Thursday 24 July 2014

The War of Duke Cosimo's Perucke part III - Promotions

Yesterday I visited Rob in the Debateble Lands and played another round in our ongoing War of Imagi-Nation - this time more of a playtest of our latest rule updates to the WARRE Game - Promotions!


We have decided on a Campaign system of regimental-battalion promotions that can enhance performance on the battlefield.


If the unit in question performs well on the field it then gets to choose a doctrine to follow Attaque or Vitesse or Defense.
From then on each time they do well the get to choose a further promotional attribute, but must stay within that school

We wanted to see that the wouldn't unbalance the game too much...


For our game we diced randomly for the unit promotions in the battle and allocated, none, 1, 2 or 3 of these. 


Robs Exiles the 'Wild Geese' Gansos regiment here with a nice casualty marker chose two  Ecole d'Attaque cards - A la Baionnette and Puissant Pikes


My 1st Foot opted for Ecole de la Defense - "They could fill their Ranks twice over" 
With other units choosing other options and some with no promotions we proceeded to contest the field of honour!

The story so far ...
Having been repulsed last time the British expeditionary force renewed their pressure on the Spaniards and decided to assault them - cross the Rio Razon - and drive them back to their forward base at Arroyo Rojo. 

The intrepid Cardinale Infante took the initiative and lined the banks of the river with the famous Tumbonas de Playa Regt. 

Here the Gansos start their march to the bridge..


while the Bomberos invested the Wood.


Meanwhile the dashing Lanceros swept forward (as befitted their study of the Ecole de Vitesse) 


to be met by the...
Oxford Blues who had waited patiently on the only promontory, the Collina el Ingles.


The pugnacious Gansos poured over the bridge eager to engage the British with all dispatch!

The British continued a cautious advance with the 1st Foot being checked by effective artillery fire...
The British Artillery had chosen the attack doctrine and made full use of "the Finest Gunpowder" and a "Cannonade" to keep the Spanish guns quiet


Then Dumbarton's 1st Batt. Of Scots arrived at the river... And throwing caution to the wind they salvoed and followed up with a furious charge sending The Tumbonus regt. backwards in confusion then their Grenadiers followed up and with clubbed musket and pikes at the charge they broke the Spaniards who ran helter-skelter from the field!
In the centre the 2nd Batt. of the Queens Regiment (newly returned from Tangiers but with no promotions) blasted the Bomberos from the wood with Salvee fire.

The 1st Foot and Dumbarton's 2nd Batt. combined to decimate the Irish as they debouched from the bridge!

On the far right flank the Oxford Blues met the Lanceros with pistol fire and counter charged. The Lanceros decided on discretion and quit the field to complete comprehensive victory for the Expeditionary Army.

The Spanish Army retired in some disarray to Arroyo Rojo and the Cardinale has promised reinforcements.
For his part Aubrey de Vere has sent for fresh forces to finally ensure the dastardly blockade is broken for good. 

We learned that the promotions don't seem to unbalance the game, and that we need bigger battle tables. 
Next we will look at negative traits for units performing poorly and Attributes for Commanders.