Sunday 10 February 2019

(Big Game) Ramillies "The Second Wave of Cavalry is Gone" [Game 5] Post #7

Hussars versus Gun: Perhaps there is a "Lesser god of Wargaming!" My heaven sent curses must have chaotically disturbed the atmospheric air vortexes and influenced the roll of the dice  ..  or I got lucky. Seeing as it was an "anything but a one" result that save the Allied artillery (naturally it was their professional manner in manning the guns) that sent the "dubious" [my nickname] packing with a casualty figure to boot (see below, I am careful that 'hubris' is a fate of one'sown making - but serves you right):


Alas, the French are victorious elsewhere (pass me the glass marked 'hubris' to drink out of. The condensed formation of French cavalry survive the meagre Allied cavalry charge and the tear them apart in a second round of combat, picking up another casualty but not removing a base (see below: this French unit has put in the best performance in the game and still has the potential to do more (see below): 


The milling group of Allied Generals makes way to avoid being caught in the hot pursuit (see below, the Frenchmen's has its gander up!):


Alas the routing Allied "block of four" is caught in the pursuit (see below, too far away from distant friends to help with morale modifiers and support):


They are blown from the field (see below, this reverse in one blow levels much of the previous turns combat that ran in the Allies favour, still that just takes it back to a level playing field - theer is plenty to still fight for):


More than half of both sides cavalry seems to be in the "dead pile" which leaves barely half a dozen fresh or relatively fresh units a-side left in play. Along each respective baseline yet more cavalry can be seen massing as "fresh reserves" from the other flank are committed (see below, historically Marlborough did this but not the French General):


The last or the original cavalry troops "go at it again". By this time both sides have a grudging respect for each other's troops. If anything is still telling it is the Allied preference for the sabre and protective armour afforded to the cuirassier cavalry (see below, will this 'senseless' charging never cease?):


That terrifying French cavalry unit pursues its third victim, but now it too is out of support of friends and Generals and beneath the loaded guns of Marlborough's fresh infantry, its end may soon come (see below, the attitude of the Allied cavalry is that "somebody else" will deal with the rear - there is a more dangerous foe to the front):


Ramillies meanwhile is still being bombarded but the infantry is moving up into attack position. It seems crazy for the Allies to even contemplate attacking as they did historically as the French are defending much further forward. A contested crossing would be a blood-bath, a stand-off draw along the infantry line would be a good Allied result.

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