A Quickie In Venezuela

After a hard week at work, there's nothing like a quick game of Liberated Hordes to start the weekend off.

I randomly determined the makeup of the armies, and quality of generals, using the same method I used for the Venezuelan campaign I played last weekend. They ended up as:

Royalists - Average General (Strategist), 6 x Regular Infantry, 3 x Militia Infantry, 2 x Militia Llaneros, 1 x Militia Cavalry

Republicans - Good General - 1 x Regular Infantry, 8 x Militia Infantry, 1 x Militia Skirmishers, 1 x Regular Cavalry, 1 x Militia Artillery

I also gave both sides a chance on the bonus table I use for campaigns. The Royalists got two - a Flank March, which allowed them to bring on up to three elements on the enemy flank upon rolling a '6' for PIPs, and Allies, which gave them a bonus element of Llaneros.

On paper the Royalists really had everything going for them better troops, more cavalry and a flank march.They defended and threw away their general's Strategist bonus (which allows them to set up most of their army after that of the attacker) with a rather conventional deployment designed to seize a low ridge in front of their deployment area. However, with a strong force of regular infantry this was really no bad thing; the infantry could hold off their Republican counterparts until the cavalry arrived.

The Republicans concentrated their troops on one flank, aiming to go for a headlong charge at the Royalist line. Not a subtle plan.

The Royalists take the hill, as the Republicans advance.

On one flank the opposing cavalry fought each other. Most of the Royalist horse - the llaneros - made up the flank march. Would they arrive in time?

A skirmish in the woods on the other flank saw the Republican skirmishers routed.

As the Republicans closed to musketry range, the llaneros appeared behind their right flank.

The Republican general ordered his troops into a bayonet charge, aiming to overwhelm the Royalists with sheer enthusiasm before the llaneros hit their rear.

The Royalist left collapsed under the assault.

Royalist cavalry was now threatening both Republican flanks, but in the foreground the beleaguered artillery held off the attack and routed their opponents.

The Republicans pressed their advantage, routing more Royalist elements. On the far left of the picture the British Legion (the Republican's one regular element) routs a Royalist element with support from some militia.

A good roll for PIPs saw them able to form up infantry to meet the advancing llaneros. A volley drove off one of the elements, and the Royalist morale collapsed.

The end of the battle - the llaneros were held off with musketry, whilst the Royalist left had been pretty much driven from the field.

The Republicans won a 6-2 victory, losing an element of cavalry and one of skirmishers, to the Royalist losses of one llaneros, one cavalry, and four infantry. At the crisis point of the battle the Royalists were caught between spending PIPs to shore up their line, and using them to bring up the cavalry. There were never quite enough to do both. The Republicans managed to use even low PIP rolls to keep up the momentum of their attack. In fact they never used their general's Good rating to improve a PIP roll.