The Battle of Liegnitz or Fran's Last Game. A SYW batrep

The Rejects got together last weekend for a quickly organized game for Fran, He eejit is moving back to Ireland in the New Year, so our games with him will be few and far between.

As it was his last game with us Postie suggested that Fran pick the game. Fran chose a blast from the past.......a Seven Years War game!! When he first came over to the UK and joined our group we played the Campaign "Sport of Kings", included in the ruleset Warfare in the Age of Reason. So many of his first games with us were SYW games. Now we haven't played the SYW for at least 10 years??? And were I do believe looking back through rose coloured glasses!!

Age of Reason used to be my Favourite set of rules, but after this game..................they're not!

They just take too long and are a pain.

It was very short notice but we managed to get 4 players a side, it could have been 6+ a side if everybody who was invited could make it, which would have been a nightmare!!

Fran could pick what side he want to command, and chose the Austrian's who were defending, which left me commanding the Prussians, I would then setup against Fran's setup.

Fran set up quite well, which didn't really leave me a lot of options, mainly due to the terrain....cheers Postie!!!!

The initial setup

The sides
Prussians
1st Brigade -1st/2nd Batt of 7th, 10th Musketeers, 15th Lieb Garde 1 Siege, 1 Heavy, 1 Medium  and                      1 Med Howitzer
2nd Brigade - 1st/2nd Batt 35th Fusilers, 1st/2nd Combined Grenadiers, 1 Siege, 1 Heavy, I Medium                        and 1 Med Howitzer
3rd Brigade - 41st Fusilers, 1st Musketeers, Von Kliest Frei Corps, 1st Jagers, 1 Heavy, 1 Medium, 1                         Medium Howitzer.
4th Brigade - Guard Cuirassiers, 1st, 13th and 4th Cuirassiers
5th Brigade - 7th & 12th Cuirassiers
6th Brigade - 5th & 11th Dragoons
7th Brigade - 1st & 3rd Dragoons
8th Brigade - 2nd Dragoons, 7th Hussars
9th Brigade - 2nd & 4th Hussars, 1 Medium Horse Artillery

Austrians
1st Brigade -1st/2nd 38th 1st/2nd 48th Musketeers, 1 Siege, 2 Heavy, 1 Medium Gun
2nd Brigade - 1st/2nd 55th, 51st Hungarian Fusilers, 1st/2nd Combined Grenadiers, 1 Siege, 1                                    Heavy, 1 Light and 1 Med Howitzer
3rd Brigade - 1st, 2nd & 3rd Pandours, 3 Light, 1 Howitzer
4th Brigade - 13th &14th Cuirassiers
5th Brigade - 4th & 6th Cuirassiers
6th Brigade - 12th & 3rd Cuirassiers
7th Brigade - 6th & 7th Dragoons
8th Brigade - 2nd Dragoons, Palatival Hussars
9th Brigade - Paul Anton Eszterhazy Hussars, Hadik Hussars, 1 Medium Horse Artillery

The Prussian left wing

The 1st and 9th Brigades commanded by Surj 

My 2nd Brigade

Tamsin's 4th, 5th, 6th & 8th Brigades

Lee commanded the Dragoons far right, the 7th Brigade

Fran's troops on the hill.

Dave and John's horde of Horse!!

Our plan was simple, Lee was to hold in the centre wood, I would attack the hill on our right

while Surj would have the main attack on the left of the hill. Tamsin was just to attack with the Cavalry!!!

The Cuirassiers advance.

As does my Brigade!

Fran's Pandour brigade. He put these on his flank, I guess to move into the wood on his right?

Our plan was to not let them in the wood and keep them in the open, where they're weaker.

The hill looked quite a monster to attack, the Austrian Musketeers are in 18 figure units, while ours are in 12's, it was going to be hard.

The Face-off

We faced 6 Austrian Cuirassiers!!

A nicer looong line!!!

A view of Suj's troops from the hill

I don't quite know what to write here???

Smiffy's infantry didn't do much in the game, they stood firm and fired.

Dave's Hussar's stay in colomn, but where are they going?

Fran's Pandour

The Wargaming Girl gets getting ready to pounce!

A helicopter view

And they're in!

Clint came along to the game, but didn't play

Me and Surj move up, and Fran moved his skirmishers to the flank.

Sneaky Dave, moves forward in column, through the little gap we'd left

this wasn't an attacking move, he needed to secure the flanks of the rest of his cavalry.

I had hoped by now I'd have taken care of at least 1 of Fran's Siege guns on the hill, but we failed

this meant my attack would have to halt, otherwise, my troops would be smashed with cannister.

Tamsin's dice were good, but Dave's were better!!

The eeejit himself!

Come on Tamsin!!!!

The white markers denote the unit still has its first fire.

Things are hotting up on the hill....

Things aren't going our way...

Disaster, Tamsin loses two units who retreat from the table edge, never to be seen again.

Surj charges Fran's Pandours who promptly leggit!

Their red routing markers are just visable

Now that looks better!

Fran's infantry on the hill have finally had enough, they rout!

And to make matters worse, Surj charges the Pandours in the rear!!

Routing the unit through the Red Pandours. They both leave the table.

Leaving the flank open.....Mwah ha ha!

Lee moves his two Dragoon units up, but its a bit too close, me thinks??

Tamsin's Hussars do wonderful things and win a melee that they shouldn't 

have, then they go crashing into another unit

What a mess!!

Fran's Grenadiers take the place of the routing infantry, and I move up the

 hill with my Grenadiers. Fran's last siege gun flees as well!

Surj prepares for attack on the flank

The Austrian Grenadiers run

And there's where the game ended. We both had reached our casualty limit and had to

test our army morale. which we both passed with flying colours!!

And as the Chinese restaurant was booked up we had to run!

So a draw was called, It was a bit disappointing spending all day fighting and only to

get a draw. I think if we'd had time to play another two turns it would have gone our way.

Tamsin was holding her own on our right, Lee held the middle and me and Surj were beating

up Poor Laughing boy!

Not sure we'll play Age of Reason again, but we will be playing the SYW again, that's for sure

infact Richard, is going to ref the same game using the same oob's but using the Konieg's Krieg set of rules, sometime in the New Year.

So that's something to look forward too.