Club today (sadly missed last months meeting) and I ran another FOB3 scenario with my 10mm toys again.
Scenario was based on Blenheim (I termed it 'Baby Blenheim') with units representing as usual 3-4 foot battalions or 8-10 cavalry squadrons.
Was nominally designed to accommodate 4 players but ended up 7 played to control 4 Commands per side.
Allies were Dave T, Andy and Dave M with French under command of Dave B, Jeremy, Stephen and Tom.
I used historical deployment areas but allowed players to swap units between commands if they wished (think they only shifted a couple each).
What a cracking game this one turned out to be with loads of to and fro action, incidents galore and swings of fortune for both sides with a super battle narrative.
Allies had some minor success after initial advance but then came undone with multiple units being Routed as French artillery seemed to get an endless run of artillery cards.
Seemed Allies were going to stutter as could not get a good run of cards (not helped by a mid-deck reshuffle) or successful rolls other than for rallying (superior officers helping).
The Maison Du Roi in the centre charged and swept up 3 units and things really looked bleak for Allies as their losses mounted and Morale pool dwindled rapidly.
French were also taking losses from superior Allied volleys but a lesser rate.
But then when all seemed lost (Morale expended but did not turn a potential game ending Army Morale card) Allied fortunes uniformly improved all across the battlefield and French center suddenly collapsed with several units routed or destroyed (including Maison Du Roi) and French morale plummeted to zero as well.
Allies were then able to get the English foot into action against Blenheim itself and after initially being forced back they swept the French out of the town (gaining a much needed +5 Morale).
Things then went from bad to worse for French as Allies pushed well across Nebel into crumbling French centre and their guns lines were assaulted (French started to 'gift' morale to enemy).
Losing a General did not help and he was never replaced (ie no leadership card)
Looked to be no way back for the French but a unit of Bavarian Foot Guard did sterling work routing opposing foot and horse units, but again the Allies managed to Rally quickly.
One feature was the Allies managing to gain extra actions on French Lull cards (they had 3 in their Poor deck) and often key actions they were like melee, infantry fire or artillery fire which rubbed salt into French wound.
French were hanging on by a thread but did manage to play 8 or more cards before they pulled an Army Morale card which they failed and they quit the field.
A very close game with Allies teetering on brink at one point (although Marlborough may have kept them in it with his D12+1 command dice vs Tallards D10) but they survived and pendulum swung back so far French could not recover.
Initial Allied advance in center (from right) under Marlborough (Dave T) facing Tallard (Stephen) and Blainville (Dave B)
Late in game and Blenheim has fallen to elite English foot with French routing (red tufts)
Also at club was a game using Midgard rules (run by Tim) and Middle Earth forces with Riders of Rohan facing an Orcish Horde, don't know how this went but also involved several players.
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