The Battle of Soor played solo. Part 3

Austrians draw 11 initiative Vs Prusians 5

The Austrians are cock-a-hoop until they draw a Dress the Lines card followed by Command Indecision, ending their phase in ignominy.

The Prussians, laughing up their sleeve,  draw an Infantry Move in the Open card and spend all of their initiative points moving troops in preparation for their continuing assault on the crumbling Austrians.







Prussians draw 9 initiative Vs Austrian 6

The Prussians draw Officer Check and their disordered units regain their order. The Prussians gamble a valuable morale chip to rally their shaken cuirassier that are in ongoing melee and do so.

The Prussians draw Musket Reload and regain the ability to fire much of their line again. They hold their fire, shooting only one unit, to great effect (3 UI casualties), to the last Austrian infantry unit remaining on the hill.

A Native Mobility card (on which we allow Prussian infantry to move in open terrain) allows Prussian grenadiers to attack into the flank of Austrian dragoons already engaged in melee (see pic in initiative above): The shock is too great for them and they are routed.

Not everything goes the way of the Prussians. At Burkersdorf the now reestablished Prussian line renews the attack on the Austrians ensconced there. As the Prussians advance fire from a Hungarian unit in the town routs one of their depleted units.

The Austrians respond by drawing an Officer Check card, on which they miraculously rally three units of their routing infantry and on a following Infantry Move in the Open card establish a new if shaky line west of Burkersdorf.

A Musket reload card at least gives them a chance in the upcoming struggle but, the Austrians have no initiative pips to act on their last card - Melee Resolution. A good six points of initiative for the Austrians.

Prussians draw 11 initiative Vs Austrians 5

The Prussians draw a few cards they can't use followed by a Brilliant Leader wild card on which, having declared it as Melee Resolution, fire a couple of times prior to resolving no less than six melees. They win every single one of them in resounding fashion. The Austrians have lost Burkersdorf at a rush.

On the Graner Koppe, their last infantry is routed and they lose two cavalry melees to boot.

The Prussians draw Major Morale with their last point of initiative and force the Austrian army to check it's morale by rolling D20 Vs 16: It fails. The Austrians add two more Dress the Lines cards to their sequence deck and lose three morale points overall.

The Austrians have no morale points left and are outnumbered by 18:10 units. The battle is over. All that is left, is for the Prussian soldiery to let Frederick's dogs lick the blood from their boots.

All in all, I enjoyed that little escapade and I hope it showed just how great Piquet rules (and its variants) are for solo play. Variable move sequencing for both sides, and asymmetric initiative for both sides, really throws the cat amongst the pigeons. Fog of war is the key to an enjoyable solo game, and Piquet has it by the bucket full. A game of metaphors, anyone.