So here it is at last...The Ambuch at Örkeljunga Church 1676 AAR...from the test game I and Jonas run the day before our club game with Barry H. For this game I run the Danes and Jonas the Swedes, so the AAR will be a bit of Danish sided this time...
Annyway...here comes the background and OOB again if you might have forgotten them.
August 1676, the Swedish army was on the march to Halmstad to settle the scores with a Danish force under Commander Duncan that was on their way to seize the town Halmstad.
This small scenario depicts an Ambush of a Swedish supply column that was awaiting new beasts of burden for the supply wagons. The animals should, according to the law, be provided by the local farmers.
Most of the men in the Supply column are away to gather the reluctant farmers and their beasts. Just a few Swedish soldiers have been left to protect the supplies, it’s a perfect time for the Friskyttar to attack and destroy the supplies…
Objectives
The time are of importance as the foraging Swedish troops will soon be back the Danes just have 15 turns to accomplish their mission. There are 3 Wagons and one Artillery piece that need to be destroyed. To destroy a wagon or the artillery piece a Danish unit have to be in physical contact with the objective and as a activation succeed with a 6+ ability roll.
The Swedes have to stop them and resist until the Danes have to withdraw after 15 turns.
OOB - Swedish
1x Hero - Lieutenant Johan Kruuse with the Dalregementet
1x8 Regular - Foot musketeers with a character, Sergeant Hård
1x4 Regular – Artillery and 4 crewmen and a character, Sergeant Kruut
Reinforcements (One unit arrives at the end of each turn in the order stated below)
1x4 Elite - Dragoons
1x8 Regular - Foot Pikemen with two characters, Ensign Skytte and Drummer Klang
1x8 Regular - Foot musketeers with a character, Sergeant Kvick
1x6 Regular – Cavalry with a character, Captain Löwenskiöld
OOB - Danish
1x Hero - Grenadier Lieutenant Nils Eskildsen (3 grenades)
1x8 Regular - Foot musketeers with a character, Ensign Olsen
2x8 Regular – Friskyttar, one group with Muskets and one with Göingebössor (Rifles). One group have a character, Scout Pher Månsson a.k.a. Uggletorparn
1x3 Elite - Cavalry with a character, Captain Madsen
Lieu of Character
Hide out – Due to their knowledge of the land the two units of Friskyttar may use the Hide out rule from the outlaw Faction (Page 48 in the Donnybrook rules).
1x Hero - Lieutenant Johan Kruuse with the Dalregementet
1x8 Regular - Foot musketeers with a character, Sergeant Hård
1x4 Regular – Artillery and 4 crewmen and a character, Sergeant Kruut
Reinforcements (One unit arrives at the end of each turn in the order stated below)
1x4 Elite - Dragoons
1x8 Regular - Foot Pikemen with two characters, Ensign Skytte and Drummer Klang
1x8 Regular - Foot musketeers with a character, Sergeant Kvick
1x6 Regular – Cavalry with a character, Captain Löwenskiöld
OOB - Danish
1x Hero - Grenadier Lieutenant Nils Eskildsen (3 grenades)
1x8 Regular - Foot musketeers with a character, Ensign Olsen
2x8 Regular – Friskyttar, one group with Muskets and one with Göingebössor (Rifles). One group have a character, Scout Pher Månsson a.k.a. Uggletorparn
1x3 Elite - Cavalry with a character, Captain Madsen
Lieu of Character
Hide out – Due to their knowledge of the land the two units of Friskyttar may use the Hide out rule from the outlaw Faction (Page 48 in the Donnybrook rules).
The Danish Scout made it possible for a unit of Snapphanar to deploy anyware on the tambe but not within 12" of an enemy unit or objective...So I decided to place them out of sight at the farm yard, guite close to two of the objectives.
I indeed had a good run of activation cards and was able to move all of my remaining units on to the table in the first turn. The plan was to have the cavalry to ruch up in the middel and destroy that wagon.
The regular Danes under comand of my Grenadier Hero, with 3 grenades, and with support of the rifle armed Snapphanar should move up on my right flank to destroy the wagon outside the church wall.
According to plan:) Speed was the key, as othervise the Swedes might have got to much reinforcements...
Not according to plan...my first thought was to ruch for the wagon by the Windmill but I was some subdue by the swedish cannon that was covering the approach rout...So I decided to hide the whole unit in the house...
You might notice the muskets in the windows...ready to fire at the approacing Swedish infantry...
...and fire the Swedes did...with the cannon...
As the Swedes was occipied to attack the Snapphanar in the house the rest of my Danes could advance in peace on the other flank...
As my elite cavalry approaced their goal, the center wagon, I decided to switch objective to attack, so the cavalry ruched forw to destroy the Swedish cannon...
My Cavalry managed to cut down the crew but was them self shoot to pieces by an unit of Swedish musketeers that appeared by the road...
It was just my Heroic Cavalry Captain Madsen that was still alive, but wounded, that managed to sabotage the cannon with his last breaths...hi fell victim for a Swedish dragoon that sniped him with his rifle from the Wind mill...
More and more swedish reinforcements arrived, I started to feel short of time...
In a desperate action I sent my Hero Grenadiere Lieutenant Nils Eskildsen to destroy the wagon by the church wall despite the fact that the crule Swedes had put civilian hostages on top of it...
Several grenades was thrown but despit the heroic deed they fell short... an act of God...that wanted to save the innocents...
A group of Swedish cavalry entered the scene, setting the farm on fire and fighting down all resistance from the Snapphanar that had hided out there...
Things started to crumble for the my Danes, and then the Swedish infatry in the center forect managed to shoot some of the Snapphanar behind the stone wall the Danes had gor to much of a beating...
The Danes made a heroic retreat to save their remaining forces for another day...
One again a realy entertaining game of Donnybrook, the rules realy lift when the players put a bit of role-playing in to the game, its indeed makes a better story and the use of the named character helps out very much in the narrative.
Thanks for reading !
Popping the musket barrels out the window, that's very cool. Great AAR.
ReplyDeleteGreat looking game, and lovely special effects on the grenades! Speed was indeed key in this scenario, once the Swedes get there with all their troops, it's very hard for the Danes. And that canon is just unpleasant. Thanks for a nice AAR!
ReplyDeleteGreat report and wonderful photos Michael! A very cool looking game!
ReplyDeleteI think you get to play some of the best looking games I know Michael. Another cracking report, Sir.
ReplyDeleteVery appreciated comment Michael as I i´m the one staging them and put quite some time in to get it look good:)
DeleteIt is a must to play with painted minis on a pleasent gaming area in my mind, if it dosent look good theres no need to play, then we go home and paint instead;)
Best regards Michael
Lovely looking game as always Michael. Resisting Donnybrook at present as I have far too many other projects on the go...
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting such a beautiful and fun game and also for a very entertaining AAR!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful table and great AAR Michael!
ReplyDeleteChristopher
Thank you very much !!!
ReplyDeletebest regards Michael
Great looking game, Michael! Donnybrook does indeed benefit from a bit of role playing. You'll find that using the same characters from time to time also adds to the narrative as they begin to take on a life of their own. Even characters seemly killed in action can return to the battlefield (The tales of my demise were greatly exaggerated...)!
ReplyDeleteFantastic table so time well spent on building it. I agree that a well done table is a must for a game...
ReplyDeleteYour table looks fantastic like always! Thanks for this highly entertaining AAR.
ReplyDeleteGreat AAR, figures and Beautiful table as always.
ReplyDeleteGreat report and a Victory to the Swedish forces :)
ReplyDeleteGreat AAR! The Scanian war is indeed tempting. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnother great AAR. Very interesting game and ruleset.
ReplyDeleteAppreciated mateys !
ReplyDeleteIt will indeed be more donnybrook in the future:)
Superb report and fantastic terrain.
ReplyDeleteTony