Game 3 of the Southern League, 1635 - The French entry into the TYW (but in Milton Keynes, and in 2013)
Later Polish & Lithuanian vs TYW German
Game 1 Later Polish & Lithuanian vs TYW Spanish
Game 2 Later Polish & Lithuanian vs TYW Spanish
Game 3 Later Polish & Lithuanian vs TYW German
One big win, one massive defeat - still not bad for the Poles to be honest. With the prospect of getting away early being quite important, the matchup against what turned out to be a fairly mounted-heavy TTYW German army offered hope for a quick finish, but this time on somewhat of a billiard table.. this had the potential to render the flank march a rather silly option, but given the Poles are a rather silly army, why change the habit of a lifetime?
The lists for the Later Polish & Lithuanian and TYW German from this game, as well as all the other lists from the games at Milton Keynes can be seen here in the FoGR Wiki.
What's Going on Here Then?
Despite an almost entirely open table, the Poles remain committed to their flank march strategy and yet again stack the right hand side of the table with all their on-table mounted units in an attempt to sweep the Germans they are facing from the field. The Polish dragoons have been given a tough task here, holding back a very strong German mounted right hook from the vulnerable Polish infantry, gunnes and baggage, whilst the Poles are carefully working out how quickly they need to win on the right before they lose units on the left
Pocaluj mnie w dupe, the table was almost as bald as a wargamer's comb-over as the Poles and Germans took to the field of play.
With banners fluttering in a decorative manner which hinted both of devil may care aggression, and also a troops type who might have been paying rather too much attention to the sartorial rather than the martial aspects of military drill, the Hussars led the by-now traditional charge, this time up and over a nearby hill to rather surprise the waiting Germans
Elsewhere Dragoons were bereft, having failed to find an enclosed field to hide in they wandered aimlessly across the battlefield with no thought but their own salvation as a murderous German cavalry charge thundered towards them
The Carbine-armed Pancerni were combining well with the 2 Polish gunnes and the lead German unit on the hill was shedding bases as if they were the skins of badly made sausages being rejected and recycled in a Bavarian butchers shop
The intimidated Germans were losing bases so fast they didn't have time to drop cohesion - and with a flutter of cloth the Hussars were over the hill and into combat against a rather startled Cuirassier unit! It was barely turn 3 and the Poles were sticking it right up 'em! Jebany chuj !
What's Going on Here Then?
With noting really to oppose them the Germans are flooding down the left hand side of the table - the Polish dragoons can barely hang on as they fall back. With their baggage already under threat the Poles take an opportunity to get their on-table Hussars and Pancerni into action quickly and charge over the top of a hill to engage the rather light German mounted formations facing the, The flank march is yet to arrive on table
The Pancerni blew away a German unit, but this merely served to staple them firmly into the crosshairs of a rather massive German artillery park, who opened up at close quarters and started battering the hapless Pancerni - more rounds of shooting like that and they risked being re-named Pants-cerni
The Polish Dragoons were being used as a Generals Travelator, taking the Polish General from one flank to the other with multiple moves
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Wyli¿ mi dupe! The Polish baggage was now well and truly shagged, with only a handful of turns underway the Germans were staring at the prospect of discovering just what a Pole keeps in their potting shed…
The Poles had their own Germans too - well, German-style infantry (on the assumption that the Germans in question were in the middle of a Santa Claus themed fancy dress party held in santas Grotto in german-controlled Lapland at the time…) and it was they who now found themselves tasked with keeping the hordes of German horsemen from the Polish baggage for a little while at least.
As the Polish mounted advance continued unabated, the Pancerni who had manfully received a large amount of cannonballage gave up the struggle and turned tail and fled. Perhaps they would be routing past the Polish baggage at the very moment it was captured?
The Hussars were finally getting into their stride, and some of the last vestiges of German resistance on the right flank evaporated under a welter of Polish hooves as the Hussars and Pancerni combined to deadly effect
Sukinsyn! Blowing away rather than routing everyone in their path, the Hussars and Pancerni careened down the hill towards the last surviving (for now) part of the German mounted wing on this side of the table. The German infantry watched in amazement as lots and lots of Polish cavalry suddenly crested the hill and appeared on their flank!
What's Going on Here Then?
As the Germans close in on the back line of the Polish army the Polish Hussars are sweeping through the Germans on the right and making their own attempt to get at the German infantry and baggage. It's a race against time for both armies
The Hussars had their blood up and were committed to charging anything and anything in their path - here they steam down the hill and smash into infantry and horse together, aided by a fully committed General.
And, at this precise moment, with the German horse already fully committed and engaged, the flank march also arrived, banners whistling in the wind as the glamorous riders galloped towards the German flank. A whole wing overrun and rolled up? Yesz Sir!
The more methodical Germans however were still doing the right thing over on the Polish left, and the Polish German-style foote could clearly see what was in store for them in the very near future... and it would be more Grot than Grotto
German light horse clatter through the suburban gardens of Poland, taking the wheelie bin and its subversive plastic technology back to ignite the eco-consciousness of the early German Green party no doubt when it arrived back in Berlin. Pierdol sie!
Hussars again
The German-style foote were definitely not finding life very festive at this point in time….they were by now dropping cohesion rapidly as they had been charged in the flank, unable to form square in time
For you Zbwignieu, Christmas is Over…
The overconfident Hussar charge had faltered, perhaps unsurprisingly after their earlier exhertions, but now the full weight of the Polish army had been brought to bear on the remnants of the German flank and the beleaguered Teutons had now real answer to the countless units of horsemen now milling around them
Targeted by Polish artillery and superior close range carbine fire, a crucial wave of fear ripples across the German front line as the infantry formation goes DISR. This now makes them a perfect target for the Poles, and the Hussars gird their loins yet again..
Having swept up the Polish foote, the German mounted are fast closing in on the Polish gunnes too..
But the Hussars are committed to having the final word, and to making sure it ends in a collection of consonants including at least one "z" too - they charge into the wavering German line of horse and foote, smashing it at impact
The German cavalry have been swept away, and the Poles pursue vigorously into the utterly demoralised infantry beyond
What's Going on Here Then?
The flank march arrives, and suddenly the Germans on the right are totally overwhelmed, and the Poles have units to spare - much to the regret of the German artillery park! The Polish infantry and gunnes are almost overrun but the Poles may rack up points to break the Germans before their own pedestrians are overrun
The whole German army flees, as the gunnes are overrun and Poles stream towards their baggage. Speed of attack is all, and the Poles record a famous win!
The result is a huge win for Poland!
Read on for the post match summaries from the Generals involved, as well as another episode of legendary expert analysis from Hannibal
Post Match Summary from the Later Polish & Lithuanian Commander
Our national history has so often filled us with bitterness and the feeling of helplessness, but in this instance I am happy that the more effusive sides of our national chara cter have come to the fore to allow us to record a second victory of the day, and even better against our old foes Germany.
It is hardly possible to build anything if frustration, bitterness and a mood of helplessness prevail, and that was my experience in the previous game - but not here, when playing, or one might even say "Pole-playing" (see what I did there?!) in a style which matched the historical aptitudes of our soldiery allowed our brave forces to catch the enemy unawares by the speed and elan of our attack.
One might say that no-one expects a Spanish Inquisition, but in this case the Germans did not expect a Polish Flank march on a bare naked table such as this, and whilst their on-table effect was minimal, they did force the Germanns to keep units in reserve, allowing us to overwhelm the strategically important hill and when they arrived their psychological effect was incredible, destroyiong any hope the Germans might have had of stealing an unliklely viktory
We have won, but we also did so in style - after alll, I would admit that we did this by playing as we felt, not by over thinking it. Thinking is hard, and at the end of the day I'm lazy. But it's the lazy people who invented the wheel and the bicycle because they didn't like walking or carrying things..!
Hannibal's Post Match Analysis
Thou be a gnarling boil-brained measle to be able to play with so little thought and plannning and yet come away with the spoils in a match such as this !
My military bones are offended beyond belief that a plan which appeared to involve throwing away a whole flank, sacrificing many brave men (and a the contents of a small garden centre) and just charging anythuing in front of you with blokes on horses who think having wings on their back is somehow "cool" is anything worthy of praise you sottish eye-offending flax-wench!
This was not a plan, it was an impertinent sheep-biting malignancy that spread across the table like a stain, dragging down the Germans in its spiral of incredible incompetence.
Mis-footing the enemy is one thing, but doing it through utter insanity is another entirely. You talk of this as a victory, yet yiu reek as much as the dead you have sacrificed to attain it. You speak, but awere air comes out, air comes in, and there's none abroad so wholesome as that you vent you fouls smelling clouted base-court hempseed homilies. I hope this army never darkens my doors again....begone!
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Game 1 Later Polish & Lithuanian vs TYW Spanish
Game 2 Later Polish & Lithuanian vs TYW Spanish
Game 3 Later Polish & Lithuanian vs TYW German
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