Intercontinental Tournament 2023

Round 3: Medellin
Game 1 Gonzo(French) 6 banners
JRTracy(Spanish) 3 banners
Game 2 Gonzo (Spanish) 6 banners
JRTracy(French) 0 banners

Rd 4 -return game

rjvonline - Spanish 6
vs
gomjabbar - French 3

My Spanish started with some fairly ineffective artillery fire on all sectors using a forward card. The French moved on their right, eventually daringly moving their HA into the village (after it had already taken 2 blocks on a Spanish LN). A Leadership card and combined HC/FA attack allowed the Spanish to push the HA out of the village, with the HC riding in. Then the action switched on the other flank. Despite having seen its LT reduced to 2 blocks by artillery fire (during the same play of the Leadership card mentioned above), the French assaulted with LT, LN, LC and HA. They eventually ran up the score to 3, depleting the Spanish hand, but a Bayonet Charge followed by another Forward card that trapped the LC helped kill the LT, LC and HA, even though Short Supply sent the Spanish grenadiers to their rear. The remaining LN got caught with 3 blocks between a 3-block Spanish LC and 4-block LN. They decided to go into square, killed 1 LC block, but then lost 2 to the LN. The French moved their center force towards the left in attempt to provide relief, but it was too late. The Spanish LN attacked the 1-block square while the Spanish LC moved forward, apparently to attack a French LT in the relief force, but really to trap Lasalle when his 1-block square got destroyed. Lasalle survived the 1st LC attack, but could not retreat far enough without drowning and was eliminated for a 6-3 Spanish victory, and a 2-1 match score in my favor as I had lost 5-6 with the French in the 1st leg.

Thanks for 2 fun games to Brad. Those Spaniards are tougher than one might think!

Round 4 - Crossing the Berezina

Renaud (Russians) 7 banners, 28 blocks lost
vs JR (French) 4 banners, 31 blocks lost

We played both games in a row and so my memory of the 1st one is already hazy. I basically manage to blunt and foil JR's attack on his right and tie 3 infantry units including the OG in squares and then take them down overt time after having eliminated his cuirassiers, despite despite some terrible rolls on my cavalry charge counter-attacks. Somehow I scored 3 (?0 other banners in the center including by forcing the French artillery on the West bank to retreat twice in the icy waters of the Berezina with a unit of Russian jagers shotting from the woods across the river. His other artillery fell to my cossacks (da!).

Renaud (French) 7 banners, x blocks lost
vs
JR (Russians) 6 banners, y blocks lost

This one was a nail biter for sure. Again most of the action took place on the French right, but with the opposite result. The Russian HC foreced one French LN in square but was soon enough repelled by the Cuirassiers and forced back to its rear line where it finally succumbed to a French infantry attack in addition to a cuirassier attack. The French infantry had made it there with other LN and the OG thanks to a Bayonet charge and a Forced March that eliminated 2 LT, 1 LV and 1 HA (eliminated by the OG), leaving just 1Russian LN in the woods by the river. Meanwhile the Russians were getting the better of the French in the center and the French left. The latter was reduced to 1 LT commanded by Victor and the center was being pushed back and reduced by the force-marching Russian grenadiers and Line. JR made it back to 6-6. Next, I played FM again on my right. I an bring the OG (2 blocks) and a French LN (2 blocks) to contact against the Russian LN (4 blocks in the woods). I can also bring a 3-block French LN to fire. They score 0 kill. The OG attacks, kills 2 blocks with 3 dice, leaving 2 Russian blocks to battle back and score... 1 hit. The OG survives! The French line then attacks with 2 dice and... scores 2 hits, for a hard-won victory against this most gentlemanly opponent!

CCN at its best...

Below, x (French blocks in Game 2) was 31, and y was 29.

NB: the first Russian kill was French leader Partouneau on 2-die roll! Chichagov only left the field in ignominy when his HC died....

R4G1
Crossing the Berezina
SteveT Russians 7 banners taken, blocks lost 37
Riverwanderer French 4 banners taken, blocks lost 36
I’d played this campaign last year as the Russians, and been slaughtered, losing most battles against MarkM, so wasn’t confident. I opened with Forced March on the Russian right, and although the French took heavy losses, the Russians’ were greater: 0-2. A Russian Assault left opened up the other flank, squaring then later destroying a French line 1-2. The turning point came with a French cavalry charge, the French cavalry were suffering from the icy cold and gained only 1 hit from 11 dice; the Russians counter-attacked and destroyed the French cavalry, albeit with the death of Wlastov heroically charging the French guns (4-4). The French right flank infantry, led by the Old Guard, advanced against the weakened Russian left. A Russian cavalry charge forced two of the French units into square. Then it became a race, could the remaining French full strength line reach and destroy the remnants of the Russian left flank infantry, or could the Russian right flank reserve reach and destroy the French centre/left? The latter was the case, but the battle could easily have gone the other way, but for the unsuccessful French cavalry charge. Casualties on both sides were high and similar. Thanks to Mark for as always a very tough but enjoyable game, and thanks for the module updates!

   

Round 4 Game1
Tom (Russians) 6 banners
Mark McG (French) 7 banners

Slow start, with the French doing better on their left, whilst the right held back. Rush of bannes at the end, especially for the Russians, and there was a chance of a Russian win on a leader check, but Oudinot got away this time.
 

R4G2
Crossing the Berezina
SteveT French 6 banners
Riverwanderer Russians 7 banners 

A game that swung first to the French and then back towards the Russians and an exciting finish. An unlucky Russian leader, a couple more hit rolls or one more French card for the centre could have made all the difference.



 

Round 4 Berezina

Game 1

Toganalper (French) - 5 banners,
Gileforn (Russian) - 7 banners.

That was a good game that can be end in different ways. Good Russian rush on there left brought first banner and Oudinot. Than situation became better and better till the moment French made a comeback. All main battles was on this flank, but also Russians prepared a big attack in the center and finished a game with it.

Game 2

Toganalper (Russian) - 1 banner (Oudinot),
Gileforn (French) - 7 banners.

That was a nice game with battles everywhere, but Partouneaux with his line infantry was so sneeaky that Togan forgot about him time to time. French were lucky to get with tactic Old guard to the battle. So all right flank was destroyed. Only Oudinot was captured after forming a square near battleline. Luck can be changeable, Togan should receive more banners, but dice were like they were.

Thanks a lot to Togan for pretty good games!
   

Game 2 - Crossing the Berezina – played 7-9-23

Mike Stanley (Russians/Allies) – 7 banners – winner

David Horts (French) – 2 banners

The Mother Russia roll gave the Russians two LN blocks, one Art block, and 2 Cossacks, one on each flank.  The Russians started with a Force March, moving up eight of their infantry units on their right flank, killing one French LN and reducing another to one block.  The French responded with a Center Assault that removed a 4-block Russian LN (Wlastov survived) and reduced the GR to 1-block but cost the French the 1-block LN AND Partouneaux, and reduced another LN to 1-block.  This was a bloody first turn..

Russian Elan in turn two garnered a blue, yellow, and red, but the grenadier blew a 3d roll and was killed in the bb, although Wlastov survived again. On the Russian left, a Cossack & HA combined arms attack, followed by a cavalry breakthrough attack, left a French LN in square with just one block. A French Force March protected the two 1-block French LN and drove away the Cossacks.

The turn three Russian Flank Attack was successful on their left, with another combined arms attack reducing another French LN to 1-block in square.  A French Center Assault caused only minor damage. A Russian Assault Left combined cavalry holding attacks with LT and Art fire that eliminated one French LN while damaging another.  The French Bombardment reduced a Russian LN to 1 block.  The Russian Left Assault continued, taking out another French LN and damaging the OG, who in turn damaged the Russian LC.  French Leadership then stepped up and chased away three Russian Cavalry units, one permanently (Cossacks.)

The next 4 turns (8 player turns) had no eliminated units, and mostly saw both sides trying to get 1-block units out of harm's way.

For turn 10, the Russians played the just-drawn Forward, moving up units on his right and center, and moving a HC and HA to the attack on his left flank, throwing in a Cavalry Leader TAC, for 8d total vs French FA.  He was met by French Artillery Canister for 2 hits, reducing the attack to 6d.  But 3 hits on the FA killed it, and the Russian HC advanced to attack the French 1-block LT, who squared up.  His defensive fire missed, but the HC hit for the 7th banner.

There were lots of 1- and 2-block units hanging around at the end – eight of them mine.  Better cards for my opponent could well have changed things.  Or, if I could have retrieved my La Grande Manouevre which spent most of the game in stir, maybe I could have rushed and overwhelmed him when he had a bunch of weakened units sitting out there.  Good game, good opponent, good fun.