Following on from my first battle recorded here the second battle of the campaign has the French launching a surprise attack on the League of Augsburg Allies. This will use the OHW Scenario 11 Surprise attack with armies generated by OHW rules.
I have changed the rules from the first battle as it did not allow the infantry to charge. I have modified the OHW Pike and Shot rules by including skirmishers and artillery, both fire D6-2, do not run out of ammunition, and artillery cannot move once they have fired.
Morale will be represented by units having to roll a D6 + current casualties <15 to move unless they move directly away from the enemy. That is, you are always allowed to run away. Army morale is represented by giving up once only two units remain.
The Battle
Note that only the woods and the swamp/lake terrain that impacts the game. The rest is just decoration to make the battlefield a little less sterile. The edges of the battlefield are the woods on the left and the river on the right.
The Alliance forces are in the background and the French are in the foreground.
The Alliance rolled up 4 infantry units, 1 skirmishers and 1 artillery.
The French rolled up 3 infantry, 2 skirmishers and 1 artillery.
Victory conditions: Hold the cross roads at the end of turn 15.
Start of the battle
 |
| The Alliance starts with two units on the board, with two more arriving on turn 3 from the road on the left and the final two units on turn 9 from the road at the top of the table. The French all arrive on turn 1 from the road at the bottom of the table. |
 |
| End of turn 1. The French are on the table. Skirmishers are heading around the left and right flanks while the infantry move up the road to clear it. The artillery will move to behind the lake and fire from there. Red puffs represent casualties received and white puffs are units that have fired. |
I won't go through each turn as that would be a bit boring.
 |
| End of turn 3. The French have deployed and started firing but have already received a few casualties. The skirmishers have made good progress on both flanks but Alliance skirmishers have entered the wood to oppose the French ones. |
 |
| End of turn 5. Both sides have lost one infantry unit in the center but another French unit has had to withdraw due to high casualties. In the woods the French are winning the skirmish battle but this does not get them any closer to the cross roads. At the cross roads the Alliance has opened fire on the French skirmishers who will need support to hold on. |
 |
| End of turn 9. The French have pushed past the Alliance artillery aiming for the cross roads. The artillery exchange fire with the French getting the best of the exchange. Near the cross roads the French skirmishers hold on while the Alliance infantry approach. |
 |
| End of turn 11. The French are struggling with little chance. Their only hope to quickly destroy enough Alliance units to make their army collapse but with only 4 units to the Alliance 5 that will be hard. |
 |
| End of turn 13. The French have won the skirmish battle in the wood and turn to attack the Alliance artillery. But it is too late and the Alliance soon destroy the remaining French infantry unit forcing the French army to retreat. |
A tough battle for the French as the two skirmisher units are not very strong in attack. Also my French plan was flawed. I should have concentrated on destroying the Alliance artillery with the skirmishers instead of entering the woods for a pointless battle.