New Zealand Natcon Report

[Daemionhunter]

New Zealand Natcon Tournament Report

I decided to take Russians as some of the local body politicians with whom I interact as a member of staff have observed I have a likeness to Vladimir Putin. I would of course prefer to be compared to Suvorov but take the Putin reference as the flattery it is undoubtedly meant to convey.

If my recall of the games is unfair to any of my opponents please feel free to comment. I had six good games and really enjoyed the tournament.

My list was:
Russian Infantry Corps 1813-1814
Initiative +5, Units 10 and ACV 26.

Exceptional Corps Commander Duncansky
Divisional General Competent Duncanenko
Large Average Drilled Infantry with Medium Artillery attachment
Large Average Drilled Infantry with Medium Artillery attachment
Light Infantry Average Veteran
Medium Artillery Average Veteran

Divisional General Continent Duncanov
Large Average Conscript Infantry with Medium Artillery attachment
Large Average Conscript Infantry with Medium Artillery attachment
Heavy Artillery Average Drilled

Divisional General Competent Duncanev
Russian Reserve Cavalry Corps 1813-1814
Large Cuirassiers Shock Heavy Cavalry Average Drilled
Large Cuirassiers Shock Heavy Cavalry Average Drilled
Light Cavalry Superior Drilled Guard

First game: Shaun with 1812 French Infantry
I defended as Sean also had an exceptional general and easily won the roll off.

I deployed with my Conscript division on the hill with the other division to their right and the cavalry held centrally in reserve. Sean’s conscript division advanced on my right with his mixed division spread in front of he hill and his cavalry to his right centre.

I move my shock cavalry around to my left to roll up the small units advancing towards me. Sean moved aggressively with his conscripts but didn’t quite pull it off falling on concentrated fire from the Russian infantry. Similarly in the centre my conscripts came off the hill before his cavalry could intervene and he was overwhelmed.
A good win for the Russians.

Second game: Kit with Horse Guards, Scots Greys and a few others who were also at Waterloo.

I won the roll off to attack. I thought I’d be clever and select a river then place it to suit me, as Kit had done in a previous game against me. I put the river in the left corner of his deployment area, my left. The river required a CMT and commander to cross. There wasn’t a lot of other terrain as I chose very little thinking I could use the open spaces to outmanoeuvre his unreformed infantry.

Kit then proceeded to deploy his Line of Communications and all his infantry and artillery behind the river. I deployed my conscript division to my left so I could advance towards the river if needed and my cavalry centrally. Kit then put his cavalry centrally, Horse Guards, small SVG Shock and gun attachment, and Scots Greys large AD impetuous and gun attachment, and a couple of small units of light cavalry and some horse guns on the road on the far right. I put my other infantry division on my right to go after the right flank of his cavalry.

I shifted my conscript division towards my left centre facing towards his Horse Guards to the left of the central hill and the infantry crossing the river towards me. Meanwhile my infantry and cavalry advanced towards his cavalry. I chased off his guns and one light cavalry with shooting and got my Guard Hussars into one of his light cavalry units routing them. This got me a flank pursuit into his Scots Greys but rolled poorly. I needed three hits out of four, I was disordered, to take his disordered Scots Greys to wavering and to give me that flank. I would then have been able to finish them off with my infantry and shift my other forces to the left. Unfortunately I only got 2 hits. I had an excellent i.e. 90 per cent or so chance of getting that bugger!

The next turn I also managed to get both my Cuirassiers into the Horse Guards at the same time winning the combat just and sending them to the board edge wavering. The Cuirassiers could then turn and finish off his other lights and the Scots Greys. My Hussars got to the retreating horse guns. However, this took a few more turn given the rusty state of my Hussars sabres noted above.

Meanwhile the British veteran infantry weren’t being slowed by the river and were advancing as rapidly as there four inch move legs would carry them towards my heavy batter and conscripts. The conscripts finding their ammunition and slowed the advance and moved in for the kill routing the lead unit with overwhelming numbers.

However, the Horse Guards had now recovered and where within two inches of the flank of a conscript unit with a disordered one to pursue into if that broke. Which of course if would losing cohesion levels for flank charge, cavalry charging within two inches and then a test for being charged! My dice then paid me back for the Hussars with both conscript units passing CMTs to retire thus protecting their flanks and the disordered infantry recovering.

Kit’s army went over 30 per cent at that point and the Russians had another good win.

Third game: Phillip with Waterloo British and a lot of the Dutch Belgian Reserve Corps.

I won the roll to attack. I managed to put a building to the centre left and a small piece of rough in front of the central hill. This would allow me to focus my force to one side of the centre and limit Phillips ability to bring his larger number of units to bear on my flank.

Phillip deployed two batteries of artillery to the front of the hill and his British infantry (large and small veterans with guns and rifles I think) to the centre right with the Dutch Belgians to the rear and left. The British cavalry, small impetuous shock heavies with guns(?), were held back centrally.

I faced his centre with my conscripts, the other infantry division on the right and the cavalry held centrally waiting for an opportunity. I advanced fast on the right with my guns initially outflanking his and my infantry sweeping around the flank of his hill. He hung back with his British infantry, retired the guns and bought the heavy cavalry to the crest. The rest of his army lined up to go around the rough terrain in front of the hill and take my left flank.

My advancing cavalry forced his large infantry unit into square which my infantry took advantage of forcing them to retire from close range shooting. Unfortunately despite having their fire split between two units they managed to use their rifles to cut down my divisional general! There was some other action in my favour in the centre but it escapes me know. Phillip now had a log jam of units either retiring towards his LoC behind the hill amidst others who were seeking to move around to support flanking manoeuvres on my left.

The dice gods repaid the misfortune of losing a general when my shock heavies routed a unit of his with some good dice. This rout with burst throughs and other testing broke his army. This action or something like it forced what seemed like 12 morale tests.

In the meantime Philip had captured my LoC with a light cavalry unit accompanied by a general. I ignored this threat to focus on my primary plan.

Good win for the Russians.

Fourth game: Keith with 1812 French Infantry.

Keith won the roll to attack.

Keith selected a lot of terrain and large pieces too. Fortunately for me not too much fell in my side leaving me some room to deploy and still be able to deploy with some mutual support. I could see Keith’s plan was to use the terrain to advance his skirmishers within striking distance and combine their fire with his artillery which had formed up in the gaps. I withdrew my forces outside of six inches of the terrain and stood firm.

After about an hour and a half, maybe two, Keith, having conducted some manoeuvring, decided that he wasn’t going to advance any further. Obviously fearing a repeat of the casualties of Borodino!

I decided that a 13-12 to me was better than the threat to my line of communications if I was late home for the BBQ Mrs Duncansky had planned, so graciously accepted Keith’s offer.

Fifth game: Mike Haycock 1814 French Infantry.

Mike won the roll to attack. Mike has a large army with maybe fourteen units. To counter than I deployed to make a line from the centre of my baseline and my defenders hill to sort of the centre of the board edge on my right flank. My conscripts held the hill, from behind of course, and my other infantry the right. The guns and light infantry the centre with the cavalry behind them waiting to spring into action. The Guard Hussars moved to protect the flank of the infantry on the right.

Surf advanced in a line with two batteries centrally and one to each flank. His Guard infantry facing the right of my central hill. I concentrated my artillery on his Guard line infantry delivering cohesion losses which drove them back whilst my light infantry in extended skirmish line screened by shock cavalry from his dual artillery batteries which were creeping closer.

A unit of my shock cavalry launched themselves against his wavering Guard Line and routed them then bounced of the Guard Lights in square. Then both shock cavalry charged his guns to run one unit down.

Meanwhile I’d charge a kink in his line with my infantry to take out his right battery and rout an adjacent infantry unit. However, I made a mistake in the location of my Guard Hussars who ended up fighting his cavalry in the rough and as we only disordered each other he won, caught be me in pursuit and wavered them. I eventually lost that flank but his troops were in disarray.

On the right I moved up my two large conscripts and charged a battery, and a small unit routing them and some conscript cavalry and some more poor conscripts behind them.

This took Mike over 30 per cent and the game ended. My right was shaky but the shock cavalry were ready to reform and face right and one of my infantry units had rallied. His left was gone but my conscripts would have been too busy looting to take further part in the battle.

Good win the Russians against a historical opponent.

Sixth game: Steve Hill and his mixed Swedes, Austrian and Russians.

I got the chance to attack again, my preferred position, and with plus 3 so an extra unit of average drilled infantry. I didn’t choose much terrain but got to put a couple of small bits of rough/building on the centre line to the left of the defenders hill. This was done on purpose to allow me to concentrate with more freedom on one flank.

My conscripts were deployed centrally facing his hill. These were able to move forward unmolested to within six inches of his Austrian Infantry where they exchanged a desultory fire for the rest of the game to little effect. This division was pestered by an annoying unit of Cossacks who were kept at distance by the fortunate extra unit of infantry.

On the right I lined up my heavy guns just to the right of the hill with some light infantry who exchanged fire with his large unit of Guard infantry for three to five turns before driving them off wavered.

The rest of this division and my cavalry faced off against his cavalry and light infantry. His lights came out of an enclosed field to from square against my Hussars who bounced them off but became disordered from which they didn’t recover and were cut down by the Hussars and some Cuirassiers in the following turn.

Meanwhile Steve had five units of cavalry (from my left: 1 Lancers, 2 Cossacks, 3 Guard Dragoons, 4 Shock Guard, 5 Dragoons) facing two large units of infantry with guns, a veteran medium battery and a fresh Cuirassier unit. I had another fresh Cuirassier unit behind the guns. He had some Cossacks and Superior Drilled Light Cavalry on a hill to the right behind the enclosed field which defined the right flank of the opposing lines.

We were lined up side to side. I was waiting to do some shooting casualties. He was deciding when to take his chance. Despite my powder being wet Steve decided to charge his 4 Guard Shock and 5 Dragoons at my guns. My guns ran, bugger (87.5 per cent chance they’d stand). Both my large fresh Cuirassiers then intercepted. I drew disorder each with his Shock Guard but won with 6 out 7 hits at 3s against his Dragoons who routed and caused his Shock Guard to waver. So they had to retire despite winning the one on one. This let both of my Cuirassier units into his rear and allowed my infantry to advance on his other cavalry.

Time was called after three hours with most of my army in tact and his in tatters. All my cavalry were spent but only one unit was disordered. Another half an hour and the Russians would have been in Stockholm! However, we had to settle for a 13-12.

Conclusion.

A fun tournament. I had some big swings of luck but got some nice balancing swings my way as well. Great games more than making up for my, if I recall correctly, zero wins and 4 losses at the Battlecry tournament in February.

Thanks to Keith and my opponents.