All pictures taken with cell phone, sorry for the quality. If you are familiar with Koenig Krieg we played with 1000 points to a side. Each had 3 brigades of foot and 1 brigade of grenadiers. The Swedes spent their points on cavalry but the Russians wanted guns. Both took their toll but clearly cavalry was the best choice.
Early in the game, turn 4ish, taken from the Swedish right. Here the Swedish dragoons have gone out to engage the Russian dragoons. This slowed the Russian advance giving the swedes time to move up and cross the stream unmolested. On the bottom left you can see the brigade turn cards used in Age of Reason. They were made using powerpoint and then laminated.
Same view but from the Swedish left. Here the cuirassier have crossed the stream via the bridge and have formed with only a lone cossack unit to defend. The whole of the Russian right awaits!
Bravely or foolishly, you decide, the cossacks ride out to meet the heavy cavalry.
Meanwhile on the right the dragoons fight it out. The initial charge by the Swedes is repulsed. However on the next turn the Russian commander decides to attempt to rally his troops while the Swedes charge again driving the Russians unit from the field. In the words of the Russian commander "Lesson learned." The last 2 remaining dragoon units would fight a back and forth battle the remainder of the game. The Swedes gaining the upper hand on turn 11.
The foot did not sit idley by as the cavalry fought for supemacy. Her a view of the Swedes as they approach the Russians. Units on the far left out of the shot had yet to navigate the stream in safety. The Russians wearing their summer dress can be seen in the upper left. Is it really that warm in Finland?
Here the Russian commander spurs on his men while the flanks are yet contested. The grenadier unit at the bottom can be seen moving left to bolster that side as the cavalry battle doesnt look good.
Further on in our game around turn 10 the cossacks, though not destroyed, have had their noses bloodied twice and are keeping their distance. This frees up a cuirassier unit to smash into the Russian right causing two battalions to make for the exit. We can see several of the battalions on both sides have been whittled down through fire. Neither side wanting to give way.
On the Swedish left we see the Russian grenadiers in position for the eventual Swedish breakthrough. The Swedish grenadier unit has had enough with musketry and charges forth. The Russian unit was no pushover and a melee was fought for 2 turns before the grenadiers got the upper hand.
The Swedes in true Swedish fashion attempted many charges on the Russian line towards the end of the game. Only 2 were successful. The game ended in a draw, both sides suffering 30% casualties but neither army would break. The fate of Finland would be decided another day.
