Becoming a Chatelain

In a hobby you never "need" anything... you "want".  However, whether it's a want or need... I "need" fortifications for my French Wars of Religion period.  Castles were present at battles like Arques, though many also had the latest military architecture added to them such as hornworks, bastions and ravelins.

I've started by painting this 2mm castle I acquired from Brigades Models.

All the towers and walls come separately, and the keep comes as a single model.

The attentive ones amongst you will have noticed that there is no gatehouse on the outer curtain wall.  I have another order on it's way with another gatehouse section, more walls, roofed round towers, plus hornworks and ravelins to allow for a 16th century upgrade.

For comparison, here it is next to 28mm figures.

And a birds eye view.  I was originally planning to paint the tower roofs terracotta, but further research led me to go for the slate instead.  

 Unlike the outer walls, I based the inner bailey as a single model.  

However, I have kept the keep unattached so that I can swap it in and out.

Here is the keep on it's own base.

And with those 28mm figures for size comparison...

... and with a 2mm pike and shot unit.

My intention with the painting and basing of the component parts was to maintain flexibility in how the castle could be combined and used to represent multiple fortifications rather than any one specific.

As you can see, I have based the walls and towers to permit a range of angles.

And finally, all the separate parts.

I'm now just waiting for the next order to arrive (postal strikes permitting!!) to add to the walls and give it the possibility of a 16th century face lift.  I may even cut a couple of the incoming walls to give me some half and one third lengths as well.

Austrians Off The Painting Desk

Just finished this unit of Austrian infantry to add to my 28mm French Revolution collection. It's been a while since I painted any of these.  In fact these bad boys have been on the desk for at least ten years - cleaned, undercoated and staring at me.  You know what it's like; other projects draw you away.

These represent IR26 Schroeder regiment. They are from Elite Miniatures. They are not to everyone's taste, but I love the sense of movement they bring when based en masse.

AAR - The Battle of Coutras, 20 October 1587

A few of the Rejects got together to do another playtest my French Wars of Religion rules.  This slightly amended version of the rules was put through its paces with the Battle of Coutras, 20th October 1587.

Background

The Catholic league had forced the French king, Henry III, to remove all tolerance of Protestants.  The leader of the Huguenots, Henry of Navarre, knew that the league would use the resources of the crown to eliminate the Huguenots.   However, the king resented the league's influence and launched his own campaign against Henry of Navarre, led by his favourite Ann, Duc de Joyeuse.  The royal army consisted of nobles and courtiers unused to the rigours of war.

In moving south, Joyeuse drew closer to Navarre and ordered another Catholic force under the command of Marshal Matignon to join him.  Henry of Navarre marched south and crossed the river Dronne at Coutras to put himself between the converging armies.  He took up a good defensive position.  However, his back was against the river which meant a defeat could be disastrous.

Joyeuse conducted a night march to surprise the Navarre.  However, the Huguenot commander was prepared, having sent out a strong reconnaissance.

The Forces

Royal/Catholic - Army Cohesion Level = 8

Right Wing (bataille) Duc de Joyeuse (Surjit)
Verduissant Pike and Shot regiment quality - 3
Cluseau Pike and Shot regiment quality - 3
6 units of gendarme's quality - 2

Left Wing (avant garde) Lavardin
4 units of gendarme's quality - 3
1 company of Stradiots quality - 2
Tiercellin Pike and Shot regiment quality - 4
Picardy Pike and Shot regiment quality - 4

Huguenot Army - Army Cohesion Level = 8

Left Wing (bataille), Henry of Navarre (Ray)
Artillery quality - 3
3 units of Enfants Perdus quality - 3
4 units of sword and pistol cavalry quality - 4
3 units of arquebusiers quality - 3

Right Wing (avant garde), Tremouille (Steve)
2 units of chevaux legers quality - 3
1 unit of reiters quality - 3
1 unit of arquebusiers quality - 2
2 regiments of Pike and Shot quality - 3
Reserve: 2 regiments of Pike and Shot quality - 2

Victory Conditions
The first army to reach its army cohesion limit will be forced to withdraw. 

Army cohesion points are based on half the number of units in an army.  

The army loses 1 point:

• for each melee lost
• for each unit morale undermined
• for each unit dispersed.

The Battle

The deployment is the historical one.

The Catholic Army has all its cavalry in the centre and the pike and shot infantry on the flanks.  They have no artillery.  Apparently, in the battle, the artillery was so badly deployed that it at no impact at all. 

The Huguenots have skirmishers (enfants perdus) in the Pallard Marsh and infantry in the Warren.  Both of which are difficult for the Catholic troops to cross.  Although the ditch and hedge of the Warren could be forced.  The centre is Henry of Navarre's preferred deployment of cavalry interspersed with arqubusiers in between to fire on approaching enemy gendarmes.

The view along the Huguenot line from the town of Coutras.

The Catholic commander, the Duc de Joyeuse, advanced his whole line.  However, he seemed to have made the decision to not wait for his much better infantry.

The Huguenot commanders were content to sit and wait whilst trying to annoy with artillery fire.  The only movement being the Enfants Perdus in the marsh

The Huguenot army maintained their posture and started swinging the skirmishers round to be able to harass the Catholic flank.  Their artillery fire was desultory.  As it would turn out to be for the whole of the game.

Joyeuse, enjoying good unit activation rolls, continued his advance with his cavalry.

With his infantry lagging behind, Joyeuse positioned his cavalry for contact with the Huguenot light cavalry by the Warren being a focus for attention.

However, the Huguenot commanders proved to be more adept at controlling and taking advantage of the fates; being able to counter Joyeuse action cards, and then playing this one which completely stole the initiative from the Catholic leader and blunted his attack.  This gave the Protestant arquebusiers extra time to pour more lead into the approaching royalist horse, seriously undermining the gendarmes cohesion.

With such an advantage the Huguenot light horse charged the confused gendarmes and sent them hurtling back.

Tremouille maintained discipline in his excitable horsemen.  However, their pursuit just fell short of immediately catching their prey.

Navarre now began to move his sword and pistol cavalry forward to meet the Catholic threat.

Cavalry clashes commenced along the line.

Superior Huguenot cavalry started ripping through the less experienced nobles that made up the Catholic gendarmes in the centre.

Whilst by the Warren, the Royalist cavalry threw back a unit of light horse.  But choosing discretion over valour, Joyeuse retired his victorious horse away from arquebus fire.

Both sides were losing army cohesion as lines creaked, strained and buckled.  However, Joyeuse seemed to be losing it faster than Navarre.

The centre saw a gendarme unit able to outflank an unsuspecting Huguenot cavalry, take advantage of an out of command and confused light horse unit and charge infantry and cavalry close to Coutras.  Perhaps Joyeuse can inflict significant damage to Huguenot hopes?

And so he does.  However, the valiant efforts of Joyeuse are too late.  Time is the ultimate enemy which draws the battle to an end.

The think bubble shows the melee which allowed a rule clarification to be ironed out.

Result

Each side had an army cohesion level of 8.  The Huguenots lost 4, but the Catholic had lost 7!  Navarre and Tremouille were declared the winners.

Historical Outcome

The actual battle saw the the Catholic infantry held at the Warren, and failing to advance at all across the Pallard Marsh.  Joyeuse threw his gendarmes at the Huguenot line.  They found their cohesion undermined by the arquebus fire and the superior sword and pistol tactics of Navarre's cavalry against the old fashioned lance armed gendarmes.  Joyeuse was killed and the Huguenots won their first major battle of the wars.

Conclusions

I guess the greatest praise is when the loser declares how much he enjoyed the game and the way the rules played. Both sides said they enjoyed the turn sequence and the decision making involved with the bidding and action cards.

There was the opportunity to clarify an aspect of the charge moves.  One which was about charge and terrain in context, which was always going to be an umpire call.  The other was about ensuring that charge ranges are applied at the start of charges, not applied by changes during.

The army cohesion worked well with the sides emptying their little bags of poker chips and handing them to me.  These bags were kept out of sight of the opposition so neither side could be certain of the other side's army cohesion level.  This was inspired by feedback from Keith at Bydand and it worked like a charm.

If I was to play this battle again, I would probably improve the quality of Joyeuse's cavalry.  It was interesting that Surjit did not advance in a more measured fashion in order to allow his superior infantry to play a part.

One really good idea that arose from the game was the notion that a side loses an army cohesion level when a certain proportion of its army is out of command radius.  I am looking at this, proportions etc., and how to implement for the next game.

Figures: Irregular Miniatures
Buildings: Brigade Models

The Battle of Fessealair

I was supposed to be running a face-to-face French Wars of Religion game in the shed of war this weekend.  However, three days before the game was due I tested positive for Covid-19... Damn!

Not to be deterred and suffering from what might be described as only the symptoms of a bad cold, I offered a remote game to those rejects that were due to play - Lee, Ray, Steve and Surjit.

That's how we ended up with a fictional French Revolutionary War scenario set in 1796 using Volley and Bayonet rules.  The figures used were my 6mm MDF collection from Commission Figurines.

I will be using the full movement in the rules.  So, with cavalry moves of 20 inches things should zip along on 4 feet by 6 feet table.  However, I anticipate moves will slow once the forces engage.

The Battlefield
Two views of the field of battle

Fessenair is a village

Only infantry in skirmish or open order may occupy woods.

The town may be occupied by one regiment.

Villages and farms may be defended by one skirmish stand or detachment.

The individual trees are just decoration.

Hills will not impede movement in this game.

Background
The Austrian army is retreating across northern Italy.  General Massena has been given the task of trying to cut the retreat, bring the Austrians to battle and defeat the enemy in detail.  Beaulieu is aware of the French intention.  Nonetheless, they are both surprised to have encountered each other close to the town of Fessealair.

The Austrians have taken some knocks to their morale but are still a force to be reckoned with.  They have been seen arriving at points A (Beaulieu - Steve) and B (Vukassovich - Surjit).

The French division led by Massena (Lee) will march on at point 1 and Augereau's (Ray) division at point 2.

Everything starts off the table and will march on.  Each commander may determine the order in which the brigades march on.  Though they will do so in order on the army roster.

The Armies

Apologies for the blurred images

Victory Conditions

Either the first side to have half their brigades exhausted and morale collapsed, or whoever has the most exhausted and collapsed brigades at the end of play loses.

The Battle

The French won the initiative the initiative in an opposed dice roll.  Massena rolling poorly, but Beaulieu unable to capitalise.  This could well sum up Beaulieu's luck throughout the game.

The French moving first marched on rather cautiously.  Neither Massena nor Augereau using their full movement (which is a massive 16 inches for infantry), but opting to obtain secure positions.

The Austrian command seemingly starting out with the intention of wrapping around the two flanks.

Positions at the end of the first turn.

Turn 2 saw the French resist extravagant moves and consolidate their lines.  The most offensive posture were the dragoons sent out on the far flank to threaten and/or pin the Austrian right.

French deployment is looking quite formidable.

Monnier's Brigade out front is going to see a fair share of the action.

Beaulieu and Vukassovich, marching further, are slowly getting into place.  Quasdanovich's brigade appearing to position itself on the Austrian left in preparation for some offensive action.

Ocksay's brigade is sent to obtain the town of Fessealair and deploy in the centre and at the junction with Vukassovich's division to its left.

Austrians advancing

French infantry stand in preparation.

Massena now decided to advance Monnier's brigade against Quasdanovich's.

Quasdanovich's response is to launch a regiment in a charge and the grenadiers to present strongly on the flank.  Both have a sobering effect on the French, with damage to both Monnier's infantry and to Duga's Chasseur a Cheval regiments.

On the French right/Austrian left, Leclerc's dragoons were let off the tether and ripped into the Austrian dragoons.  With the Wurmser dragoons destroyed the Stabsdragoon retreated to safety.  Nonetheless, Reuss's cavalry brigade was now exhausted and unfit for offensive action.  In response, Beaulieu deployed two infantry regiments from Liptay's brigade to protect the flank.

Meanwhile, the Austrian centre is solidifying.

After being bloodied by the Austrians, Massena decided to pull Monnier's brigade back and redress the lines on the French left.

However, Vukassovich smells blood and thinks that the French left flank and Monnier's division is fatally damaged and ripe for taking.  Quasdanivich's division and Koblos' uhlans are thrown at the faltering French.

... However, Vukassovich's hopes are disappointed.  Whilst Monnier's losses leave his brigade on the brink of exhaustion and potential collapse, Quasdanovich's infantry are showing signs of running out of steam.  Plus, Koblo's cavalry division's morale collapses with the destruction of the lancers.

With day light running out, Massena and Augereau consolidate their line and adopt a defensive posture.

However, Beaulieu and Vukassovich throw their forces forward to crack the French position and, importantly for Vukassovich, to open up the French left flank.

Ocksay's and Liptay's brigade hurls itself against Sandos and Lebley's brigades

Alas, just as the Austrians started with indifferent dice, so they ended!  They were thrown back along the line.  

However, Quasdanovich's brigade finally exhausted Monnier's brigade.  But became exhausted in the process.  In the centre, Ocksay's brigade was mauled and their morale swiftly collapsed.

The French line held.  As the sun set on the battlefield, the Austrians retired with 2 exhausted and 2 collapsed brigades.  The French fared better with two exhausted brigades and none that saw their morale collapse.

Conclusions

Everyone said they enjoyed playing the game and liked the rules.

I was surprised to hear that everyone felt that playing with the full movement rates worked on my table.  I did wonder whether there would be some comments and criticisms about the abstracted nature of many of the mechanisms.  However, everyone stated their appreciation of the scale of the game and found the abstractions worked in allowing players to act as corps/army commanders.

I asked about how these rules worked for them as a remote game.  Especially as the rules are essentially IGOUGO in structure.  Again, the response was positive with an expression of preference over other rules they have played with me remotely.

Thanks to the rejects for helping this be an enjoyable umpiring experience.