Finally started the game last night. The usual inertia compounded by senseless Sunday Night Football viewing, and then the last minute completion of Unit Rosters, searching for appropriate dice, etc., etc.
The Polish Army is running low on foodstuffs. To replenish they must attack and seize the two villages to the North of their current position. To accomplish this, they must clear the high ground situated between the two small villages. Intermediate objectives are the woods lying to the West, and high ground lying South and East of the villages.
The Muscovites also need these villages to feed their Army. The army’s mission is to defend and hold the two villages. Their deployment has dragoons in the woods, and two Cossack infantry units on the high ground South and East of the villages. Two Streltsy units are positioned in the center, between the woods and high ground. Three cavalry units are to the rear and in support of the Streltsy, with a heavy cavalry unit in general reserve, located on the high ground between the two villages. The Muscovites also have a light artillery piece co-located with the heavy cavalry unit.
Here’s a low grade photo of the battlefield looking North.
And the Muscovite’s center
The Polish commander’s intent is to pin both Muscovite flanks, attrit the Streltsy infantry positioned in the center by musketry, with the Hussars and Pancerni assaulting and destroying any remaining infantry, while charging to melee with and destroying the enemy cavalry.
The Polish dragoons have orders to advance and clear the woods to their front (I’ve been waiting to use these cheesy Wal-Mart Christmas trees for a year now. They were originally purchased for use with my 7 Years War flats, but that exercise has not taken place, yet), with the strong Polish artillery (two heavy and two medium guns) ordered to bombard the Cossack infantry positioned on the hill to their front. These guns are supported by a unit of Rajtars (heavy, pistol/saber armed cavalry) in case the Cossacks are goaded into an assault, or move to support the Streltsy.
The Polish cavalry is being held off-table, due to table size. They will work their way forward as the Haiduks’ advance towards the Muscovite center develops.
One turn in, I remembered units have to check Initiative before their first move of the game. Immediate Reset!
Other than that, fairly smooth first few turns, especially since the Muscovites have orders to hold and defend their current positions.
Very curious to see how effective the artillery is. The hill positions are considered Soft Cover, providing a -2 die roll modifier (drm) to any Fire Attacks. Artillery has aggressive modifiers for both long and short range (-4 and +2 drm, respectively). My table is roughly 51/2 feet by 5 feet, so setup places the two forces in relatively close proximity. This soft cover adjustment mitigates the artillery short range firing drm, effectively making fire from the artillery’s current position a medium range attack.
I’ve also tried to off-set the Polish advantage in artillery by giving the Muscovites a Cossack General.
Cold and very windy here today. I’ve finished manning the paperwork/bill paying bilge pumps, so there’s a good chance to really get into it this afternoon.