Thursday, March 17, 2011

The Grand Duchess' Coach: Finale


The battle rages around the beleaguered Coach...the Grolsteiner hussars bravely charge the heavier Freikorp dragoons, and after a violent clash are forced to retreat, (...and retreat into Lead Gardens history as they were sold to another "nation" just yesterday...bon chance my good men!)


...meanwhile Volger's jagers get the worst of a firefight with the coach guard...the Croats doing much execution along with some surprisingly good pot-shooting by the frightened driver of the coach.


...off at the head of the column, the lancers pursue the scattered remains of one of the Konigswald dragoon squadrons...


...and are able to reform just in time to catch the Kuschen hussars in retreat as well. The Poles have earned their pay and their dreaded reputation for pursuit this day!


Down the road, the last squadron of dragoons prepares to hold off a strong force of the Duchess' cuirassiers galloping to the rescue.


 ...while one cuirassier squadron makes for the coach, the second squadron charges the dragoons formed up on a low rise. In the melee, the cuirassiers are thrown back but the dragoons are out of the fight for the coach.


...and after the jagers fall back from the ridge with heavy losses, it leaves only Volger's dragoons to make an attempt on the coach.


...and they are met by the defending dragoons in another swirling melee that ends in both sides falling back, ending the action. 



Volger's men are forced to fall back and given the total losses the raiders sustained,  it may be some time before such an attempt on the Duchess is tried again.

...as the coach guard reorganizes, the commander of the coach guard, is heard to say, "Where are those blasted Poles!" ...but it's no matter because the cuirassiers are in contact and pickets are sent off to fetch them back...and the occupants of the coach, (turns out it's the duchess nieces...if the grand dame herself was in the coach she would have her Liebguard present as well) ...can safely proceed.



...the audacious raiders will have to try another day!

And it occurs to me that I really do have to make up some better game markers...those big red and black beads just look too "RPGish"  for my 18th century tastes

6 comments:

Ross Mac rmacfa@gmail.com said...

A splendid encounter and a pleasure to enjoy along with my morning coffee.

What would look more 18thC? A domino? a small playing card? or pehaps a hand carved, stained wooden block or token?
-Ross

abdul666 said...

Very entertaining -and eye candy!
Proves once more that one does not need hordes of minis to have an exciting game.

I'm not a great fan of 'on table' game markers; maybe (tiny, thus) on-scale bottles, kegs, *garters* -these last can be brightly colored?

PaintPig said...

Agreed, an excellent narrative ol boy damn good show, what are the marker indicating, disorder I get.

pp

Capt Bill said...

A spirited encounter, indeed! I feel really blessed to have won your Austrian Dragoons as well! Your figure will soon appear along side those of Phil Olley, Der Alt Fritz, Bill Biles, and of course your humble servant.Best regards...

littlejohn said...

Thanks guys!

Capt.- great to have contributed to your collection--in the company of true gaming heroes!

pp--yes red for "shaken" and black for rout...even though "The Wargame" rules I use don't call it that it's essentially the same.

cheers-Dave

tidders2 said...

Lovely stuff, a narrow escape for the duchess's neices.

-- Allan