28mm Renaissance at The Worlds, Derby 2015
TYW German Catholic vs TYW French
Game 1 TYW German Catholic vs TYW French
Game 2 TYW German Catholic vs TYW French
Game 3 TYW German Catholic vs TYW German Catholic
Game 4 TYW German Catholic vs Later Imperial Spanish
Game 2, and the same opponent ...well, the same army, almost exactly in this case as I faced Ben and yet more textbook French.
The lists for the TYW German Catholic and TYW French from this game, as well as all the other lists from the games at The Worlds Derby can be seen here in the FoG:R Wiki.
After a long and exhaustive period of military-grade intelligence gathering, spycraft and psychological profiling the German High Command put forth the proposition that their opponents today might well form up in a solid line of Pike and Shotte with the maximum number of regimental guns and deploy some 2-packs of Dragoons on either flank, this having been Ben's modus operandi in basically every game, ever.
The terrain fell shockingly, with me deploying my town (because I owned the building) and it falling in the central sector, along with a forest deployed by me (which my opponent rolled a 6 for, but declined to remove) and yet another plantation placed by the dastardly Frenchies.
With the possibility of a decent game already gone before any figures made it onto table, the Germans were faced with a tetris-like puzzle even to get their men onto the field of play.
The gaps in the terrain were not even wide enough for 2 bases to fit alongside each other, meaning even the light gunnes had to deploy in column and sneak forwards. Infantry dithered as to whether rushing forward in column was worth the additional pain of shooting from the enemy artillery, and then dithered even more as they discovered that the visibility rules for villages meant that the elements at the back of the column who were not yet in the village could be shot at, over the village itself and over the troops ahead of them....who were however mysteriously invisible whilst fully in the town!
Occasionally on the flanks there were some open areas, but yet more terrain cluttered the enemy side of the table in the distance. These brave German troops are even now psyching themselves up for a confrontation with 2-packs of enemy Dragoons in the scrubland
The basic approach was to push forward regardless of the terrain, and then seek to engage the Frenchmen in a shooting contest whilst standing in terrain which would make it harder for them to charge effectively. The narrow table meant that the Germans could apply several waves of troops at the key junctures of the front.
The Frenchmen had applied precisely no imagination to their battle plan, which left them copious amounts of imagination spare with which to pretend to themselves that their Warhammer Bretonnian faux-C15 uniforms were in fact reasonable facsimiles of the C17th French units they were claiming - somewhat unconvincingly - to pretend to be.
Even simply moving through the terrain was proving rather challenging, but the enemy shooting was also taking a severe toll as the two sides closed on each other.
The ridiculously deep masses of German troops clashed with the ridiculously inappropriately attired and flagged single line of pretend Frenchmen as the battle took shape.
The town was proving to be no benefit to the battered Blue Regiment, who were at the heart of the German line - they were hanging on in a parlous and fragged state by now..
Learn about the Fluff of the French Troops in this battle !
Despite brave dice rolling, their ability to withstand a charge from the forces of a humanity-based race of warriors who had learnt their martial skills in epic battles against Orcs, Ents and Trolls under the baleful eyes of magic-charged skies in an alternative universe long since abandoned by its makers came to a swift and bitter end. At least the Bretonnian warriors would now also have to navigate the slowing terrain of the village if they wanted to achieve anything else
Further along the line the Germans were holding up well - their general kept his fingers crossed that the French would not call up their reserve regiment of Superior Sigmarines mounted on Giant Flying Orc-rats (with extra "save" dice)...
On the left flank, a rather concerted attempt by the Germans to use several units to absorb the fire of one exposed vaguely proper-looking French unit had failed spectacularly and now the German cavalry wing was in some serious disarray.
Back in the middle, magical portents rent the sky asunder as the Germans smashed one of the Bretonnian units back into the dark void of eternal night ! Superior Teutonic technology and the leadership of several generals had worked its own form of Magic, with nary a Warg-hound in sight and the French had a hole in their lines!
The proper French however fought back with a counterblow on the German left, with shooting that had been causing casualties and cohesion losses in every single round putting paid to the "they should have been at the back but the terrain was so crappy they didn't actually fit" carbine horse.
The entire flank was now collapsing as the pseudo-Frenchies flooded forward into the terrain, outnumbering and overwhelming the German lines
Total TYW
Only the density of terrain was now in the way of the advancing French army in the centre
But on the German right, the Bretonnian troops had crumbled as their magical elixir of 'Pretending to be TYW troopers' had been spilt and evaporated, leaving them exposed as outdated plastic figures armed with comedy arquebuses against the latest firelocks of the German Warlord Games plastics... the right flank lay open for the Germans!
The textbook two-packs were sent scuttling for cover as the Germans won the flank and pushed them back with the superiority of the technology of 3 vs 2
The German centre was almost overwhelmed, but reserve Cuirassiers (yes, not ideal really but hey, in this terrain where else do they go?) were trying to gallop to the rescue
With that, time was called and the game ended. A defeat, but not a total loss... .
Click here for the report of the next game in this competition, or 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 TYW German Catholic Commander
Fick die Henne! Der terraintechnisch selektionspielphase ist utterly kaput, und der Spielerwriter Herr Bodley-Scott should be hung, drawn und cut into several machine-tooled pieces for dis sightligntvisibilityinkompetece artifact!-
As a good Catholic I wast uber-frustrated by the placement of der Grand Haller, but how das artillerykompanie Frenchasian coudl overheadshootenkaput my brave Blue Regiment vas ultraterrible.
Das result vas OK I suppose, mit der "down ein grosse hole" spielestarterposition, und meing manschaft comrades are doing OK in den other spielen also
One would hope that der postcurryworst Sundaymorgesspielen would be an improvement. I will now leave to find great pilsner in rural Leicestershire...
Hannibal's Post Match Analysis
I am sure you are hoping to be regarded as a Catholic in this game, as you appear committed to a path of doing all of your favorite sins of command failure repeatedly, and it must only be the expectation of Confession which allows you do imagine you will get away with going out and doing them all again!!
The only good thing in this game was that the forces of Magic were not unleashed by the Bretonnian troops, and no Balrogs or similar rampaged across your army - however they would have needed to be bloody quick, as the troops you did put out barely stood up to a stuff breeze never mind the forces of the Bretonnians. Bretonnian society is harsh, and even though potatoes appear to lie freely on the fround any peasant who is caught stealing or poaching is usually hanged.
An even harsher punishment is dealt to a peasant who attacks a noble, however the paucity of the effectiveness of your men means that you and your family will be most likely spared the responsibility for your army's actions and avoid the pain of being tortured and slowly dismembered, while all (although I suspect "both" may be a better epithet) of your friends and acquaintances will avoid being similarly crippled. Such is the price of rebellion.
After 4th Edition Warhammer Fantasy the Bretonnian army lost its cannons, and gained special rules to protect its knights from unchivalrous guns. I can see a similar future for you in the next game, if only because your guns will surely soon be captured by an enemy !
Click here for the report of the next game in this competition
You can also comment, "like" or give feedback on these reports on either the Madaxeman.com Facebook Page or the Madaxeman.com Blogger Site.
Game 1 TYW German Catholic vs TYW French
Game 2 TYW German Catholic vs TYW French
Game 3 TYW German Catholic vs TYW German Catholic
Game 4 TYW German Catholic vs Later Imperial Spanish
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