Field Of Battle - solo game to see in New Year - 'Morning at Zorndorf' (pictatstic)

Decided to see in the New Year with a solo SYW game using the BP 'Morning At Zorndorf' scenario.

Firstly battle is one of my favourites and the scenario is pretty much a stand up slog with little room for maneuver which suits solo play.

Was undecided which rules to use but in the end went with trusty FOB3 which plays well in solo mode.

Had considered Battle Command and Black Powder along with Warfare in Age of Reason and Koenig Krieg but discounted latter two as been awhile since I played these and would need a good re-read.

In the end I chose FOB3 and a cracking game it generated.

Set up forces pretty close to one another and so it was a bloody affair from the off.

Prussians struggled early on with poor Movement and Ivans seemed to be outshooting them. 

But things turned quickly after a couple of successful Prussian melees and Russians suddenly taking losses and seeing units Routing.

Seydlitz (under a special deployment rule)  and his Cuirassier did get across the Zabern Grund stream/ditch but could not get into the action.

Russian losses mounted although they did bloody some of Freddies foot and they ran out of Morale (25 chips) and failed their first Army Morale test which occurred on very next card !

Prussians winners then and with 10 Morale remaining (from 30 at start)

Took a ton of pics (not sure why ?)

Russian left wing deployed

And their right facing Prussian left (Seydlitz command across the Zabern Grund)

Seydlitz could only attempt to cross on a friendly Move card if he rolled equal to or more on a D6 compared to number of Move cards played - he was a activated on third card)

View of initial positions

Situation at end as Russian center almost overrun

Seydlitz crossing the Zabern Grund but with little space to deploy into as Manteuffels Grenadiers hold off Russians

Prussian guns done a good deal of damage supporting Grenadiers (to left)

A more even situation on Prussian right as Russians stand firm

Russian line under pressure with units Routing or destroyed

Prussian Grenadiers proved too tough for Russians (who had their own Grenadiers but these were dispersed across several Brigades)

Action in center which seemed to be going Russian way in initial exchanges

Both sides taking their licks on Russian left

Russian guns in center failed to stop Prussian advance and were soon overrun

Prussian Grenadiers advance

More Grenadiers (I had to use 2 units of Fusilier figures as not enough Grenadiers) lead the way in center

Firefight in progress 

Russians hold on

Russian mounted command on right failed to Move forward to annoy Grenadiers before Seydlitz committed

Prussian Dragoons similarly slow to advance

Prussian Hussars no place to be useful due to woods, although Russian foot failed to enter until too late

Zorndorf with Battle Command

My lad was home from England for weekend so managed to get a game in with him over a couple of days.

I set up Zorndorf using old Might & Reason scenario and decided to use Battle Command.

Steven has played FOB with me a couple of times so had decent idea of how game plays and differences easy to teach and pick up.

He did say he preferred the extra options available on reduced cards even at ‘cost’ of extra initiative rolls compared with the much larger FOB decks (not sure he is actually my offspring !). 

Steven took charge of Russians leaving me to emulate Frederick and initially game pretty even as Russians managed to hold their own even when shooting.

He was aggressive advancing all along the line and his superior numbers of cavalry where giving mine a hard time on my right.

Prussian superiority of command helped (especially in Bat Cmd) as I had a D12+1 CinC to his D10 plus better Brigadiers overall.

However this soon changed as boy rolled a host of one’s whilst I rolled high (is it not always the way ?) and Russian morale pool (40) quickly dropped to nothing whilst my Prussians retained most of theirs (losing 17 of 35) and a failed roll on first Army Morale test saw Prussian victorious.

Good game and always great to play with the big lad.

Battle Command - solo Seven Years war bash (pic heavy)

Better half had friends over today so made myself scarce up to lair and decided to play a solo miniatures game.

Toyed with trying several sets periods (initial try with Bolt Action 3 maybe) but I choose FOB3 (shock ! horror ! gasp !) and my SYW Russians and Prussians testing out a points system which yielded 18 Prussians vs 24 Russians with Prussians having better command.

I used scenario generator from FOB2 to set up the game and one of its terrain cards.

I rolled for Army Morale with Russians getting only 20 and Prussians a mere 14 morale chips.

This yielded a nice narrative for the game with Prussians getting better deployment options and one Russian unit delayed (but only for 1 Move option)

I then decided to switch to using Bat Cmd for a change for no reason other than 'just cause'.

Great game that went to the wire with both sides losing all morale but Russians 'gifting' 5 chips to Prussia to give them a minor victory when Russians failed their first Army Morale roll.

I really enjoyed Bat Cmd this time round with its reduced card deck and multiple options on the Action Matrix generating another nice set of decisions to make in a game, the rest of system of course pretty much unchanged from FOB3.

I still feel that FOB3 just has the edge in gameplay for me personally, not fully sure why maybe its just comfort or familiarity but such it is, although Bat Cmd very much now in close contention for my affection.

Russians in foreground try to turn Prussian left flank as their center decimated

Cavalry stand off on Russian left after couple of ineffectual charges apiece

Russians have just managed to save two Routing units but hole in central lines obvious

Russian mounted arm on their right rather weak with Horse Grenadiers backed by lowly Hussars and Cossacks and enemy has managed to turn their flank to thwart progress

Prussian Cuirassier in center (at hill) took no part in proceedings as loathe to engage steady foot 

The open Prussian flank visible prior to Russian mounted advance

Battle lines drawn around the village, the Prussian artillery here done a lot of damage

Prussian left wing 

Russian artillery was less effective at longer ranges

Fighting around village intensifies it was captured, lost and recaptured by Prussian Grenadiers in battle with Russian Grenadiers

Cavalry face off on Prussian right

Losses and disorder mounts on both sides

Prussian Cuirassiers come off the hill top deployment to keep advancing Russian foot honest

Prussian left were tardy facing cavalry threat 

View from Prussian lines 

Russian foot in summer garb advance

Prussian in their blue oppose

Less than stellar Russian right wing

View 'down' the table with armies clashing almost right on center line