Sunday 24 May 2015

Chotusitz - Peter J as Prussia, Graham H as Austria

This is a short report on Wednesday's night's play. 

I have reset the table since the solo play test by advancing Chotusitz almost to mid table and sliding it towards Chirkwitz pond; Chirkwitz pond has been shortened to keep the gap between it and Chotusitz constant; The Brslenka stream has been removed from the flank edge of the table making even more room for the cavalry to operate here.

Graham wasn't going to hang around for the Prussians. 

Bitthyanyi, commanding the Austrian cavalry on the west wing ordered his men forward. 

Down the hill they went, all full of hubris.

Peter couldn't believe his luck. Buddenbrock's cuirassier came to meet them. 

It's normally Peter who is King of the Ones but on this occasion he defied the dice. 

Back up the hill the Austrians came, all full of holes. 

The only way Graham was going to get these Prussians from the field was to let them chase him. 

It was a disaster.
In the centre the infantry line belatedly began to push forward. 

As they advanced Leopold's Prussian's slowly back stepped to buy time. Leopold's troops had force marched to Chotusitz and had been downgraded accordingly - outnumbered and tired, not a great combination.

A unit of Austrain hussars fancied their chances against Leopold's isolated guns (top left). 

"Boom!" went the guns. "Ouch!" went the hussars. Graham began inspecting the dice he was using.

At the eastern end of the field the cavalry were trading blows punch for punch, though at the beginning of the encounter it looked as though the crown for throwing ones had truly passed to Graham.
The infantry battle in the centre began with both side's trading vollies as fast as they could reload. The Austrians began taking casualties but the weight of firepower was with them and the Prussians began to falter.

The Austrians broke into Chotusitz. 

The Grenzers began shooting at demoralised Prussian cavalry that was milling in the streets and preventing further advances.

In the actual battle Chotusitz caught fire. Every time a unit fires a volley from inside Chotusitz I roll a d20. On a result of 1 a fire will start. It will spread, on major morale cards, on a 1 on d6.

Then Leopold's line broke!

Graham had stopped rolling ones.
"Oi, now where do you think you boys are off to?"

That was a good point to end the session. We are part way through turn two and Frederick and his reinforcements are about to arrive. This is going to get very bloody.

8 comments:

Anna Elizabeth said...

Oh, what lovely minis, terrain, and layout. Well Done!

Dr. The Viking said...

Simply brilliant. What are the rules?

JAMES ROACH said...

Thanks, Anna.



Dr. T.V. The rules are Classic Piquet amended (rewritten cover to cover) for big battles.

Phil said...

Beautiful lines of battle and village!

Gonsalvo said...

Looks great; early on and already plenty of action!

Grizzly said...

Love the terrain! Where did the buildings come from?

JAMES ROACH said...

Thanks again.

The buildings are mostly home made using artist's mounting card. Tiles are old Birthday cards cut up. Thatch is teddy bear fur. Chimneys are balsa wood. Wall daubing is mostly PVA and polyfiller, though some might be thick body acrylic (tubed stuff - much better). All painted in all kinds of muck, mostly household emulsion remnants and cheap hobby shop acrylics.

Neil Scott said...

great looking battle