The Seven Years War, Die Kriegskunst, 28mm

Sometimes games don’t go according to plan. This one was one of those, a small encounter battle between the Russians and the Prussians, where an outnumbered detachment of Russian grenadiers and Cossacks tried to hold on to a vital road junction. the aim was to escort through a pay chest – actually, in our game we used the vodka wagon, but the idea was the same! The Prussians’ aim was to capture it, and to block the road.The game began with two regiments of Prussian hussars appearing, from opposite ends of the table. My Cossacks have developed quite a reputation, so I wasn’t worried. True to form they saw off the Red Hussars, but the Green ones were unscreened, and rode right round the table and blocked the road the Russians needed to keep clear.Worse, a unit of Prussian grenadiers did the same, pinning the Russian escort in the narrow streets of a small village.  A detachment of Russian horse grenadiers was driven off by the remaining hussars, but they soon rallied, and bested the Green hussars in a second scrap.By that time though, things were looking bleak. The Russian column was still trapped, and worse, the Prussians captured the vodka!As the game drew to a close the Prussians were closing in, held back only by the Russian grenadiers and the Cossacks, who unsurprisingly decided not to follow orders and charge into the fray again. With time running out I reluctantly conceded the game to the Prussians, giving them their first victory in several games. Still, my horse grenadiers did well for a change (they rarely do), and the fiery reputation of my Cossacks was upheld!

Tags: Die Kriegskunst