Quarter Finals

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Quarter Finals

Game 1
Mark-McG (Allies) 8 Banners (31 blocks lost)
GomJabbar (French) 9 Banners (38 blocks lost)

The French charged their cavalry forward on the right intent on reaching the Chateau, gained a banner but then stalled. The battle shifted to the center where the French had most of their cards. The French Bayonet Charged their infantry forward to the town of Brienne but only dislodged 1 unit. They then took heavy casualties on the counterattack. A Grand Manoeuvre then allowed the French the chance to get their Young Guard into the fray. The Russians leaders attacked twice and brought the French to within 1 banner of defeat. The French then assaulted the center and gained 3 banners and the Russians lost control of the town, all in 1 turn. The tide had turned but the French could not get a majority of Brienne. The Russians then clawed back and got the French to within 1 banner of defeat again. The French then sneakily pushed a Young Guard up to the lightly garrisoned Chateau and took the Chateau. The Russians had a last chance to take out a single block French lancer for the win but rolled 2 flags instead. The Lancer escaped. And the French won by sudden death by holding the Chateau until the start of their turn.
 
P.S. Neither Mark nor I noticed on the last Russian turn that they had majority in the town because I had moved off and Mark would have won the game. Mark graciously said that he should have reminded me to leave behind a Garrison (I keep forgetting the Garrison rule) which would have prevented the majority and the result would have been the same. Thanks Mark. I will definitely remember that rule from now on.

Game 2
GomJabbar (Allies) 9 Banners (16 blocks lost)
Mark McG (French) 3 Banners (32 blocks lost)

The Russians started the game with a stacked hand of cards including Elan, Fire and Hold, Take Command Left Flank, Attack Center and Assault Left Flank. I played the Attack Center to move up the GR, LT/wLeader and LN/wLeader to get them off the back line. Then drew a Cavalry Charge. I didn't really want to play any of these cards yet. I wanted to wait until the French advanced into range. So finally decided on the Cavalry Charge and didn't look back. Virtually all the fighting was on the French right. And Mark's dice were horrendous. I have never seen dice so bad. There were many turns where he rolled 8 to 12 dice and got zero hits. It was astounding. My LC with Pahlen combined with the HA just kept rolling over the French right. I used 2 Leader Unit Reform cards on separate occasions to bring Pahlen's unit back up to full strength to continue the battle. The French right was pushed back to their baseline. On the French last turn they surrounded Pahlen with 3 infantry including a YG. It was looking like the end for Pahlen but he only lost 1 block against 8 dice. The final Russian turn eliminated a single LC block unit on the baseline and a full strength LN from combined ART and LC attack with a Artillery Combat Bonus card that was saved from the start of the game for just this moment. The French LN squared up but it didn't help against the HA. 3 hits and 2 flags meant the end for the French LN and the end of the game. Very sorry to Mark for such lop-sided dice luck. Thanks for the games and for organizing these tournaments.