Action on the Steppes

[Westbury]

Our latest group game was an Ottoman invasion of Muscovy. An almost exclusively cavalry Ottoman army - Sipahis, Tartars & Wallachians are confronted by a hastily assembled Muscovite army of heavy cavalry, Kazack & Cossack lights and several regiments of Streltsy (actually Cossack foot masquerading as Streltsy). The terrain was open steppe dotted with marshland.
The Ottomans deployed with the Wallachians on the right, Sipahis in the centre and centre left covered by the Tartars and the left comprising the Azab foot and some Delli cavalry.
The Muscovites deployed the Streltsy in the centre supported by a battery of guns, the left was taken by one of the cavalry divisions comprising a mix of Druzhina, Dvoriane, Pomeshchiki & registered Cossacks, the right by the other division of similarly comprised cavalry and on the extreme right a separate division of mercenary Cossack light cavalry.

[Westbury]

Why I did the same photo twice I don't know 

[Westbury]

As such a game should be we had plenty of rollicking cavalry action.
On the Muscovite left their mixed division eventually saw off the Wallachians and nearly captured their general but the staying power of the Wallachians meant that time was called before the Muscovites could sweep round the flank.

[Westbury]

On the Ottoman left flank the Ottomans used the open terrain well and got their Azabs and Delli forward early with the Azabs causing a few casualties and the Delli's throwing themselves at a unit of Muscovite Dvoriane, forcing them to temporarily retreat.
Ultimately this force gave it up; the Azabs low morale meant that once they had taken a few casualties they were off to hide in the woods behind them and the Delli's got knocked back by a unit of Pomeshchiki and hid behind the Voyniks for the rest of the game.
 

[Westbury]

The main action was that with the Ottoman Sipahi.
On the right centre the Porte Sipahis advanced behind their Tartar screen and ultimately saw off the Pomeshchiki from the Muscovite left division leaving them free to wheel round and ride across the rear of the Muscovite battle line held only by the Streltsy regiments and guns who were hopelessly trying to match cavalry manoeuvre speed.

[Westbury]

On the Ottoman left centre the feudal Sipahis were doing the heavy lifting, there were more of them but the opposition was also stronger. The action was a flurry of cavalry charges, retreats and return charges, we even had the Muscovites charging the Voyniks but ultimately the actions favoured the Ottomans, not because they were particularly better but because the Muscovites had deployed too many regiments into the terrain heavy part of the battlefield and so struggled to manoeuvre cleverly enough.
The upshot was that the Muscovites ended up stuck with nowhere to go facing rallied Ottomans ready for another go around and off in the distance the elite Sipahis breaking through.

[Westbury]

continuing the action

[Westbury]

more action

[Westbury]

and what of the poor bloody infantry?
Well the Streltsy were slightly hampered by the terrain but even more hampered by not being clear amongst themselves where they were going to concentrate their considerable firepower - 4 regiments is a lot of harquebus. Once they got into range they were able to do some damage, as did the guns once they got firing (delay on obeying fire orders) and when the Sipahis got cocky and charged, one of the regiments saw its opponent off (the other didn't), ultimately however they ended up isolated but untouchable.

[Westbury]

When time was called the Ottoman right had gone but the Muscovite cavalry division able to exploit it was at half strength now. The Muscovite centre had caved in one section and enemy elite cavalry were free to roam, which the remaining Streltsy regiments could do little about. The Muscovite right/Ottoman left favoured the Ottomans who still had some decent cavalry in the game while the better Muscovite cavalry were done which left the not so good cavalry to hang on.
Result? A narrow Ottoman victory. 

[Westbury]

What of the dispositions?
The Muscovites had the tougher decision, defend or attack. They opted for attack, using a standard infantry in the centre and cavalry on the wings approach, well aware that the infantry would get left behind. There was nothing wrong with this but the right of the battlefield was more marshy and so slowed and broke up the lines which was compounded by having two commands on this wing, the Muscovite cavalry and the Cossack lights; in retrospect the Cossacks would have been better off on the left where the terrain was more open and they could have got round the Wallachians and caused trouble in the rear. A more radical approach could have been to have deployed the infantry on the right facing into the centre and using the terrain as an anti cavalry effect pour fire into the Ottomans.
The Ottomans paid the price for having a weak right wing but fortunately the Muscovites weren't able to exploit it. A stronger centre could have enabled them to break through sooner especially as a lot of their cavalry on the left wing got tied up in the punch, counter punch with the Muscovites.
Ultimately we had a good afternoons gaming and in these trying times that is a godd thing 

[MGH]

Looks wild, very much a swirling cavalry affair. Nice collection. Like you said, the key thing was you guys had a good time!

[robh]

That looks like a really great game. Lovely collection of figures and scenery and thanks for posting the whole AAR here.

[has.been]

Yet another impressive game Ian (& Dave &)

[Anderson Collection]

Great looking game well done