room for Duke Andrews infantry to move into the town.
The dragoons attempted to move into the forest, but due to some awful dice rolling they failed 2 initiative checks so were delayed for 2 moves ( My one complaint of Black powder is the inconsistency of whether a high or a low dice roll is good.
Mostly high is good, but not when rolling for initiative when low is good. There were many times I rolled 11 for initiative thinking this is good only for General Guillaume to point out I'd failed and they were stuck twiddling their thumbs for another move ).
This allowed the French to get their dragoons and infantry well into the forest before the British dragoons got in and dismounted. It them came down to a short range exchange of musketry between the 2 sets of dragoons which was a stalemate.
The dragoons could almost reach out an slap each other the carbine range is so short.
However, you can see 5 battalions of French infantry coming up in support, with the Allies having nothing to counter them.
Just as well the game ended when it did.
Further on the left there was a massive series of charges of 10 squadrons of British , Dutch and Austrian cavalry organized in one brigade against 9 regiments of French cavalry in 3 brigades.
The Allies final charge of the cavalry brigade.
After this the brigade had that many of its units fled or disorganized that it had to take a break test.
It failed its break test and has fled from the table leaving a massive hole for the French cavalry to pour through.
It's just as well the second cavalry brigade was waiting in the center to come an fill the gap.
Editors comments.
It was difficult enough keeping up with the action in my own quarter of the table. I had only the vaguest idea what was happening in the other 3 quarters of the table. With a new set of rules it's always tricky as you do not know what you do not know. If the large cavalry brigade had been split into smaller brigades the outcome could have been quite different as the French lost more squadrons of cavalry than the Alliance. However they only lost one brigade leaving the other 2 still active.
Photos curtesy of Andy and the Editor.
