Ramecroix 1745

[MengJiao]

  This is an imaginary battle on the north Fontenoy map.  The Pragmatic Army led by the Duke of Cumberland will attack and take 2 out of 3 bridges on the map and 4 out of 6 of the redoubts (under the 8 and 12 pdr French guns), fortified Chateaux and the sunken road in less than 4 hours.  Cumberland has to march in and deploy and though he initially has 24 battalions, 16 squadrons and 10 batteries to half that in the French defense, the French are dug in with heavier guns and are getting 6 battalions and 3 batteries and 8 squadrons under de Saxe in person...so it might be a close-run thing.  Hard to tell.  Out of 3 scenarios I've played in this version of the Age of Reason system, no attacks have even reached their initial objectives.  The scenario kinda represents an attack on a reinforced outpost line with the objective of opening a wayto get supplies into a beseiged town.

[MengJiao]

  This is an imaginary battle on the north Fontenoy map.  The Pragmatic Army led by the Duke of Cumberland will attack and take 2 out of 3 bridges on the map and 4 out of 6 of the redoubts (under the 8 and 12 pdr French guns), fortified Chateaux and the sunken road in less than 4 hours.  Cumberland has to march in and deploy and though he initially has 24 battalions, 16 squadrons and 10 batteries to half that in the French defense, the French are dug in with heavier guns and are getting 6 battalions and 3 batteries and 8 squadrons under de Saxe in person...so it might be a close-run thing.  Hard to tell.  Out of 3 scenarios I've played in this version of the Age of Reason system, no attacks have even reached their initial objectives.  The scenario kinda represents an attack on a reinforced outpost line with the objective of opening a wayto get supplies into a beseiged town.

A better Ramecriox:

   1) French formations deployed (except the guns in the redoubts) in line or march column.  In the 1740s there are no attack columns (no wonder no attacks
I've run in this version have gotten anywhere).
   2) 2 more fortifications so the Pragmatic army must take 5 out of 8 of Chateaux, redoubts, fieldworks and sunken roads
   3) another bridge so 3 out of 4 of those
   4) And the Pragmatic army is entering from the East

[MengJiao]

A better Ramecriox:

   1) French formations deployed (except the guns in the redoubts) in line or march column.  In the 1740s there are no attack columns (no wonder no attacks
I've run in this version have gotten anywhere).
   2) 2 more fortifications so the Pragmatic army must take 5 out of 8 of Chateaux, redoubts, fieldworks and sunken roads
   3) another bridge so 3 out of 4 of those
   4) And the Pragmatic army is entering from the East

  A lot happens in the first 20 minutes.  Prince von Waldeck rolls well and moves the Pragmatic cavalry forward quickly in the center and deploys them mostly into line.
The French over-reacted earlier and their cavalry went south and is out of position to block the Pragmatic Horse:

[MengJiao]

  A lot happens in the first 20 minutes.  Prince von Waldeck rolls well and moves the Pragmatic cavalry forward quickly in the center and deploys them mostly into line.
The French over-reacted earlier and their cavalry went south and is out of position to block the Pragmatic Horse:

  The Pragmatic Cavalry does drive the gunners away from their emplaced 12 pdrs.  But then the turn ends and the French reinforcements will start arriving:

[MengJiao]

  A lot happens in the first 20 minutes.  Prince von Waldeck rolls well and moves the Pragmatic cavalry forward quickly in the center and deploys them mostly into line.
The French over-reacted earlier and their cavalry went south and is out of position to block the Pragmatic Horse:

  The Pragmatic Cavalry does drive the gunners away from their emplaced 12 pdrs.  But then the turn ends and the French reinforcements will start arriving:

  Around 40 minutes into the battle and the Dutch Mason Dragoons are keeping up a bold front under relatively heavy artillery fire.  To the South, above Wiry, the French cavalry are starting to deploy into line in a nice flanking spot.  The Pragmatic horse in this area is shaken and poorly positioned.

  On the main road,, things are looking better for the Pragmatics.  Ligonier has rerouted the artillery and deployed an infantry brigade at the first barricade.  This blocks the road, but the choice was to do nothing or expose the artillery without much support.  This was accidental, but probably a good thing for the Pragmatics who are starting to look shaky down south.

[MengJiao]

  Around 40 minutes into the battle and the Dutch Mason Dragoons are keeping up a bold front under relatively heavy artillery fire.  To the South, above Wiry, the French cavalry are starting to deploy into line in a nice flanking spot.  The Pragmatic horse in this area is shaken and poorly positioned.

  On the main road,, things are looking better for the Pragmatics.  Ligonier has rerouted the artillery and deployed an infantry brigade at the first barricade.  This blocks the road, but the choice was to do nothing or expose the artillery without much support.  This was accidental, but probably a good thing for the Pragmatics who are starting to look shaky down south.

  Around 60 minutes into the battle, on the North end of the French line, Bland's Brigade (all in red and blue) moves fast, passes as many as 3 disorder checks each (even with "morale" at 22 -- which is extremely good -- that's something of a feat ) and comes up mostly deployed in line on the flank of the Piedmont and Dauphin regiments (both in white and one in road column still).  Since this is the ideal move by the favored side in a solitaire game, it was pretty unlikely dice-roll-wise, so that's surprising.  But also, I'm starting to get the hang of the rules so that I can see what is possible even in the highly transitional armies of the 1740s.

[bayonetbrant]

I'm just digging the map underneath it all :)

[bob48]

^+1. I think its a nice looking map as well.

[MengJiao]

I'm just digging the map underneath it all :)

The Clash of arms maps have improved steadily over the years.  Fontenoy and Melle are the best so far by a long way.

Next in the Battles of the Age of Reason series (of which Fontenoy is number 5 or so) is Prague, which seems like it would be
very hard, what with semi-drained fish ponds and all.