OT2019 Round 4

Hello Viridovilas, if you read this, please get in touch with me to get our games scheduled. Thanks.
András

Game 2
rfdoane (Russia): 10
Simba28 (France): 4

The Russians opened play with a Force March that allowed them to attack the village right from the start. The French center eventually gave way under the weight of the Russian advance, thanks largely in part to the Russians drawing 3 Leadership cards over the course of the game. The French were hampered by a lack of cards to play in the center, but nevertheless eliminated two Grenadiers and a Line infantry. Only minor skirmishing took place on the flanks. A final charge that resulted in an eliminated leader and the capture of the church sealed the win for the Russians.

Game 1
Nemo2333 (Russia): 11
FoxK (France): 6

Game 2
Nemo2333 (France): 10
FoxK (Russia): 8

How many rounds will be in this OT?

5 rounds

215 Maloyaroslavets (24 October 1812)

Game 1
mantra(France): 10
BrentS (Russia): 2

The battle started with both sides joking on the flanks which was fine as the French had no center cards for the first half of the game. The Russians brought it hard to the French right forcing a square. The French, in order it ease pressure played a double Calvary charge on their left flank and were successful in plowing through both Russian LCs and forcing their flank back. The French then Bayonet Charged in the center, followed by a leadership card was enough for the French win.

Game 2
mantra(Russia): 10
BrentS (France): 4

The second battle started off with a strong push from the French on their left, which gained them a few banners. To off set the Russians pushed on the other flank with mixed results, but were able to square up a French unit for the remainder of the battle. This took the steam out of the French attack. The Russians then leaped in center obliquely and were able to gain a foothold in the town and draw off fire from without. It was a bloody grind for the town hexes until the end of the game with the Russians having a good supply of center cards and better then average rolls at the end. It was hard played by Brent, but the Russians had a response for every counter he had.

215 Maloyaroslavets (24 October 1812)

Game 1
Tyler Allies 7
David French 10

I made a bad tactical error late in the game -- too focused on killing a French unit. I bypassed a chance to take a town hex (and the 2 victory points). This made all the difference at the end.

Pretty evenly matched game. Both players had poor dice early on. Mine heated up a bit in the middle and David's heated up a bit at the end. Luck certainly didn't decide this battle.

The Russian right flank collapsed and the French right flank collapsed so the battlefield kind of twisted so he was fighting from my left and I was fighting from my right.

This was a great introduction for me, as Tyler is a wonderful ambassador for this game. I want to commend him for his unlimited patience and incredible teaching skills. He answered all of my questions and made sure I understood the rules as well as the program and protocols. Thank you, Tyler!

Game 1

g1ul10 Allies 10
Mark-McG French 9

As the final score suggests, the game was long and tense. Playing against Mark is always challenging. You can't count on him making mistakes. The mother Russia roll is bad, with three swords, and my initial hand has the wrong cards for the strategy I had in mind. But as they say, you play the cards you are dealt with, and so I do. I start attacking the French left flank. That's the wrong flank, but at least I start putting some pressure on the French and force some squares. Mark reacted swiftly with the Old Guard and in a couple of turns, I'm 0 VP to 4. The action then moves to the center. I play aggressively, but dice are not on my side. Mark plays a devastating first strike and a gorgeous rally that completely restores a 1 block French arty unit. I manage to dislodge the French from part of the village but the French lead 5-2. French artillery seems invulnerable to Russian cavalry charge while despite having three squares on the map Mark has the card to activate the French heavy cavalry. 7-3 for the French. At this point, I play a la grand maneuver card and this changes the tempo of the game. I move my threatened units in safe places and conquer the majority of the village. Some effective sniping, a good assault and the elimination of a French cornered leader in the center, and the game is tied 8-8. A French heavy cavalry unit attacks the Russian artillery but fails spectacularly and is eliminated the next turn. I'm 9-8 but the French grand battery eliminates one of my units from the village and I lose two medals. 8-9 for the French. After a couple of turns, I have the cards to attack a squared French line on the left, eliminating the unit and luckily killing the attached leader. Game over.

I'm happy to report that this time we had no issues with the module.

Maloyaroslavets - Game 1
Mike Stanley (scipio1zama) Russians – 10 banners
Greg Ottoman (Gottoman) French – 7 banners

Initial fighting on the Russian left saw a lucky roll eliminate the French leader Legrand, followed immediately by the LN he was stacked with. The French riposted with a Grande Manouevre on their left, moving 3 LN, the OG and leaders Compans and Pino up next to Russian leader Olsufiev and his troops, which initiated a major battle. The Russian counter featured a combined arms attack that eliminated Pino’s LN unit and forced Pino back to the Church. A French attack damaged and retreated 2 Russian units, but the Russian Leaders reacted and a 2-for-2 infantry roll eliminated the previously damaged French Old Guard. Fighting continued on this flank as Olsufiev’s LN and Compans LN were destroyed, followed by Compans himself.

A French Recon in Force and a Russian Forward card saw fighting erupt in other sections of the battlefield, costing the French a FA unit. At this point the French were down 7 banners to 3 (2 of which were for holding the town.)

Each side lost a 1-block LC on the right, while Pino and his LT in the woods on the left resisted many Russian attacks.

Fighting now shifted mostly to the Center. Delzons and French LN attacked Lichatschev and Russian LN and eliminated both. A Russian Assault Center set up two Combined Arms attacks. One eliminated a 4-block French LN and forced Delzons back to the Church, while the other killed 3 of 4 LT blocks and forced it out of the town, which the Russian Grenadier advanced into. A Russian LN destroyed a Russian LT on the left.
Finally, a Russian Cavalry Charge eliminated the 1-block French LT in the Center for the 10th banner.
I had good rolls and I always had a good card to play, but what initially looked like a rout wound up pretty close in a fast-playing 10-banner game.