M508 - Liebertwolkwitz - (afternoon) 14 October 1813
Game 1 (played 11-7-19)
Allied Army: Michael Stanley (scipio1zama) – 8 banners
French Army: Shavkat Norov (Nemo2333) – 2 banners
This was a long, slow-developing game. This was partly due to neither side having cards with which to develop a coherent operational approach to winning, and partly to the fact that I was taking pain medication after dental surgery that had me looking up various rules that I should have known by heart (plus I often have to be reminded about Leader Checks even when I am in top form.)
Be that as it may – Initial maneuvering and ranged fire over 14 turns (7 each side) saw an Austrian GRZ take a couple of hits (later retreated out of danger), the Austrians position their artillery on the right and take two blocks from the French FA near Holshausen Hill (which retreated out of danger), and the French heavily reinforce Leibertwolkwitz.
For turn 15, the allies used a Take Command card to advance four Austrian infantry towards the town, but they were initially unable to fire. The French responded with a Force March (turn 16) which lit up six infantry units, but only three could fire, damaging two Austrian units and damaging one.
Now began a long engagement in the center around Leibertwolkwitz, with cavalry from both sides getting into the act. Light damage to two French LN in town was followed by heavy damage to several Austrian LN, but also to both French HC, one of which eliminated an Austrian LN for the game’s first casualty. But now a Cavalry Charge by the battle’s lone Prussian HC destroyed both French HC AND the leader Milhaud. The next Austrian turn (Elan) saw the elimination of the French LT in the church, and the next Austrian turn (Bombard) set up a Grand Battery by the Artillery on the hill that rolled 5 for 5 blue and took out a French LN in town. My opponent had a stretch of bad cards – little he could use, some he just played to replace. Then came of long period of back and forth weak attacks and maneuvering, occasional hits that slowly weakened units on both sides. The French continued to reinforce Leibertwolkwitz while I focused on pulling 1-block units back and out of the firing line. He took some shots at 1-block units and missed. He also had another stretch where he had to discard useless cards and just draw replacements. I advanced my 4-block GRZ, but he Bayonet Charged it, got a hit, and chased it all the way back to Baumgarten.. I advanced my Cossacks and attacked a 2-block French LT. He took 4 artillery shots at the Cossack and missed (His die rolling was not very lucky today), then my Cossack put his LN into square and got 1 hit. His response eliminated the Cossack.
Now a large Allied Force (FA, HA, LN, 2xLC) moved up on the right, and next turn used a combined arms attack to eliminate a 2-block LN AND the leader Maison in Leibertwolkwitz, allowing the Austrian LN to advance into town. A French Rally gained a block for FA and LN, allowing a Combined arms attack that took a block from that Austrian LN, but the battle back damaged the French LN and more importantly, forced it from the town I Counter-Attacked his Rally, and my rallied LN attacked and eliminated the French LN for the 8th banner.
This game went 57 turns. I wound up with 7 weakened units on or near the back rank. But I almost always had a card I could play to some purpose, and good die rolls to boot, while my opponent in his defensive position was often hampered by less useful cards. But he fought hard and with patience (and with good humor.)
