Post Tournment thoughts of the First Glory is Fleeting tournment:

Post battle thoughts:

So I played 2 games of my first Glory is Fleeting tournament. I couldn't play both days as my partner wanted to get a book on Young Talent Time. I never watched it when it was on!

There was about 16 people playing today, and 3-4 other wargames going on - I would have liked to see how the Waterloo board game was going but was too busy. 

First game was vs 1815 British-Allied. Surprisingly good heavy Belgium Cavalry won the day and my loss 15-10. I didn't break, but we ran out of time one turn before I had a chance at getting a victory. I think I was too timed with the light division, The 95th rifles were a disappointment again with them playing no part in the battle. Neatly half of both armies didn't have time to participate.

I discovered the irregular infantry caught in the flank or rear by cavalry disintegrate and have 0 dice to defence against it. Whelp. Though it didn't change the battle much.

The second game vs 1805 Austrians, and was another loss, though in this case my army broke. I chose to advance VERY fast which caught the enemy off guard. I routed about 3 units of the enemy, and I had him - all my units had skirmish control of the front line and most of his front line infantry units were disrupted. I'd held off his heavier cavalry with a lot of luck and his flanking attack was a turn too late to stopping me rolling up his army,

And then he made morale recovery rolls out of 6 for 6 and his entire army recovered. Meanwhile the next turn every morale I roll made (6 out of 6) I failed. 

I should have committed my spent cavalry but I gambled he would fail his reaction toll to counter charge my infantry going in. The dice failed. My luck had deserted me and I went on to fail nearly every roll afterwards.  It was like I was playing a Fighting Fantasy gamebook and I had tested my luck one time too often. Once again I was ruined by a flank attack. He went on to win 2nd place in the division thanks to my defeat, so I was playing a general well above my level!

I got to meet 2 of the NZ designers of the new game edition. Now that I've thought about, I think the new name of the game they had thought of IS better. Don't want to spoil it though.  

At least in both games my lighter cavalry division was able to beat or fight to a draw the heavier enemy cavalry division, but was unable to either exploit the success or help the infantry battle afterwards. 

Thoughts about Glory is Fleeting the new game:

With the game pretty much ready to be released, I am MUCH happier with the rules. As a game designed for club or pick up games, over 120+ army lists (that don't have special rules your opponent needs to memorize like GW games!), a straight forward but also deeply historical system, I think the rules mostly just needs an index.

I told the designer from New Zealand (sorry I forgot his name) I would love to see an annotated text explaining why does X rule exist and how Y rule can be seen in actual historical battle Z. The rules actually encourage historical solutions to battlefield problems...even if some of the problems I do not yet know how to solve with an army based on the strategic and logistical situation the Duke of Wellington found himself in Portugal in 1810 which are NOT the same limitations every other army has. I apologize for asking so many questions while you were trying to eat your lunch.

I can understand completely why it wouldn't be included in the rule book, but would make an excellent teaching aide. 

There was one rule for bombardment in the second game that's apparently listed on the Quick Reference card but not in the rules, and one in the rules not on the QRS.

I also like the new name someone else has given him to use instead of Glory is Fleeting: I hope they actually change it to it new, even if it does sound like something like a steampunk version of a Mission Impossible movie.

Initial Lessons Learnt after Mistakes Were Made:

Unless the enemy is disrupted by my skirmisher advantage, I cannot go into an assault. I doubt I will ever have the ability to defeat the enemy cavalry to win a victory with it (I can get a draw or hold them off, but I cannot defeat them to ensure a victory), and I can't move forward into volley range without getting shot to pieces by heavier artillery or veteran infantry. I *can* win the skirmish battle but I need time for that to wear the enemy down and usually in the battles I don't have the time to do it. I advanced as fast as I possibly could short of a frontal attack, and still would have been at least 1 turn too slow (except the enemy flanking attack was unlucky to arrive for a turn). 

The light division was disappointing both games. In one it did nothing and the other the 95th superior veteran rifle light brigade didn't do much as larger non-rifle unit would do. I should see about swapping them for just light infantry or even British foot guards (who would be cheaper at a small size!). Maybe increase them to a large unit and drop the Loyal Lusitanian Legion (who never seem to be very useful, despite effectively being as special forces in reality). I also at one stage TOO MUCH skirmish dice to do anything useful with. Despite fighting unreformed infantry, 3 enemy light units with some attached cavalry was enough to break my skirmish control later on.

The veteran artillery in the heavy dragoons super heavy shock cavalry didn't do anything, but it's only useful vs infantry in square, which did not happen in either game. I should probably put the artillery in a artillery brigade like everyone else seems to, but it just seems wrong. Note neither army I played today had one (!) but I think most  other armies I saw did. Also, nearly every other army was bigger than the two I fought. One Turkish one has a 132 (!!??!) break point.

I need at least 1 more charismatic commander to help rally troops and if I have the heavy dragoons I need a Brilliant Commander with them for the bonus to attack and the bonus to rallies. In the 2nd game they helped defeat one large cavalry unit, but spent the rest of the game wavering and never recovering. I think having one unit of Super Heavy, one of light and one cheap crappy one is the way to go. I cannot see how it would possibly work with a mixed division with only one cavalry unit and 2 squadrons of attachments in the same division. I have yet to see an army without a heavier or equal sized cavalry division than I have and the terrain can never be assumed to be able to guard one flank without it (which is what Wellington did in the actual campaign)

The Highlander unit was disappointing - it either needs to be another large unit or drop the superior level of elan. Having a divisional reserve is good- in the second game it was crucial for both armies, but it can't work as a high quality one I think.  By the time you need it (because other units are wavering or routed), it's, too late or or too hard to maneuver the unit where it needs to be to act as a divisional reserve.

The large infantry units were able to maneuver this time - maybe I should make them having superior elan instead of having a separate unit. Being large they can bring their own rear support too for assaults.

The redoubts and conscripts did what they needed to do, though played no part in one battle, they held the LOC.

The Spanish Guerrillas were useful as a distraction in the first game (before being run down by some spent enemy cavalry, and still kept the enemy unit busy for 2 turns doing it) and were useful as a reserve to hold the LOC in the second. 

 In the second game, half the light division was stopped by a single light cavalry unit standing in their way. I need more artillery in the 2nd (light) division to do anything about that - I think it's going to have to come from the cavalry division.

I should have asked before the game started what the ending time would be- the first game I was stopped from getting in some charges that might have won me the game.  

In the first game, I made the elementary mistake of fighting on the crest and forward edge of a hill. No wonder I lost- Wellington would be dismayed to see such a use of British Napoleonic Infantry. 

I really need to get flags on my units. And do it somehow without using the existing flag poles that will snap off when I do.

Back to the drawing board for the army. Now that I have some Spanish units, maybe I should try 1812 Anglo-Portuguese Superior Veteran Elite army with a cheap Spanish division to bolster the army numbers.  

 

First game vs 1805 Austrians. All the fighting took place at the furthest point from the camera

Back to the drawing board