SHAKO 2 Games at the Library - Flavor of Spain again

Once again we set up the SHAKO II tabletop, using a pickup game format and this time the 'random' map generated turned out to be an excellent test of offense and defense skills.

The random terrain generated ended up being a 3 sector town and two steep hills.

The map setup with troops looked like this:

map layout with the miniature troops deployed

shown in detail the map came up like this:

map layout in detail

some of the deployement:

Great looking Italian force, shot guns, did not attack

main body of French force in columns for the run into attack

on the French left, dragoons were ready

in the town, Anglo foot were deployed

Anglo foot in the center, light horse in reserve

The Brunswick force were to storm the hilltop

Turn one was straight into battle, by turn two, a horse battery had been over-run by Brunswick horse and the French dragoons had been run off, then the Brunswick horse slammed into the French line, which held and drove off the light horsemen; though not before the impetus of the whole division had been stopped as the Division Commander had also been over-run by the Brunswick light horse.

table at turn 2

The Brunswick force was to take the hilltop and make it an immediate fortress that no French could dislodge them from in the end.

Indeed the 'death or glory boys' made glory the choice of this day of battle.

Three charges went up the hill and three times the French tumbled back down.

turn 4 saw the French Light Cavalry arrive

In splendid fashion

a colorful display of horse power

while the Brunswick force owned the Allied right and the hilltop

a column of French prepares to storm the town, battered all the way by artillery and rifle fire

In the end the French Light Cavalry were to thrust at air ...

No pictures were taken as we ended in the middle of turn 5, the English Light Cavalry deployed to the right flank and were going to slam into the damaged French Dragoons, who had been shot up by Brunswick horse artillery.  The French had lost all the artillery on that flank and the two assaulting French Divisions had been damaged or destroyed.  It was clear that this French assault had failed.

We had time to re-set the game and have-at again.  Amazingly we got into turn 3 this time and again it was clear, the French were not going to have success against this location.  The players for the attacking French were allowed to re-set their attack plan.  The score was not as bad, yet the result was the same.

English officer confident of the town defense, assaulted twice in the second game and resulted in the destruction of the attacking division, with help from the Anglo artillery and nearby infantry.

We are set to go again at the Library on February 20th ... I am considering doing a more "Danube Valley" feel for the next encounter ...

... any suggestions?