Friday 30 July 2021

An Ancients Batrep - Romans v Germanic Tribes - The Battle of Alara River 16AD


Some of the Rejects got together for a Roman v Germanic Tribes bash last weekend.
We wasn't expecting such a big game?


The setup


My pal Neil came to the game, he's only played 2 games of 15mm FIW using Donnybrook rules before, so this was a big test for him.


The Romans looking very powerful.


and their Auxillia troops on the flank.


The Germanics standing on the hill taunting their foe.


First turn and all the Celts moved forward.
Our plan was simple, attack as quickly as possible!


Including our flank. But in true Celt fashion we had some hidden troops?


The Romans
Oliver, Dave and Surj


Luvvly looking troops!


Hmm?
The Romans start to redeploy?


We carried on moving forward


Our main attack was on the bend of the Roman lines, in front of Richard's units.


Neil moved up and traded fire with the Roman Auxillia archers.


Richard's main attack was hampered slightly by the woods!


Their was a spot of bother in the Roman ranks, as they couldn't seem to agree what to do and kept moving each others command?


We all had character figures. Richard had a witch. And she was gonna cause trouble. If she was attached to any unit they would get a +4 in melee and morale!


The arguing carried on, on the Roman side so the decided to move around the flank?


We're closing in.....


Oh and there's the surprise!
Surj moved his cavalry onto the hill, and saw a nice surprise.
4 hidden Cavalry units.
Look at poor Dave's face!


The Romans are a tad worried.


The entire table


Looks a little daunting, but I'll give it a go.


Richard get the first charge in!


Then its Neil's turn with the Cavalry.


Its gonna be close???


Neil brings the rest of his infantry up to support the cavalry attack.


As does Richard.


Richard lost both melees and is pushed back.


Oliver and Dave moved up the Romans towards my lines.


The Romans are thinning out.


In the centre I'm facing the 1st Cohort, which has been moved to the front of the Roam lines and is double the size of the other cohorts.


And we're in!


This should be close.



The Roman Cavalry are beaten and what's left runs!


Richard's not having it all his own way, as a unit is knocked back, but the Romans lost a few more figures and are looking very fragile.


The Celts contact the Romans just before they contact my javelinmen.


But still lose the melee and are punched back, leaving the Romans free to attack the javelin men.


Who flee back through the woods.


Then fail their morale check and flee the field.


Richard and Neil make pretty patterns as they advance towards the now retreating Romans


Its a struggle to the death, the Romans have lost their back rank and I've nearly lost mine.


And they're gone. The 1st Cohort is destroyed to the man, in doing so we captured their Eagle.
Which as all of you may know, would mean disgrace for the Legion.


You may ask the question, I know we did, where is the support for the 1st Cohort and why the hell is it trying to take my left flank???


Richard charges and captures another standard. And at the end of the turn Postie gave us, the Celts the victory. We had captured many Roman standards including their Eagle and there was no way back for them. 
The Romans lost 5 units, the 1st 3rd and 6th Cohorts the 4th Auxilla and the Auxilla Cavalry. 
The Celts only lost light troops, 3 Javelin and an archer unit.


T'was Cup o' Tea time, and our Celtic Chieftain Richard, collected the Man of the match award!
Great game was had by all.....I think?
We stuck to our plan all the way through, while the Romans seemed to change their minds every turn, which didn't help there game at all. Not sure why they just didn't stand and wait for us to come onto them, at least they would have been able to fire their bolt throwers every turn.
To the end Surj said that wouldn't have helped them, that they had to try and take the flank???
Can't see it myself, Just glad I was on the Celt side!




Tuesday 6 July 2021

Napoleonic Batrep - The Battle of Bruck auf der Leitha 1809

 


At last! A game at Reject HQ!!!!

On Sunday Postie put on a game for 4 Rejects, BigLee, Surj, Smiffy and myself.
Unfortunately Smiffy forgot so never turned up!!
Now we haven't gamed in the shed since last March, how the hell could he forget???
Smiffy becomes the first Reject this year to make it onto "The Wall of Shame", just for being a tit!
The game was mega and could really have done with three a side, Postie picked me to play on my own, I had the choice of sides, without seeing the table or OOB. I chose the Austrians, hoping they'd be in defence....

OOB
French - IV Corp - Marchal Massena (Surj & Lee) 
1st Division - Legrand
       1st Battalion - 26th Legere & 18th Line and Light Gun
       2nd Battalion - 1st Baden Grossherzog, 2nd Baden Erbgrossherzog, Baden Jagers & Light gun
2nd Division - Carra St Cyr
       3rd Battalion - 24th Legare (elite)       
       4th Battalion - 4th Line, 46th Line and Light Gun
       5th Battalion - Hesse - Darmstadt  - Leib-Garde, Leib Garde Fusiliers, Leib Rgt, 1st Leib Fusiliers & Light Gun
3rd Division - Molitov
       6th Battalion - 2nd Line, 16th Line & Light Gun
       7th Battalion - 37th Line, 67th Line & Light Gun   
4th Division - Boudet
       8th Battalion - 3rd Legere (Elite) & Heavy Gun
       9th Battalion - 56th Line & 93rd Line and Light Gun
5th Light Cavalry Division - Lasalle 
       10th Battalion - 13th & 24th Chasseurs a Cheval Line & Horse Artillery
       11th Battalion - 8th Hussars & 16th Chasseurs a Cheval
       12th Baden Light Dragoons, Hesse-Darmstadt Chevau-Leger Rgt
(Reserves - Didn't Arrive: 1st Heavy Cavalry Division & Imperial (Young) Guard)

Austrians - III Corp - Kolowrat (Ray)
1st Division - Vukassovich
       1st Battalion - Lobkowitz Jagers, 2nd Schwartzenberg Uhlans & Horse Artillery
       2nd Battalion - 7th Schroder, 56th Wenzel Colleredo & Light Gun
       3rd Battalion - Prague Landwehr, 1st Beraun Landwehr, 2nd Beraun Landwehr & Light Gun
2nd Division - St Julien
       4th Battalion - 1st Kaiser, 12th Manfredini, 23rd Wurzburg & Light Gun
       5th Battalion - 20th Kaunitz, 38th Wurttemberg & Light Gun
3rd Division - Kotlulinsky
       6th Battalion - 39th Duka, 60th Gyular & Light Gun
       7th Battalion - 31st Benjovszky, 51st Splenyr, 3rd/4th Vienna Vol, 3rd Moravian Vol & lt Gun
       8th Battalion - 8th Kienmayer Hussars, 6th Grenz Rgt, 7th Grenz Rgt
2nd Combined Cavalry Division - Schwarzenberg
       12th Battalion - 6th Rosenberg Chevaulegers, 3rd Knesevich Dragoons (Elite)
       13th Battalion - 6th Blankenstein Hussars, 3rd O'Reilly Chavaulegers & Horse Artillery
Reserves (Arrived Late) Grenadier Division - Steyier
       14th Battalion - Hahn, Hromada, Legrand, Demontant & Berger Rgts (Elite)
(Reserves - Didn't Arrive: 1st Heavy Cavalry Division)


The whole battlefield
This is a "What if" battle and is set the day before Wagram and named after the small village of Bruck auf der Leitha.


The Austrian left and centre


Centre right


and left.


Lee's French Cavalry Brigade


Two Austrian Heavy guns, in the centre of the table, these would play a big part in the game.


Our Cavalry faced each other, all 4 units charged!


My two heavy guns fire! Taking first blood!


In the first melee, my Elite Cuirassiers were smashed by I gotta say some unbelievable dice from BigLee. 7 out of 8 kills!
So back I went!


The next melee was a draw and I managed to knock back Lee's other two units.


What turned out to be my best Cavalry unit of the day the 3rd O'Reilly Chevaulegers.
The blue marker means they've captured a flag. Top left the French red marker means they've routed.


Next turn, all the Cavalry managed to charge again.


Except my Cuirassiers on the left. But could they survive?


The French infantry (top left) are massing and moving forward.


While on my left, Surj also advances. The French were unaware that my 3 columns at the back were all Landwehr. So I was pretty weak.


I krpt most of my infantry in Attack column, mainly for ease of movement and just incase I could sneak in a charge of my own.


Hmm? Where's my cavalry gone?


My first bit of luck, The heavy guns fired again taking a few casualties off of the French columns, but Surj had their Brigade leader a little too close, so he had to test to see if he had become a casualty.
He was blown from his horse and killed, this then forced a brigade check, which Surj promptly failed!! 
The whole brigade were pushed back 12 inches!
That gave me a lot of breathing room.


My left, the 2nd Schwartzenberg Uhlans had nowhere to go, so they just got in the way!


I was very weak in the centre, I kept three columns off the hill deliberately to tempt Surj to attack.
I had a secret surprise waiting for him????


This isn't looking good. My cavalry have gone!


Austrian columns waiting for a chance.


Surj's victorious 13th Chasseurs


On my far right, my centre Grenzer unit the 6th get knocked back.


Lee charges the Austrian colomn! They are pushed back, and the Chasseurs carry their charge on again.


 But they couldn't repeat their earlier victory and are routed in melee.


On turn 4 I bought out my reserve, 5 units of Austrian Grenadiers, in the centre, behind the weak hill.
I could have bought these on at any time during the game. It was almost a shame the the main French assault on the hill had stalled by then.


The left still looked very dangerous for me. After his knock back in the centre it looks like he's switching his attack here.


Surj moving diagonally over to my left.


I finally managed to get myself into a decent position on the hill, centre right. This halted Sur and Lee's attack.


On the left, I moved back.


Mega table!


Now it looks like I'm attacking


As I move up in column onto the hill.
I for one wouldn't want to attack that hill.


Nor would I want to attack that hill either?


Now I'd seen off the French cavalry, I looked pretty strong here as well.



We started the game at 10 o'clock and had been playing for over 10 hours. It was 8.30 and we could play no more. All of our dinners were either in the bin or in the dog, BigLee, was a dribbling wreck sitting in the corner.
As there was so much more left in the game, we shook hands and agreed on a gentleman's draw.

So there you have it, our first game of the year (in bloody July!) but, what a game it was.
Well done Postie and well done to the French.