Dave has an IC, TC, Swiss Ally TC with 1 x 8 Sup Pike, 1 x 4 LF HG and 2 x 8 Sup Pro HF HW (Swiss) with 4 x 8 Armd HF DefSp, 2 x 8 Armd Hf HW, 2 x 6 Avg MF XB, 1 x 6 Poor MF XB & 1 x 8 MF XB – 14 BGs breaking on 14.
Despite his IC I won initiative and opted for Hilly. Hilly gives plenty of Rough options (learning from the Tibetan game!) and I was fortunate in that several pieces ended in Dave’s half of the table. I failed to capture the deployment photos but was surprised to see all 4 Def Sp HF BGs deployed in the rough, flanked by the 2 German HF BGs on his right and the Swiss BGs on his left. The average XB were rear support whilst the Poor were hiding at the back.
Unusually for me I deployed a BG of 8 LB in ambush behind a hill and was surprised again when Dave miscounted my BGs and assumed the Ambush was fake. Never correct an opponent when they are making a mistake – unless it’s against the rules! The photos start a couple of moves in. My ambush marker is in the foreground.
Dave went first and advanced on a broad front. I couldn’t believe my luck. I figured if I could pen the HF into the terrain in the centre with LB they would struggle to get out. The Swiss are nasty so I just fell back in front of them. The Knights stayed mounted and were tasked with making a bee-line for the HF HW in the open.
Once it was clear Dave had miscounted, the ambushing LB headed for his base line and the safety of an open field.
Supported by the LH the LB would destroy the Swiss HF sent to intercept them.
On my left the Knights were teed up against the HF HW. Dave had 2 BGs in flank support and had the IC with them as well as rear support. This kind of match up is always a lottery. If the Knights win – as they should – the foot test with a minus 3 which Dave had countered so it would be a straight dice throw. The Knights did win and it was Dave’s turn to throw snake eyes – so the HF fragged on impact. They broke in the melee and joy of joys – we killed the IC in the pursuit! The adjoining HF in the open also fragged and the rear support were burst through after a miscalculation by Dave.
With his flank collapsing and plenty of English troops ready to turn onto his open flank Dave tried to charge out of the Rough but this did not work either.
Dave had had rotten luck and seeing there was little prospect of anything improving conceded. A momentous 35-0 victory which catapulted me up the table for Game 4.