We followed up the smaller games we've been having recently with a 3 a side game. 72 points of Franco Spanish with some dubious allied Barbaries versus the mighty Germanic alliance of the Prussians, Austrians and Brunswickers who being the attackers had 100 points.
The situation was that the Germanics were trying to push the Franco Spanish back, the latter having established a defensive line along a wooded hill line. There were two roads through the hills. The attackers had to control an area 9" either side of the roads through the hills by the end of the game, the defenders had to prevent this. There were also honour points for killing percentages of the opposition.
The French, under Capitaine Charles L'Cul, would cover the West road, and the Spanish, commanded by the legendary Capitano Jose Fernando de Sagras y San Miguel, covered the East. However, they had insufficient manpower to cover the open fields and hills to their right flank. Fortunately they were able to persuade Barbary captain, Shiek Yah Monet, to swarm the hillsides with the promise that he could keep any guns his men captured. So it was that by the time the Austro-German forces arrived they found their opponents well emplaced in buildings and in the tree-line of the Southern woods.
The Prussians, commanded by Lieutenant Luchs, arrived on the Western flank up to, and including, the Western road. They found themselves facing off against the French, who had taken up position in buildings, and behind a low wall to the West of the Western road.
The Austrians, typifying their simple approach to modern warfare, had 9 units of line infantry. Emboldened by their fearless leader, Baron Von Schnitzel, they advanced through the centre between the two roads. They found the right flank of the French force, consisting of 2 units of skirmishers and a light gun covering the Eastern side of the West road, and the bulk of the Spanish force - 1 regular and 2 green line infantry units plus two smaller units of line infantry serving as marksmen.
Finally, the Brunswickers, led by the irrepressable Leutnant Maurice, Count von Wolfenbuttal faced off against the Barabaries on the Eastern flank.
On the Western flank the Prussians moved forward cautiously. Their careful advance saw them make slow but steady gains as they managed to suppress the French forces to cover their advance.
In the centre the Austrians bravely strode toward the enemy lines. They knew that the early advantage would be with the defenders but, if they all pressed forward together their superior numbers would begin to bear. So it was with some surprise that the found their Prussian and Brunswicker allies falling behind their advance.
The result of this lack of support, however, was no surprise. With the entire weight of the firepower of the entire Spanish front plus the French gun pouring into them the Austrians at first wavered, then faltered, then broke completely.
The belated efforts of the Prussian light cavalry and the Brunswicker shock cavalry to draw some of the fire only served to see those units too, cut down in short order.
Even the destruction of an impetuous unit of raw Spanish recruits could not change the tide of battle.
The Franco Spanish right featured the usual Brunswick combination of an artillery fetish, some long suffering skirmishers and some shock cavalry destined to run at the first sight of blood. And strangely enough that's exactly how they performed. The artillery caused all the casualties, the skirmishers soaked up all the casualties and the shock cav ran at the first sight of blood (in this case not even theirs, rather the Austrians).
The Barbaries sniped and harried the Brunswickers and when the Spanish asked them to step up to face the Brunswick guns to save their lancers a round of artillery they did (fortunately the guns failed to activate - a rare occurance).
Sheik Yahmuni will be viewing any such future requests with the mercenary outlook that matches their mercenary morals.
The outcome was a fading Brunswick and collapsing Austrian front that prevented the Prussians from pressing home their gains such that the Franco Spanish held the passes at the end of the game.