Open Tournament 2016 Round 5

Round 5
The dreaded Spanish scenario. Not a fan of the...

Open Tournament 2016 Round 5

How can we upload the game file? There is no action tab to do anything....just this comment strip.

OK, now there is a reply tab. It seems you have to post something first to get it. Buggy...

OT2016, Round 5, Game
104 Espinosa de los Monteros (10-11 November 1808)
mantra (French) 7 banners
gottoman (Spanish) 5 banner

After some exchange of artillery fire from the Spanish the action moved on to the hills on the French right. Lots of ranged fire took place with the French forcing the Spanish Militia to retreat of the hills with no ground being taken. The Spanish then started to push the French Left with their accurate ranged fire bagging 3 banners in short notice. Try as the may, the French could not shake out a consistent attack on Spanish and soon the boys in yellow had 4 banners. About mid game the French were finally able to isolate a Spanish light unit and gain their first banner. The Spanish losing their momentum on the French left started to push the center towards Quintana. The French quickly responded with a little Elan and over two rounds was able to even out the banner count to 4 each. It was at this point that the Spanish were beginning to look a little worn even though they just took the lead (5 banners) by smashing the French line on the hill outside of the town. The French seeing their chance unleashed a double cavalry charge supported with horse artillery to cap the battle with 7 banners.

Greg played well and had smoking dice at the start with the game evening out in the middle. In the end it could have went either way. Looking forward to the next match as the Spanish.

yeah, you can post a comment to the discussion from the Tournament page, but have to be in the Discussion page to actually load a file. The magic and mystery of online computing.

OT2016 - Rd 5 : 104 - Espinosa De Los Monteros

EZPickins (French) - 7 banners
tlangston28 (Spanish) - 6 banners

I have the log file here - EZPickins was going to summarize this one - all i can say is that this was one topsy-turvy battle. Will add comments after re-reviewing the log file.

OT2016 - Rd 5 : 104 - Espinosa De Los Monteros

Bayernkini (French) - 7 banners
TheMP (Spanish) - 5 banners

The Spanish got early 2 additional GMs, which was a disadvantage for french, so i had to force the spanish to use it first.
So the first actions happens around the french left without much results.

Then i countered a CAV charge and was wondering, that spanish didnt used 1GM here. So a combined attack killed a ART and decreased the 2nd ART to 1block.
A spanish countercharge in center killed a french LC and decreased the 2nd to 1block also.

With a second BC i could force the spanish finally to spent their 3rd/last GM, and from there, i could plan a little bit more aggressiv.
But before that, another spanish center attack with LC, destroyed one of my HA.

Then the main actions happens again on french left, with a spanish attack and french counter, which brougth the spanish in front 3:2 and three 1block french units on left.

Then then the french dice shows again, they can be the hell, with another counterattack on left, killing a single spanish LC with 1die shot following with a successful
leadercheck, and a kill of a spanish 4block LT. So the result changes to 5:3 for french.

A spanish counter charge on left again, adust the score to 5:5. Now the next dice/missings decides the game.
Hoping to get the last 2 banners now, i attacked again on left a 4block and a 2block LN, and was able to kill both
for the final score 7:5.

Close game. And the killed leader shows again, why i am personally don´t like the rule, a killed leader counts (general) as VP.

My logfile is missing first turn.

Much to what Bayernkini said really.

All very close until the last few stages. I didn't use the GM on the cavalry charge as I didn't think it would do as well as it did. I also knew that the way his infantry were massing that he would deliver a Bayonet Charge ... which he did and I cancelled. I think the French bayonet charge on the Spanish nfantry may have worked out worse had it been allowed to happen but we'll never know.

7-5 Bayernkini ........ Close but no cigar!

OT2016 - Rd 5 : 104 - Espinosa De Los Monteros

Bangla (French) - 6 banners
Mark McG (Spanish) - 7 banners

An Epic 4 hour match that saw the Spanish initially draw ahead 3-1, and then be overtaken to 4-5, and draw even to 5-5
There was some desperate maneuvering to gain advantage, but ultimately the Spanish cavalry crossing the field and getting loose into the French rear (where the 1 blocks units are) sealed the match.

Ruffin brought his zombie troops, I swear I killed them over and over, but they just kept rallying and reforming.

OT2016, Round 5, Game 2
104 Espinosa de los Monteros (10-11 November 1808)
mantra (Spanish) 7 banners
gottoman (French) 5 banner

After some minor skirmishing along the battle field, the battle began with the French forming up their lines in the center between Quintara and the hill in front of it. The French drew first blood with a bold Bayonet Charge from the center position, bagging a line formation. The Spanish counter-attacked and returned in kind their first banner to even out the battle (1-1). The French continued to press in the center. The Spanish fearing the combined arms attacks that possible could take place on two exposed Grenadier units decided to use one of their Guerrilla Actions to flip the initiative (a side note here. The Spanish gained a second GA marker at the start of the battle). In the counter-attack the Grenadiers were able to destroy another line unit and badly maul and push back another (2-1). The Blue coats feeling the pressure in the center decided to unleash a bombardment to loosen up the Spanish center. The Spanish feeling overextended in the center slowly started to pull back away from the hill in front of Quintana.

The next few exchanges where mostly dealing with reorganizing the lines to set up the clash. A Spanish LC seeing an opportunity, dashed out and cut down a very weakened line unit (3-1). With same command the Spanish also CA'd a French HA, pushing up the banner count (4-1).

The French, feeling the pinch, actively pushed their left to soften up the Spanish on one turn and playing a Cavalry Charge on the follow up. The Spanish, noting their situation, played their last GA marker to no effect, as the French rolled a saber to cancel it. In the exchange the Spanish lost a leader (4-2).

The Spanish lucked out here and drew two more scout cards bring their GA markers back up to 2, at the same time the French decided to hunt down the weakened Spanish units in the center (4-4). With the French hanging in the center the Spanish showed a little elan and was able to take out a leader and another LN(6-4). Seeing victory in their sights the Spanish LC pushed another attack in their breakthrough attack and lost the unit for their over zealous effort (6-5). Having 2 GA's in hand the Spanish were not too downtrodden and by luck of draw they drew the elan card again in the reshuffle. The Spanish quickly cancelled the next play of the French with a GA and took the last banner (7-5).

This scenario was very tense in both matches with a lot of swings between.

OT2016 - Rd 5 : 104 - Espinosa De Los Monteros - Game 2

tlangston28 - (French) - 7 banners
EZPickins - (Spanish) - 4 banners

This game started as a close one, with very little blood being spilled early on. With the game 1-1, John continued to play scout cards, collecting guerilla counters while I was trying to position. He was able to move units and play guerrillas effectively, never having one cancelled by sabers. I had a Bayonet Charge card from the beginning and attempted to move units into postiion and play cards to force the guerillas to come out. I was able to force another kill with retreat flags but was shackled by the continued success of the guerrilla counters. Finally, after forcing the last guerrilla counter, I was able to play the bayonet charge and proceeded to destroy 3 Spanish units on the turn - giving a 5 - 2 edge. The Spanish countered with a bayonet charge of their own and killed 2 more units. A French "Give them cold steel" and then a follow-up attack left flank collected the final 2 banners for the win.

The guerrilla counters gave me fits early on as I couldn't counter them at all - that seems the way for the Spanish to have a chance.