As nightfall descends on the crossroads, the guns are silent.
Stragglers look for their units.
Comrades and camp followers look for their loved ones.
And the inevitable scavengers and looters look for an easy mark.
So, how did it end?
\We left with the Anthill and Bayrums engaged with the 2nd Cuirassiers. While their eventually drawn struggle was going on both the Freikrorps Rote Bart Hussars and...
...their opposite number, the Hussars de Juene, were positioning to take advantage of the outcome.
On my right the Zwergteufel were slowly gaining the upper hand...
Against the light infantry sniping from the wood.
Meanwhile on my left the first elven infantry regiment paused to form line...
... and advance on my guns.
For their part the guns fired with midling success...
...as the range closed.
My skirmishers also fell back, firing as they did so and elven casualties slowly mounted.
The heavy cavalry melee having ended with a draw, the A&B's retired in order to reform.
While the Freikorps Rote Bart Hussars charged!
Two squadrons made straight for the rallying cuirassiers.
The third made a heroic charge...
...against twice their number of enemy Hussars supported by light infantry.
Caught while rallying, the cuirassiers were at a disadvantage.
Still Hussar vs. Cuirassier, would it be disadvantage enough?
Rally be demned! The 2nd Cuirassiers counter charged!
The elven line had now gotten within musket shot of my guns. Their first volley dropped three of my gunners!
Worse still they had brought up a gun of their own.
Still musket range means cannister range and the line was sorely tested.
The battle was nearing its climax.
A swirling cavalry melee.
Sabre and long sword clashed.
Dashing Hussars dueled for supremacy (and knowing Hussars, bragging rights as well)!
Cannon boomed and musket cracked.
Against the cuirassiers the hussars brought down twice their losses. But the clash would last another turn.
The brave cavaliers who tackled the Hussars de Juene also fought to a draw. No mean feat outnumbered two to one as they were.
Both sides would need to regroup and rally before further action.
The Hussar vs. Cuirassier combat continued!
The second dwarven infantry regiment formed line behind the guns and skirmishers.
Having driven the light infantry from the wood, Zwergteufel formed column to support the line.
The enemy line continued advancing on the guns. It looked like I had left it too late and the battery would be overrun.
A disappointing volley by the elves and a devastating volley of cannister sent the elven regiment packing.
Straggling light infantry and hussars crossed the field only too happy each to ignore the other.
The Freikorps Hussars were victorious over the 2nd Cuirassiers!
.
The remaining light infantry covered the withdrawal of the Hussars de Juene
With the cuirassiers routed, and both dwarven cavalry regiments still on the field,
with one line infantry regiment under strength and withdrawing with two full dwarven line regiments on the field,
and with their light infantry sorely depleted,
the elven forces conceded the field.
It was the proverbial near run thing with only the dice really having decided the winner.
Would the elves have faired better assaulting the fields from the start rather than trying a double envelopment? Possibly.
Or would they simply have been so worn down by the effort they could not hold their gains?
In any event my decision to charge the heavies before the trap was sprung paid off.
However had the dice been less kind, had the dwarves been less fierce, the result would have been disastrous.
With the cavalry right won, I think I could have withstood the loss of the battery and perhaps an infantry regiment while my cavalry rallied and my lights redeployed.
After that only luck could have saved the elves.
As it was luck had deserted them, as the guns were not overrun and the infantry nearly destroyed in the attempt.
Final losses:
Dwarves:
Freikorps Rote Bart Hussars - 4
Anthill and Baryrum Dragoons - 7
Freikorps Rote Bart Jaegers - 3
IR #1 Zwergteufel - 3
IR #2 Prinz von Wuetende-Zwergkoeingreich - 1
Gunners - 4
Total - 22
Elven:
Hussars de Juene - 10 + 2 PoW
2nd Cuirassiers - 18
Legere - 18
First Regiment de Ligne - 24
Second Reginent de Ligne - 0
Gunners - 1
Total - 71 + 2 PoW
Finally King Frederick der Fleine is pleased to present Hauptman Muller of the Anthill and Bayrum Dragoons the Order of Merit for fighting off two Cuirassiers, killing one of them, in defense of the Regimental Colours.
Hope you enjoyed the tale and thanks for stopping by!
Looks like a well played game with lots of action. Hind sight can make you think something could have been done differently, but the dice gods have their way in the end!
ReplyDeleteTis true Anne! Last night I realized that had the elven ligne regiments charged the guns while still in column they would have suffered horrendous losses but gotten there two turns sooner! Would it have worked? Probably but no guarantee. Feel bad though making mistakes for the AI side. Still I've been known to make a few for my own :)
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