Sgt Steiner chez le Duc

Sgt Steiner of the Blog-o-sphere journeyed the short hop to le Duc's bunker for a game of the favoured Maurice.

An excellent Nine Years War 100 point clash (with even some attempt to use the scouting rules beforehand) this time.

English/Dutch attackers, with the odd Danish mercenary battalion, vs French and Irish defenders (who also managed to pick up a few Danes due to miscalculation of numbers), with the town square as an objective

A fraught battle, with reverses and tense moments.


Highlights included:

• Maurice's frustratingly devastating ability to place marshes where you don't want them, thereby effectively making a flank redundant (or securing it, depending upon your viewpoint).
• The devastating effect of the 'lethal vollies' national advantage (it's lethal !!), brought about by virtue of re-roll allowance. A la Baionette makes a similar difference, though not so readily useful when the defender, on hindsight.
• We managed to firm up on the melee rules, where doubling up in terms of melee totals made significant, and bloody, difference.
• Again - wonderful opportunities for resource management, while the rest of the battlefield looks on, and you frustratingly can't do what you want to!!!
• Pikes make a big difference vs cavalry (uhhh as designed to I guess). We actually forgot them at one stage, recalculated, and replaced the troops that had been removed, simply because the +2 from pike defence made such a difference to the overall total. This is as period of course, and provides a nice reshaping of how the cavalry (brittle as it can be) is used.

 'Right lads. This is what I want you to do. Hey! Where are you going?'

 The centre, as French regulars await the attack.

 The Allied centre, as the Dutch Garde de Voet go in. Elite troop status made these guys incredibly resilient.

The Allied left, where someone has stuck a marsh in a most inopportune position.

'Lethal Vollies' unleash hell on the attacking French cavalry.

The centre holds as the French force a Dutch charge, which created our clarification re. melee.

Pikes make a big difference vs cavalry charge of course.

 In the end, a constant wearing down via musketry made the difference and morale ebbed away. As with most Maurice battles, the objective is rarely seized before one side or another leaves the field. Though of course, that seems to make sense.

Next up? Black Powder, then perhaps Beneath the Lily Banners.