Nothing Gained But Glory [AAR]

Dave from the Podcast : Advance After Combat  writes:

I recently bought Nothing Gained But Glory after enjoying Saints in ArmorNothing Gained But Glory covers the late 17th century fighting between the Danes and Swedes.

Since Saints in Armor doesn’t have a Vassal module yet, I thought I’d practice with the Nothing Gained But Glory module and I tried out the battle of Lund. This was a meeting engagement between the two armies that starts with 2 cavalry wings marching across the map toward the town of Lund. As they march, the other army wings enter the table.

Below, the Swedes (blue) approach from the bottom of the map while the Danes (red) come in from the top left.

Below, end of Turn 2. The streams are frozen, but the battlefield is bisected by a deep valley and divided by many wall-enclosed fields. Tough terrain to maneuver through so Open Order and Columns are a must. Unfortunately, it’s dangerous to use these formations when the enemy is about.

The winter landscape on the map basically looks like your typical Wallander episode. 

Below, the cavalry wings approach each other as Turn 2 ends.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the map, I pushed the left Swedish (blue) cavalry wing across the valley to pressure the Danes (red) to deploy, but I may have pushed too far. Lots of infantry coming…end of Turn 2, below.

Below, the situation at the end of Turn 3. Missed continuation rolls for the Swedes slowed them down quite a bit. Look at all of those Danes!

Below, during Turn 4, the Swedes get some help from King Karl XI. The right wing cavalry get 2 continuations and a Charge order. The cavalry fight back and forth across the snow. I love the little gallows on the map. Is that what awaits the Swedish right wing commander? 

Below, the start of Turn 5. The Swedish infantry are trying to establish a perimeter in the center right behind a wall. Meanwhile, the Swedish left wing cavalry received a spanking in melee and are pulling back up the valley toward Lund and relative safety. It’s interesting how differently battles develop when you begin them as a meeting engagement.

Below is a close up of the withdrawal as the Swedes (blue) leave toward the right edge. The poor light infantry are being left for dead. We’ll see you back in camp! Good luck!kiss

So far, it has been fun, but there are a ton of Danes and I think it looks like a difficult fight for the Swedes to win. They do get a special rule that allows their pursuing cavalry to return as a new wing to the battle, but even then…