Cossack & Lancer Skimish Series - Game 5

As part of the Campaign of Nations game, the Skirmish Series continues.

This game was played at the same time as Game 4 in the UK, players at either location did not know what was happening at the other ...

scene from the climax of the battle as one lone Lancer takes on six Cossacks!

The battlefield was across a stream that both sides needed to find out about the crossing ...

the field of battle

Both sides had active players and so we could use a double-blind system that left the 'spotting' of troops as a possibility, where one side might see the other before being seen.

copper or gold 'eagles' became 'spotting targets' that could be where troops located, here two Cossacks have fired off carbines and there may be more Cossacks lurking near the copper eagle

The Cossacks were spotted first, however chose not to move to explore much.

The Lancers were more aggressive with their approach and moved to the deep left flank, falling on the Cossacks as soon as they were spotted.

Lancer races in to contact with Cossack

Over on the other flank, the Cossacks had massed into a line and were set to charge ... only the French Hussars were not getting on with it (we were using a card-based movement system and there were no black cards coming up)!

A Cossack has killed the Hussar patrol leader!

Where the Lancers started a charge they have caught many Cossacks, and fought a battle - at one point there was one lone Lancer facing down six Cossacks!  That Lancer did not come away, yet the delay he caused in the Cossacks permitted a counter-attack that struck Cossacks in the flank and rear.

Fighting against greater numbers the Lancers pressed home

One of the Cossack patrol leaders became distracted by something at the top of a hill (random event) and during that distraction the Lancer Trumpeter rode forward and skewered him.

Cossack patrol leader made a foolish decision to cause him to become distracted during the melee

Now the Cossacks failed a morale check and half of the force was going to flee, the other half was badly injured and going to back off.  While the French had half of their force backing off, while the Lancers pressed home ... French win!