Glory Is Fleeting 1814 French versus Prussian

Game with Stephen today and I picked Glory Is Fleeting again using my Prussian circa 1814 against his 1814 French.

We both choose Flank March as our strategy but French converted to Flexible Defence, just as well as they had 2 separate Cavalry Commands had he retained the option.

Interesting game overall and we discovered that Superior is a decent 'trait' to have the equivalent of Veteran.

Large units of Conscripts are quite effective with 3 Skirmish dice and 6 shooting dice.

We both found it tough to not be Driven Back when trying to enter combat, think we really need to spend more time shooting before charging.

I had 2 units of Veteran Dragoons (Allied Russians) facing 2 French Dragoons of which only 1 was Veteran and so each unit rolling 6 dice each in combat.   

Of course I managed to roll 2 hits on each whilst Stephen done 5 on one and 4 on other so both my units Wavered/Spent and retired to his both Disordered/Spent, 'luckily' (har de har) I retired further then his Pursuits so survived.

System is pretty slick once you get nuances in head and fairly brutal overall as befits a competition style/finish in 3 hours type game. 

My right flank, I held my Conscript Landwehr back in support but would have been better putting them in front line as large and superior so roughly as good as my small Average Drilled Musketeers.

Central area with a lowly unit of Landwehr Cavalry (later blown off their saddles by French Light Infantry and Artillery)

My Left flank with Grenadiers supported by Dragoons (Grenadiers failed to close with French Conscripts in front of them)

My left and center almost entirely driven back by French volleys

My extreme left where I brought Russian Dragoons on a flank attack but counterd by French Dragoons from reserve who pummeled my lot in due course.

Game ended before I could get my Landwehr forward.

 

Glory Is Fleeting - French vs Russian Spring 1813

Another try with Glory Is Fleeting Napoleonic set today with Stephen using 1813 Russian Infantry Corps and I tried a Spring 1813 French Cavalry Corps list which made for a different game vibe.

I had 15 units of which 6 were Light Cavalry with 2 Dragoons, 2 Cuirassiers and backed by two Infantry Divisions from Infantry Corps with 3 Conscript and 2 Regular units, all were average with only 2 Skirmish attachments and no artillery (only 2 available in Cav Corps).

Russians had mainly infantry in mix of average and conscripts with couple of large units, 2 large Dragoon units and 2 Artillery units (nasty)

After the set up procedure I was on Flexible Defence and and Russian on Prepared Attack (I would have liked Probe or Envelopment but Ivans manged to take both these off the menu !)  

This meant his artillery units could set up up to half way and got 2 preparatory bombardment rounds which proved effective.

Good game and we learnt a few more nuances of rules including our misunderstanding the Reaction rules as we had been treating this like Interception Charges (from older editions) but this is no longer the case as no Assault Phase as such and such React options now occur after all Charges/Moves.  

We failed to finish (mainly due to waffling/discussion) but French in dire straits as most cavalry Spent, Disordered or Hors De Combat.

Glory Is Fleeting - Peninsula action

Game today and I chose to use Glory Is Fleeting rules as I know Stephen enjoys these points based balanced style games and it saved my having to prepare a scenario.

I used a French army under Suchet in the Peninsula against Stephens British (1000pts) .

I do so like the battle set up system in this set with my ending up in Positional Defence against his Flexible Defence.

This meant hard for enemy to move any terrain pieces but conversely I had to deploy my entire army first.

British skirmishing is better than French as on first eligible turn he had 16 dice to my 12 and ended up with 3 'excess' skirmishers to place on my units.

These are just like in Lasalle 2 (an almost direct copy it seems) and really crimp the activity of units under their 'spell', reducing shooting and causing Morale Tests and linger like bad smells.

My inability to rid myself of them really hurt my efforts and the British had some excellent defensive fire rolls and I had several units reeling in Disorder or Wavered.

A follow up charge by British inflicted more damage and French soon beaten.

The system seems designed to be bloody and therefore decisive.

Been a while since we used these but game played smoothly with only one or two rule look ups (the QRS is pretty good).

Glory Is Fleeting - 1815 French versus British

Game with Stephen today sticking on our Napoleonic kick but using Glory Is Fleeting as change of pace from GDA.

Stephen selected 1815 British, with a Brunswick Division, so I accordingly used 1815 French Infantry Corps list (I had 12 units whilst Brits fielded 14).

The set up and strategy selection of this system is really genius generating plausible terrain and opposing plans, Stephen choose Flexible Defence from those I left him, and I went with Prepared Attack (not used before so wanted to try).

I made a mistake with terrain by moving a town into my deployment area which allowed Brits to utilise this as a strongpoint stuck into my set up area (I forgot these could be used when within 6" of halfway point) so a unit of Hanoverian Conscripts set up therein, with another similarly defending a second town area.

Built up areas are tough to take as you cant skirmish against them and units cannot forced out by firing (Wavering at worst) so they must be taken a bayonet point but not easy as defenders get to shoot (at all chargers) and then fight (against all still in contact).

I did send two units in against one town but both shot off by defenders so no combat.

My French had only two compulsory Light Cavalry units and these were opposed by two British Dragoons classed as Shock cavalry who easily rode them down (8 dice vs 5 in favour of Dragoons).

I did have two Veteran Divisions but the Brunswick Division include a unit of Hussars which forced some my units into Square (as being caught in Line is essentially a death sentence).

We failed to finish (too much waffle as always) but enjoyable game that was different to GDA but still felt Napoleonic at its higher level scale. 

Overall much easier to set up and play with points based armies which can be a definite  attraction at times (despite my preference for scenario style)

Poor pics again, I think I need new phone (or better specs)

View of French right with both occupied towns (Strongpoints) visible 

British Division in centre

French Light Cavalry in foreground where annihilated, and my Foot were repulsed from nearest town, two Veteran French Divisions in distance held their own against oppossing British and Brunswick Divisions. 

 

More dabbling with Glory Is Fleeting rules

Another run out for Glory Is Fleeting rules today with Stephen.

He used a pre-1812 British Peninsula force and I used contemporary French Army of Suchet in Spain (both fielded 12 units)

Suchet is by default an Exceptional General so I was able to strip 3 options from strategies available to British (I rolled 6 dice with double 1, double, 2 and double 3 making decision of which to remove automatic).

I ended up choosing Flexible Defence from 4 options left to me and Stephen picked Flank March (interesting to see this strategy)

Peninsula terrain has access to lots of hills (3 compulsory for defender) but we had quite varied terrain which fell quite well for me (with a large wood securing a flank and a strong point in a central town). 

The flank march obviously influenced deployments with Stephan sending 2 Divisions on flank marches (both deep on same flank as it turned out).

Thankfully I had a Division of Veteran units deployed on my right as these bore brunt of Brit attention as I tried to turn his left.

My Cavalry Reserve arrived centrally and was sent to support my outnumbered right wing.

We failed to finish as we thrashed out a few remaining rules lessons regarding supporting units (some wording confused us) and the sequencing of melee combat, and just how Skirmishing works (pretty much a variation of Lasalle 2 method) and of course interspersed with waffling over pros and cons, intricacies of system and the army lists and army make ups :-)

But this is overall a decent system (I do so like the set up/strategies system) that suits the Corps vs Corps scale of game and whilst none of inertia (no Pips, cards etc) we are used to or national characteristics, it works for this level and style game (pick up points game playable in a few hours).

Pics lacking variety as all the action was mainly in one area 

Glory Is Fleeting test game and Fall Of Saigon solo scenario

Game today with Stephen (recovered from last weeks dread lurgy) trying Glory Is Fleeting rules with his 1812 Russians facing my invading French Grand Armee.

We both choose from the respective Infantry Corps lists fielding 4 Divisions each although Russians had more mounted troops overall as allowed a Mixed Division.

The French list took me several attempts to get right as several core units must be purchased before one gets to select freely but yields a fairly plausible Divisional sized force with several veteran units in 1812.

As only our second outing with rules we played less than optimally as trying to cover as many situations as possible for learning purposes.

So for example I charged into fully fresh large Russian Infantry units (with Artillery attachments) which unsurprisingly saw my units bounced badly but this did show us the charge sequence/actions in full and how supports and Cavalry support charges worked.

Couple of minor queries over wording re Supports but nothing we could not work out with careful reading of rules.

As per previous version (FOGN) I still love the Scenario/Terrain set up and Deployment system.

Apologies for couple of fuzzy pics 

Also this week I managed another solo session with Fall Of Saigon expansion to Fire In The Lake, this time trying the Extended Short Scenario. 

This has a single 8 card 1968 deck (from FITL) being followed by three 8 card decks for 1973, 74 and 1975 from expansion but including all four 'factions'.

Great stuff again with Viet Cong winning at end of 1974 by 1 VP.

Glory Is Fleeting first try

Had first outing with Glory Is Fleeting (ie FOGN3) set today with Stephen using his French versus my Prussians circa spring 1813.

Very much a experimental game as we tried to use various troop types and get a grasp of new rules.

Army lists seem essentially unchanged (no doubt several tweaks) but rules whilst having same core as previous version has several new aspects to absorb.

The set-up system with the six strategies is retained (hurrah ! as this is excellent) with only minor changes to wording/effects, as is the terrain generation system.

Several changes to game play including sequence of play and some streamlining of procedures but with a whole new skirmishing aspect (similar to that used in Lasalle 2) to game.

I had a brain barf throughout with regard to Complex Move/Command Tests which I think is same as it ever was but I kept getting confused/failed to grasp as to when an ADC was used and a dice roll required d'oh !!

We only played a few turns as much discussion of new game effects and possibilities/what ifs along with of course a couple of queries.

These have great potential for points based, minimal preparation type games.

Field of Battle 3 - Malplaquet at Ulster Wargame Society and at home and a purchase !!

Monthly Society meeting today and I put on a FOB3 game of Battle of Malplaquet 1709 (conversion of scenario from Lace Wars set I have but never used - an oft told story !) using my seldom seen 10mm stuff.

Had 2 French (Mike and Bryn) and 3 Allied (Dave S, Dave T and Dave B !) commanders playing with some 88 units (39 French and 49 Allied) on table, with units being nominally Foot Brigades and Cavalry Regiments as Malplaquet is rather a big battle.

Game played very smoothly and was great to watch events unfold on par with history (Allies maybe took less casualties overall) as Allies attack both flanks drawing French reserves from center.

French had some poor luck in early going both with dice (Mike could throw nothing but a 2 on any dice) and card sequencing, but did put some hurt on Allies later in game.

Some great narrative type events in game including a delayed Dutch assault and an early penetration of French lines by 2 units of Dutch cavalry who then sat ineffectually refusing to obey orders for what seemed ages until engaged by some French mounted. 

An untimely wounding of French general d'Artgnan on left saw a mass of French foot (some 12 units) go out of command (disordered) and thwart their efforts to slow the Dutch infantry.

A real slog in the Woods of Sar and Lanieres on both flanks saw several units destroyed, routed or damaged with edge going to Allies who managed to capture several of the field defences.

French morale (40) dropped to zero quickest and they handed several morale chips to Allies (who had lost 36 of their initial 50) and quit the field on first Army Morale card then turned.

FOB shone for sheer playability once more with 5 players and around 70 of the 88 units engaged in just over 4 hours of playing time resolving the action on a plausible manner with all players seeming to enjoy proceedings, cannot really ask for much better than this of any rule set.

Action mid game with French left wing being turned in Woods of Sar and Dutch assault on Laniers Wood (at top). Note erstwhile Dutch cavalry on road behind French lines but isolated

Allied Imperial infantry pushing French ever backward

French defences in Sars wood being overrun

French cavalry redeploying to deal with those daring Dutch chaps

Dutch heavily engaged in Lanieres wood as Allied horse push up in support

Game end with French right still in disarray after wounding of general (yellow Disorder markers abound)

French quit the field at this juncture after a hard fought encounter

Also at club was a nice 20mm run by Phil & Son with Japanese vs Russian I think in Manchuria 1939 ? several eye catching aircraft but no idea how it turned out ?

In preparation for Society game I play tested the scenario with Stephen on Thursday and it went much worse for French (under yours truly so no surprise !) as they could not cause much hurt on Allies who carried both flank positions in woods fairly easily.

Overall its a tough one to 'win' for French but they can if they can damage the Allies early and often.

A few pics from test game

And lastly a purchase of a set of wargame rules (been awhile by my standards !) these being 'Glory Is Fleeting' which are the new set based on Field Of Glory: Napoleonic which arrived whilst I was away so not had chance to peruse them as yet.