Balkans Clash - Russo-Turkish War - 1790

Scenario
Russians are attempting to take a key town in present day Romania from the Ottomans.

I have eight players for this game (very large for me), plus special guest Jim Maura from New York.

I plan to have four Ottoman (Charles, Mike, Chris, and myself) and four Russian players (EC, Jan, Brian, and Jim).

Since I want to get right into the fight, I'm staging the armies so most players will be in the thick of things right away.

Town has four sections. You get one VP for each section held at the end of the game. You can also get double the VP if you hold all four sections. Each unit routed or destroyed is worth one VP and Elite units are worth 2 VP.

Initial Deployment

Here we can see the battlefield with the town in the center forward position close to the Russian side of the table, but occupied by the Ottomans. The Ottoman Djellis are in the bottom center of the photo.

Great shot of most of the commanders. Charles took the photo. Brian, Jim (red) and EC (far back left) and myself (in blue closest), Chris, then Mike holding his head.

Overhead photo of the battlefield from the Ottoman prospective. I put labels on the photo so you can see where all the different commanders were located.

(left to right) Brian, Jim (special guest), Jan, and EC as the Russian commanders.

Nice shot of the Ottoman brigade defending the town. The Ottomans had 3 Sekhan regiments in the town, with the Greeks guarding the left flank from a small entrenchment on the hill, while Janissaries (yellow) guarded the right flank. Russian Grenadier battalions can be seen in the distance.

The Grand Vezier perched on the central hill overlooking his army.

Russian Heavy guns prepare to fire on the Sekhans in the town.

Ah the Greeks, they always seem to be a thorn in the Russian's side during these games. Here they are ready to send the Russians back to where they came from.

On the Russian far left flank (EC's command), the Lifland Jaegers deploy in skirmish formation in the woods.

One of the Sekhan units in the town section.

Russian far right (Brian's command) is held by Cossacks and Karabinery.

These fellows in their best PJs are the Guard Cavalry of the Ottomans.

Ottoman heavy gun battery trudging along side the Janissaries.

Albanian Arnauts in skirmish formation on the Ottoman far right flank (Mike's command)

Anatolian Sekhans holding on to a town section.

1st Game Night

FIRE! Russian heavy guns open up on the town. No visible effect.

Russians win the impetus and contemplate their moves

Jan immediately moves his heavy guns up on a slight rise overlooking the town. This is gonna get ugly for the Ottomans if that battery stays there unmolested. This was a D12+1 Heavy gun, which is about as it good as it can get for an artillery battery.

Jim's Russian rush forward in a hail of Greek lead! Two stands are lost and the unit is halted in its tracks.

Good view of the coming attack. Greeks have reloaded. Oh no.

The Russian, with Suvorov's encouragement, attack the town with rapid movements.

The Sekhans hold on and deliver volleys in an attempt to stop the Russians.

The light guns also join in and the smoke and carnage is everywhere.

Canister at eye level.

Russians streaming into the town.

Russian melee and rout the orange colored Sekhans.

Ottomans send the Sipahi Regiments pasted the town hoping to catch the Russian heavy guns limbered on the hill.

Sipahi in the front, Suvareleri next, and then the guard cavalry rush towards the middle of the battlefield.

With a bold stroke of luck the first Sipahi regiment catches the Russian heavy guns in limbered formation!!! In one of the most crazy rolls, the Russia guns repulse the Sipahi in disorder! Will the guns unlimber before the Sipahi regroup? This was a critical melee for both sides and the Russians came out on top. The Russians thought they might lose the game if this attack had succeeded.

Russian Karabinery cavalry slip through the lines in hopes to draw off the Ottoman cavalry. I can't remember what happened to that regiment, but they don't show up in the photos later on. :-)

The Egyptian Sekhan (in the town) and the Janissaries (yellow) watch the Sipahi regroup and prepare to attack the Russian heavy guns again.

Here you can see that Janissary Brigade in march column arriving behind the town. This became a bit troublesome as there was no room to deploy and maneuver in the tight confines of the terrain and massed troops.

The Sipahi regiment on the right is hit by Russian musket fire and is reduced by a stand.

Ottomans are happy about something!

Chris must have done some damage to the Russians.

On the hill, behind the town, you can see that the Russian guns have somehow managed to deploy and fire into the Sipahi, causing further casualties. The guns are no longer an easy target.

Speaking of guns, the Ottomans send their heavy guns up on the hill were the Grand Vizier is observing the battlefield chaos.

Ottoman guns unlimber and roll a 10 on a D10 and eliminate some Russian infantry stands!

Ottoman Mike, taking a closer look at his Albanian Arnauts.

Ottoman Sipahi regroup and attack the Russian guns again.

Meanwhile on the Russian right flank the Djelli command (under my command) has advanced to threaten the scurvy Cossacks.

Russians obliterate the Egyptian Sekhan (militia) in melee and occupy two sections of the town.

The Guard Janissaries (in red) occupy one town section on the right, while the other Guard Janissaries (in white) prepare to support the Sekhan's in the graveyard\church.

Chris, in his first miniatures game, did great and gave our more experienced Russian commanders a tough time.

Whatever I'm pointing at must be damned important.

Piquet impetus clock in my hands as the Russian move through their Sequence decks.

 

The Ottoman cavalry reserve peals off and heads toward's EC's Russian command on the left flank.

The Suvareleri (regular cavalry) see their opportunity against the weaken Russian line.

Suvareleri ride through the grape shot and hit the battery!

St. Petersburg Dragoons hear the screams of the Russian artillery as it is overrun. Will they be able to take revenge on those Suvareleri?!

EC gets read to roll for melee.

Jim's asking me a question. He hadn't played Piquet in a while and forgot how much drama it delivers.

Jim's Russian Tambov Regiment routs the Anatolian Sekhans from the town and then occupies the section.

Close in view of the Russian assault and Ottoman response.

That is where we had to leave it that first evening. Loads of fun and the guys posed for a couple photos.

Overhead view of the town at the end of the evening. Russia has taking 3 of the 4 town sections.

2nd Game Night
I didn't take as may photos as there were only four players this week, which means I had to spend more time playing that observing and snapping photos.

View of Suvorov on the hill looking at the town.

When we left off, two Russian cavalry regiments have made contact the blown Suvareleri cavalry. Whoever wins the initiative will likely rout the other side in this one.

The Russians win the initiative and rout both Ottoman horse regiments.

The Russians point of view, as the Greeks continue to tear up Russian regiment after regiment.

In Piquet, there can be some glorious events. This was one of those for me. My Djelli had done nothing all game as I was scared to commit their sorry asses in melee (D4) and I wanted to change formation to Mass so I could at least gang up on the Russian Cossacks (just as bad in melee) and hope for the best. Well I pulled DEPLOYMENT, so I changed formation, then I pulled CAVALRY IN OPEN! So I advanced into contact with the Cossacks, then pulled MELEE RESOLUTION! Damn that was sooooo cool!

My Djellis pounce on the Cossacks routing both of them!

Feeling some bravado from my Djelli charge, I decided to send in the Guard Janissaries (red) to melee the Tambov Regiment. The Guard Janissaries are completely routed and now there are no Ottoman units in the town!

Those damned Russians! I send in the other Guard Janissary to knock them out musket fire. Both sides fire is ineffective. I guess we will have to use our scimitars!

Sometimes the price of a cavalry charge is too high. After wiping out the Cossacks my Djelli are hit by artillery fire and are slowly churned to red goo. I was bleeding morale chips.

Meanwhile, Ottoman Mike on the far right of the Ottoman line started to attack with his Sekhans and Arnauts supported by medium artillery.

Close in shot of the Sekhans firing at the Russian infantry and cavalry.

 

Ottoman Mike lifting his glasses for a closer look.

Lifland Jaegers and Albanian Arnauts exchange fire, with each one becoming disordered.

The Guard Janissaries are routed by the Tambov Regiment! Tambov Regiment gets battle honors for the game.

The weaken Karabinery regiment drives off the Ottoman Guard cavalry and the Ottomans hit zero morale chips!

Greeks still held the redoubt.

Picture of the Tambov Regiment with all the enemy before them fleeing!

VP and Morale Chip Count
Russians 16 VP - 12 Morale Chips
Ottomans 6 VP - 0 Morale Chips

This was a helluva great battle!