(Big Game) Ramillies "Hot Pursuit" [Game 12] Post #14

I missed taking my phone along to one session, but in summary .. the Allied Cavalry Wing advanced unopposed as the French (remnants of a once proud force of) Cavalry retired faster (see below, on the furthest Allied left the Dutch Dragoons saddled up and even the Infantry Brigade that fired the first shots in anger to storm the left outpost formed into column in hot pursuit, but four legs was always going to be faster than two - the limbered light cannon will be lucky to fire another shot in anger this battle methinks):

The Allied Cavalry is forming an impressive hinge, the French being pushed into a tight "L" shaped line, the worst of all positions to be in (see below, the Allied Cavalry have somewhere between a 2:1/3:1 advantage, but the French are falling back on a line of solid infantry):

A French General and a mounted Dragoon base is all that is left of the French Guard Cavalry XXX,  a Line Cavalry XXX and a Dragoon XXX. A massacre, admittedly they destroyed three quarters of the Allied Cavalry Wing. To the (middle left) of the photograph a corner of the first French Infantry Brigade can be seen (see below, technically there is another French cavalry base that 'retired off' the Allied baseline [that could potentially return], the "C" counter is not for "Charge" but "Column" for faster movement"):

The "French L" (see below, the start of the four remaining Bavarian Cuirassier Brigades can be seen bottom left):

The weight of numbers in the Allies favour is quite evident here (see below, Ramillies itself is just out of camera shot, top-left):

The Allied 'Galloper Gun' pulls forwards to tease the "first fire" from French Infantry Brigade forming the front corner of the French "L" (see below, at least as a dispersed target the gunners will get a saving throw):

The French have left a cannon exposed on the hinge of the French "L" and a Allied Reserve Cavalry Brigade cannot resist teh temptation to charge it down (see below, if the French gunners cannot shoot the Allied Cavalry off it will be an auto-win for the horses in close-combat):

Seen from afar the Allied Cavalry charge home on the French Artillery position (see below, the French are now suffering from being cramped up and shoulder to shoulder with each other, lacking the space for free tactical movement):

The Allied Infantry mass prepares for its assault on Ramillies. The French C-in-C was dismissive of the Allied Artillery being used in concentration against Ramillies but by this relatively late stage in the battle it had reduces the defences and was causing serious harm to the defending French Infantry Brigades (see below, note that far right in Ramillies the Irish Wild Geese man the defences): 

Meanwhile the (mainly) British Infantry Brigades are getting sucked into deadly firefight that the French are gaining an upper hand though taking dreadful casualties themselves. Ideally they should have stayed back well outside of musket range but once one line was committed it seemed inevitable that the second line too would engage. The Allied Cavalry to their right were also caught with their pants down when the previously successful Allied Dragoons [against the French Dragoons] were worn down by the French Line Infantry Brigades. They had to about face and as a result paid a heavy price to artillery (see below, Marlborough would be incandescent with rage at his subordinate commanders here, with such unnecessary deaths):

There is much more hard infantry fighting to be done. The Allied Cavalry Wing look nervously towards the river. A bold French counter-stroke across the river would be the last thing they want to see at this juncture. However teh Frnch C-in-C has a defensive mind-set.