Imperial Guard vs Prussians

We had a rare sighting at the club of the French Imperial Guard in the form of an Old Guard brigade consisting of Grenadiers and Chasseurs, supported by a Guard artillery battery, along with a regiment of Imperial Guard 'Dutch' Lancers and some Grenadier a Cheval. They were up against a larger, although inferior force of Prussians.

The Prussians managed to clinch a narrow victory after they were able to hold onto the farm buildings located in the centre of the battlefield and, in the final turn, kill the French C-in-C.

Rancid Orc Hordes Prevail Against Sophistication and Technology

An army of Orcs managed to overcome the fierce firepower of the Tau Empire to land an historic win.

Who says you need fancy weapons and high falutin' strategy and tactics, when all you have to do is screech WAAAAGH! at the height of your voice and charge headlong at the enemy?

The Orc casualties were horrific, but who cares? They certainly don't....

Von Bredow's 'Death Ride' - Mars-La-Tour, 1870

Tonight we refought the famous "Todesritt" ("Death Ride") performed by two of the regiments from Von Bredow's cavalry brigade - The Magdeburg Cuirassier and the Altmark Uhlans - at the battle of Mars-La-Tour during the Franco Prussian War.

Von Bredow was given the order to charge the assembled French artillery batteries to ease the pressure on the outnumbered Prussian infantry. Upon receiving the order, Von Bredow calmly stated "Koste es, was es wolle" ("it will cost what it will").

In our approximated refight of this scenario, indeed, it cost Bredow his life! when his brigade came under Chassepot rifle and artillery fire. That said, the undulating terrain and the associated dead ground mostly shielded both the Cuirassier and Uhlan regiments throughout their advance. The Uhlans charged a battalion of Chasseurs a Pied but were forced to retire with horrendous casualties. The Cuirassiers, as ordered, charged the French gun line - which had already been weakened by some accurate Prussian Krupp shelling. The Magdeburgers overran the guns and proceeded to charge into a French infantry battalion, routing this in turn.

All in all this was a solid victory for the Prussians who also managed to strongly rebuff a French cavalry brigade of Cuirassiers and Chasseurs a Cheval.

Here is an excellent link to the '1866 and All That' wargames blog article on the subject:

1866 and all that: Von Bredow’s “Death Ride”