Donnybrook AAR #1 and #2

Here follows my first Scanian War, Snapphane style AAR´s using the Donnybrook rules by LoA. As this was our first game using the new rules we made it simple and just run the basig engagement scenario from the rulebook with basic 4 point forces that we didn´t even re-arange but run as they was enlisted in 1 point groups. and we managed to run it twice, switching sides.

The rules use a card activation system, one card for each unit and hero/character. As the units can be quite fluid and lack of time I decided to use poker chips and white stickes with the unit names, load and turn ends, put them all in a small cup/bag and used them for activations, it worked very fine.

As this type of activation system may result in that some units may not be activated at all, wich it did form time to time, we will try to alter the sequense a bit by only let the Turn Ends card have effect IF the Reload card already had been drawn erlier in the turn.

OOB - Danish 

1x Hero - Captain Eskild Nielsen from Farhult
2x4 Elit - Free shooters (Snapphanar)
1x3 Elit - Cavalry
1x8 Regular - Foot musketeers

OOB - Swedish 

1x Hero - Lieutenant Johan Kruuse with the Dalregementet
2x8 Regular - Foot musketeers
1x8 Regular - Foot Pikemen
1x6 Regular - Cavalry

Background
Autumn 1676 during the last weeks the Danish Freeshooter company of Captain Eskild Nielsen from Farhult have ended up in shootouts with parts of the Swedish Dalregemente under command of Lieutenant Johan Kruuse (Som to the regiments Commanding officer) most of them have ended in danish victorys...

Lieutenant Kruuse was now hard pressed by his father the Colonel to make some improvement and settle the score with the Snapphanar in the area. Captain Eskild Nielsen of his majesty´s free shooters sees that he have a chanse to realy get the uperhand in the area if he one last time can whip the Swedes...seems like it is time for a real brawl...

AAR #1

Danes to the left and Swedes to the right...

The Danes made some swift movement and secured the windmill hill with some sharpshooting Snapphanar... 

(We decided that the Civilian rifles a.k.a. "Göingebössor" they used had a range of 32" but needed 2 Reload cards to be reloaded, this worked very fine)

As the Snapphanar at the Windmill started to take pot shots at the Swedish cavalry...

(Shooting always hit on a roll of 6+ with the dice that represent your Ability, Elite uses a D10)

...The Swedish pike and shot by the bridge started to advance...

...the Swedish pikemen started to take casulties by Snapphane and Cavalry fire as they advanced...

(No saves if you are in the open...)

The Danish Cavalry did get caught off guard and was charged and slaughtered by the Swedish pikemen...

(As you may move AND then charge you might cover quite some distance in one activation, we didn´t do that mistake in the second game...)

By the stonewall the Swedish cavalry tried to outshoot the Danish Musketeers...

(Stonewalls give good saves...horse in the open dosen´t have any at all...)

The Danish foot almost had enought but when the Snapphanar at the Windmill had reloaded and joined the fight with some deadeye shooting...

As the Snapphane fire was very, very accurat the Swedish horse have had it and started to retreat...But that didn´t realy matter as the Danish "Elit" force had taken to many casualtys and failed the force morale and decide it was better to retreat and re-group to fight anotherday...

(a unit that have lost 50% have to make Moral tests to see if they Hold, Retreat or Rout, a force that have lost 50% also have to test if they loses the battle...)

Fist game was realy a learning the rules game, it was still very quick, about 60 minutes. It turned out to be quite lethal to be shot at if you didn´t have cover...

AAR #2

We used the same forces and scenario in our second game but switched sides, I commanded the Swedes and Jonas the Danes, Sören our Danish friend and partner in crime had called in sik...

Danes to the left and Swedes to the Right. The Danes deployed about in the same way as last time, apperantly aiming to seize the windmill hill and to get some musketeers to the stonewall.

The Swedes deployed the two units of musketeers to attack the Stonewall as the Pikes and Horse should advance and cleare out the area by the bridge...a solid plan Lieutenant Kruuse thought...

Lieutenant Kruuse leading from the front this time... but the Danes managed to winn the race to the stonewall with ease...

(I blame the activation system... ;) )

The the shooting started from the Danes... Sharpshooting Snapphanar was difficult to handle even thought they had a long reloade time...

Danish Foot musketeers in a safe spot...

One of the Swedish musketeer groups managed to get throught the wood and reach the Stonewall despite heavy losses...

They could now start take care of the insurgent Snapphanar by the Windmill...

By the bridge the Swedish horse had left their safe spot behind ahill and tried to charge the Danish horse, but they decided just to hold the charge and shoot it out with the pistols as the Danes was a bit to far away...

Instead the Danes got the chanse to press home the charge...

Several of the Swedes fell but the unit stayed in the fight...

(There are 2 different formations, Open and Close, if in Open order you move faster but fight worse, if you are in Close order you get a bonus to shoot "Volly fire", you get a morale bonus and you get to fight with all men in a unit even if they not are in physical contact with a enemy miniature.)

The fight was uite long, several rounds much due to the Cavalry Cuirass/Armor...

(Armor like a Cuirass gives the miniature a Save against Close Combat attacks)

After several turns of fighting the Danish commander Captain Nielsen was wounded and fell unconsious the the ground...

(A hero might not die right away as ordinary troops but get to roll on a woud table to see the effect.)

As both Cavalry units wass below 50% they had to check morale and the Swedes decided that they had enough...

By now the Swedes had lost 50% of their initial force and Lieutenant Kruuse had his me retreat from the battle field...to much disappointment to his father Colonel Kruuse...

Summary
It was indeed some realy good games, even thought I lost them both... The first one was quite short, about 60 minutes and ended much due to high losses amongst the Danes that haden´t got the rules strightenout:
...Cover are good...or you die...
...Cavalry can move quickly, shoot pistols and charge, in total 18"...watch out here they come...you die...
...Cavalry in the open that get shot at... you die...
...Pikes always strike first...you die...

In the second game I got to command the Swedes...unfortunally that didn´t realy help, as I still lost... But it took a bit longer, about 90 minutes and was a realy nice and intense game.

During our games there of course arise some rule questions that wasn´t clere in the rules, or at least we didn´t find them. My conclusion about the rules was that they arn´t for the one that uses a rule book as the law but for me that like to game in a friendly manner with easy to learn rules they was perfect, my only concearn at the moment was the command and controll, I didn´t feel that the Hero had much to do regarding commanding the troops, he was a good fighter with a D12 but still a human that could be killed...

Regarding the command we decided to let the Hero use his activation to try to activate a friendly unit within 12” that not yet have been activated this turn by an Ability roll of 5+, if he has joined the unit he succeed automatically that unit but may not try to activate any other unit. This improves the chance for a specific unit to be activated, but they still may only be activated once. This rules may also be used by the Officer in the Army Faction but no other character as we see it at the moment.

That was all for the first Donnybrook games I will have to play some more games before I give my final judgement but Donnybrook feel very fine to me so far.