30 YW campaign round 3 1630

[awesum4]

As the spring of 1630 arrives and the recruiting officers of both sides crisscross Germany raising their companies the Empire teeters on the brink of anarchy.

The Emperor has received vast subsidies from the Vatican and the Rebels have started to receive sums from England, and the Low Countries, so the forces on both sides have grown still further. The Rebels have moved their most successful commander to Bohemia hoping he can capture the one territory that has always eluded them.

First named player sets up the game, large armies, open battle, agricultural terrain.

GDod using Catholic League 1619-1632 tries to recapture Austria from Doyley50 using German Protestant 1618-1631

MarkLeslie using Swedish 1630-1634 tries to capture Bavaria from SteveJohnson77 using Catholic League 1619-1632

Kiwiwarlord using Catholic League 1619-1632 tries to recapture Bohemia from GentlemanRanker using German Protestant 1618-1631

SpeedyCM using Spanish 1621-1634 tries to recapture Brandenburg from AHuyton using German Protestant 1618-1631

Snugglebunnies using German Protestant 1618-1631 tries to capture the Palatinate from Awesum4 using Catholic League 1619-1632

Peterthe Painter using Imperialist 1619-1632 tries to recapture Saxony from Lascar using Transylvanian 1618-1631

[KiwiWarlord]

Game set up for Gentleman Ranker pw your Christian name.

[GDod]

The game is afoot Alan. Hopefully our imperial majesties get ahead or at least neck and neck, and no body gets in our way...Otherwise, we may become the butt of jokes in the local taverns. two arms!

Password round3

[markleslie]

To all my peeps.



The good guys have arrived, let's get this party started!

To SteveJohnson77, my army is arrayed in Bavaria awaiting your pleasure.
password: bavaria

[SpeedyCM]

So is it considered poor form to berate your general on the deployment screen when he informs you via pop up message that he sent one unit on a flanking march and after you check your units you discover the flanking force was your heavy artillery battery?

[awesum4]

Speedy,

that is definitely grounds for a court-martial, and a demotion to the ranks. If they turn up on the other side of an impassable mountain range (I've had it happen) its a crime punishable by firing squad.

[markleslie]

Victory in Bavaria!

markleslie Swedish 1630-1634 losses 3% defeats SteveJohnson77 Catholic League 1619-1632 losses 40%.

The field was open in the centre with a smallish wood on our left slightly forward between the respective deployment areas, a large hill on our right with a sizeable wood abutting on the Catholic side.

The Swedes arrayed themselves in an open backed square formation to the left of the deployment area away from the large hill, foot to the front and sides, mounted trailing. The best of the Swedish mounted on our left flank and a much smaller contingent of less worthy mounted on the right.

The Catholics woefully small collection of Tercio's in the centre were anchored on the sizeable wood on his left, an inadequate force of mounted occupied that very same wood no doubt planning shenanigans. The most imposing part of the enemy army consisted of nine Kurassier units stationed to the right of his Tercios ready to round the smallish wood and, I assume, ride to glory and victory at the expense of our left flank.

The Catholic mounted flanking attempts on both flanks failed miserably, lack of faith an obvious factor methinks, and were contained by superior numbers. The Catholic centre was quickly shot to hell and almost as rapidly broken in pile on melee's.

All in all a prime example of Swedish efficiency and the rightness of our intervention in this war.
HUZZAH!

[GDod]

Victory in Bavaria!...

All in all a prime example of Swedish efficiency and the rightness of our intervention in this war.
HUZZAH!

Or just the overpowering unfamiliar stench of Surströmming in close combat perhaps?

[markleslie]

Or just the overpowering unfamiliar stench of Surströmming in close combat perhaps?

The term "overpowered" did come to mind as the Swedish list delt so easily with the League list I wondered at it's balance, but of course I should not play down my own part in that fracas. A brilliant, tactically aware maestro of mayhem was obviously key to the events that unfolded on the battlefield and which will no doubt prove decisive in this campaign.

I await with interest the statues and paintings that shall be commissioned to honour my achievements.

[GDod]

...I await with interest the statues and paintings that shall be commissioned to honour my achievements.

Not another Statute.jpg (12.36 KiB) Viewed 1289 times

[ahuyton]

My German Protestants 1618-1631 won against SpeedyCM using Spanish 1621-1634, 63-31

The reverent people of Brandenburg rejoice at the news. The massed infantry and pike on the Protestant side were too much for the Spanish invaders, despite the latter's elite and superior ratings. It was a question of firepower. Sadly my cavalry were not well handled this time and they were the bulk of my casualties.

A curiousity was that each side enjoyed a flank march of one unit. Mine was a large Cuirassier unit that turned up in a good spot but it was not able to contribute much. Speedy's flank march was announced but neither of us could find the unit. I assumed it was an artillery piece that was told to enter a forest square and thus was cancelled.

Thanks for the game.

[SpeedyCM]

If memory serves I think at the start it said my heavy artillery was flanking to my left so it probably decided to send it to the marsh that was on that map edge not that it mattered even if it did turn up an artillery unit without support would have been nothing but a target, I think I'm beginning to learn that buying artillery is throwing money away in Pike and Shot.

Sadly for me the terrain didn't suit with the hill on my side being completely rough ground. More importantly my initial deployment was terribly thought out, I should have deployed well to the rear so I could march to the open ground on the right flank without being subjected to fire from your army for multiple turns without reply.

Anyway well played.

[awesum4]

A unit or two of artillery is very useful for an army that relies on shooting. So for the Protestants in this scenario its well worth it as they will have more muskets, although of possibly lower morale. The Catholics will be outshot so their best tactic is to buy the best and biggest units of foot they can afford and then attack the enemy heavies in open terrain. So for them artillery can be less valuable, but if they can support the shooting of other units to disrupt even 1 enemy unit before contact they can be worth buying.

[ahuyton]

I followed Andre's and Brian's tactics, that they have used to defeat me many times, of two medium artillery pieces parked on a convenient hill and as many Pike and Shot units as I could afford to get the necessary firepower. My Arquebusier cavalry, generally pretty useless, were helpful in defending the artillery from raiders. This tactic does not always work but was helpful on this occasion.

[GDod]

A unit or two of artillery is very useful for an army that relies on shooting.

But also as a ripe plum to distract the enemy. They can provide a distraction and only provide a minimal % gain when captured. Oh... and Alan's heretical protestants were soundly beaten (well touch and go mostly - but since the victor writes the history let's stick with soundly beaten!) by our Imperial Majesties righteous forces egged on by a stern and vocal group of Jesuits.

Investing heavily in Kuirassiers and artillery, the unenlightened mass of protestant rabble attempted to shoot and outflank our force. Alas, though they delivered routs and disordering shots from no less than three batteries and assorted riffraff, we weathered the storm and pressed ahead. Our brave few Kuirassiers, quickly changed flank to mass on the opposite side under cover of the lee of a central hill. Meanwhile, the bulk of infantry stormed over the crest and engaged the enemy foot. Pressing ahead on our flanks we had little success apart from scattering the enemy light foot and lighter cavalry. On the other flank things were even worse when our defending force of raw recruits were largely ignored by the masses of sidestepping kuirassiers. A single surviving Kuirassier on the other flank, having seen off the lights met with these underhanded enemy Kuirassiers who had by then overrun our guns and were now attempting to threaten our infantry. Alas, they were thwarted by rough terrain, a staunch disordered Tercio who refused to submit, and a well placed small wood. The bulk of the enemy infantry had by now either bogged down, or fled. To rub salt into the wound, a brave single pike and shot far to the front on the opposite flank overran an enemy battery, charged a broken enemy unit, then became fragged from shot and charging light cavalry, saw off these light horse hanging to them like a fly on paper, then rallied, charged and fragged some light foot frozen in place like a possum in a headlight!

The final count...36 to 61! We tip our hat to General Doyley for, as usual, a very tight game.

God save his Imperial Majesties and the Pope.

[KiwiWarlord]

Reading the "Today in History" column of this morning's newspaper just after sending my move away to GR,
the first heading was :
" 1648 - The Peace of Westphalia ends the Thirty Year's War. "
Well they have it a little wrong as we still have a ways to go I thought
Note it is the 24th of October here in New Zealand as I write this.

[GDod]

..." 1648 - The Peace of Westphalia ends the Thirty Year's War. "
Well they have it a little wrong as we still have a ways to go I thought ...

Thanks goodness. The protestants seem to be rolling our poor catholic league and having it all their own way at present!

[awesum4]

The counter-reformation has started with Duke GDod retaking Austria, and we are confident of holding the Palatinate.
The loss of Bavaria is a temporary set back as it has already changed hands several times.

[GDod]

The counter-reformation has started with Duke GDod retaking Austria, and we are confident of holding the Palatinate.
The loss of Bavaria is a temporary set back as it has already changed hands several times.

We await the French entry into the conflict with anticipation then! Any news from Brandenburg and Saxony?

[PeterThePainter]

"We await the French entry into the conflict with anticipation then! Any news from Brandenburg and Saxony?"

The result from Brandenburg is posted above do you mean Bohemia?

In Saxony the fighting has ceased but, as is fitting for a religious war, the victors are honouring the fallen and offering prayers of thanksgiving for their deliverance from the carnage.

No doubt a dispatch will arrive soon.