Daring Plan Results in a Stunning Prussian Victory

    Having narrowly defeated the rebel forces the Prussian Governor-General, Victor von
Schimmelpfenning, decided upon a bold plan to run the rebel army to ground and finish it off. He allowed the rebel forces to retreat back to their camp and collect their belongings.

     While this was going on a punishing force-march put the Loyal forces in a position to cut off the retreating rebels. The rebel army, thinking that they had gotten away cleanly, were surprised to find the Loyal forces (and their Prussian allies) astride the line of retreat.

     Surprised or not the rebels recognized that the only path to safety was to fight their way through the Loyalist ambush and they flung themselves at their enemy in a bold fury.They were hampered again by some very unlucky Command rolls that caused their attack to become disjointed. Ultimately the rebel army was shattered and the remnants dispersed into the hills.

 

this game was played using the "Run For The Hills" scenario from the rulebook

the rebel army was made whole again to represent the collection of bivoac guards 

and outlying units as they decamped. The Prussians carried over any unsaved casualties but were graced with abnormally good Command rolls in the first two turns which allowed them to close the gap and prepare for the rebel assault

 

the Prussian Line Infantry and artillery formed the keystone of the defensive arc

 

the cavalry and spearmen screened the left flank and delayed the rebel movement with little losses

 

on the right the Loyal musketeers and a unit of askari set up a crossfire

 that was never really challenged

 

on the left the steady drumbeat of fire ground down the rebel swordsmen 

before they could make contact

 

the rebel haste to move up the valley left them straggling into a field of fire 

that consumed several units one at a time

 

the cavalry charged to clear off the last of the swordsmen on the left

 

eventually the rebels got their dreaded sharpshooters up onto the firing line

 

and they promptly began to exact a toll on the Prussian forces

 

in one lucky burst of fire they crippled the artillery piece 

 

the one remaining gunner begged to avenge his brothers 

but was ordered to retire with the precious cannon

 

tired of being tormented by the fire from the rebel infantry

the spearmen charged and wiped the rebel musketeers out

 

while the cavalry fell foul of the other unit of sharpshooters

 

they wisely fell back to give a good field of fire to the askari

 

meanwhile the constant fire was wearing away the Line Infantry

 

the need to move closer kept the loyal musketeers and the Prussian askaris

 from helping to ease the threat

 

until the Line Infantry gave the last full measure,

 dying like Spartans they refused to give ground

 and held the center to the very last

     Another surprisingly tough fight. I figured that the Loyalists would have an easy victory here but they ended up paying a heavy price for the win. That said, the rebel army was crushed and scattered to the hills. It remains to be seen if the new Satrap has the diplomatic skills to console the remaining rebels to his rule or if this is going to lead to a long guerrilla conflict..
    
      Again the rules performed admirably, giving us a clean, fast-playing game with a decisive result. We actually played this game right after the first one; completing both games between 19:30hrs and 01:00hrs including getting out the figures and setting terrain.