Piquet game 3: the story

As last time, I want to wrap up the blow-by-blow game reports for my last game (here and here) into a quick photo story.

The scenario: after the last engagement, a small Empire corps keeps following a retreating Prussian corps (OOBs here). The Prussian rear guard is just leaving their night quarters when the Empire van appear on the other side of the table.

As always, click on the pictures to see a larger version.

In front of the building, the Prussian rear (Frei infantry and Hussars) have turned around to face the Empire vanguard (Grenzers and a converged Grenadier batallion) while the first Prussian units return to the table from the left table edge.

What I like about the rules of Piquet (or Shako, for that matter, with its special rules for marching to battle in the SYW rules option) is that they allow you to play out the historically critical part of battles that happens before the actual shooting. Who turns more move cards at the right time, and can bring his units to the table and unfold them into battle lines before the other side is ready?

The first race was to see whether the pursuing Empire troops would be able to charge the retreating Prussians before they could organize themselves. Spoiler: they wouldn't...

In the center, the Empire Dragoons threaten to attack the Prussian rear guard, but they have managed to face the Empire with their cavalry protected by a skirmisher screen.

While the first units on the table face each other, both sides are starting to bring more units onto the table.

On the left table edge, the Prussian HQ brings up the first Fusilier battalions

From the right table edge, the Kurpfalz guards are the first reinforcements marching onto the table.

After some hesitation, the Dragoons took heart and charged the Prussian rear, hoping to force a breakthrough while the Prussian main wasn't ready. It didn't go well.

The Wunsch skirmishers receive the charging cavalry with a crushing volley, killing one Dragoon stand and disrupting the attack.

After some more units came on the table, the Prussian Hussars counter attacked the Ansbach Dragoons and swept them off the table.

Situation at game end

With both sides firmly established on the table, both HQs remember their original goal for the day - avoiding a useless larger engagement and just staying on the move.