New Zealand Natcon - War and Peace Volume Two

[Daemionhunter]

New Zealand National Championships: Easter 2016 (War and Peace Part Two )


Venue and participants
The tournament was held at the Fortress Monastery of the North Shore Wargames Club, the Forrest Hill Scout Hall. Built in the Middle Ages the venue reflected the building materials of the time and doesn’t retain heat in winter nor stay cool in summer. This is not a good mix with unhealthy middle aged wargamers with poor diets and unhealthy lifestyles on a hot day.

Eight gamers participated with seven being warrior monks from the North Shore Club and one visitor from the South Island, Keith Marshall. Keith being keen to escape the intellectual wilderness of that sparse landscape organised the tournament for us.

Rules
Three day event using the pitched battle scenarios from the rule book. Rule modifications/updates/improvements used were the same as for the recent Battlecry tournament.

Key changes were to Light Infantry, shock and Guard charges, the initiative rules and command points:
1. Light Infantry could not use skirmish formation unless compulsory skirmishers. They retained their mobility advantages in rough/difficult terrain. However, all infantry fire (Light Infantry and line) at medium range isn’t affected by the terrain they were in as this is skirmish fire. All infantry fire (light and line) at close range is affected by terrain as this represents formed up units firing volleys. However, Light Infantry melee wasn’t affected by terrain although all units in terrain fight as “other” i.e. a small unit gets four dice. This gave Light Infantry another small advantage over their line opponents. [I don’t agree with this advantage as there isn’t really any “melee” outside of town fighting and “close combat” is really just volley firing.]
2. Shock cavalry and Guard units had to test to charge if spent or disordered.
3. No extra unit for +3 on initiative role nor the addition of +4 ACV to defender
4. No free command point for commander being attached to a unit although Complex Move Tests were still passed on a 4+.

My army
1813-1814 Mixed Corps
Prussian CC Exceptional Charismatic with plus 6 Initiative and ACV 28
Prussian Infantry Division with Competent DC
Large Average Conscripts with Artillery Attachment
Large Average Conscripts with Cavalry Attachment
Large Average Drilled Medium Artillery Battery
Prussian Cavalry Division with Competent Charismatic DC
Large Average Conscript Light Cavalry with Lances and Officer Attachment
Large Average Conscript Light Cavalry with Lances
Austrian Reserve Grenadiers with Competent Allied DC
Superior Veterans with Artillery Attachment
Superior Veterans
Large Average Veterans
Russian Reserve Cavalry Corps with Competent Allied DC
Large Average Drilled Cuirassiers
Large Average Drilled Cuirassiers

Friday
Game one: Versus Alistair Donald
To kick everyone into gear I blasted Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” from my Bluetooth speaker.
In the battle reports left and right is from my perspective.

Al’s army: BRITAIN, Portugal - 1809-10, Anglo-Porto-Dago, Talavera-ish, July-August 1809
Competent Charismatic CC, Lt General Wellesley, with plus 4 initiative and ACV 27
Infantry Division with Competent CC (1st Division Sherbrooke)
Average Veteran with Rifle Skirmish Attachment
Large Superior Veteran with Cavalry and Medium Artillery Attachment
Average Veteran Horse Artillery
Infantry Division with Competent Charismatic DC (Hill)
Large Average Drilled with Medium Artillery and Rifle Skirmish Attachment
Large Average Drilled with Medium Artillery Attachment
Average Drilled Light Infantry
Spanish Infantry Division with Continent DC (Eglesias)
Unreformed Poor Drilled Infantry with Skirmish Attachment
Unreformed Poor Drilled Infantry
Poor Drilled Light Infantry
Poor Drilled Medium Artillery Battery
British Cavalry Division with Competent DC (Payne)
Average Drilled Light Cavalry
Average Veteran Light Cavalry

I won the roll to be the attacker. I had fairly open terrain in my half. Al had a central steep hill and another in line with it further to my right. The gap between the hills could accommodate around 4 or 5 small units. There was also room to flank around the hill on the right.

Al deployed two British infantry units and both artillery batteries in the gap and the British Light Infantry on the right most steep hill. Spanish Light Infantry were on the central hill supported by some British and Spanish infantry to my left and behind the hill.

I lined up on to attack into the gap between the hills. My Prussian division was aiming towards the central hill. However, in an endeavour to confuse Al about my intentions I deployed my cavalry behind the Austrian Grenadiers. This disrupted my advance to attack positions.

I manoeuvred my cavalry around and through my infantry losing a couple of turns to this and a no advance from artillery on one unit of shock cavalry. I sent the large Austrian infantry unit towards the hill to engage his Light Infantry and a unit of Lancers around the hill. I also pushed forwards a little in the centre with the Prussians.

My Light Cavalry got tied up with his behind the hill right hand hill with neither side gaining much advantage. My large Grenadier unit advanced onto the right hill to engage his Light Infantry. I forgot the new way Light Infantry worked on the hill and advanced to within 2 inches to reduce his firing effectiveness and charged them. He drove me back. I was fighting wavered and he fought as a full unit albeit with only 4 dice but plus 2 for uphill. I should have stayed at 2 inches and deployed into extended line and outshot him!

The key fighting for me was in the centre where I charged his infantry and guns with the two shock cavalry units and a unit of Lancers. I followed this up with the Superior Veteran Austrians. After a bit of too and fro I’d taken out his guns and infantry but lost one unit of Grenadiers.

However, I’d been a bit over eager with my Prussians. They’d advanced and over about three turns managed to get all routed by a large British unit supported by a couple of units of Spaniards.

I was feeling pretty good now as I had control of the centre to the board edge and had three large units of fresh cavalry, spent but not disordered, ready to wreak havoc on the rest of Al’s divided force.

Ooops …. added up the loss of the Prussians, a unit of Grenadiers and 4 large spent cavalry units and I’m over half. My army breaks!

Well done Al. I thought I was a in good position and perhaps Al felt I was too. However, the numbers don’t lie.

Game Two: Philip Abela

Philip’s army: Anglo-Netherlands Army in Belgium 1815
Exceptional Corps Commander (Abela – the victor of Battlecry) with plus 4 initiative and ACV 26
British Infantry Division with Competent DC
Superior Veterans
Large Average Veterans
Average Veterans
Large Average Drilled Hanoverians
British Cavalry Division with Competent DC
Impetuous Shock Heavy Cavalry Average Drilled
Impetuous Shock Heavy Cavalry Average Drilled
Netherlands Infantry Division
Poor Drilled
Large Average Drilled with Artillery and Rifle Skirmish Attachment
Large Poor Conscripts
Netherlands Cavalry Division
Small Average Drilled Light Cavalry with Artillery Attachment
Small Average Drilled Light Cavalry
British Attachments After Deployment
2 Rifle Skirmish, 2 Artillery (which went to the Shock Heavy Cavalry) and a Cavalry Attachment

Philip won the roll to attack. I managed to mess up his deployment area with a town and some woods right in the centre around his start line. I also had a town on my right flank.

Philips deployment was messed up by the terrain. He put his Heavy Cavalry on flank march, to my right as it turned out. His Light Cavalry were in the centre and sent around to my left flank. In the centre he deployed his British infantry and to the right centre his Hanoverians.

I deployed my Prussian infantry on the central hill with the Lancers behind them. The Austrian Grenadiers were facing the Hanoverians. I had the large unit of Grenadiers to the right of that division in the event of a flank march from the British. My Cuirassiers were between the Prussians and the Austrians.

Philip advanced with his British infantry but was quite spread out to avoid terrain. The horse guns came down the road and Hanoverians advanced cautiously.

I took advantage of the lack of support between the advancing British infantry to charge a unit of Superior Veterans who had become separated from their supports with two large units of Lancers in deep formation. The Lancers charged down the hill to the sound of Ride of Valkyries from Apocalypse Now. They were disordered either in forming square of from my artillery on the hill and were cut down by 14 dice. This and some artillery upset the large unit coming through the town to their (my) right and they withdrew into the town after a melee with a unit of conscripts coming off the hill.

Meanwhile in the centre right my Cuirassiers and Grenadiers were lining up his horse artillery and Hanoverians. A bit of failed shuffling on his part and a no advance on the Cuirassiers eventually resolved itself and I charged his guns and got stuck into the Hanoverians routing them all.

Philip knowing my style, that I wouldn’t rest on the defence, had thought I would advance and have a crack at the Hanoverians and had planned his flank march to come in on his half of the board rather than mine. A very cunning plan! I had my large unit of Veteran Grenadiers on the right flank of the division given concern about the flank march.

His heavies came on in turn four or five and ended their second turn on the table within 2 of my large Grenadiers who were protecting the flank. Unfortunately the Veterans failed to form square in my turn. However, even dropping a level when charged the dice weren’t with Philip and they passed to form square. Philip put two units of heavies with guns into them along with an infantry unit but couldn’t get the 5 hits he needed to rout them from 14 or 16 dice. They recovered and I held there.

On the left his Light Cavalry and remaining British infantry routed a unit of conscripts. Cavalry forced them into square and infantry finished them off at close range. However, the LC couldn’t get to grips with the guns or my LoC before I sent some Lancers around to rout them.

Time ran out at that point and I had a win. I’m not sure on the points. At this point I played Iron Maiden’s “Run for the Hills”.

This felt like a really good game. A few good strategies employed by both sides. However, this time I had a little more luck and had harboured my reserves better and managed to reverse the result of the excellent game Philip and I had at the Battlecry tournament, see volume one of War and Peace elsewhere on this forum.

Saturday

Game Three: Brett

Brett’s Army: 1814 French
Skilled Corps Commanders with Initiative of plus 5 and ACV 30
Imperial Guard Division with Competent DC
Superior Veteran Guard
Average Veteran Guard
Average Veteran Guard Light Cavalry with Lances
Average Drilled Guard Light Cavalry
Officer and Medium Artillery Attachment after terrain
Mixed Division with Competent DC
Average Veteran Light Infantry
Average Drilled
Average Drilled
Average Drilled Medium Artillery Battery
Average Drilled Light Cavalry
Average Conscript Light Cavalry
Medium Artillery Attachment after terrain
Mixed Division with Competent DC
Poor Conscript
Poor Conscript
Poor Conscript
Average Drilled Medium Artillery
Average Conscript Light Cavalry

Brett won the roll to attack. Terrain had a wood dead centre of the table. In my half I had a river cutting off half of my left third, the defenders hill and another hill between the river and my central hill with the crest just within my deployment area. My LoC was on the base line between the two hills.

My Prussian infantry defended the central hill, the Superior Grenadiers were lined up near the baseline about six inches back from the left hill covering my LoC and the left of the central hill with the Cuirassiers behind the central hill, Lancers to the right of the hill and the large Veteran Grenadiers covering the right. I didn’t want to cover the left hill as I felt I’d be too exposed to an early attack.

Brett’s Guard division came hard at my left making most of their second moves with the cavalry in the lead accompanied by “La Marseillaise”. His drilled division advanced between the left hill and the central wood. The conscripts, Light Cavalry and guns loitered behind the central wood not pressing my right till later in the game.

I reordered my line on the left close to the base line and LoC with a unit of Cuirassiers lining up between the two Superior Grenadiers near my LoC and a unit of Prussian conscripts and the large battery on the central hill. Brett’s Lancers charged off the hill into my large Cuirassier unit hoping to drive them back and get into my other units. However, he had little chance of this. Hitting on threes with a general attached I got 6 hits out of 7 and drove him back wavered, cue “je ne regrette rien” by Edith Piaf. He recovered but despite the hill my Cuirassier unit over the next two turns routed the Guard Lancers and sent the Guard Light Cavalry wavering to the rear. These Cuirassiers eventually routed to close range fire from the advancing Guard infantry.

The Light Cavalry supporting the drilled division also tried to join the fray but were routed by my other Cuirassier unit or by some advancing conscripts at close range, I forget which.

Further to the left the middle Guard couldn’t make progress against two Superior Veteran Grenadiers and were rebuffed wavering to the river and I couldn’t catch them with my Unreformed troops. I held the left comfortably now.

Meanwhile Brett lined up his other division to my left of the central wood with the Light Infantry moving to the rights side of that wood. I had moved my Lancers forward retaining the ability to move either left or right. One unit charged some of his infantry and cut them down perhaps with help from my infantry or guns and then bounced back. They tried another charge but didn’t press home and got stuck between my line and his. His line was crumbling now with several units routing. I think my Cuirassiers may have burst through one of his units and was now sitting behind his centre with his guns heading for the rear.

On the right Brett had now advanced with infantry, guns and Light Cavalry. The Light Infantry had advance out of the wood but were cut down or routed or something by the other Lancers. These then bounced back behind my large Veterans who were trying to slowly retire from his advance. I think I lost this unit to charges and shooting and certainly the Lancers were cut down by his cavalry after getting hit in the flank by cavalry passing through the Veteran square.

I still had some forces on this flank and time had either run out or I had broken Brett’s army. I think I got this 15-10 or 16-8 or something.

Game Four: Kit
Kit had his British Waterloo list. I had to attend a wedding my wife had inconveniently organised for her foster sister on the Easter Saturday afternoon at our house. Kendall played my force and crumbled against the forces on Kit’s hill. Kit, or his hill, was the eventual tournament winner!

Sunday
Game Five: Keith Marshall

Keith had an 1813-1814 Russian Guard list that would be very hard to break down as it was a mix of very resilient Guards formations and very hard to pin down Cossacks. His list was:
Competent Corps Commander with plus 2 Initiative and ACV 26
Guard Jaeger Division with Competent DC
Average Drilled Guard
Average Drilled Guard
Average Irregular Cossacks
Large Superior Drilled Guard Medium Artillery Battery with Artillery and Officer Attachment
LifeGuards Division with Competent Charismatic DC
Large Superior Drilled Guard with Artillery Attachment
Average Drilled Guard
Superior Drilled Guard Medium Artillery Battery
Reserve Cavalry Division with Competent Charismatic DC
Superior Drilled Light Cavalry
Average Drilled Light Cavalry
Average Irregular Cossacks
Annoyingly Irregular Cocksacks
Average Irregular Cossacks

I won the roll to attack and chose a river which went into Keith’s flank on my left. I used this to cut off about a third of the board and hence limit the places his Cossacks could roam around in. I would still have plenty of room to move in so I wouldn’t be too channelled into his Guard and guns. I also chose a couple of large towns as Cossacks can’t enter them. Both of these ended up just outside my deployment area on my right flank. I put my LoC behind them with the road I also picked. He got a large wood he put next to his central hill on my right. We also had a small difficult in front of his central hill and a hill between that and the river on my left. This hill had the crest just outside his deployment area. Keith put another wood in the centre just outside my deployment area. There was a gap between this and the wood to the centre left of his hill.

I put my Prussian infantry centrally one either side of the woods with the guns ready to go down the compulsory road that was to the left of Keith’s, the defenders, hill. The Austrians were to my right getting ready to enter the towns and pop out the other side to drive Cossacks back. My Cuirassiers and a unit of Lancers were deployed to go for the hill on my left. The other Lancers were on the right to support the Austrians.

Keith deployed Cossacks forward spread across the front of his lines ready to interfere with my advance. His Light Cavalry were to the right rear of his hill. His Guard Light Infantry were behind the central hill. The guns and other Guard were to the rear of the deployment area on the centre left to protect from cavalry coming down the hill.

I moved the left lancer unit towards the left hill to keep him guessing on that side. The guns advanced up the road and deployed. The Cuirassiers moved between the two central woods, one unit in deep behind the other, to shift the point of attack. My Austrians moved into and out of the towns on the right.

On the left Keith sent his large battery away and deployed them on the central hill. Getting into a commanding position with 4 Guard gun bases covering most of the forward slope. The small battery and the two infantry units advanced towards my lines. My Lancers fell back. Keith eventually lined up my guns with both infantry units. I allowed my Lancers to intercept a large Superior Drilled Guard uphill infantry unit to save the battery. The battery saw off the smaller infantry unit with defensive fire and the Lancers wavered the large unit as they were in tactical so had 10 dice (large unit with lances) rerolling ones with an officer and hitting infantry in the open on 3s. However, the Guard had 10 dice (large unit uphill) hitting on 4s rerolling 1s, 2s and probably 3s. The Lancers routed and headed back to Berlin with the job done.

In the centre Keith had Cossacks and Guard Light Infantry skirmishing from the central wood with my large battery and Prussian infantry. I eventually wavered both back but couldn’t follow up.

On the right my Grenadiers pushed the Cossacks back. I was then lining up my Lancers to charge his Light Cavalry. However, Keith went in first with a unit of his Light Cavalry with rear support from other lights and flank support from Cossacks. I was driven back, not sure if I routed or not, but he was wavered or maybe disordered. I think he pursued into my large unit of Austrians who he didn’t do too much damage too.

In my turn the Cuirassiers charged his Light Cavalry and probably took out both units. The Grenadiers drove back the Cossacks with close range shooting. I then lined up his guns on the hill with both units of Cuirassiers from the front and a unit of Superior Grenadiers from the flank. Keith reorganised a bit and put the Guard Light Infantry on the hill behind the guns into square. I charged the guns with all three units. He drove off one unit of Cuirassiers with defensive fire and fought the other to wavering in melee whilst I only disordered them. His Light Cavalry or was it more Cossacks intercepted the Grenadiers. The Grenadiers routed them and pursued into the flank of the guns routing them. The Cossack rout and retreat disordered the Guard Light Infantry and the Grenadiers pursued to within 2 inches routing them too with close range fire the next turn.

At this point Keith’s army broke.

Game Six: Mike Haycock

Mike had his French 1814 list that I often struggle against with 4 units of artillery and 2 of Light Infantry with guns. With those units in his front line he can throw out 36 dice at 6 inches.
Competent Charismatic Corps Commander with plus 4 Initiative and ACV 28
Infantry Division with Competent DC
Average Veteran with Artillery Attachment
Poor Conscript
Average Veteran Heavy Artillery Battery
Mixed Division with Competent DC
Average Veteran Light Infantry with Artillery Attachment
Poor Conscripts
Average Veteran Medium Artillery Battery
Poor Drilled Light Cavalry
Mixed Division with Skilled DC
Average Veterans
Poor Conscripts
Average Drilled Medium Artillery Battery
Average Drilled Light Cavalry
Infantry Division with Competent DC
Average Drilled Light Infantry with Medium Artillery Attachment
Poo Conscripts
Average Drilled Medium Artillery Battery

I chose a river to deny it to Mike and it ended up on my left flank in his half. Mike got a big rough cover in the right quarter of his deployment area. There was room to manoeuvre two small units between this terrain and side and rear board edges. I also I had a hill in front of his central hill.

My Prussian infantry deployed to move onto the central hill in front of his hill. Cuirassiers were between the Prussian infantry and the Grenadiers. The Grenadiers lined up aiming at the rough cover on my right and Lancers were right on the extreme right edge.

Mike had some infantry and two batteries on the central hill. A mix of drilled infantry and some Light Cavalry on my left with a battery. Another battery and some infantry, one with a gun, were behind the rough near his LoC. He had 2 units of Light Infantry with guns in the rough.

My Lancers passed their conscript CMT and shot 20 inches down the far right, only 14 inches from his baseline on turn 1. He had a battery and unit of infantry guarding the gap behind the rough. He also advanced his Light Cavalry into the rough. I charged his guns and cut them down with Lancers and then bounced back. His Light Cavalry charged my Lancers and were sent back. The Lancers pursed into the side of one unit of Light Infantry cutting them down.

Meanwhile the Cuirassiers and Superior Grenadiers were advancing on his Light Infantry through some desultory cannon and skirmish fire. I then charged his remaining Light Infantry with the both units of Cuirassiers forcing them into square and doing a little damage and finishing them off with Grenadiers at close range. Overwhelming force pushed me through the rough into a some guns and other units I routed giving me the centre.

Mike had meanwhile advanced on my left taking out both units of Prussian infantry on the hill with a combination of his Light Cavalry and infantry. However, I’d now swung around from my central breakthrough and was mopping up. Mike’s army broke.

Conclusion

I really enjoyed 2 and a 1/2 days of gaming. I’d planned a force with a different approach. I wanted all-out attack and to try big cavalry charges followed up by infantry at close range. I felt I managed to deliver to my plan in every game. Even against Al where I lost I managed to storm through his centre.

Thanks to Keith for organising everything and to Kendall for filling in for me on Saturday afternoon so Kit didn’t miss a game.