**STOP PRESS** GdA2 French cavalry force Russian withdrawal and win the day

This GdA2 game was fought as part of the Battle of *******. The French had to attack the Russians across a valley with a stream running laterally across the centre of the table between the two opposing armies.

The Russians (Robin) occupied a village on their right wing, and being the defenders, had built an artillery redoubt to cover their left wing, allowing them to concentrate their infantry and other artillery on their centre and right. The Russian cavalry reserve was held back behind the artillery redoubt.

Opposing them, on a slight ridge, the French (Norman & Guy) infantry and artillery maintained their distance, as advancing and crossing the stream (rough terrain) under infantry and artillery fire would have been suicidal.

However, with the Russian left wing being free of troops, the French quickly sent their cavalry across the stream within the lee of a wood, and out of the direct line of fire of the Russian artillery in the redoubt.

The Russians committed their cavalry reserve to try and stop the French cavalry moving towards their left flank and potentially getting behind the redoubt. 

French quality (and good gameplay by Norman) meant that the Russian cavalry were charged and a retreat move forced on them. The French cavalry continued to advance forwards, and the Russian artillery in the redoubt failed to make any impression. 

The French cavalry were approaching the flank of the redoubt when the Russian cavalry charged again, and failed again, once more heading back along their rear line in retreat.

Now a Russian infantry column moved swiftly into position to cover the flank of the redoubt. When the French cavalry charged, the Russian column failed it's test to move into square, went disordered, and was hit and destroyed by the French cavalry. 

Now the French cavalry were able to charge the Russian artillery within the redoubt, and the Russian artillery was destroyed. 

One last attempt was made by the severely weakened Russian cavalry to halt the French cavalry attack, and this time they lost big and dispersed off the table.

The French infantry in the centre were starting to move towards the stream unopposed as the main threat from Russian artillery fire had been mostly silenced, which would have allowed them to consolidate the cavalry gains.

The game ended at this point with a resounding French victory and the Russian infantry opting to evacuate the village and leave the field.

Well played by Norman, and big thanks to Robin for organising the game and helping us through the new 'faster-play' GdA2 rules.

At this point the French cavalry have already imposed one retreat on the Russians

The French and Russian cavalry lining up for Round 2, another retreat for the Russians

Now the French cavalry charge the Russian infantry column, which failed to form square

The French cavalry annihilate the disordered Russian column

The Russian artillery in their redoubt left with no defence

The Russian artillery is destroyed

One final attempt made by the Russian cavalry to halt the French advance, but to no avail.

Victory to the French.

20mm WW2 British Dorchester Command Vehicle

This is a Badger 3D print of a 20mm British WW2 Dorchester command vehicle. A really lovely print with loads of detail and very little clean-up required before painting. They seem to have a pretty wide range of the less well known WW2 vehicles, as well as some more modern stuff, and in plenty of scales (I guess that's one of the benefits of 3d printing). Just added some stowage to the roof.

***STOP**PRESS*** RapidFire 20mm WW2 - German counter-offensive slowed

A German counter-offensive charged forwards, spearheaded by Panthers and Panzer-Grenadiers supported by Marder 3's, towards a village held by a smaller mixed British force.T

This was a Steve and Guy 'trial' game, getting further to grips with the RapidFire 2 rules whilst trying to iron-out some of the foibles and illuminate some of the lesser known rules.

Some new issues came to light, and in the end the British lost an heroic Wasp flame-thrower bren-carrier which tried to take out a Panther, three infantry, and had one Churchill lightly-damaged, whilst the Germans lost one of their two lead Panthers to indirect HE fire from a pair of 25pdr Sextons (all the direct AT shots from the British tanks and AT guns missed or bounced off) and three infantry.

Time ran out or the game would have got very interesting/bloody.