Impromptu Games

Wasn't able to play yesterday - too tired.

Generally we only play on Fridays thru Tuesdays often with the exception of Saturdays.

Today is Jeanathan's Wolgast scenario. I am looking forward to that and would enjoy taking my previous command of Gratien again.

Hello guys, me Joe and Kevin are in Teamspeak and planning on doing a game tonight. Kevin's making the scenario.
We'd be glad if you joined.

That is just plain to bad. Kevin you should have emailed me LOL.

Re we having a battle today?

I will take a break from these monsterlag games for today and have a fun time going through OOBs

I'll be available for a game today. Shall we start at the usual time of 20:00GMT, (15:00EST) or an hour earlier?

Earlier or regular is fine with me, Kevin.

19:00 GMT is good for me. That would be "sun is up" for our Russian commanders.

Alright, we'll start at 19:00 GMT, (14:00 EST).  Sunrise is not so important in this battle as it is the Austrians who will face the French.  They have heavily invested in pocket watches.


Yesterday, French cavalry patrols reported the lead elements of the Austrian 4th Armeekorps were beginning to arrive at the mountain pass to the northwest of Santerem.
Due to the heavy French cavalry presence, the Austrians have been unable to locate the precise position of the French forces, but they are believed to be in the vicinity of Villa de Axeda which sits astride their line of communication.

Objective:  The Austrians must capture and hold the town of Villa de Axeda and disrupt the French supply line.  The French must hold the town at all costs.

This seems oddly familiar though no cats will exit any bags at my doing.

Sorry I missed it something came up.

Did you get a game going yesterday? Anything today?

Me, Andrew, Joe, Kevin and Martin played the scenario Kevin had yesterday.

I don't know about today. I think I might join in on Martin's OOB creating with the Swedish vs. Russian Campaign.

5 of us played Kevin's scenario he gives the map for above. We were the Austrians and you missed your one chance to be under me as C-in-C this decade Mike. Pity.

The French had a division awaiting us east of Marta, one near Almerim and one in the north near San Luza. Andrew had our right flank division that started north of Cartaxo, I was C-in-C in the centre east of Santarem with brigades commanded by Jeanathan and Joe while Kevin took the left flank near Punhete.

My plan was to send Andrew around the south of the enemy and hit Almerim and Alexo from the south with my division on his left attacking Alexo from the west. Kevin was to draw in and be a reserve by moving SE to form behind my division.

The French southern division attacked at once, passing through Marta and assailing Andrew in force west of there, completely halting his eastwards advance. Part of this division headed NW to contact my right flank in the centre so I turned my right hand brigade (Joe) to face SE to contain them. It was only a brigade and Joe pushed it back with support from the divisional artillery. I was at this time completely unaware that Andrew was fighting for his life a half-mile to the south as the map was foggy. I was concerned for him however as the force attacking Joe was clearly coming from the area around Marta. I rode to some high ground and could see through the haze a whole mass of flags most of which were not Austrian! I could also just about make out what I thought was the glitter of light on polished French cuirasses! I realised the enemy could be pushing forces between my right and Andrew's left so sent Jeanathan with my second brigade SW behind Joe's engaged brigade to swing left and face SE or E on Joe's right. I gave Jeanathan strict orders to maintain contact with Joe's flank and find and support Andrew, which he did although it was soon clear that the French cuirassiers here were a problem so I sent my own Austrian cuirassier brigade SE to support the area between Jeanathan and Andrew.

I had meanwhile asked Kevin to take a squadron and ride east to Alexo and report on what was there. He wrote a letter back saying it was empty of enemy but a couple of battalions were south of the town. I ordered him to move his division east and occupy it. A few minutes later he sent me another (rather more sweaty) courier announcing that a bigger enemy force was S of Alexo and moving SW towards Marta. I did not want to hear this as Andrew already had his hands full; Joe's brigade was fighting well but beginning to tire and Jeanathan's brigade had had some rough handling from the cuirassiers. I therefore told Kevin to take his division to Alexo, occupy the objective but face S and be prepared to advance and strike in the rear whatever force was going SW to Marta.

By this point I had left my divisional artillery and my last (Grenzer) brigade on a ridge on Joe's left, making this into a linking unit between Joe and Kevin's troops which were still N of my Grenzers facing NE. I had gone far to the SW to supervise the commitment of my cuirassier brigade the squadrons of which were proving themselves extremely reluctant to get their hands dirty. It was very awkward. As I was reissuing orders here I saw an Austrian limber team and its driver go scuttling past me from north to south in a great hurry, the driver casting nervous looks over his shoulder to the north. A few moments later he was followed by three or four more routing gun teams and I recognised their facings as being from batteries assigned to Kevin's division! Someone was attacking Kevin's troops while he was miles away stuffing his pockets with looted French livres and brandy in Alexo.

I galloped back ENE to my Grenzers to find a brigade of Bavarian light horse lurking near them to the E and ordered the brigade commander to form squares. I wrote an urgent note to Kevin to get back to his command and supervise it as enemy was coming from the north. He wrote a note which crossed with mine making it clear he'd seen the problem as well. I now had all my corps committed fighting one enemy division in the south and a second in the north but I also knew a third was somewhere E or ESE of me moving on Marta. I requested status reports from Jeanathan, Joe and Andrew and learned they were winning but it was a hard fight and several formations were tiring.

I issued orders to Kevin to align his command facing north and form the corps' left flank. I urged Jeanathan and Joe to disengage if they could and move ENE to attack Alexo, while I ordered Andrew to slide to his left (ENE) if he could but keep the French in the south away from Jeanathan and Joe who I needed to join my Grenzers and take the objective.

Jean, Joe and Andrew actioned these orders and began moving but at this point the 2-hour scenario time limit was up.

I really don't know if we'd have won with more time but maybe. Kevin had shattered the division in the north and Andrew had likewise done superbly against that in the south turning a -450 point score when they first attacked into a +2950 score by the end of the battle. There was still a fresh French division near Almerim though my Grenzers had driven off its cavalry brigade. My Grenzers and artillery were fresh as were 4 of my 6 cuirassier squadrons. Jean and Joe were marching hard towards what would have been our final attack and probably Kevin by then could have assisted with a brigade and his cavalry, so we probably could have pulled it off.

The AI was cunning and tough in this fight, determined to both shatter Andrew and keep us guessing on our left. The fog didn't help. I hate fog. Almost as much as I hate forests.

The 2 hour game sped by with pretty much 0 lag which was fantastic. I could really immerse myself in the game experience and not sit there drumming my fingers waiting for the game to unpause every few seconds. If I can design things in the 1813 campaign to produce battles of about this size, player numbers, time limit and speed I'll be extremely happy.

Replay file ===>

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gnlswvnpz4c4cki/Alexo-and-Marta.rar?dl=0

Excellent AAR Martin, I enjoyed reading it.

Nice AAR Martin. Sounds like you had your hands full with Kevin.......

Several crates of brandy and a few sacks of French coins arrived at my HQ the following morning so its all good.

You need to amend your AAR from making Kevin sound like such a disobedient scoundrel to more of a Robin hood type guy then.


Just my honest opinion.

That twenty is in the mail, Mike. Of course you are absolutely right. My forays into enemy territory are strictly for replenishing the Widows and Orphans Fund.

Joe's big attack looking to the East.  My division has already routed.  Objective is off screen to the left in the direction of the troop movement.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7qx3wg8fpq4u4y1/screen0002.bmp?dl=0

Anything today?

3 on TS now!

I am available for a game today at the usual time, 20:00GMT, 15:00 EST. I put together a small scenario involving the 1807 Russians.

I should be available and have a new internet connection to try out.

a small scenario involving the 1807 Russians.

Do the words "small scenario" and "Russians" go in the same sentence easily? I would have thought not.

I can be there.