I was due to play a game of Alien Squad Leader on Sunday but my opponent didn't turn up. Anyway, this at least gives me an opportunity to post about a game I played on a previous Sunday.
I've posted about my modifications to Sharp Practice before, and this game was another outing for those rules, with one or two small tweaks.
The action took place in the fictional town of Dassendorp, somewhere in Flanders. The Anglo-Dutch army was marching south, aware of the threat of French forces marching north to capture the town.
However, the wily French commander, the Marquis de Saint-Sylvestre had stolen a march on Watney-Mann and his leading regiments were already inside Dassendorp.
Undeterred, the Anglo-Dutch Horse began to advance, as the woods opposite appeared to be free from French troops.
As the Horse walked across the open fields, their enemies emerged in strength. Foiled! This looked like a stalemate. Melchett halted his squadrons.
Sir Rodney led his main strength into the town, led by the Dutch Garde Te Voet.
Realising that his left flank required reinforcing. he sent the Earl of Oxford's Horse and the Danish Fynske Regiment to support Melchett's now outnumbered brigade of Horse.
Saint-Sylvestre began to organise his regiments into a defensive posture on the southern edge of Dassendorp, holding the Gardes Françaises back as a reserve.
The Anglo-Dutch centre emerged from the streets of Dassendorp and deployed into line, supported by Fusiliers and artillery.
On the right, the 1st Foot Guards and the Queen Dowager's Regiment opened fire at long range against the French Horse and Dragoons arrayed against them, to little effect.
In the centre, both sides opened fire with artillery.
Things were hotting up on the right, the French Horse, led by the dashing Vicomte du Buisson-de-Cadouin seemed intent on pushing back the English Foot, regardless of the casualties they were receiving from musket fire.
Buisson-de-Cadouin charged in with the elite Régiment du Roi and, in the ensuing melée pushed the Queen Dowager's regiment back, causing many casualties and shock.
It was beginning to look as though the battle would be decided on the Anglo-Dutch right, where the inexperienced General Willem de Rijsttafel was struggling to deal with the fearsome French Horse.
The 1st Foot Guards were the next to feel the effects of cold French steel, being forced to withdraw when charged while unloaded.
De Rijsttafel was forced to gallop to safety with his staff as his infantry melted away.
The final act was a gallant but pointless charge by Melchett's brigade against the French right flank. They were repulsed by the Régiments de Lyonnais and Champagne, supported by the Régiment de Rohan Horse.
Interestingly, this was the first time one of these battles has given a decisive result, with the French army repulsing the Anglo-Dutch while suffering few losses themselves.
I think that the significant thing was the power of elite Horse against Foot, when the Foot unloaded in Fisticuffs. The way I have adapted the SP rules clearly gives the Horse an advantage in melée, possibly too much of an advantage, so perhaps there needs to be some further thought involved. As things stand, the Aggressive characteristic given to Foot regiments with pikes is negated if the regiment is charged while unloaded.
Anyway, it was a pretty enjoyable game, even though the layout of the table made things difficult for both sides.
Looks like a great game.
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