314 Eggmühl - Day 2 Alteglofsheim (22 April 1809)

314 Eggmühl - Day 2 Alteglofsheim (22 April 1809)

Close game, very close
5-4 won by French, but Austrians could win too (or would win exactly in next next by saving HA). Sadly wrong card order was played by Austrians.

Austrians are outnumbered, but won for me today. I rolled great dice, with 3-4 hits almost every time. Game lasted 1/2 hour.

Scenario velocissimo. La Cavalleria Pesante francese si occupa dell'Artiglieria a Cavallo austriaca prima che esca dal campo e i Corazzieri francesi nel centro sfondano ed eliminano la cavalleria austriaca.

Time for another game with nephew Tom and we thought this cavalry battle would be entertaining as we work through the Austrian scenarios. Tom opted for the French, leaving me to start the battle as the Austrians.

The Austrians' first move was to send the horse artillery galloping back towards the town of Alteglofsheim while General Schneller took his cuirassiers to join the others in the centre of the battlefield. The French simply attacked in the centre: four cuirassier units under Generals Nansouty and St Sulpice against Schneller's three. A single exchange of swordplay later and only one, battered, Austrian cuirassier was left, with Schneller amongst the dead. [Tom had an "Assault Centre" card and some lucky dice to make the score 0:3 after one turn.]

The Austrians threw another cuirassier unit into the fray against the lead French unit, with General Stutterheim bringing some of his light cavalry across from the Austrian left and the horse artillery leaving the battlefield. The fresh cuirassier fell, too. [This took the score to 1:4 as I completely failed to score any hits from 10 dice, rather wasting a "Cavalry Charge" card.]

Looking to finish things off, some of the French cuirassiers pressed the attack, only to take casualties themselves. [Tom's turn to roll no hits and suffer in the battle back.]

Gen Stutterheim now took charge, leading his light horsemen and the surviving cuirassier against the Frenchmen. None of the four cuirassier units were still at full strength, but it was still a surprise when three of them were eliminated by the swords of the Austrian lights. Gen Nansouty survived the demolition of his command by the skin of his teeth, ending up well to the rear of the French forces. [Yes, my turn to get the lucky dice rolls and that's 4:4.]

General Seydowitz brought a fresh cuirassier unit to support St Sulpice and his troops. Together they eliminated one of the Austrian light cavalry. [And that was that 4:5.]

It was no real surprise that the cuirassiers do a lot of damage when they mix it and having them on both sides meant the scenario played quickly - and was a fairly even fight. Time to switch sides and play again.

This time the French started by attacking on their right, hoping their light cavalry would take out General Stutterheim while he only had half his force with him. Stutterheim retired with one battered unit, but the others, bolstered by a unit of cuirassiers moving across from the centre, took the fight to the French and removed one unit. [Tom took an early lead 0:1 with a "Cavalry Charge"]

The French lights retired, but were still able to take out an Austrian light cavalry unit that was on its own. At the same time, Gen Nansouty advanced his cuirassiers in the centre and the French horse artillery on the left galloped forward to get in range of their retreating Austrian equivalents. [Very useful, that "Forward" card and the score's 1:1.]

The Austrians pursued the attack against the French light cavalry, eliminating another unit, and threw some cuirassiers against Nansouty, crippling one unit. [Another "Cavalry Charge" from Tom makes it 1:2]

Gen St Sulpice joined Nansouty in a full-blooded attack by the French cuirassiers in the centre, one unit sprinting off to catch Austrian Gen Stutterheim and his battered light cavalry. The lights went down - Stutterheim fleeing the field - along with two cuirassier units. [My turn for a "Cavalry Charge" - the third one - and it's 4:2.]

On their left flank, the Austrians attacked and removed the final French light [4:3] but the advanced French cuirassiers followed the enemy general off the field. [5:3]

Again, the scenario played quickly and bloodily. And entertainingly. And the aggregate score went my way: 9:8. Great fun.

As the Austrian commander, I immediately pulled the Horse artillery into the town (chased by their French equivalents thanks to Evert's "Bombard" card) and then stormed four Austrian cavalry across the river on the right to take on three French units. This kind of worked: two French Light fell and only one Austrian.

Some of the French Cuirassiers pushed the Austrian Lights back while I took my opportunity to get the Horse artillery off the board for a banner: 3:1. Evert threw the rest of the Cuirassiers into the centre to thump their Austrian counterparts, but only pushed them back.

The Austrian Lights on the right worked into the centre to remove a French Light cavalry. And an attack by the Austrian Cuirassiers on the left eliminated one of the Horse artillery for a 5:1 victory.

That only took 45 minutes and just 11 turns, leaving us set up for the return match.

Evert followed my example in pulling the Horse artillery back and was able to exit it immediately as I couldn't chase it. A quick 0:1 lead.

The two armies lined up across the battlefield and then the French Cuirassiers hit their opposite numbers in the centre, removing one to tie the score only for the Austrians to eliminate one in return. The French got one back and then both sides lost another Cuirassier, so the score's still tied at 3:3.

The French cavalry continued to push its opposition back, removing a Light cavalry, until the last Austrian Cuirassiers in the centre attacked the Horse artillery and was blown away by the guns (yes, the Battle Back got them!).

That's 5:3 in my favour. It was a longer game - 19 turns but still just under an hour - and the score's 10:4 overall (and I'm supposed to be a terrible cavalry commander!).

I’ve also posted this report on my BGG blog (with pictures!): www.boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/175679