Well TSOG catch up nights are on hold for a while so here I am by myself on a Monday night looking at the Song of Drums & Shakos game we were set to play, well what the heck I'll go ahead solitaire! We'll still play it as a group eventually!
It's the 1st of August 1812 and in the shadow of the Battle of Gorodetschna Austrian and Russian patrols clash as they search for locations streams can be crossed in the marshy terrain near the battlefield...
The sides are;
Russia
1 Line Officer
1 Line NCO
4 Line Grenadiers
5 Line Musketeers
Austria
1 Line Officer
1 Grenzer NCO
4 Grenzers
5 line Infantry
The scenario revolves around occupying a foot bridge that cross a small yet steeply banked stream. The game lasts 10 turns and Victory Points are accumulated at the end of each turn.
1 VP for living and upright figures within 2L of the centre of the foot bridge
2 VP's for each living and upright figure on the foot bridge
2 VP's for each living and upright figure on the 'other side' of the stream to which they started
The AAR!
The Austrians won the right to go first and both sides enter their respective sides and barrelled toward the foot bridge!
Okay only the second turn and turnovers due and poor rolls hamper both sides as they try to secure the stream crossing...
The bridge beckons both sides! And the Austrians get the better of my crap rolling...
Austrian Jaegers draw first blood killing a Russian and knocking one to the ground...these guys are armed with rifles so that helped them at long range!
While the Russian infantry seek cover behind a conveniently parked wagon just over 2L from the foot bridge centre!
The Austrians are across the stream but get hit by Russian fire 1 KIA and 1 pushed back
Then at the crucial moment where the Austrians can seal the game securing the bridge I roll 'real crap'! Unbelievable I can’t even roll well when playing solo...
At the end of turn 6 out of 10 the Austrians are on 25 VP’s to the Russians 11!
At this point with all the Austrians now in Victory Point earning positions the Russians really need to start to get into the action they...
On turn 7 a desultory firefight breaks out...the results favour the Austrians...
...for the loss of 1 Jaeger 3 Russian Grenadiers are felled!
Turn 8 and without enough activations to advance the Russian infantry continue to duel with their Austrian counterparts, the game is slipping further out of their hands! The VP tally at the end of the turn is the Austrians leading with 51 to 26, getting across the stream first is really helping them.
Turns 9 and 10 follow the pattern of turn 8 and the game ends in a clear Austrian victory 73 VP's to 42!
A good game but I just couldn’t push the Russians forward fast enough and once the Austrians had the advantage of all their men in Victory Point earning locations they were able to sit back and pour fire into the Russians! Early activations are crucial in this scenario!
I still have a Blucher AAR to write up and an update on preparations for the CoC Malaya 1942 Campaign so I must get onto posts for those!
The Kaiserlicks got the upper hand, and never let go. Not that it matters in game terms, but the Austrian Jagers had rifles (at least half of them), but I don't think the Grenz did.
ReplyDeleteThanks Gonsalvo!!!!
DeleteFYI paid in points for rifle armed Jaegers but used the Grenzers to represent them as they look way cooler on the tabletop! hehehe