In which cartography is refined and Von Trapp receives some encouragement.
// Reinforcements for von Trapp //
With the Tattembergers now holding Flaschendorf they have achieved their initial aim in the campaign; gaining a bridgehead on the northern back of the Schwachwasser astride the main road. Being a cautions group of commanders there will now be a few days of regrouping. Over to the east, we know that von Trapp is lagging behind the main advance, a situation that cannot be tolerated as it leaves too much scope for Gallian counterattacks.
A small reserve force has been ordered to hasten to rendezvous with von Trapp, strengthen his small brigade and enable him to press north-west with greater vigour. These reinforcements come in the form of a veteran regiment of Tattemberg musketeers and two small units of allied troops from the Grand Duchy of Trinketstadte:
The musketeer regiment von Salzenpfeffer are well-seasoned and have fought beside the von Trapp musketeer regiment in the past. Among their ranks are some veterans of the fighting in America, giving them a particularly solid core of non-commissioned officers.
The Grand Duchy of Trinketstadte, known colloquially as "Trinketshire" is a small enclave located in the far south east of Tattemberg, originally awarded to Sir George Trinkett in thanks for his establishment of the novelty trade empire, and still ruled over by his descendants. The current Duke maintains a small armed force, dressed and equipped in British style, as part of his fealty to the crown of Tattemberg and below we can see his contribution to the current camapaign.
First is the Light Squadron of the Ducal Guard Regiment. This is a small unit to act as a bodyguard to the Duke's younger brother, Sir Timothy Trinkett, who is seeking military glory and a break from the dull-life back in Trinketstadte. Sir Tim can be seen on foot in the picture below.
The second ducal contribution is the Trinketstadte Light Infantry Regiment. These are trained troops, ideally suited to assist von Trapp's advance through the wooded terrain he faces on the approach to Vierecksbrucke.
Let's see what sort of man Sir Timothy Trinkett is, shall we?:
- Leadership 6
- Education 11
- Independence 4
- Aggression 5
- Courage 8
- Constitution 8
- Honour 8
- Patronage 9
- Wealth 7
While clearly benefitting from his older brother's influence and a very bright chap, Sir Tim does seem to be a born subordinate best suited to a staff officer position. If von Trapp had any concern that he may be usurped by the new arrival he can rest assured that there is unlikely to be any scheming behind his back.
// A better undestanding of the landscape //
With a couple of small battles concluded it seems a good time to add detail to the relevant sections of the campaign sketch map. Looking in particular at the southern half of the map, where the Tattemberg advance is being made we can now see a more precise picture of the landscape with each square representing about 1'x1' on the tabletop:
We can clearly see Flaschendorf in the south-west where Kurzenpilz is currently located. Over in the south-eastern corner we can see the small farm and ridge where von Trapp's initial thrust was delayed. Indeed von Trapp is still encamped here while he awaits further instructions.
The route north for both forces will face hilly and forested terrain which will aid the Gallian defence. It is not however a wilderness and most battlefields will still present opportunities for cavalry actions.
Most significant among the terrain features south of Vieresckbrucke is a high ridge known as the Higidsattel, which rises to two peaks; the Kleinehufte to the west and Grosshufte to the east. Bisecting these peaks as it climbs the contours is the main road along which Kurzenpilz must advance. Of further concern are areas of forest either side of the road and the trackway which swings around the Kleinehufte by way of Marschfurt, a small settlement located on the bank of the Schwachwasser. This route must be secured to prevent the Gallians being able to outflank the advancing column or cut its supply line.
The route facing von Trapp is a little easier, but travels through some shallow valleys and crosses a ford just south of the village of Sagewerksdorf. There are clearly a number of places where a Gallian defence could be anchored.
This then sets the scene for the next phase of the campaign and we can expect to see both small and large battles as both parts of the Tattemberg army grind their way northwards. The Gallians have the advantage of the terrain but are outnumbered. They are also not over-endowed with light infantry, so the forests may be a double-edged weapon.
I'm back at work from next week, so games (and blog updates) will slow down. There' no rush however and the next week or so of game time can easily be stretched across a few months of "real" time. I'll try to get at least one more battle fought over this weekend though.
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