A Short Game and Another Critical Foot

I played out the "Threat to the Flank" Scenario (p. 4 CS Grant "Scenarios For All Ages") over the past weekend and I took overhead pics each turn just to see how it would look. Also at turn 4, I got a crazy idea that since I had lots of green paint left from my table project, that I could add a foot to my table without much trouble and just a little bit of expense. So I "called" the game at turn 4 a guarded victory for Grolstein since they did get across the river and were poised to make their flank attack...picked the game up...and I then made my way to the local hardware supply store and bought 4, 2x5 foot sections of hardboard to expand my table to an 8'x5'.

I have found (as C. Grant mentions in "The Wargame" that a thinner table tends to make the games somewhat stereotyped and the forces lack room to maneuver with large battalions, so I think the extra foot will be a big improvement...now, where did I put that paint roller...

Here are the game pics in sequence:

Turn 1
Both sides race for the bridge (bottom,...the upper half of the river is fordable) The Grolstein Cuirassier Regiment is ordered to ford the river and attack the Bleiherzen center.

Turn 2
Grolstein Infantry makes for river under heavy fire (top) and the Hussars and Dragoons clatter across the bridge with the Grenz firing across the river in support.

Turn 3
Infantry trade volleys at the top and cavalry melee at the bottom...light infantry engaged all along the river...

Turn 4
Austrian Dragoons in Grolstein service follow on across the lower bridge hitting the Bleiherzen Dragoons in the flank and sending them off in retreat...at the top, the Hungarian Musketeer Regiment Esterhazy, despite heavy casualties and the loss of the Brigade commander still manage to get a foothold across the stream.

Heavy cavalry battle in the center... though one squadron of Grolstein Cuirassiers manage to capture a gun, their commander falls... and the other squadron is driven back across the river by a bold charge downhill of Blieherzen horse

the final push by Grolstein's infantry across the stream...at this point the battle was called in favor of Grolstein, though the Bleiherzen Army manged to withdraw in good order.

In this game I used "The Wargame" rules as printed so I was using a I go-You go turn sequence...there was not much difference from my card driven approach (outlined in an earlier post)...the rules are a blast either way!

...hopefully next time the two armies will meet on a larger field!