The Gelderland attackers press the defending company hard! Motivated by their determination, or possibly just the bayonets of the troops behind them, the assault troops advance. Behind the first three companies of grenadiers, more Gelderland troops are massing, pouring over the crowning works, and moving along the enemy firing step. A single Fenwickian company is all that blocks their path. However, to make use of their numbers, the Gelderlanders must burst through this chokepoint created by the damaged bastion.
(Above) At the top of the bastion there is a vicious fight. This physical altercation has the sorts of vocal expletives, eye-watering disarticulations and painful poking rarely seen outside of King Wilhelm of Gelderland's birthday parties. Despite their best efforts, however, the attacking grenadiers can make no headway and the Fenwickians continue to hold their position. (Below) Indeed, the first company of attackers suffer heavy casualties. Elements of the second company filter forwards to take their place.
(Below) On the other flank, the Gelderland musketeers make reasonable progress. Enemy artillery begin to open fire, but the bad light limits the casualties suffered by the attackers. The speed of the attack is aided by the support that they receive from their supporting Gelderland mortar. It's not that the mortar actually hits any of the enemy, so much that its random aim encourages the ladder troops to get as far away from it as possible.
(Above) The defencing gunners receive support from imperial musketeers that begin to arrive at their bastion. On the other bastion, however, things begin to go awry for the defenders. (Below) Before one can say 'is there any chance that you could hold these melons', the defending Fenwickian company cracks suddenly like a chocolate codpiece and flees!
They have succeeded, however, in blunting the Gelderland advance, and now (above, right) two more companies of Fenwickian troops have arrived to continue the defence! The Gelderland attackers are now in danger of experiencing the same general development in conditions as many of King Wilhelm's mistresses - early enthusiasm and momentum; the rapid onset of fatigue; inadvertent culmination; followed by a messy withdrawal and and a sharp argument about who is to blame.
How are you handling the siege / wall assault in game?
ReplyDeleteIndeed. Echo previous comment.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the ladders look fab.
Hi guys,
ReplyDeleteWe were playing by skype, so we didn't use Maurice: the cards pose some complications if you aren't playing face-to-face. We used the old WRG rules, which read like a 16th century text on alchemy but which my opponent, Niall, knows well.
For Maurice:
- Treat the game as multi-player, with two forces on each side (and therefore two packs of cards). The ladder force and the bastion force, for example, would be two different 'armies'.
- Because of the congestion, reduce units to two bases, treating each base like two normal ones (so each rolls two dice for fire, for example). Mass is formed with one base behind the other; march column looks like mass, but with a marker to identify it.
- Troops defending the bastion count as uphill. The bastion doesn't count as difficult ground. The attackers need a sporting chance of making mischief, or the game won't be much fun.
- Attacking walls: the ladders are cosmetic (glad you like them, Duc!)- treat assaults on the walls as per normal charges. The ladders go up when the troops charge, and are removed if the attackers have to retreat. The walls are treated as uphill linear obstacles. The ladder troops are there mainly to fix defending troops, although if they get a lucky roll, or manage to find a section of wall that isn't defended, they can have more of an effect.
Great report- things are getting bloody in Mittelheim! That said- the final summary is superb!!
ReplyDeleteThanks John - glad that you liked the post!
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