General d'Armee - game with the author

 Rafael recently kindly hosted a game at his superb wargames room in the garden (known as The Far Pavilion) and to our delight, he had invited along, David Brown, the well known writer of wargames rules such as General de Brigade, General d"Armee and more recently O Group. 

This game was a Seven Years variant of General d'Armee.

Here's Rafael explaining the set up to Steve C (they are going to have the Prussians, Dave and I the Austrians)

Most of the troops are already on table but some are tailed back up the two parallel roads

The Prussians got the initiative and with some good rolls, rushed artillery and Grenadiers across the fields

Our Austrian forces turn to face the enemy across the fields as cavalry trots behind towards the right flank

We do have a light cavalry brigade already guarding that flank

Steve C's cavalry make a move towards our light cavalry

Here's a better shot of the Prussian "swing" towards our lines

A look at the Austrian lines from the Prussian side

Our light cavalry watch the enemy movements but hesitate

The Prussian guns have deployed ready to fire

and an infantry attack is building up

and more Prussian troops enter the churchyard

The Austrians hope to get their heavy cavalry out to this flank to counter the Prussian move

Our light cavalry have to counter charge as the Prussian cavalry comes at us

The churchyard has been consolidated by the Prussian infantry as lines screened by light infantry launch an attack up the slopes

Austrian artillery fire at long range across the valley

The Prussians are sending more cavalry out to their left wing, behind the marching infantry

Massed cavalry action, out beyond the church yard

One of the Austrian hussar units has fallen back disordered

The Prussian infantry attack nears the Austrian lines on the high ground 

Stompach's Austrian heavy cavalry arrives out on the Austrian right wing - just too late for the first fight

The Austrians have struggled to deploy all their troops due to hesitant troops blocking the road

The Prussian grenadiers have pushed back the Austrian infantry off the crest

and more infantry advance through the woods as the grenadiers from the church yard also advance

Prussian cavalry regroup as reinforcements arrive

Stompach' s men are sent into battle to try and restore the Austrian right flank

Initially with some success

but a volley from the Prussian grenadiers brings this to an abrupt halt

More Prussian infantry are now crossing the centre of the battlefield

The Austrian cavalry is in a disorganised mess back on their start line

As the Prussian infantry press home their advantage

There seems to be more and more Prussians arriving

and Prussian cavalry now threaten the Austrian centre

Some Austrian cavalry have turned to attack the Prussian infantry which has severed the Austrian lines

But they are getting hemmed in by Prussian attacks from all directions

A newly arrived Austrian cavalry brigade charges across the fields

against the advancing Prussian cavalry

but the Austrian army is cut in half still

and the cavalry are being ground down

The Austrians are pinned back against the edge of the board

The situation is now hopeless

Prussia has won the day !

At least Dave and I enjoyed the delicious lunch served by Rafael's wife, even if we were soundly thrashed in the Far Pavilion !!!

A wonderful day's gaming - and the sun was shining too for a change.