NZ NatCon - Easter 2018

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Philip
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NZ NatCon - Easter 2018

Post by Philip »

There'll be a FOG-N tournament at NatCon in Hamilton NZ in 2018

It will be a 5-round competition over three days (Saturday 31 March to Monday 2 April)

We'll be using the 2nd edition rules, 800 point armies.

More details to come.

Tournament website:
https://hamiltonnzimmortals.weebly.com/natcon-2018.html
Philip
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Re: NZ NatCon - Easter 2018

Post by Philip »

A reminder about NatCon - registrations are open now. It would be good to get some more confirmed entries!
cheers,
Philip
Philip
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Re: NZ NatCon - Easter 2018

Post by Philip »

Entries are due by Friday. We have got 6 confirmed already, with several other probables and possibles, so now's the time to get your rego in.
Philip
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Re: NZ NatCon - Easter 2018

Post by Philip »

Results:

1st Andrew Duncan - Russian Guards 1812
2 Kit Goldsbury - British 1815
3 Brett Preston-Thomas - Austrians 1809
4 Stu Todd - Mameluke 1799
5 Mike Haycock - French 1814
6 Al Donald - Anglo-Spanish 1814

Kit's British also won the Best Painted Army prize.

This year there were six players and we had a five game round-robin competition.
sonic
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Re: NZ NatCon - Easter 2018

Post by sonic »

For those of us not there, what were the army lists like?
Philip
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Re: NZ NatCon - Easter 2018

Post by Philip »

Quite a mixed bag!

Here's a summary of the armies

Mameluke 1799
30 ACV, CC2, 4 Divisions
5 heavy cavalry, 2 guard light cavalry, 2 light cavalry, 6 infantry

Austrians 1809
36 ACV, CC1, 4 divisions
1 heavy cavalry, 5 light cavalry, 5 infantry, 5 conscript infantry, 2 artillery

Russian Guards 1812
20 ACV, CC1, 3 divisions
1 shock cavalry, 2 light cavalry, 5 infantry, 2 artillery, all guards

Anglo-Spanish 1814
24 ACV, CC2, 3 divisions +1 allied Spanish division
2 heavy cavalry, 2 light cavalry, 8 infantry

French 1814
32 ACV, CC1 charismatic, 4 divisions
4 heavy cavalry, 3 light cavalry, 6 infantry, 2 conscript guard infantry, 1 artillery with BC

British 1815
26 ACV, CC1 charismatic, 3 divisions
1 guard shock cavalry, 1 shock cavalry, 2 light cavalry, 7 infantry, 2 artillery
Daemionhunter
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Re: NZ NatCon - Easter 2018

Post by Daemionhunter »

Some advice to my opponents when faced by the Russian Guard "Don't fear the reaper"!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClQcUyhoxTg
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sonic
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Re: NZ NatCon - Easter 2018

Post by sonic »

Just waiting for the usual after action report from u
Daemionhunter
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Re: NZ NatCon - Easter 2018

Post by Daemionhunter »

Natcon 2018 Battle report

Natcon was held at the Hamilton Cosmopolitan Club. This is a huge venue within 5 minutes of central Hamilton. It provided two bars, a “bistro” serving very well priced pub food, a very large pool room with at least six tables.

Unfortunately for Blues supporters the club also had several large screen TVs showing live sports. On Saturday night one side of the room had the Super Rugby and the other the NRL. Our table started facing the Blues and ended turned to the Warriors. Like most Blues fans we turned our backs on them.

Army List
My 1812 Russian Guard was built on the current draft of the new lists being worked on. It is distinguished mainly by the addition of the Guard Jaegers. Guard Cossacks are now rated and pointed as Superior Drilled Guard Light Cavalry.
1812 Russian Guard Corps
Eastern Europe, ACV 20 with 10 units
Commander in Chief: Surovov, Competent

Guard Infantry Division
Divisional Commander: Trumpovsky, Competent (?)
Foot Guards - Small Superior Drilled Guard Infantry with Medium Artillery Attachment
Foot Guards - Small Superior Drilled Guard Infantry
Foot Guards - Small Superior Drilled Guard Infantry
Guard Artillery - Small Average Veteran Guard Medium Artillery Battery
Guard Artillery - Small Average Veteran Guard Medium Artillery Battery

Guard Infantry Division
Divisional Commander: Putinov, Competent
Foot Guards - Small Superior Drilled Guard Infantry with Medium Artillery Attachment
Guard Jaegers - Small Superior Drilled Guard Light Infantry

Cavalry Division
Divisional Commander: Horsikov, Competent
Life Guard Cossacks - Small Superior Drilled Guard Light Cavalry
Life Guard Hussars - Small Superior Veteran Guard Light Cavalry
Life Guard Cuirassiers - Small Superior Drilled Guard Shock Heavy Cavalry with Medium Artillery Attachment

Game One
I drove down on the Saturday morning to play “Justice” Goldsbury’s Irish, Scottish and Hanoverians. I remember little of this battle except it ended in a 13-12 draw. Kit chose Flexible Defence and I selected Prepared Attack.

I had the upper hand on some of his infantry on the left but would have needed a few more turns to catch and finish them. On my right his Horse Guards and large Scots Greys were facing off with a couple of Guard infantry units with some cavalry behind them. In the centre the remainder of our guns and infantry were facing off against each other.

We would have needed another of our 3.00am finishes to get a result on that one. Of course my crushing morale victory was widely reported in the Russian media and extensively discussed on Facebook.

Game Two
Surf’s (Mike Haycock) French who would outnumber me by more than 50 per cent, 32 ACV to 20ACV i.e. 6 more units.

I chose Prepared Attack again and Mike selected Position Defence. He had to fit 16 units on his large hill. He couldn’t quite manage it and 3 of his generals had to deploy alone on another hill and rush back to his lines. His infantry and guns were to my left of the defenders hill and the cavalry to the right.

I inflicted a few casualties with shooting around the left edge of the defenders hill and pushed hard on the side that faced his guns and infantry. I had a couple of units of infantry screen to my right for the inevitable cavalry advance. My small infantry division pressed home on the left supported by the artillery and cavalry. Both infantry were marching down a “conveniently” placed road.

The key moment was my Guard Light Cavalry advance on his large drilled battery on the left of the defenders hill. I advanced to within 6 inches supported by some infantry and the edge of one battery. Both cavalry units got 4 dice or less. Unfortunately they were both disordered by grape, bugger. However, the dice were soon to swing in my favour.

In my next turn both units charged disordered at a unit of Conscripts and the Large Battery. The guns stood but the infantry were disordered. I think I may have thrown the small infantry division in as well to the left.

The battery fired. Unfortunately they’d used all the well packed canister in the previous turn and failed to inflict any damage. With Mike’s 8 plus dice only did a two or three hits. The Superior Drilled and Veteran Guard light cavalry charged through the grape cutting them down. Along with the success of the infantry Mike’s army started to crumble. The left collapsed before his cavalry could engage the rest of my force and the game was over.

I think it was twenty odd to me a few to Mike.

Saturday Night
Before dinner I headed off to check in to my accommodation. Motel in question was a great example of the wonders of Photoshop. On the bright side some parts of the room were very clean.

Game Three
Al’s Scottish, Irish and Spanish. Al chose Position Defence and I took Bombardment again. Al managed to get two hills across his deployment area.

Al got a few troops out of his box. I thought he was just getting him out and that they weren’t deployed. I’m so used to Kit and Mike putting everything behind the crest of a hill!

As a result my bombarding guns were poorly deployed but still inflicted a few casualties on the Spanish. Meanwhile the Scots and Irish were lined up behind the crest of hills daring me to come within six inches and suffer from the fire of their maxim guns. I think he had 5 units of Scottish and Irish infantry most with 5 or 6 dice of shooting. Of course while they could see me my guns couldn’t range in on them. Al seemed quite pleased with this.

I pressed on the left with my small infantry and the SVG light cavalry. My other infantry were advancing towards the left of the centrally located hills. Al bought some troops down from the right hill with one unit moving into the gap between. My infantry moved forward to engage supported by long range fire from my batteries and inflicted some casualties. My SDG light cavalry then charged the unit and passed through. My SDG with general attached were behind enemy lines! The general eventually escaped but the lights failing to recover were lost to some Dragoons. Al’s infantry unit in the pass eventually died to a close range volley. This led to the loss of another unit who were charged by my Life Guard SDG Shock, I think. I also took out some of his Dragoons in the last turn.

On the left my infantry were pressing forward supported by the artillery. My SVG light cavalry were sitting in front of his AC light cavalry waiting for orders from their general who was galloping back from his adventures in Al’s rear.

Eventually the left resolved itself. My infantry did some damage but also took casualties from his Spanish and a unit of Veteran Light Infantry that kept recovering from horrendous fire from my infantry and guns. I lost a unit pressing home to 2 inches and then getting charged in the flank. However, once the SVG light cavalry got their orders they charged and wavered/routed the AC light cavalry and pursued into the neighbouring infantry, within 2 inches, routing them too. That finished the game.

Game Four
Brett’s 1809 Austrians. Brett chose Flexible Defence, I think. Being outnumbered by about 8 units I went for Position Defence to give me the best chance of controlling the terrain and getting somewhere to hide.

I chose a river and the maximum number of difficult and rough terrains pieces. These ended up surrounding his deployment area. I blocked off one third of his deployment area to the halfway line with a river. This was to my right. For the remaining two thirds of his deployment area he had in order from the table edge on my left: steep hill; difficult terrain; large central rough up to the centre line and finally a steep hill. Well Brett wasn’t going to overwhelm me any time soon! I put my LoC in my right hand corner courtesy of a strategically placed road.

I deployed some infantry to the right of my defenders central hill. My cavalry behind the hill and guns and small infantry division hid behind the crest.

Brett deployed 4 units of conscripts in March column on the steep hill on the left who trundled up the board in desultory fashion. They may have got within 16” of me as the game ended. In the centre his good infantry marched into the rough with a battery.

His large cavalry division (four units (?), two large conscripts and some others) were coming at his beck and call. I thought perhaps on my right. The river was difficult so I sent a couple of units of Guard infantry over towards the river. My plan was to deploy in extended line just back from the river. I was pretty sure no cavalry was going to charge across into that. Brett must have agreed as his cavalry arrived in March column and trooped over the steep hill looping around behind the rough to my left. I don’t think they got into the game.

In the centre a desultory long range artillery exchange occurred into and out of the rough to little effect. Neither of us was ready to commit and it was getting boring.

Enough of that I thought and I threw my infantry and light cavalry into the central rough. I eventually ran off one of his artillery batteries and spent a cavalry unit. Brett spent a couple of my cavalry. Fighting in the rough is very inconclusive!

We ended on a draw of some sort, possibly 13-12 to me.

I suppose I should have been more aggressive but was very worried about my flanks when so heavily outnumbered. Once he’d committed his cavalry to a long march around his rear perhaps I should’ve just got stuck into the centre. However, I held back as the rough terrain neutralised my artillery.

Game Five
This game turned into a final as Stu (Mameluke) and I were in the lead.

I chose Position Defence as I was again concerned with my opponent’s greater numbers and mobility. Stu wanted to get stuck in so selected Frontal Assault. I was lucky here as I was able to block Flank March. If Stu could have had this strategy the game would have had a much different shape.

I got a difficult river and was able to close off nearly one third of the board. I could have put a road there and sat in and around a small town. That would have been a bit too soft. So I put the road into the left corner and planted my LoC there. I would use my force to make the hypotenuse of the board edge and my baseline. This gave me stronger flanks than I could manage on the central defenders hill.

Stu would have to advance down the left board edge or come between the difficult on the central left centre line and the defenders large hill. I deployed my large infantry division and guns running from the left board edge down the hypotenuse. The small division finished the hypotenuse to my baseline and the cavalry behind.

Stu set his infantry down the left board edge. His cavalry swept around to my right.

I saw a horde of light infantry coming for me and was thinking trouble despite the irregular rerolls. However, the cavalry on this flank was behind the infantry. I checked the rules on irregulars and found they aren’t much cop when you can see the whites of their eyes. I advanced to close range with my infantry and rammed the Life Guard Cuirassiers into the close range. The infantry retired backwards through the large unit of superior irregular heavy cavalry to their rear. Bugger I didn’t think they could do that!

In the centre Stu charged some Cossack types at one of my batteries who stood and blasted them back to the steppe. A good move on Stu’s part as the guns might have run and there’s plenty more irregular cavalry where they came from.

On the left I charged home with the Life Guard cuirassiers and three SDG infantry units. A couple of routs (including a little luck with the dice) and a couple of wavers and associated tests broke the flank and Stu’s army.

Conclusion
Thanks to Philip for running a great tournament and the Hamilton Immortals for Natcon. Once again a great venue.
sonic
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Re: NZ NatCon - Easter 2018

Post by sonic »

thanks for that , it gives an idea how your army went against the usual suspects. Which Guards army did you prefer, that one or the 1813/14 one from last year? This one seems to have had a lot more draws in it.
Daemionhunter
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Re: NZ NatCon - Easter 2018

Post by Daemionhunter »

The "new" 1812 Russian Guards list is a bit different from the current one. It allows some Light Infantry but no regular army artillery. I decided to try it out despite it being very similar to the troops I selected for the SuperNapoleonics Tournament in Victoria last year. Both lists had two infantry division, some Guard cavalry and Guard artillery. This list didn't have have any Cossacks as I decided to go without any filler.

Before the tournament I wanted to try out a Prussian list with an Exceptional Commander in Chief. However, at the club meeting the weekend before I saw that most of my opponents would have very large armies. I decided to give everyone something a bit different to play against. I could have taken a cheap Division from the Russian Army of 1812 to add to my ACV but thought that would be min-maxing a bit too much and went all Guard.

I was outnumbered in most of my games and in some seriously so. However, I felt that my opponents were too cautious. If pressed on every front I would have walloped a few units then gone down in a big heap. Fortunately no-one mustered the gumption to try that on.

I did end up with a couple of draws whereas the Guard ran rampant in Victoria. I might have got over Kit with a few more hours up our sleeves, and smoke breaks, but I'm sure he was thinking similarly. Against Brett I perhaps overdid the terrain choices in order to neuter his numerical advantage. In the end that played against me with what fighting we did end up having being less than decisive as it took place in the rough.
sonic
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Re: NZ NatCon - Easter 2018

Post by sonic »

Thanks for that Andrew - I always find your observations insightful. Not having opponents down this way means I get a lot out of the battle reports.
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