Field of Battle - Three more but shorter videos

Another session with Field Of Battle video log with hopefully better sound (hard to tell using iPad) and split into 3 shorter chunks.
A mistake in Fall Back procedures made in one which I may try to rectify (time permitting)

https://youtu.be/nW43eO8sgxY

https://youtu.be/-OTvwk6_6Sg

https://youtu.be/VwuKOz5aVik

Hopefully of some use to those interested in Field Of Battle rules.

Field Of Battle video at UTube

After several requests I decided to try to do a video report showing FOB2 in action in all its glory.

A solo SYW encounter Russia vs Prussia.

Not so sure I managed to achieve this lofty aim but have managed (it took an absolute age uploading) to place a 45min video up on UTube at:

https://youtu.be/VamPhGFcn-4

For future installments (which I hope to do soonish) I think I will divide into much smaller  more digestable 10-15 minute chunks.

Still need to cover Rallying, Routing, Melee among other items.

General D'Armee - Vittoria scenario played

Game at Stephens today and he chose to try GDA with a scenario based on Vittoria battle 1813 with his British force against my French.

Good game although the 'dice demon' was yet again on fine fettle.
He claimed not to be that lucky then rolled 6 hits out of 6 immediately afterwards, proof irrefutable says I !!

Once again we found a lot to like with these rules especially the charging and melee outcome charts, very flavoursome and easy to use.
I love the Brigade Skirmisher system.

But as always seems to occur with GDA we ran into a couple of situations where we struggled to find a definitive or at least an unambiguous answer.
Main one was regarding Skirmish units firing, with one rule clearly stating that skirmishers can choose to shoot a multiple targets at players discretion however on opposite page it gives a Skirmish Priority rules which seems to contradict the previous rule seemingly making skirmishers split their fire at any (all ??) target in arc.
We were not sure how one can have Priority Targets if able to select a chosen target ?
We simply could not reconcile these two rule entries eventually deciding that splitting fire seemed better simulation of skirmisher activity than allowing these extended formations from possibly concentrating on a single target.
But we are unsure what rules intent is ?

Artillery is pretty potent in GDA and the Faltering rules are brutal as a Brigade Falters when one unit is Dispersed or two Retreated.
Certainly leads to decisive outcomes in games.

Personally I like the rules overall but sometimes feel they are too slow/intricate compared with FOB, Shako or Black Powder but that might be down to interpretation frustrations and lack of familiarity with systems.








French left

French center (nice new 'Spanish' buildings from Empires At War range)

French right

British right

Central British deployment

British gun battery that caused a lot of hurt

French right with Artillery Brigade hoping to pound the town

Both forces arrayed

French advance on left

Skirmishers clash on right

Skirmishers and Chasseurs pushed back on French left

AS British Infantry counter attacks at bayonet point

Reserve French Brigade moves on town

French right Falters as a Veteran Legere unit dispersed

Season of Battle with Field of Battle and a Seven Year War bash

Game with Stephen today using his SYW Austrians against my Prussians.
We tried out the play test version of Seasons of Battle I have along with FOB2 for the tactical battle rules (why ? because I luv's 'em and SOB designed for use with).
Using SOB with couple of minor house rules I use (relating to set up of terrain) we had a smooth process yielding an interesting battlefield with Prussians able to force Austrians to deploy a command first (Deployment Advantage) but with Austrians gaining a morale pool boost (Strength).
We also used a tentative points system (still needs minor refinement) to establish the SOB Armies which worked out quite well with Austrians have 18 units and Prussians 17 (we later changed points a tad which would reduce Prussians by 1 unit of Infantry).
I had Frederick as a D12 General with an Exceptional Deck (only available to him) whilst Austrians had a D10 General with an Average deck.
As a special rule (and under points system) the Austrians bought an extra Artillery Firepower card and the Prussians an extra Infantry Firepower card.
We both had 4 Brigades, Austrians having 3 Infantry and 1 Horse with 3 Guns (2 heavies which we will restrict to 1 max in future) whilst Prussians fielded 4 Brigades of 2 Infantry  and 2 Horse with 2 Field gun batteries in support.
As Morale pools the enhanced Austrians had 22 and Prussia 17 (more in this later however)

The actual game followed standard when playing the 'dice demon' with a seeming constant stream of rolls of 11 on a D12 against my low rolls with all dice types !
This was especially prevalent early on as Demon got a run of Artillery Firepower cards which dealt a wealth of damage to my units.
These weakened units then succumbed to charges and further shooting damage and soon I had several units destroyed and several routing with little damage caused in return.
A major cavalry battle occurred on my left which after some to and fro saw my units wiped out and the flank of my adjacent Infantry Brigade exposed.

It was however at this point that after a lot of losses I suspected that something was in error as my Morale Chip deck seemed never ending and upon checking I realised that I had 44 cards instead of 17 !!?? as I had used the SOB National Moral Points total (used as overall National Will level) in lieu of the battle total of 17.

So result as per SOB kind of screwed although it was certain Prussians would have lost decisively.
But this made the Post Battle rolls (for enhancing, degrading, pursuing or recognising units) impossible to work out correctly so we will restart campaign at later date.

Still it was as ever with FOB a fast flowing and exciting game fought to a definite conclusion.

Hopefully the game gave Stephen an insight into the SOB system and we can revisit at some point.





Initial Prussian advance

Austrian lines

Infantry face off on central hills

Austrian left moving forward

The two central Prussian Infantry Brigades supported by Mounted on flanks

Central Austrian Brigades

Nice orderly lines

Prussian horse on left disintegrating

As Infantry units suffer

Clash on Prussian right

Overview

Prussians would have been tottering on edge of defeat here had I used correct Morale Pool level

Stand off on my right as Cuirassiers faced by Grenzers in town and loaded Infantry

Prussian guns silenced

Hits accumulating

Gaps appearing in Prussian lines

Prussian right withdraws leaving guns to their fate (we don't allow guns to re-limber in this period)

Excessive Prussian losses (those on window sill would be enough to seal their fate)

Rallied Prussian Grenadiers return to fray but alas too late

As Austrians destroy Infantry Brigade (it was at this juncture I realised error)










And a couple of little vids as messing about (one in slow mo) with apps on new iPad

L'Art De La Guerre another 2 games

Another 2 games using LADG played at Stephens today.
Again we went with 200pt armies.
I used Punic Romans again and Galatians against Pyrrhic and Seleucid respectively.
The Roman vs Pyrrhus match-up was a good old ding dong but the Romans could not gain any advantage against the Pikes.
The Galatians (all Elite mind) had a disaster vs the Pike and Cataphracts of Seluccus !
I hit his line of Pike and the nasty 'Cats' with 11 'Warband' but won a mere three rolls, drawing a further two and losing a mighty 6 others !!
The dice demon at his meanest saw me lose some 5 Warrior units the next turn and soon the army succumbed.
I should mention I attempted a flank march with 4 Heavy Cavalry but of course it failed to arrive.....
Great stuff again.











Romans vs Pyrrhic

 Galatians vs Seleucids (freaky autumn lighting)