Carlist Wars: Retreat To The River

[Westbury]

As a bit of a change we did a 'table top teaser' style game last week; the much played idea of one army marching back home via a single road heading towards a river crossing at a village while the other army is marching to cut them off via several routes.

In our version it was the government marching home and the Carlists in hot pursuit; the Government had a single Guard cavalry brigade, a Guard infantry brigade, a brigade of several battalions of the BAL, a brigade comprising the Chapelgorris and British marines, plus a battery of rockets, a battery of guns, and two light battalions to be allocated as the player saw fit; the Carlists also had a brigade of cavalry lancers and four brigades of infantry varying in class plus a battery of mountain guns.

The Government player had to list his order of march and enter via the road, once a brigade was fully on it could then move as it desired; they knew there was a ford somewhere along the river but wouldn't be able to locate it until a cavalry unit was within one move of the river and then the location would be diced for randomly.

The Carlists diced randomly for each brigade as to when and where it came on which included the village itself.

[Westbury]

The Government led with the cavalry brigade and sent the Princess Hussars rushing up the road to find the ford while the Guard Cuirassier & Guard Horse Grenadiers fanned out to the left as Carlist horse appeared on the hills closely followed by the first of their foot brigades.

The first action was inevitably the cavalry one with the Government player aggressively pushing forward to take on the Alava Lancers & Castilla Lancers which certainly turned out in their favour with the lancers heading for the hills 

 

[Westbury]

The cavalry action - missed out the photo's 

[Westbury]

While the cavalry were slashing away more Carlists brigades were appearing in the hills on the Government right and in the flatlands near the river. The trap was well and truly sprung 

With his Guards brigade marching on screened by a skirmisher battalion the Government player took a gamble and concentrated on the enemy to his left, shaking the Guards out into attack columns and throwing the cavalry into the infantry who had been disordered by the retreating lancers.

The gamble paid off; the Horse Grenadiers did marvellously, forcing the first line of Carlists into retreat and then crashing into the demoralised Navarre Volunteers behind who routed into the hills with the Horse Grenadiers in pursuit and now behind the Carlist brigade. The Guard Cuirassier did less well, losing to the remaining Navarre lancers who pursued them mercilessly cutting them down almost to a man, unfortunately for the lancers however they then ran into the Marines who charged in an attack column and destroyed the blown lancers.

[Westbury]

Death of the Cuirassier and charge of the Marines

[has.been]

as always Ian it looks impressive.

[Westbury]

Still gambling the Government player set his Guards and Foreign Legion to methodically worked their way through the still significant Carlist infantry while the guns and rockets deployed to annoy the Carlists on the right hoping the Chapelgorris & Guides would have time to deploy next.

[Westbury]

Having trouble posting further photo's - 'file too large' so going to pause in frustration and try again later

[has.been]

'file too large'

Anything to do wiv de fahzands hov figs on de table?
Wouldn't happen with a skirmish game. 

[OB]

Excellent stuff.  It's always good to see Carlist Wars battles.

[robh]

Great pictures and a very good summary of the game.

[Ray Rivers]

Nice! 

[jambo1]

Cracking stuff! Great looking table and figures, loads of inspiration there.

[flatpack]

Very nice.

[MaleGriffin]

This is not one of my areas of interest, but I have to give credit where credit is due. Brilliant! Splendid looking figures!