Slow Mo Piquet: Turn 5

As the frontlines get closer, action intensifies. This turn 5 went through the complete Prussian sequence deck in five phases.

Phase 1

Roll 1: 8:2, 4:2 pips

Empire turns 3 useless cards (incl. Officer Check) and, on their last pip, the Cavalry Melee. Let‘s see whether they get to use it before the Prussians can use theirs with the charge bonus.

Prussians turn Officer Check and Musket Reload for no effect.

Roll 2: 8:17, 3:6 pips

Prussians turn Officer Check and Cav Melee just before the Reichsarmee get to use theirs (though with the WRC in hand I see that the Prussians get the charge bonus because their card resolves the melee, not because they actually moved to contact...); they resolve it on pip 3 with a roll of Empire D10 unmodified vs Prussian D8 up 1 for charge down 1 vs cuirassiers (I‘m not sure I like this, cuirassiers are already stronger as heavy cav...) up 1 for the army cavalry combat effect card for a net D10, rolling 8:4 resulting in a 2 base loss and a 14“ rout move for the Prussians. 

Melee morale effects: both units, as cavalry, are automatically disordered after the melee. The Prussians lose a total of four morale chips for losing a melee and 2 stands and routing (I assume they do not lose another chip for becoming disordered as the disorder is from the cavalry melee rule, not from a successful morale challenge); the victorious Cuirassiers do not lose a chip although they do get disordered. The pursue test for the Cuirassiers is their unmodified morale D6 vs D8 for routing cavalry, a 3:5 so they stay put.

After a useless card on pip 4, the Prussians turn Infantry Move on pip 5. As the Prussian Burgsdorf Grenadiers have the routing Dragoons directly in their face I‘m not sure whether they have to wait until the cav routs through them, or they can move through the routers at their own initiative. I‘ll read the rules (for now) that line can also voluntarily move through routers at the cost of becoming unformed, but will make them pass a difficulty check, as for moving in IV terrain, i.e. their morale D8 down 2 for line formation to a D4 against the terrain IV DC D6. They fail 3:6, stay put and go out of command as the Willemey Grenadiers advance normally.

The Reichsarmee don't need the cav melee card anymore and turn another cav melee, an elite reload (useless because the Kurpfalz guard is still out of range) and dress lines.

Roll 3 for 5 remaining pips: 8:6, 2 pips Reichsarmee 

Turn infantry move and move the first line brigade up to the village.

Roll 4 for 3 remaining pips: 13:14, 1 pip Prussians: Fusiliers move up

Roll 5 for 2 remaining pips: 7:12, 2 pips Prussian: turn cavalry move, move the routing Dragoons.

Phase 2

Roll 1: 15:12, 2:1 pips

Empire bring infantry forward, and turn a reload.

The infantry lines are drawn, the Prussian Dragoons have routed away while the Suebian Cuirassiers still block their infantry, and the Kurpfalz Guards are about to enter the village in their front.

Prussians turn a useless Musket Reload

Roll 2, 7:9, 2 Prussian pips: Elites reload, DL

Roll 3: 12:16, 1:3 Pips

Prussians turn infantry move and use two pips for a full oblique move of the Willemey Grenadiers. The Kurpfalz Garde respond with an opportunity fire, D10 up1 (first fire) down 2 (long range 8") vs D6: 7:2, 5 hits, 1 stand lost, no morale challenge (not worth it gainst the Morale 8 Grenadiers).

First volley fired by the Palatians, but for no effect. An intensive exchange of first fire volleys ensues.

Empire use their pip to reload the guard.

Roll 4: 18:7, 8:3 pips (exactly using the remaining 11 pips)

Empire: replace the opp. pip

Turn Cavalry Move and use it to retreat the Cuirassiers behind the infantry line (the risk of charging the Grenadiers and take a full volley seems to big).

Turn DL and Melee, then Move III/IV and the Guards enter the village.

Turn another Move III/IV.

Prussians use 2 pips for a full oblique move of the out-of-command, and 1 pip for a half oblique move of the Fusiliers

Phase 3

1st roll 16:17, Prussians turn DL

2nd roll: 4:14, 3:7 pips

Prussians turn cav move, move routers, then turn Native Mobility, Melee, Move in III/IV, Heroic Movement for a maneuver which is not very useful, and DL.

Empire turn Officer Check, rally unformed Cuirassiers, and move the General's staff ahead a bit.

3rd roll: 10:3, 5:2 pips

Empire turn infantry move and use 2 pips for the Infantry brigades (the out-of-command Guard in the village stay put). Then turn maneuver, but keep that for later and let Kurmainz 1st bat. fire on the Hussars at medium range, D10 up1 (1st fire), down1 (med range) vs D6: 3:1, one stand loss.

Prussians turn Maneuver and DL.

4th roll for 2 pips: 18:19, Prussians turn Brilliant Commander and plan to use that to let the Hussars retreat with Cav move

The last pip goes to the Empire, who use the Maneuver to wheel the Cuirassiers for a march to the left.

Phase 4

Roll 1: 11:6, 4:1 pips; Empire turn DL and Command Indecision, for limited damage, but the Prussians retreat their Hussars put of firing range.

Roll 2: 10:17, 2:5 pips

Prussians turn cav move, their Dragoons rout off the table. Then turn inf move and advance the Grenadiers. Guards fire on Willemey, D10 up1 for point blank, 1:4 for no effect. 4/Kurmainz fire against Burgsdorf at medium range, D10 vs D6, 4:6 for no effect (forgot their 1st fire bonus, prbably reflecting their poor fire discipline). The Grenadiers return the fire, Willemey against the village with D10 up1 1st fire, down2 village, down 1 for 1 stand lost, D6vsD6, 3:5 for nothing. Burgsdorf return fire at 4/Kurmainz, D10 up1 1st fire, d1 medium range, d1 unformed, D8vsD6, 2:1 for a single hit not worth a follow up.

Empire turns Deployment and Musket Reload. (The Prussian Grenadiers should have started with a D12, I guess they are too confused from the approach march...)

Infantry blazing away

Roll 3: 7:15 just using up the remaining 8 pips 2:6.

Prussia advances the Fusiliers, and I/Salmuth fire at 2/Kurmainz at long range, D10 up1 1st fire, d2 long range, D8vsD6, 3:5 for no effect. Then turn Cav Melee, and Musket Reload, reloading the Grenadiers.

Empire reload their central units.

Phase 5 of a long turn

1st roll: 8:3, 4:1 pips

Empire reload 1/Kurmainz, fire the Guards D10 up1 for pointblank, 7:3 for 1 stand casualties against Willemey and 4/Kurmainz at Burgsdorf D10 d1 medium range, and refill one opportunity pip.

Prussians reload the Salmuth Fusiliers.

Roll 2 8:19, 3:6 pips

Prussians turn Officer Check, move their General up, rally the unformed Grenadiers and return them to in command. Willemey doesn't bother to fire on the village again (D12 d2 for losses and d2 for the village).

Turn Deploymemt, and Burgsdorf fire at 4/Kurmainz again D12 d1 for medium range, 3:6 for no effect

Empire turn 3 DL.

Roll 3 for 6 pips: 10:14, 1:3 pips

Prussians turn a DL and fire Salmuth at 2/Kurmainz D10 d1 medium range, 4:1 for 1 stand loss.