DBACW

My continuing affair with DBx related games saw me try out the ACW rules this afternoon using some 10mm figures I had knocking around.

I like these DB games as they allow me to play out a solo game in around an hour.  

The ACW has always been one of my favourite periods to game as I, like many others, am one of the Airfix generation. I have fairly large 28mm armies but limited space at home has meant these have not been used for a while.  Although I may use them for DBACW using 60mm instead of 40mm frontage for each element and use a 3ft square table for the standard 12 point game.

I am thinking of playing a solo ACW campaign using these rules and the old GDW board game a House Divided.

Here are a few photos of the game set up on a 2ft square gaming mat.

DBSYW - Chotusitz (ish)

Played another playtest of DBSYW set in the war of Austrian succession loosely based on the battle of Chotusitz.

Prussian infantry and Austrian Cavalry were all rated as elite.

The Austrians have 14 elements set up on the table  and the onus is on them to attack before the Prussian reinforcements arrive.

The Prussians only have 6 elements on the table  with 7 more to arrive as reinforcements. However they have some high ground and the village of Chotusitz to defend. The Prussian cavalry is exposed with their backs to the pond.

The Austrian cavalry launch a ferocious attack on the Prussian cavalry and in the ensuing melees they easily push back and destroy the Prussian cavalry.

The Austrian infantry in the centre push forward and are soon trading musketry with the Prussian Infantry.

The Austrian grenadiers try to take Chotusitz but are beaten back and destroyed. The Prussian reserves have arrived and are now in supporting distance of the Infantry battle. Time is running out for the Austrians.

The Austrian cavalry now launch flank attacks on the Prussian infantry and although they destroy the Prussians guns are thrown back by the Prussian infantry and then destroyed by musketry.

The Prussian infantry are getting the upper hand with Austrian infantry struggling against the effective Prussan volleys. The Austrian cavalry are able to throw back the Prussian cavalry and stabilise their right wing.

With loses mounting the Prussians launch an attack on a shaken Austrian infantry uunit. They have the advantage 6 - 3  (shown by the black and white dice) The Austrian roll a 6 however the Prussians roll a 3 and the melee is drawn.  Both sides take a loss which destroys the Austrian infantry unit and takes them to 50% loses overall. The Prussians have lost 5 elements so a historic Prussian victory. But it was close.

DB SYW action

This afternoon I set up a quick DB SYW game using my small 6mm collection. The game looks a bit like Lobositz and featured the Prussians attacking the Austrians.  3 Austrian Infantry and 2 Cavalry behind the Morellenbach stream had to roll equal or less than the turn number on a D6 before they could cross the stream. The onus was on the Prussians to strike quickly whilst they have the numerical advantage.

The Prussians deployed ready to advance.

The Prussian advance into the valley as they attack the Austrian Grenz on the Losbosch to protect their flanks.

The Austrians roll a 2 on the second turn releasing the forces behind the Morellenbach stream. The Prussians are up against it so launch their cavalry into the attack. 

The Cavalry melee is initially successful however the Prussian Dragoons are driven back and are ultimately destroyed.

The Austrian commander supports his Cuirassiers who counter attack and drive off and destroy the Prussians cavalry.

As the cavalry battle continues the Prussian Infantry advance and engage the Austrians in front of Lobositz.

The Prussian infantry are a tough nut to crack as they destroy an Infantry and Artillery unit. However Prussian loses are mounting and the victorious Austrian cavalry are now attacking the Prussian Infantry in support of the remaining Austrian Grenadier unit. The Prussians loses are now reach 50% and the game is up.

Fun game done and dusted in an hour.

SYW 6mm Update

Since my last post I gave decided to go with slightly smaller 40 by 30mm bases for these 6mm chaps.

I have now completed enough figures for a small game of DBSYW.  All figures are from the Baccus range.  

First up the Austrians.

The Prussians include Kleist Jager as I had spare Austrian Grenzer figures.

I have also got some more unpainted figures and I will be adding extra units over the coming months.

SYW 6mm basing

Yesterday afternoon was a pleasant and sunny so I sat n the garden doing a spot of rebasing of my 6mm SYW armies.

That morning I had tried out different bases sizes by blue tracking unpainted figures down.  I came to the conclusion that I needed larger bases if I wanted an Infantry and Cavalry units to look the part.

For Infantry I went for 60 by 30mm with 20 figures in a line with a mounted officer and 4 extra figures with 2 behing and 2 in front of the battalion line. 

For cavalry I wanted to represent a unit with gaps and space between the squadrons and decided to use as 4 squadrons as the basic configuration. I know Prussian and Austrians both had more squadrons but in the end of the day the solution  looks ok.

This Austrian Cuirassier unit has an extra officer added and I will probably to this fir new units as I paint them up.

SYW - 6mm

I started a SYW project in 6mm over 5 years ago as a solution to losing my permament gaming table when we  moved house.  The plan was to build large units of 48 infantry and 24 cavalry figures and play the War Game on a kitchen table.

I have recently be playing DBN with my old 15mm Napoleonic collection and I am about to play test DBSYW. Rather than use my 28mm collection I thought this would be an opportunity to use the 6mm SYW collection. For DBSYW I plan to use 2 bases to represent a unit.

Well I undertook a quick review of what I had and of course I quickly decided that I needed some more units.  

First up some Prussian Grenadiers of the Braunschweig-Bevern Infantry Regiment. 

For the Austrians I have added some Grenadiers of the Deutschmeister Infantry Regiment.

And finally some Prussians of the 3rd Dragoon Regiment.  Freshly varnished with a coat of gloss varnish.

Battle of Landshut - DBN

 Today I played out the 4th battle of my 1809 campaign using DBN.  The scenario is taken from Command and Colours.

The French objective is to inflict 7 units lost and capture Landshut. The Austrians win if they inflict 7 loses on the French.  If Landshut is held by the Austrians is counts as a French unit lost.

This is a tough game for the French who are faced with rivers that can only be crossed by one of the bridges or the  ford.

Moulton commands the French left and gets 2 CAPs per turn. Lannes commands  the bulk of the French army.  The Austrian commander Hillier objective is to hold the position.

The French open their attack with Mouton clearing the Austrian Jager and cavalry before advancing his Infantry towards Landshut.  His light cavalry easily see off their counterparts and breakthrough and attack the Austrian infantry defending the bridge. After winning the initial melee the cavalry they are however repulsed by the Austrians who form square. 

In the centre Lannes launch attacks across the river hopingto break the Austrians and allow French Infantry to attack Landshut in support of Mouton.

Unfortunately for the French  the Austrian defence, with plentiful artillery and light Infantry support on the flanks, is too strong and the French attacks are parried.

With both sides loses mounting the French have one chance of winning by launching Moutons  columns across  the bridge against Landshut.

The first attack, led by Grenadiers, takes heavy fire as it goes in and in the resulting close combat loses and are destroyed.  Mouton is in the forefront of the attack and leads a charmed life as he orders of fresh Infantry to charge across the bridge into Landshut.  The next two rounds of combat are tied so each side takes 2 loses and are shaken.

The game comes down the to the wire with the forth close assault being a winner takes all. Whoever loses will have lost 7 units however this means that if the French win they take Landshut and win the game.  After calculating the melee factors the French are on 5 and the Austrians 7.  The Austrians win the combat and the game. 

The Austrians now lead the campaign 3 - 1.