SOC Snowstorm Edition: Solo SYW Black Powder and More January WIP

We had a little snowstorm yesterday that turned into a wet, icy mess.  Can't think of a better way to spend an afternoon indoors than to build a fire in the gaming bunker, brew up some coffee, and break out the 15mm Seven Years War armies in order to play a quick game of Black Powder.

In thinking of Norm's "pocket armies" ideas, I decided to use the scenario I was "going" to use for my upcoming "Neil Thomas Tuesday" game - Scenario 4 from his One Hour Wargames scenario book - take the high ground.  I used the force builder from OHW as well, giving the Prussians 3 Regiments of infantry, 2 batteries of artillery, and a squadron of dragoons.  The Austrians have 3 regiments of infantry, 2 light skirmisher battalions, and a battery of artillery.  The only special rule employed was the Prussians have a +1 on their shooting.  Enjoy!

Silesia, 1759
Oberst Potsdorf needed to curry favor with Frederick in order to gain back the man's good graces.  He sat atop his horse watching the column from the Anhalt march by with beautiful precision, every man in perfect step and to his favorite tune, Old German #68.  Earlier that morning in a council with the Generals, Frederick didn't even smirk when Potsdorf volunteered for the honor of leading the assault on the Grunburg.  Kleist simply nodded his head in agreement and that was that.  Frederick remained silent, wiping his running nose with his glove, and averting any eye contact with Potsdorf whatsoever.  As they rode away back towards their regiments, Potsdorf felt a knot in his stomach about the coming day.  Potsdorf was lost in thought even as his men formed to take the Grunburg.  There were Austrians sitting on the Grunburg and he wasn't even a single step closer to getting an audience with Frederick about his debt, his great-aunt's inheritance and the wrongs of Count Itzenplitz.  Somehow he'd get in front of the man after this battle with a armfull of Austrian liebfahnen...That would get his attention. 

The signal for the assault was to be 2 cannon shots from the central battery which would inform Oberst Potsdorf when commence the attack against the Grunburg.  He had seen this play out before and given the abysmal performance of the lazy, Catholic Austrians, how hard could it be?  They would have 2 of the medium batteries of guns emplaced to prepare the Austrians for ground assault.

Potsdorf arranged the lead brigade assaulting the Grunburg with the infantry beginning on the left with 3 Regiments of infantry, the Artillery in the center, and a squadron of Dragoons on the right.  Austrian reinforcements were expected coming from the north.

Potsdorf opened the battle by firing on the Austrian infantry atop the Grunburg.  To his joy, the successive blasts drove off the white coated troops, who fled.  Frustratingly, the guns atop the hill did not leave.

The Grunburg - free of Austrian infantry for now.

Potsdorf yelling at an aide to bring him something warm to drink.

 The Austrian artillery, knowing full well that reinforcements are on the way, are spoiling for a fight and have pulled up enough powder and shot during the night so as to make a respectable stand this day.  They open fire.

the shots plunge and tear through the ranks of the Braunschweig Regiment and the men falter as the ghastly casualties are hard to ignore.  the Prussian Brauncschweig Regiment  (left) is disordered from the Austrians rolling a 6.

 The Austrians, seeing the men from the Kaiser regiment run back off of the hill know the Prussian assault has started.  General Major Greene signals to the massive line north of the hill to move, but the ponderous Austrians are difficult to maneuver and only a large wheel of the line is carried out.

Meanwhile, Potsdorf sees that the time is right to order a charge.  The Braunschwieg boys are already reforming their ranks and the men are still standing, ramrod straight.  He orders the dragoons to charge the hill.  They remain still!  The entire line has stopped?  What is going on?  (failed command roll).  He hears musket fire and it is Prussian fire?!?!  How is this possible?

Prussians stopped in front of the hill.  They failed their command roll.

The Austrians move forward to occupy the Grunburg.  

MG Greene looks on as his troops advance ponderously.

 Potsdorf curses the commander of the Dragoons and gets them to move.  It is effective and the Prussians charge the guns.  Men and horses are lost but they carry the hill and drive off the Austrian battery, ending the charge disordered.  In an attempt to run down the retreating Austrians, the squadron commander continues the assault, taking the men to the other side of the Grunburg where they are greeted by a solid while line of Austrians that looks to be at least a mile long.

What trickery is this?!  The Prussian dragoon commander is horrified at the wall of white.  SOUND RECALL!  But the men and the horses are difficult to control.

 Potsdorf is watching through his looking glass and curses the squadron commander out.  "They're almost as bad as the English Cavalry for God's sake!"  The Prussian infantry from Braunschweig are still sorting themselves out, disordered with heavy casualties as Anhalt takes the lead.  Wolfenbuttel/Hulsen will move the assault forward past Braunschweig who are still not moving.

Potsdorf, who has ridden back to Braunschweig spies the Austrians advancing to the hill and knows the fight is just getting started.  He sends an aide back to fetch the guns and get him some warmer tea or coffee.  This stuff just is't cutting it.  He spits out the tea onto the ground.

Dice mark hits on the unit.  Red die is disordered.  

The Guns limber but it's taking a long time.

As the Prussians make necessary arrangements to hold the Grunburg, the Austrians are not just standing idly by.  Their plan, crafted by MG Greene the preceding evening, is working out splendidly.  They would draw in the Prussians, wear them down, then assault with fresh infantry.  What is perhaps the most pivotal turn in the entire game, MG Greene rolls roll on his command check and the Austrians are blessed with 3 orders.

His plan is to envelope the Grunburg from 2 sides and with fire, push the Austrian cavalry off of the hill.  He breaks the line into 2 "wings" each consisting of a Regiment and a light battalion.

The Austrian right wing fires at the Dragoons, disordering them.

The Austrian left wing approaches the southern end of the hill.

Potsdorf is aghast to hear fife and drum music coming toward them.  "That sounds like a Hungarian tune to me" and he is immediately displeased with it.  then he sees the white coats.  "What trickery is this?!" Potsdorf exclaims.  The Dragoons also are tumbling off of the hill to his front!

Fresh Austrian units are now at the south slope of the Grunburg.  Anhalt is disordered, Brauncschweig is disordered and shaken, and Hulsen is shaken.  The Austrian trap worked!  With Fresh Austrian units firmly on the hill and to the side, it will be difficult for the Prussians to rally off their hits, cause hits on the Austrians, and assault the Grunburg.

Anhalt on the left, Hulsen on the right continuing the assault but the Austrian shooting has been excellent!  Lots of "6" as well.

Superb Austrian maneuvering seals the fate of the Prussians who could not coordinate their attacks properly.

MG Green eyes the Prussians down the slope.  Any man not observed to be firing will be flogged!

 Potsdorf knows he must get back on the hill or be forced to retire.  In a move of desperation, he charges the Austrians, now disordered, with the dragoons, who evaporate from the closing fire!

Prussian dragoons.  Now you see them....

Now you don't!

 Potsdorf sends up the reliable Anhalt Infantry Regiment against the skirmishers to their front.  unbelievable, they're repulsed due to casualties!  They make another push next turn and successfully push back the lights, but are then themselves pushed back off the hill due to firing.  The loss of the Hulsen Regiment seals Potsdorf's fate.  The battle has ended.

Someone come over here now.  I need a scapegoat!

The glorious assault of the Anhalt at the Grunburg.

Post Battle Analysis
Wow lots of fun!  It has been over a year since I played a game of Black Powder.  In reinforcing Norm's thoughts on "pocket armies" I had to say this battle was challenging with such a small amount of units.  I played with the usual Black Powder rules for breakpoint and the Prussians broke first, even with their +1 for shooting, they were not able to dislodge the Austrians from the hill.

Men of Potsdorf's command stream down the hill with the Austrians cheering behind them.  

I did have to relearn some concepts of Black Powder and a few times I reset the turns after either forgetting a rule or playing on incorrectly, but once you get the hang of it, the game plays quickly.  Since these guys are 15mm, I played in centimeters and the game played out very well.  My plan is to play a number of these battles with different rules (Rank and File, OHW, Honours of War among them) and see how they play out.  I also think I need to get my Cuirassier painted.  The whole time I was playing I was also seeing the suitability for singly-based units.  In 10mm playing Seven Years War, the formations are not quite as big of a deal as for later periods and I feel as if my 10mm SYW project is still on the right track on single based unit stands.

More January Work in Progress?
It's amazing what a snowstorm will do for productivity.  I finally completed the Soviet tank battalion for Team Yankee, bases and all, and have started on the motor rifle battalion next.

135 Glorious Points for Team Yankee or any other game with Cold War kit.  I am going to look at the points value for Seven Days to the River Rhine as well.  It's good to have these guys finally finished.  

SP Artillery support as well.  This is just hte beginning.  I have enough for a 2 six gun batteries of medium and 2 batteries of heavy 152mm SP Artillery for the Soviets.

American mech platoons drying on their new bases.

Soviet RPG and support teams standing by.  I need to paint 20 more Soviet infantry stands!!!  That's 80-100 more figures!!

Finished those Austrian generals started before Christmas finally.  Just need flock on the bases.

Well that's all for now.  onwards and upwards with the Soviet microarmor getting ready for the Fulda Gap campaign!  Then I can get back to painting 10mm SYW and 10mm Napoleonics, the real priority for 2020 for me!!!