FoGR at The Worlds Koblenz 2014
Early Swedish vs LoA Anglo Dutch
Game 1 Early Swedish vs Hungarian Transylvanian
Game 2 Early Swedish vs TYW Germans
Game 3 Early Swedish vs Later Swedish
Game 4 Early Swedish vs LoA Anglo Dutch
Game 5 Early Swedish vs Caroline Imperialist
Game 6 Early Swedish vs LoA Anglo Dutch
The lists for the Early Swedish and LoA Anglo Dutch from this game, as well as all the other lists from the games at The Worlds in Koblenz can be seen here in the Renaissance Wiki.
It's almost the end! Who will the Swedes manage to fight now…? Well, it's more LoA Anglo Dutch, but this time with added Swedes, and run by a Swede. The LoA Swedes are slightly later Swedes than my Swedes and so the battle is started.
Terrain has fallen in a cluttered fashion that makes coming up with any meaningful sort of plan rather more challenging than it should be - almost everything is on the right. The enemy have deployed mostly in and behind the terrain but with plenty of enclosed fields there is still an adequate field of fire for my 2 batteries of artillery.
Unsurprisingly the first troops to race forward are dragoons, with a table almost entirely consisting of their natural habitat. They look to slow down the advancing enemy to allow the artillery time to do their damage
The open side of the table is exceedingly open, but the enemy have a couple of units strung out and looking somewhat exposed. There seems to be little reason for the Swedish Average Horse to provide rear support, and so they race across to the open flank to join with some infantry in trying to hunt down the odds and sods of enemy APs that are lurking in the open plains.
Learn to Speak German
"Wiederholenvergangenheitmilitärischefehlerdurchalkoholvergiftung"
"The impact of the previous night on the following morning"
The enemy seem to have committed themselves to an advance through the Ardennes-like woods, but they are almost totally lacking in any form of mounted arm, leaving the two Swedish Carbine units as uncontested masters of the flank sector. This looks so much like an opportunity that it is impossible for the carbine horse to ignore it - they might be able to do some real damage, but will at the very least seriously slow down the enemy advance as they are forced to respond to the admittedly limited flank threat the carbine horse represent.
In the open some heavyweight firepower opens up at long range against the enemy dragoons with two lots of Little Guns involved.
The Dragoons have done their thing and are now carefully falling back before the enemy advance
Enemy dragoons meanwhile are very threatened on the right flank. If they get caught the whole left wing of the enemy will be exposed!
What's Going on Here Then?
The enemy have largely ignored the open part of the table and are committed to an advance through the woods on the right. This has left some of the Swedish units out of the game, however the two Brigades ono the right might still be enough to check the enemy advance as they are coming forwards on a very narrow frontage. Unusually much of the game may be decided in wooded terrain
The field of fire for the artillery park is now wide open… but as the enemy advance, very few of them seem to be succumbing to the flurry of cannon-ism
A rapid advance and some of the enemy are almost trapped in the corner, if you are using a definition of the word "almost" that incluides the phrase "not really".
Learn to Speak German
"Versuchenschleimanderseiteinesbierglasesnageln"
"The challenges of pinning down enemy skirmishers"
The pesky enemy dragoons evade away from the advancing carbine horse… but, even so, surely the deep column of enemy infantry cannot carry on regardless with their flank hanging out to dry?
Many units of foote are now deep in unfamiliar territory - fields and forests swarm with pikemen and musketeers as they try to get into positions from which to receive the enemy advance. Everyone is in cover, no-one will be able to get in any telling shots…which suits the Swedes as they can hope to be intact when they get to combat
The right flank is very much the centre of the action, and the rather unusually adventurous efforts of the Swedish carbine Horse in pushing down the open flank have caused a bit of a problem for the LoA forces - what was supposed to be a column of troops steaming through an undefended wood is forced to turn 90 degrees to face the Carbine horse. This has left a classic "angle" in the LoA lines, which the Swedes are hoping to hit rather hard indeed with a Swedish Brigade that even now is making its way through the woodlands. A decisive victory at the corner of the enemy formation would see the whole LoA flank in a world of pain…
The Swedes advance through the wood, but rather unfortunately come under telling fire and lose a base.
And another one! How unlikely is that!! The depleted unit is ready now to charge home, encouraged by their CinC himself at this important juncture in the battle…
The LoA shooting into the wood is remarkable - a third Swedish base is knocked off, and the Superior Swedish Brigade drops a level of cohesion to boot…. The very clever plan is now looking somewhat more precarious..
The ravaged unit goes in - at ++ POA they record a fabulous 4 hits …
But so do the enemy - and another Swedish base goes, causing the Superior unit to rout! The masterstroke is now a massive herring-flavoured slice of bad luck…
What's Going on Here Then?
The loss of the one Superior Brigade on the Swedish right is a massive blow, as now there is almost nothing of note to oppose much of the enemy army on half of the table. The only way to engage the enemy now is for the Swedish troops on the open flank to make a long march towards the enemy, some of whom are deployed almost on their own table edge. The Swedes also have some exposed units on the right who much be carefully sheparded away from danger
Elsewhere, the open flank has gotten boring and so the Swedes are mounting a concerted dual advance on some of the LoA troops who have unwisely strayed into the open. The Swedish artillery has been doing a great job of softening them up for the coming robust attack as well, so this looks much better than the debacle on the other side of the field…
Learn to Speak German
"Suchenacheinemgutenplandurchausschöpfungallerschlechten"
"Eventually finding the right thing to do"
The Dutch have less units in the line of fire, and the Swedes have so far only lost one base to shooting. This is a well tee'd up plan.
Popcorn
Slightly less well tee'd up is the advance in the middle of the Average (Brown) unit against some open-formation shot-only enemy. Their attack was supposed to be the second hammer blow after the Red Brigade had started opening up the Dutch right flank, but it now looks a bit like a rather hopeless Picketts Charge across open ground with no support on either flank. The Swedish General does his best to drive his men on..
Along with the problems the instant demise of the Red Brigade has caused the infantry in the middle, the Carbine Horse are even more dismayed - they hoped to be rolling up the flank of enemy troops engaged to the front by Salvo chargers, but now they find themselves facing a solid line of enemy infantry… discretion being the better part of failure, they turn and retreat in fairly decent order apart from the odd base loss.
Before the Brown unit can get in however, the rattled enemy, pounded by artillery and knocked down to fragmented take flight, as the Swedes treat them with utter distain by only charging them with their Dragoons, wishing to save the proper formation to turn and face the threats emerging form the woods to their right.
What's Going on Here Then?
The Swedish army has punched a hole in the Dutch centre, but with nothing really available to exploit it, troops being slowed by terrain and with the right flank caved in this tactical victory looks set to remain just that rather than becoming a strategic opportunity. The Swedish advance on the left is going to depend on good shooting by Swedish artillery to soften up the enemy before the Swwdes close to shooting range.
The Swedish attack on the left has started to close to eyeball distance, but it has also started to see bases shedded from the Swedish Brigades as they close in on the fearsome firepower of the Anglo-Dutch.
The enemy steadfastly refuse to lose bases as the Swedes lose them as easily as spare allen keys from a flat-pack wardrobe after its finished.
There is a huge hole in the middle of the Dutch lines now, but only Dragoons are there to take advantage of it -the lack of units in the Swedish army is starting to become obvious as a shortcoming..
Speaking of huge holes, the Green Brigade is simply blown away by the Anglo Dutch infantry, losing 3 bases in quick succession. Their charge will not go in…
But the Yellows and the Blues are now at Salvo range! Both units steam forwards, hoping that their dramatic Salvo attacks will unnerve the Anglo-Dutch and wrest back the upper hand yet again
Actually, they don't. The enemy survive Impact with some aplomb, winning the combat overall and hitting with all 4 of their dice on 5's and 6's. Oops!
On the right flank the carbine horse have come back into the fray and are staring some dragoons in the face. The Brown Brigade is making extremely heavy weather of closing in on a much-weakened enemy infantry unit in a wood and has dropped to DISR already, as the enemy stand firm and refuse to lose bases under heavy fire from all sides
The Yellow Brigade loses its final base and is now in rout - the entire left flank is gone…
What's Going on Here Then?
The loss of the Yellow Brigade realistically signals the end of any hopes of a Swedish victory - their opponets were standing in front of a basket of units and the army baggage, all of whom are now saved.
At least the Blues have achieved something - they go through the first line of units with ease and carry the position forwards. Maybe there is hope to salvage something from this position?
Having been busy supporting the Yellow Brigade, the Swedish Horse suddenly find themselves somewhat surrounded as the lack of any other troops on their side of the table allows the Dutch to gang up on them quite impressively..
Learn to Speak German
"Nachdemdiejenigenunterhosedurchdientfernungvonjemandanderemhosenausgesetzt"
"Being surprised to find oneself in the front line"
The Carbine armed horse are now stuck - down a base hey really should be leaving the field, but their opponents are too close, and are suffering morale problems of their own. The only outcome is a brave charge!
The Browns also get well stuck in - this late in the game, and with very few other units left on table the CinC joins the combat to try and secure a win.
Rather less bravely the Swedish Horse turn tail and execute a rather needed Complex Move test to march away from encirclement
The Browns are fighting but the Superior enemy refuse to break…
Equally steadfast are the latest opponents of the Blues - without any visible means of support they still survive the initial impact and start to gain the upper hand in close quarters fighting
But with that in train, time is called and the Swedish army has slumped to another disappointing defeat!
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 Early Swedish Commander
Well, like, this was another of those kinda games, wasn't it? What is a girl to do when the numbers are not in favour - and red is definately becoming my least favourite colour from now on, as those red dice have haunted me throughout the latter parts of the weekend in relentless fashion.
Here the terrain did me no favours, and the left-field deployment of the enemy also made it rather tricky for my "down first" army to really make a plan. But make a plan I did, and to attack a 6-pack of shooters through a plantation seemed like a clever idea as then it minimised the shooting we would receive on the way in.. but those three "1's" from the Red Brigade first up set a pattern for much of the rest of the game that I really did not like one little teeny bit.
By the time things started to go my way on the dice front, the game had already ran away from me and it was all over bar the calling of time (very efficiently done by the German hosts I think). At least those pesky dragoons got their come uppance, but with my Swedes getting in 7 salvo-driven charges in this game and not causing any cohesion drops as a result... without my main weapons working it becomes a difficult game indeed.
Text analysis
Hannibal's Post Match Analysis
You are nothing but a varlet of the basest kind, revelling in your so called misfortune when in fact the only misfortune to befall your army was to have such a prize dullard as it's commanding officer. This was a game when you had naught to do but sit and wait, and instead you consipred to fritter away units wastefully, and probe forwards in a manner which was more akin to a child poking at a bear trap than a military leader marshalling their troops. I really do not know where to start with your bad deployment, and how you consipred to lose BOTH units of commanded in a game where they would frankly have been more use if you had left them in the box..? That was the difference between victory and defeat I am afraid, and your idiocy meant there was only one choice for you here.
You failed on intelligence (not noticing that the enemy formations on the right were armed with Pike, not noticing that the Swedes were Salvo shot, and not noticing that you were a hung over idiot) and then you failed on execution as well - and execution is what you will most surely recieve in any just society I duly pray and hope. Even your Salvo attacks were often wasted - how many of them were the full 7 dice? I think just one...which is not much out of 7 attempts, so no wonder the enemy did not lose cohesion!
The whole event has been a fiasco from start to finish, from your weak choice of army, poor selections of terrain, your failure to win any of the initiative rolls all weekend, some admittedly rather mixed dice and a half-hearted committment to actually using the arrmy in the way it was intended to be used. All of these things are sadly true, and this is why your final position reflects fairly on your lack of concentration, skill and planning. You also fell foul to the misplaced desire to use your commanded shot in a historical manner, keeping them with your carbines even when it became obvious that the opposition had no troops to threaten their incompetence, and then leaving them to their own devices at a later stage. Using them not as they are intended is admittedly not ideal, but if they have no role on the battlefield, simply do the best you can and add them to the line of infantry – at least then the vast edifice of overpriced 2-pack infantry you have constructed is actually contributing in a positive manner to the game rather than simply being wasted. If they are placed at risk, so be it – this offering some opportunity to your opponent, so even if it is not historical it is still doing something.
Gustavus would not have been happy, and neither am I. This is thankfully the end of this event. I am glad to see it gone
That's the end - so why not go back to the Match Reports Index and read some more reports?
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Game 1 Early Swedish vs Hungarian Transylvanian
Game 2 Early Swedish vs TYW Germans
Game 3 Early Swedish vs Later Swedish
Game 4 Early Swedish vs LoA Anglo Dutch
Game 5 Early Swedishvs LoA Anglo Dutch
Game 6 Early Swedish vs LoA Anglo Dutch
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