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After Action Reports => Tabletop AARs => Topic started by: MengJiao on August 02, 2020, 09:02:06 AM

Title: Nieuport, July 2, 1600
Post by: MengJiao on August 02, 2020, 09:02:06 AM
  It's odd how differently different sources describe this battle.  Fortunately, the Osprey booklet on the Campaign came out in 2019 and describes the whole incredibly bloody and confusing battle.  Here is a photo of the Vae Victus 2012 version of the battle -- which should be interesting.  The rules are a slightly modified version of Ben Hull's 30-years-War rules (which might be interesting to project into the earlier battles in the Ben Hull series):

Title: Re: Nieuport, July 2, 1600
Post by: MengJiao on August 02, 2020, 08:03:29 PM
Quote from: MengJiao on August 02, 2020, 09:02:06 AM
  It's odd how differently different sources describe this battle.  Fortunately, the Osprey booklet on the Campaign came out in 2019 and describes the whole incredibly bloody and confusing battle.  Here is a photo of the Vae Victus 2012 version of the battle -- which should be interesting.  The rules are a slightly modified version of Ben Hull's 30-years-War rules (which might be interesting to project into the earlier battles in the Ben Hull series):

  So by turn 3 (around 3 pm), things are at the tipping point.  As happened historically, the tercios and their musketeers are pushing the Republican infantry back...but, if the Dutch get the initiative, they will charge first with their superior curassiers and begin to break up the old style Imperial/Royalist "Gens d'armes" (really the last fully-armored "knights").  The heavier armor of the Gens d'armes is somewhat deceptive, the curassiers are in some ways more heavily armored since their helmets, breastplates and pauldrons are proof against anything but point-blank pistols, calivers, harquebuses and muskets.  The main weapons of the curassiers are swords and pistols.  Once they turn a lance thrust or thread the charge, they can close with the gens d'armes at a great advantage and the game models this very well (the gens d'armes can't even get above a disordered status once the melee due to losing their lances).  So Here's the situation and if the Dutch charge first (and they have a slightly better chance due to Maurice's initiative number) things might go very wrong for the Imperialists:

Title: Re: Nieuport, July 2, 1600
Post by: MengJiao on August 03, 2020, 06:52:23 PM
Quote from: MengJiao on August 02, 2020, 08:03:29 PM
Quote from: MengJiao on August 02, 2020, 09:02:06 AM
  It's odd how differently different sources describe this battle.  Fortunately, the Osprey booklet on the Campaign came out in 2019 and describes the whole incredibly bloody and confusing battle.  Here is a photo of the Vae Victus 2012 version of the battle -- which should be interesting.  The rules are a slightly modified version of Ben Hull's 30-years-War rules (which might be interesting to project into the earlier battles in the Ben Hull series):

  So by turn 3 (around 3 pm), things are at the tipping point.  As happened historically, the tercios and their musketeers are pushing the Republican infantry back...but, if the Dutch get the initiative, they will charge first with their superior curassiers and begin to break up the old style Imperial/Royalist "Gens d'armes" (really the last fully-armored "knights").  The heavier armor of the Gens d'armes is somewhat deceptive, the curassiers are in some ways more heavily armored since their helmets, breastplates and pauldrons are proof against anything but point-blank pistols, calivers, harquebuses and muskets.  The main weapons of the curassiers are swords and pistols.  Once they turn a lance thrust or thread the charge, they can close with the gens d'armes at a great advantage and the game models this very well (the gens d'armes can't even get above a disordered status once the melee due to losing their lances).  So Here's the situation and if the Dutch charge first (and they have a slightly better chance due to Maurice's initiative number) things might go very wrong for the Imperialists:

  The Dutch charge and things start to look bad all over for the Imperialists.  Oh and Mendoza got killed -- ironically he was lucky enough to be captured at the actual battle. (E is "Ebranlee" = Shaken)  Vere's English even repulse a Tercio with a lucky roll:

Title: Re: Nieuport, July 2, 1600
Post by: MengJiao on August 04, 2020, 07:53:47 PM
Quote from: MengJiao on August 03, 2020, 06:52:23 PM


  The Dutch charge and things start to look bad all over for the Imperialists.  Oh and Mendoza got killed -- ironically he was lucky enough to be captured at the actual battle. (E is "Ebranlee" = Shaken)  Vere's English even repulse a Tercio with a lucky roll:

  And things keep getting worse -- B is Brise = Broken is coming up for the Imperialists.  Oddly, the game has an optional rule for the "cowardice" of Archduke Albert (the younger brother of Rudolf II, the "Mad" Holy Roman Emperor.).  In the Osprey booklet he seems pretty heroic and lucky to have survived.  After all, his brother (the mad emperor) was nearly killed in an alchemical accident -- this was a brave generation of Hapsburgs.

  Anyway, the Imperialists seem to be falling apart, though the Dutch may be too shaken to finish them off very quickly: