The Battle of Uzaktan Savas

Following on from the Rejects' last remote 18th century adventure (see here), we gathered for another evening of mid century conflict.  This time an encounter between Catherine the Great's Russians and the Sultan's Ottoman Turks.

Two opposing players (Jon for the Russians and Ray for the Ottomans) were given the size of forces available, the army lists and a map of the battlefield.  Their job was to construct their armes and deploy ahead of the game.

The map sent to Jon and Ray.  Brown hex are hills, green squares are wooded hexes, the grey square is a village.
The white boxes are the deployment zones.  The Russians will deploy in the northern zone.

The Objectives

Simply put, the aim of both armies is to force their opponent to retire.

If one side doesn't concede then I'll refer to my (still on trial) army countdown clock where one is taken away for each retreat and defeat in melee. Three is removed if the road junction with their table edge is captured; 1 each is added for controlling the central bridge and road junction.

The Armies
The Russians (Jonathan and Dan)
1st Infantry Brigade: 3 line, 1 grenadier and 2 heavy artillery.

2nd Infantry Brigade: 3 line and 2 medium artillery.

1st Cavalry Brigade: 1 hussar

2nd Cavalry Brigade: 1 cuirassier and 1 dragoon

Independent units: 1 jäger and 1 cossack

The Ottoman Turks (Ray, Lee and Steve)
1st Infantry Brigade:  3 Janissary, 1 levee, 2 medium and 1 heavy artillery

1st Cavalry Brigade:  2 Spahi

2nd Cavalry Brigade:  1 Akinji, 1 Grand Visierial Guard

3rd Cavalry Brigade:  2 Akinji

Independent units:  1 Azab skirmish infantry, 1 Seyman skirmish infantry

Deployment

The table with the armies deployed.  The Russians to the north.
It looks like Ray has gone for overwhelming the Russian eastern flank with all of the Ottoman cavalry.

The Battle

The Russians move quickly to turn their high ground into a bastion against which the Turks will break themselves.  At the same time, redeploying their dragoons and cuirassiers from west to east to try and counter the Turkish mounted threat.
The Ottomans advanced along the whole line.  Swinging their cavalry wide on their right flank while skirmishers moved swiftly through the woods to harass.  However, Russian jagers and cossacks moved to nullify any immediate danger.

The battle of manoeuvre continued as cannons opened up on the western flank and Seyman, Azabs and jagers fought a running firefight in the woods.

The Russians started gaining the ascendancy in the woods.  Meanwhile, the Turkish heavy cavalry hurled itself into the defending infantry and cavalry.

A spahi unit suffered losses from Russian musketry fire and refused to charge into the disciplined line of bayonets and volleys.
However, the other heavy cavalry of the Sultan launched itself against the Tsarina's dragoons and cuirassiers, who countercharged.

Meanwhile in the centre, jagers and cossacks started to make bloody work of the Azabs.

The Ottoman heavy horse routed the Russian cavalry but were unable to exploit the situation further.  However, the men from Muscovy won control of the woods as they annihilated the Azabs.

As I tend to do, I asked the players what they would do if this battle was in the context of a larger campaign.  The Russians quickly responded that they would withdraw... and so they did!

Victory to the Turks!

Afterthoughts
I enjoyed seeing how this battle unfolded.  It was interesting to see how the more oriental Ottoman forces would stand up to the more modern Russians.

I think that it would be fair to say that the Turks were lucky to pass so many morale checks with their irregular troops.  This was critical.  The Turks have quite a fearsome army but are very brittle and units could retire at the first hit.  That they didn't showed how favourably the dice gods smiled on the Turks.

Thank you to Ray and Jonathan for participating in the army creation and deployment.

The Fictional Battle of Haftah ka Khel - AAR

Surjit and I got together on Saturday morning for another remote game of Koenig Krieg.  This time we ventured to the Indian sub-continent for a fictional battle between British and French forces.

Surjit was sent an image of the battlefield.  He had to select a 14 point British army and deploy on the northern edge of the map in the white box prior to the game.

The map for deployment sent prior to the game.
Brown hexes are hills. The green are woods.  The grey hex is a BUA.

I took control of the French, deploying in the southern deployment box.

The Armies

The British
1st Infantry Brigade: 1 European Foot, 1 Rajput, 1 levy unit and 1 heavy artillery

2nd Infantry Brigade: 1 European Foot, 1 Rajput, 1 Sepoy, 1 levy and 1 medium gun

3rd Infantry Brigade: 1 Sepoy, 1 Rajput, 1 levy and 1 medium gun

1st Cavalry Brigade: 1 Rajput heavy cavalry, 1 Native light cavalry

2nd Cavalry Brigade: 1 European light cavalry

Independent units: 2 units of Mahratta skirmish missile cavalry

The French
Infantry Brigade 1: 1 unit of European Foot, 1 Sepoy unit, 2 Mysore foot, 1 medium and 1 heavy artillery

Infantry Brigade 2: 2 units of Sikh levies, 1 Sepoy unit, 1 medium artillery

Cavalry Brigade 1: 1 European light cavalry, 1 Mysore light missile cavalry

Cavalry Brigade 2: 1 Sikh armoured cavalry, 1 European light cavalry

Cavalry Brigade 3: 1 Mysore Light Cavalry

Independent units: 1 unit of native levies, 3 units of Mogul skirmish missile cavalry

Deployment

The Battle

The plan, such as I had one, was to throw the Mogul cavalry forward to harass the enemy infantry, induce panic and shield the approach of my own.  All this whilst my cavalry held the flanks.

Both sides advanced quickly towards each other.  Mogul skirmish cavalry moved out on the right flank to occupy the British cavalry with their missile fire.
However, the French made a dreadful error by boxing in their cavalry reserve.

The Moguls on the right flank exploited the gap between the British cavalry and its infantry line by slipping inbetween.  This had the desired effect of forcing the flanking cavalry to turn back to deal with the situation.  Meanwhile, another Mogul unit induced a British levy unit to retreat along with a nearby battery; only to be caught by musketry from European foot and forced into a panicked retreat themselves.
In the centre, infantry began closing amidst musketry and artillery fire.
On the left flank, Hussars from both sides squared up to each other.

However, the British were to win the upper hand against both hussars and skirmish infantry.

The British then wasted no time in exploiting the situation.  The infantry on the hill charged into an unprepared and undeployed French regiment on the hill.  Further to the left, the British hussars crashed into a Mysore light cavalry unit and sent it reeling.

As for the melee on the hill, the unprepared foot unit was despatched without mercy.

The situation across the field of battle.
Not looking so good for the French!
The left flank looks ragged and the centre creaking.  Plus, the boxed in cavalry reserve is unable to take advantage of the situation on the right flank.

The centre was now fully engaged.  The air was thick with black smoke as casualties mounted on both sides.  However, British weight of infantry numbers was being brought to bear.

With two regiments charging the front and skirmish cav on the flank, the French European foot regiment was under extreme duress.

Despite fighting valiantly and inflicting heavy casualties with its cannon, the French foot suffered dire losses and retreated in haste and close to collapse.
A Mogul unit on the hill was compelled to surrender after being surrounded.  However, the Mogul cavalry on the right managed to escape from the attentions of the chasing British formed horse regiments.

At this point the French conceded the field and sought to withdraw as quickly as possible.

Afterthoughts

The situation at the end of the game.

That was an incredibly interesting and enjoyable game.  Battling with such exotic armies was a real test.  Neither of us really knew how to use our forces to best effect.  So, we learned alot during the game about how we would approach this arena of mid 18th century conflict in the future.

I kept the army countdown clock.  The result at the end certainly reflected the view and demise of the French.

Both clocks started on 14!

This was also a game with a greater degree of terrain which made for a different but entertaining challenge during play.  It was good that here was a game that was not decided by events on the flanks.

Lastly, I am very happy that Koenig Krieg and my army lists worked for a battle set on a non-European battlefield with non-European armies.  I just need to try out a SYW game set in North America.

The Battle of Wakefield, 1460 - A War of the Roses AAR

Jonathan Freitag and I took to the remote gaming table to stretch our hands across the Atlantic and fight his interpretation of the War of the Roses Battle of Wakefield (see here for his details).

An in-play photo, courtesy of J. Freitag

I took command of the Yorkists while Jonathan led the Lancastrians.

The initial deployment.
Rutland's archers overseeing the wagons en route to the castle.  The Duke of York rushing out to engage the Lancastrians.

While the wagons move slowly, York's Battle advanced aggressively towards Somerset and the newly arrived Northumberland.

Yorkist reinforcements arrive in the guise of Salisbury and his Battle.

Meanwhile York, hoping to gain a swift advantage, charged Northumberland's troops.  However, things do not go to plan.  Northumberland repels York's efforts but his men force him to fall back to reorganise.  Somerset now crashed into York throwing him back further.  But at the moment of victory, Somerset is wounded and has to be carried from the field.

With Clifford having arrived on the field to support the Lancastrian left, Northumberland hurled his men at the Duke of York's faltering Battle.  The melee is brutal.  In the crush the Duke of York is struck down, dead!  York's Battle is now a broken unit.

Rutland's archers on the Yorkist left keeps up a constant rain of arrows but to limited effect as Somerset and Clifford move to strengthen the Lancastrian battle line.
Salisbury moves forward to support the remnants of York's tattered Battle and shield the creeping supply wagons.

Hoping to reverse the situation, Salisbury launched his men at arms into Northumberland's depleted Battle.  

Northumberland's men at arms are annihilated as Salisbury's warriors sweep forward.  However, little do they realise that in the swirl of melee Salisbury is struck down and mortally wounded.  Seeking to wipe out Northumberland, Salisbury's now leaderless troops pursue and crash into Somerset's men.  The Yorkists are thrown back at great loss...

... and back again as Somerset is relentless in the pursuit.

The remaining Yorkists are not given a chance to rallying as Somerset's men deal out more slaughter.  Salisbury's Battle breaks under the strain.

With two of the three Battles broken, the Yorkists flee the field.  This has been a disaster for the Yorkist cause.  Two leaders dead on the field.  One of them the Yorkist leader himself!

Afterthoughts
By choosing to play the Yorkists, I knew that this was going to be a very tough battle to get a victory.  However, that did not stop this game being a tremendous amount of fun.  The challenge was to better the Yorkist performance.  Alas, I believe history was repeated.

A thoroughly enjoyable game.  Well done, Jonathan.