The Solo Game of Crussia Versus Hermany

In just over a week I'll be on holiday and organising the game for the brothers Mat and Ryan. It's always fun to see them game as their rivalry is intense! In the meantime I have been playing a solo game. My daughter started off the moves of Army Dark Green (Crussia) and I have taken the side of Army Black (Hermany). To continue the game solo I have rolled some dice to determine Army Dark Green's tactics and strategy. I have also done this to determine the actions of the civilians.

Army Dark Green's forces of one light cannon, a cossack band of the black clad "Patrichek's Thieves, Bandits and  Cossacks'' and a regular infantry regiment have scouted ahead for the main army. The gun has taken position and blasted a hole in the Army Black infantry regiment. The cossacks have moved towards a town and have been observed by the citizens of Duseldorf. The bulk of the populace flee down the road.

The Hermans have an infantry regiment, light gun and the Ruritanian lancers. Ruritania has been keen to ensure Herman  support in its own future military endeavours against Gerolstein.
Soon another light gun, and a Herman lancer regiment arrive. On the Crussian side a Balkan Army Light Green lancer regiment arrives.

The Crussian and Herman infantry exchange fire but the Crussians, defending farm fences, are not going to be easily dislodged. The cossacks have their own agenda. The refugee column is too tempting. They remember earlier incursions by Army Black in to Mother Crussia and the devastation caused to many villages. They have also been maddened by some casualties caused by Army Black infantry fire.At least this is their excuse. In fact these cossacks have fought with a number of armies, including Army Black, as mercenaries. They are very interested to see what loot is in the vehicles and in the pockets of the refugees. The refugees are a mixture of classes and includes well dressed ladies with parasols and firemen. A very few men are armed but they will lose their nerve.
Just at this point a Herman spy hiding in the farm house attempts to throw an infernal device at the dense column of cossacks. The cossacks are too quick and too alert. One who has turned in his saddle to look at the farm house notices the door opening and alerts his comrades. Almost as one the cossacks turn and fire their carbines. The spy falls, dead. Then the cossacks charge the refugees, ruthlessly cutting down six. (In the coming game the cossack player will have to dice not to charge such targets). However the artillerymen of both sides are more humane and stop their firing when the refugees interpose themselves. At this point the refugees flee towards Army Black.

The Ruritanian lancers are cautious in their advance on the farm, not wishing to make a frontal attack on infantry behind a fence, but suddenly they are aware of cossacks on their flank. The cossacks, however, may have made a fatal mistake. It is true that their colonel has restrained them from further looting but they are now reorganising and have missed their chance for a flank attack on the Ruritanians. In fact the Ruritanian colonel and his men are incensed by the cossacks destruction of the refugee column and, incidentally, wish to eliminate this threat to their flank Here is a better target than the infantry in the cattle yard.
The Ruritanians charge. There greater numbers, lances and attacking the cossacks when they were re-organising should have won the day, yet, the small gap between wagons and refugee debris neutralise the power of their charge and the cossacks are surprisingly tough. Casualties are light but Nil on the cossacks. The Ruritanians retreat in confusion and disgrace. In fact, unnerved by the cossacks ferocity they rout right off the field.

This is a timely success for the Crussians. It is true that they were well positioned and had only to hold on and await the Hermans attempt to re-take the farm. The Crussians are also edging towards the town of Duseldorf with their newly arrived militia reserve and artillery piece. Brother Paul's blue coated cossacks have also just arrived and are moving to reinforce the infantry around the farm house. But the Crussian peasant soldiers, though often fearless, are also prone to wild fluctuations in morale. This is where the Herman secret service had been most effective. For it had spread a pernicious and vicious rumour that the Tzarina, Lubov, had been inappropriately involved with the 'mad monk', Neputzar. Morale plumeted among Army Dark Green and their momentum had slows. The judicious placing of priests among the troops is designed to strengthen morale. It could only be hoped, by the high command, that the priests maintain the traditional respect felt by the peasant soldiers for the Orthodox church. and not be tainted by the mystic womanizer, Neputzar.

The view from Duseldorf.

Herman cavalry mass.

Herman infantry advance on the farm.

                                                                       The lancers turn from the centre to support the infantry on the flank.

The cossacks decide to withdraw behind the farm as the advancing Hermans are about to overwhelm them. The Crussian infantry in the farm continue to shoot at the advancing Herman infantry. Army Dark Green is massing its cavalry for a charge in the centre and its pioneer wagon with pontoon bridge and infantry guard unit is moving towards the narrow inlet opposite Duseldorf..

Suddenly a disaster strikes the Crussians in the farm. An anarchist appears and throws his bomb at them. Four soldiers and a priest fall dead.

The nearby 'Bandit Cossacks' spur their horses forward and fire at the anarchist with carbines and pistol..and miss!
The Herman infantry advance through a small patch of forest adjacent the farm. They fire at the auxiliary lancers, causing a number of casualties and causing them to retreat. The cossacks, meanwhile, enraged at the death of the priest, charge the anarchist, who shoots, ineffectively with his pistol, and, this time, cut him down with cold steel.

Finally Herman infantry emerge from cover in a firing line and open up on the Crussian infantry. The soft cover of the wooden fence is not enough to save the Crussians, who are already depleted in numbers. A small number of survivors flee.

That was not all. A Crussian machine gun crew has taken position on a bridge and fires at the cossacks, wiping them out!

Militia ,bolstered by a priest.

Cossacks attempt to shoot the anarchist.

Devastation of an anarchist's bomb.      

                                                                        Von Speed is not stopped by the hussars.

The Crussians don't have it all their own way though. Their cavalry columns in the centre are suffering severe casualties from artillery and infantry fire. They move away from the centre and fall in behind the advancing infantry on the farm flank. Army Dark Green light guns open up again, killing the crew of an Army Black Light Gun and wiping out the machine gun crew. A Crussian militia unit in the centre, made brave by the presence of a priest, stand their ground despite high casualties. They cause some damage of their own to the Army Black centre.

Herman machine gunners defend Hamstein

                                                                       They wait patiently until they find a target - cossacks!

                                                                                           The officers regiment isn't fazed by the loss of the artillery.

                                                                                                      The Officers Regiment prepares to resist cavalry.                                         

                                                                                               Von Fleet's lancers run down the Crussian infantry.

The Palace Guard defend their General Staff.

                                                                      The General Staff rallies. It's a tough fight but a stalemate occurs.

However, now the Herman lancers see a break- through. They charge the retreating Crussian infantry and wipe them out. The Crussian auxiliary lancers then charge them but are wiped out by  greater numbers. The Herman infantry shoot up the Crussian gun crews reducing them to one crewman each, greatly reducing their effectiveness.

By this time both Herman guns were completely out of action but the town of Hamstein, opposite the river from the farm is completely safe as the Crussians withdraw before the Herman advance. It only remained to free the town of Duseldorf which was now threatened by cossacks. A few citizens still huddled in the buildings, little knowing that an Army Dark Green spy lurked among them. An elite Crussian black clad, white capped, Crussian officers unit ocupied the hill before the farm. The unit was down to half strength but had provided an anchor to the Crussians. It's rifle fire had done severe damage to the Herman centre and it now prepared to stop the Herman advance.It's rifle fire raked the Army Dark Green infantry and it then turned to face the lancers. The Herman lancers had other ideas for they had just sighted the Crussian high command to the rear. The lancers under Colonel Herman Von Fleet bypassed the Officers regiment and ploughed into the enemy high command and its elite palace grenadier guard.

Meanwhile, on the Duseldorf side of the field the Herman engineers had been busy. The Crussians had proposed entering Duseldorf in force later, not taking seriously any Herman action their because the inlet stopped any land action in the immediate vicinity. Spies had reported no indication of Herman naval actions. What they had not banked on was the ability and means to erect a pontoon bridge across the narrow waterway. That's just what the engineers did, efficiently and steadily. it took time but by the time the lancers had worked their way around the other flank the bridge was constructed and the grenadier regiment prepared to cross.

At that moment Father Paul's blue clad cossacks appeared opposite the bridge. The Grenadiers deployed in line and opened up with a volley. The cossacks withdrew behind the buildings. The grenadiers, reinforced by a staff officer proceeded to cross. The cossacks re-emerged and charge them on the bridge. But the grenadiers who could, fired and then presented a hedge of bayonets. The cossacks were all killed and the grenadiers cautiously entered the town, this time in open ccolumn formation.

The towns people emerged from their homes and cheered, but then a despicable incident occurred. Andrew Diovsky had been smuggled in to the town by the gypsies. The Crussians alternately employed and persecuted the gypsies but on this occasion they used them efficiently. Diovsky was an agent of the Crussian secret police. Under his cloak was an infernal device which he threw despite the presence of women and children. A small boy in a sailor suit fell, as did a woman and man and one Herman grenadier. The soldiers reacted quickly and shot and wounded the agent but in the confusion he escaped.  The soldiers were distracted by the sound of gunfire at the other end of town.

More Hermans had arrived at the other end of town and were exchanging shots with a Crussian rifle regiment in the forest and the Officers Regiment on the hill. Von Fleet's uhlans were still fighting the Crussian general staff and palace guard. Finally, after a stalemate the latter withdrew. General Shortskinski was old, and, well, short. He looked fabulous in his double headed eagle helmet and shining monocle but he was not great in close combat. Major Popoff, the artillery commander, was handy with his sword, or so his mistress in Coscow reported. Major Skovleff, (later to be promoted General Skoleff), noticeable in his white uniform, was ferociously fighting on, even with his sword broken. It was, however, the bear skin hatted palace grenadier guard, with their bristling bayonets that saved the day. They managed to cover their general in the withdrawal.

The civilian refugees who had earlier vacated Duseldorf had, by now, left the field. A stray Crussian shell had caused casualties and hastened their departure. Eventually most of them would return. The Crussian rifle regiments and survivors of the militia and general staff had taken cover in the forest. The Officers regiment was now under orders to withdraw and so the Crussian army withdrew to inside its own borders but the war was not over.

The Herman general staff celebrate the liberation of Duseldorf. Many Steel crosses will be awarded.