The battle of Woodenstadt: Opening Maneuvers

A map of the Fundedburg campaign.

 Backstory: Eve of Battle

The Duchies of Gryhonsburg and Forthwegg united in a pact to capture key cities, baronies and dutchies of Fundedburg, sharing the spoils and enbiggening their lands.  Their first foray into the lands of Empress Persephone, ruler of Fundedburg was to be an attack upon the city of  Woodenstadt, where they hoped, once captured to make it their base of operations for the campaign. Woodenstadt, a small but well walled city on the edge of the great Klemp forest, is known for it's manufacturing expertise of  musket stocks, and prize winning sheep.

Luckily for the Empress Envoys from Picklemarr had warned her of the armies on the march. She quickly took action, sending pigeons and riders to summon her generals, who were in fact busily  gathering forces to march on the Duchy of  Forthwegg. The brave and ever so splendidly dressed and be-wigged Baron Fossmeisterhaus was given command of the defending army, which consisted troops from the Baronies of Hypzig and Fosswald.

The battle lines: Hyzig on the left and Gryphonsburg stage right.

With a forced march, Fossmeisterhaus was able to deploy his troops ahead of Woodenstadt and meet up with the invading forces at the edge of the forest. due to the nature of the march however, non of the Barons heavy cavalry and half of his artillery made it to the field. He was out numbered and against superior cavalry.

Gryphonsburg cannon fire but fall short.. way short

The forces lined up across each other in a meadow just out of cannon range, and at the decent hour of 10 am, after tea was finished, the thunderous report of Gryhonsburg cannon, with a reply from the Hypzig guns, began the dance.

Hypzig guns fire with good effect, while the infantry look on.

 The Advance: Wherein cavalry clash and grenadiers twirl their mustaches

Even though having the advantage of rested troops the Gryphonsburg army chose not to advance (read as: blew most of their command rolls). Seeing that the enemy was so soon to appear timid, Fossmeisterhaus gave orders for the right flank to advance.

The Guildhardt trotters advance

Colonel Guildhardt put spurs to his two regiments of line cavalry and caught the enemy cuirassiers eating their croissants, as they say. Not only did they bowl over the first rank, but managed to outflank them as well. The Cuirassiers, being crack troops, held their own, and there was much splintering on both sides, but in the end, were cut down to match wood.

Cuirassiers are flanked as sheep look on.

A soldiers eye view of the FossWald forces flying the flaming crowned golden boar banners.

Fosswald brigades advance

A view of the  advance from the Gryphonsburg Center.

As the cavalry battled, The entire line of  Hypzig advanced, with the  crack grenadiers, Lord Spiffington's Whites"  dashing ahead and charging home into enemy grenadiers

A general advance with the "Spiffington Whites" already engaged!

 

Terrified sheep look on at the battle.

End, Part 1.  Editor's notes

The Battle of Woodenstadt was one of two large games I ran at Kublacon this year. This was kind of my "on Broadway" premier of the full current range of my 54mm wooden soldier ImagiNations models, which will soon be up for sale on my store.  for rules, I used warmaster, with my own tweaks and changes to simplify the system to work better both with the scale of my minis, but also as a convention game.  More on the rules, and the conclusion of the Battle of Woodenstadt next time! 

Cheers!