19th century - 6x6 challenge game 5

While I do some reading and planning for a mini-campaign using my recently completed French Indian war armies. It was time to get back and complete my 19th Century Imagi-Nations campaign which is one part of my 6x6 challenge.

It feels like it has been a while since I last played a game. So I had to dig around in past posts and campaign notes (scribbles) to find out where I had left off the campaign. The featured post on the right has details the campaign which is won by the side with the best public opinion after 6 games.

Public opinion going into this game stands at:

• Ustoria 30%
• Greater Novia 40%

The last major engagement was won by the Ustorians, and after each major engagement there has to be a rear guard action. For the games themselves I use the setup rules from Wargaming 19th Century by Neil Thomas.

Having rolled for the number of terrain pieces and randomly laid them out based upon dice throws. Having a gridded table helps with this process. The forces were selected from tables in Neil Thomas' book and delivered the following:

Ustorian Advance Units

• 6 x infantry
• 1 x skirmishers
• 1 x cavalry
• 2 x artillery 

Greater Novian Rear Guard

• 1 x artillery
• 2 x infantry
• 1 x dragoons*
• 1 x cavalry

* Whenever 2 cavalry are selects the side has the option of changing one of the units fro dragoons.

All is set for the game...

The Greater Novian rear guard prepare to delay the attacking Ustorian forces

As a delaying tactic Novian dragoons and cavalry treated the first few advancing units

The delaying tactics are over and the dragoons and cavalry start to retire to the next line of defence

More of the Ustorian advance guard move down the road towards the waiting defence line

Initial attacks begin on the flanks

The Ustorian attack starts to build with artillery in place to support the attacks

The Novian right flank is exposed and their defence line is at risk

On the same turn a cavalry charge takes out the supporting artillery. The Greater Novian defence line is in trouble

The Novian forces rally to their next line of defence between the woods, building, and hill

Ustorian forces regroup for the final assault

Ustorian forces are grinding down the Novian defenders, but are taking heavy casualties

Breaking the final line was very costly in Ustorian units

The last Novian unit retires. An Ustorian victory, but only just, another lost unit would have handed the victory to the Greater Novian rear guard.

This turned out to be a good close game. How did public opinion move with the press reporting of this latest engagement?

Ustorian:

• 5 units lost = minus 25%
• Past Glories with the successful cavalry charge = plus 5%
• Glorious action with the taking of the final defence = plus 5%
• All up they lost 15% public option and now sit at 15%. Even with the recent victories the public at home get war weary.

Greater Novian:

• 4 units lost = minus 20%
• Defeat with the lost more than 50% of their units and allowed 5 enemy unit to leave the field = minus 5%
• A total loss of 25% moved their public opinion to 15%. The earlier victories have been quickly forgotten by the press and their readers.

Down to the wire with one game to go in the campaign.