Massed Columns - trial game with pics
Right here we go attention please folk now are you all sitting comfortably? JB, take your finger out of your left nostril, yes and you the boy with the greyhair, ah yes Greystreak isn't it - did I mention the fact that I played rugby with your grandmother - oh i did? well stop looking out of the window boy and pay attention Picture the scene below, its froma game that the Chook and I played this afternoon 3 French battalions in coulmn emerge from a wood and are in a position to charge a British battalion deployed in line next to a Portguese battalion still in column
what happened next?
The picture above shows the situation at the 1/2 way stage in the charge
The french battalion on the right (201) is charging the Portuguese battalion in column whilst the remaining 2 battalions intend to give the British line a sound thrashing. The brigade general gallantly attched himself to the middle french battalion
First question
1. the French battalions meet the criteria for massed column - can 201 declare a charge against the portuguese alone, whilst the other 2 charge the British or do all 3 battalions have to declare a massed column charge at the combination of targets to their front?
We played it that way using the new rules at the top of this page
The outcome:-
Both defending battalions elected to fire, including the portuguese in column
Now in the bottom of the picture on the right hand side you will see part of a sneaky little portuguese battalion whose meddling upset the apple cart - why? Their support fire (only 12 could fire - 2nd line - throw a double six - arghh :twisted:) falters the french battalion and kills the Brigade general leading the middle french battalion :roll:
This along with a reasonable throw from the British line and the portuguese column caused a total of something like 9 casulaties
50% are allocated to the massed column lead unit (204) and the remainder to the other 2 battalions
2. question 2 - when is the general killed? Is he still leading the charge, we said yes and allowed the +1 modifier to apply but end result was a failed morale and result of falter
Next turn
the massed coulmn finds itself cowering faltered on the spot
the portuguese charge 201, it retreats
The british line charge the other 2 faltering battalions who throw abysmally, the centre one routs and the left hand one retreats :shock:
Q3 Had they not legged it out of the way we would have had a massed column receiving a charge - how does that work?
Subsequent event - Brigade morale fails, 1 battalion is routing, 3 are retreating (1 somewhere else nearby) = bye bye Brigade :(
Q4 how do things work in a massed column charge if 1 defender elects to fire and another elects to counter charge? (the Portuguese could have done this)
Q5 A massed column takes a huge risk when charging it seems, if it fails, several of the battalions that make it up (all from same Bgd) happily go from charging in 1 second to legging it in the next and then disappearing all together because more than 50% of the Brigade is in rout/retreat
Perhaps this is intended?
Just for the record - 2 other massed columns charged home, pitting 3 battalions against a single British line on each occasion and make it into melee
Here's one of these events
Results - Chook throws an 11 with plus 3 on the dice
French with something like +6 on the dice throw hopelessly, lose and are pushed back (same result other melee)
Q5 How does a massed column melee? does it just have 1 throw as we played? (like when throwing for morale)Or does it have 1 throw with bonuses for lead battalion and a throw for each of the contstiuent battalions in contact like at present?
And finally just to end up on a happy note and to show you lot that I am capable of charging something home I'd like to draw your attention to those dragoons (on their inferior mounts I may add) at the top of the last pic
see them?
Well this is what they did to the battery 8) (picture edit - the original was wrong :oops: )
and then they took out the line with their superb discipline in the next move :D
Thank you all for listening!
Right here we go attention please folk now are you all sitting comfortably? JB, take your finger out of your left nostril, yes and you the boy with the greyhair, ah yes Greystreak isn't it - did I mention the fact that I played rugby with your grandmother - oh i did? well stop looking out of the window boy and pay attention Picture the scene below, its froma game that the Chook and I played this afternoon 3 French battalions in coulmn emerge from a wood and are in a position to charge a British battalion deployed in line next to a Portguese battalion still in column
what happened next?
The picture above shows the situation at the 1/2 way stage in the charge
The french battalion on the right (201) is charging the Portuguese battalion in column whilst the remaining 2 battalions intend to give the British line a sound thrashing. The brigade general gallantly attched himself to the middle french battalion
First question
1. the French battalions meet the criteria for massed column - can 201 declare a charge against the portuguese alone, whilst the other 2 charge the British or do all 3 battalions have to declare a massed column charge at the combination of targets to their front?
We played it that way using the new rules at the top of this page
The outcome:-
Both defending battalions elected to fire, including the portuguese in column
Now in the bottom of the picture on the right hand side you will see part of a sneaky little portuguese battalion whose meddling upset the apple cart - why? Their support fire (only 12 could fire - 2nd line - throw a double six - arghh :twisted:) falters the french battalion and kills the Brigade general leading the middle french battalion :roll:
This along with a reasonable throw from the British line and the portuguese column caused a total of something like 9 casulaties
50% are allocated to the massed column lead unit (204) and the remainder to the other 2 battalions
2. question 2 - when is the general killed? Is he still leading the charge, we said yes and allowed the +1 modifier to apply but end result was a failed morale and result of falter
Next turn
the massed coulmn finds itself cowering faltered on the spot
the portuguese charge 201, it retreats
The british line charge the other 2 faltering battalions who throw abysmally, the centre one routs and the left hand one retreats :shock:
Q3 Had they not legged it out of the way we would have had a massed column receiving a charge - how does that work?
Subsequent event - Brigade morale fails, 1 battalion is routing, 3 are retreating (1 somewhere else nearby) = bye bye Brigade :(
Q4 how do things work in a massed column charge if 1 defender elects to fire and another elects to counter charge? (the Portuguese could have done this)
Q5 A massed column takes a huge risk when charging it seems, if it fails, several of the battalions that make it up (all from same Bgd) happily go from charging in 1 second to legging it in the next and then disappearing all together because more than 50% of the Brigade is in rout/retreat
Perhaps this is intended?
Just for the record - 2 other massed columns charged home, pitting 3 battalions against a single British line on each occasion and make it into melee
Here's one of these events
Results - Chook throws an 11 with plus 3 on the dice
French with something like +6 on the dice throw hopelessly, lose and are pushed back (same result other melee)
Q5 How does a massed column melee? does it just have 1 throw as we played? (like when throwing for morale)Or does it have 1 throw with bonuses for lead battalion and a throw for each of the contstiuent battalions in contact like at present?
And finally just to end up on a happy note and to show you lot that I am capable of charging something home I'd like to draw your attention to those dragoons (on their inferior mounts I may add) at the top of the last pic
see them?
Well this is what they did to the battery 8) (picture edit - the original was wrong :oops: )
and then they took out the line with their superb discipline in the next move :D
Thank you all for listening!