Endgame... Victory!

The battle of Muhldwein rages on...

On turn 7, the Astrovian Kuirassiers advanced towards the gap left by the retreating Vaubarian infantry and guns, and infantry regt Schrodinger wheeled slightly to volley at the Dragoons. The latter caused only one casualty on Schrodinger, whilst the Astrovian infantrymen (rolling 11 on their 2d6) inflicted two casualties on the Dragoons who deemed it high time they were also heading back to the safety of the town and turned tail...


Lacking a suitable target, the Astrovian gunners decided to fire a shot into the town, setting one of the buildings alight! Hooligans!!



Things were starting to look very positive for the Astrovians, and Von Schwarzenatter viewed the scene with some contentment. The grenadiers, having had no casualties this turn, returned to normal and would advance again next turn. And regt Frankl's retreat was rallied and they stood shaken on the spot. They too would be able to return to the fray shortly. Surely a full on assault would soon take the town.

But the Astrovian glee didn't last long. As the Kuirassiers von Klammer picked their way across the makeshift defences, a glance to their left revealed ... The long-awaited Vaubarian relief force marching with some haste and purpose onto the table. Church bells rang out, and the Vaubarian brigade commander, Schweinsteiger, who had orchetrated the defence, almost wept with joy. His ally, The Markgraf Karl von Orff had arrived, just in the nick of time!





Simultaneously, at the start of turn 8, the Astrovian hussars who were tracking round the wood on the Astrovian right flank, suddenly encountered the Vaubarian hussar regiment Podolski, entering the table.



All was now lost for the Astrovian attack. In the face of the arrival of these fresh Vaubarian forces, Reichsgrafen von Schwarzenatter decided to save his battered army and retire to fight another day.


In the town, the sight of the Astrovians making an orderly withdrawal, and the Vaubarian relief force advancing to see them off, was received with unconcealed celebration. Not only had the town been saved, but The Elector's Christmas Chest too. And all would receive the bounty of the Elector as a thank you in these troubled times. In particular the musketeers of the Breitner regiment and the Dragoons of the Muller Lights would receive ample reward from grateful locals in the taverns of the town.
For now, such trials as Astrovian incursions could be forgotten, and peace reigned throughout the land!



Postscript...
What an enjoyable game. I hope you have found it as interesting to follow these past few days as I have found it to play. The rules worked well, the new wargames room was ideal for this relatively small encounter, and my lighting set up for photos did not intrude on the game.

The casualty return is as follows:
Vaubarians:
Breitner infantry regt -5 figures (25%)
Artillery -2 figures (66%)
Muller Dragoons -3 (25%)

Astrovians:
Frankl infantry regt -9 (45%)
Schrodinger infantry regt -3 (15%)
Grenadiers -7 (35%)
Artillery -1 (33%)
Croats -4 (33%)
Klammer Kuirassiers -1 (8%)

As a wargamer, I might have continued on for a further few turns in reality, but it's back to work in earnest on Monday, and I wanted chance to clear up the table, so it seemed reasonable to call a halt, and prevent any further loss of life! in addition, were this a campaign game, it is unlikely that Scwarzanatter would continue on against a defended town, with a significant relief force arriving from one flank, and fresh enemy troops also attacking the other flank, so it seems reasonable to conclude the game as I did.

I have deliberately given a more detailed account of the action than I normally do, and in future my games reports will have a more narrative flavour, rather than documenting individual dice throws and firefights and morale throws. But I do hope you have enjoyed my first game of 2020.