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Battle of the Beymas: It's father
vs son in the semi-final. It appears the Younger still has a
few things to learn from the Elder, chip off the old block that
he may be. |
GM Marty Musella and Mark Gutfreund.
Despite his "retirement", Marty played this year, although
perhaps not enough. Mark made the elimination round. |
Another Grognard Classic
Waterloo, a classic old dog that can learn a new trick,
enjoyed a virtual slugfest of well-balanced games. The tone and
playing time have changed with the widespread use of the10-sided
die Combat Results Table (CRT) resulting in shorter games, a
quicker tempo of play, and added uncertainty regarding established
defensive tactics. The wide spread use of 2 to 1 attacks, especially
in the first half of the game, increases the tension level considerably
for both the French and Prussian Anglo-Allied (PAA) players.
Also, the well known defense of positioning a single 6-4 or larger
infantry division so that it can only be attacked from a single
hex, thereby negating the classic 3 to 1 attack, has lost that
sense of invulnerability associated with the old CRT. The new
CRT has been viewed by many as providing opportunities for challengers
to test the play of the established masters of Waterloo.
This theory seemed to be borne out in the scramble to reach the
semi-finals with two relative newcomers competing against two
masters with Richard "Beyma the Younger" versus Rob
"Beyma the Elder" in semi-final #1 and Mark "The
Warrior" Gutfreund versus Joe "The Surgeon" Beard,
who arrived at the GrognardCon pre-convention after a 9 year
hiatus, paired for semi-final #2.
The
first semi-final pitted father against son based on the excellent
preliminary play of Richard Beyma. Side selection had a slight
psychological twist to it as Richard bid 13 factors to play the
PAA in anticipation of his father's attempts to bid higher still
to prevent this. However, Rob only bid 2, so while Richard got
to play his preferred side, it came at an elevated cost. Beyma
the Elder's opening featured a classic pincer attack with the
main body of the French Army heading east of Quatre Bras aiming
for Wavre and a supporting column heading for Nivelles. The massive
Prussian divisions guarding the heights south of Quatre Bras
faced a field empty of French grenadiers. June 16th was characterized
by almost all marching as Rob's French sought positional advantages
along the width of his advance. As the French closed on Nivelles
late in the day, Rob uncharacteristically launched several 2
to 1 attacks on the large infantry divisions guarding the road
south of Nivelles. Simultaneously, a full corps attack supported
by the Imperial Guard destroyed a Prussian 6-4 aggressively positioned
on the forward slope east of Quatre Bras with an additional 2
to1 supporting attack along the road. These well-coordinated
attacks across the front were designed to put maximum pressure
on Richard's combined PAA armies. Richard immediately parried
these thrusts with his own counterattacks near Quatre Bras and
re-positioned his forces on his right flank in the vicinity of
Nivelles. Meanwhile, a bloody exchange highlighted the fight
on the eastern flank along the Thil River with each side losing
an infantry division. At this stage of the game losses were equal.
Late on the 16th, the battles reached a crescendo as Rob's French
continued their drive toward Wavre, trying to penetrate the Dyle
River line and destroying a Prussian 6-4 infantry division as
Richard's PAA labored to set up a doubled river line defense.
The French boldly advanced down the primary road east of Quatre
Bras sweeping aside the single delaying cavalry brigade but Richard's
PAA reacted with a reinforced Corps counterattack that annihilated
the Middle Guard and forced the Imperial Guard 8-4 artillery
unit back two hexes. This ferocious assault compelled Rob to
quickly withdraw the entire French force threatening Quatre Bras
out of range of further PAA attacks. However, the concentration
of PAA forces in this sector enabled the French to gain an overwhelming
combat ratio along the Dyle River forcing the PAA units to retire
to the LaLasne River. In the Nivelles sector, the French succeeded
in controlling the road to Braine Le Comte blocking the arriving
British reinforcements. In reaction, Richard's PAA withdrew the
bulk of their divisions to the vicinity of Genappe and north
of Nivelles with the normal delaying forces east of Quatre Bras
and at Nivelles. The morning of 17 June began relatively quietly
for the French with marching replacing fighting as they advanced
toward the LaLasne River and closed on Quatre Bras and Nivelles.
However, Richard saw an opportunity to cripple the French at
Nivelles that his dad had overlooked and launched a large scale
attack from his central position on a stack of 12 factors with
a 3 to 1 attack. While he re-took Nivelles, this crucial attack
resulted in a bloody exchange that would have significant consequences
on the force loss comparison and seriously impacted PAA morale.
Undaunted elsewhere, Rob's French continued their relentless
advance toward the LaLasne, seized Wavre by destroying a single
Hanovarian infantry brigade, launched a reconnaissance-in-force
toward Genappe, and closed on Quatre Bras. But in the Nivelles
sector Richard's bold counterattack did force Rob to precipitously
withdraw as he pursued his thrust and parry strategy of retiring
in the face of PAA strength knowing that there would be weaknesses
in other sectors. Mastering this strategy is the key to successful
French play in Waterloo. During the morning of 17 June,
Richard reinforced the LaLasne River line and launched an audacious
(low odds) counterattack against the recce-in-force units trapped
near a river but were driven back two hexes missing another important
opportunity to keep factor loss levels near equal. He also started
to concentrate his large infantry divisions near Mont St Jean
with a phased retrograde movement northward from Genappe and
Nivelles. Rob's French followed up this PAA withdrawal and managed
to catch several Prussian units that the normally alert Richard
had failed to notice could be overtaken by the French. At this
stage of the game losses favored the French 66 to 46. The depleted
PAA formed their main battle line south of Mont St. Jean during
the afternoon of 17 June in anticipation of assaults from the
converging French forces all the time sending frantic dispatches
to speed the Prussian IV Corps. As Rob's French cautiously advanced
toward Mont St. Jean in an impressive line of battle, they once
again retired their flanking force on the LaLasne River in the
face of PAA force superiority. Richard's PAA now faced the daunting
task of having to defend a line extending all the way from Braine
La Leude on his right, through Mont St. Jean, and along the LaLasne
River. As evening approached, the French exploited a small gap
in the line that enabled them to launch a coordinated assault
with their right wing forces on the LaLasne River that undoubled
a Prussian 6-4. This was the piece de resistance of a
massive general assault by the French Army and sounded the death
knell for the combined PAA armies. Even with the exchanges from
these attacks, the PAA counterattacks could not make up the deficit
in losses as many of their low odds attacks were unsuccessful.
The sun set on 17 June and on Beyma the Younger's attempt to
de-throne Beyma the Elder as the best Waterloo player
at least for this year. The caliber of play by both players in
this semi-final was outstanding as Rob was required to pull all
of his best strategy and tactics out of his playbook to overcome
his son's determined defense.
In the second semi-final, The Surgeon magnanimously offered
The Warrior his choice of sides and Mark chose the PAA since
he had more experience with that side. Joe's French opened
the game with an advance on a broad front across the width of
the board with the main effort on the right toward Wavre, screening
forces in front of Quatre Bras and a secondary thrust toward
Nivelles, a classic opening. Mark deployed the better part of
two Prussian corps to contest the French advance toward Wavre,
defended the heights in the center at Quatre Bras, while also
using the bulk of the arriving British units to defend Nivelles.
Late in the afternoon of the first day, Joe's French launched
a major attack on Nivelles that resulted in Picton's large (7-4)
British division being trapped against a river and driven back
to its destruction. Mark reacted by concentrating the PAA forces
at Nivelles but was unsuccessful in holding it as it fell to
the French on the last turn of 16 June while Mark's PAA retired
to defensive positions behind the river directly north of Nivelles.
On the opposite flank, the PAA established doubled defensive
positions behind the Thil and Dyle River lines. As dawn broke
on June 17th, Joe's French paused at Nivelles assuming a defensive
posture as they policed up the wounded and resupplied their ammunition
in preparation for a resumption of their advance. Meanwhile,
the French eliminated those pesky cavalry units screening Quatre
Bras. On the right, the main French force pivoted to the west
and forced the Thil River line by 1 pm destroying the small Prussian
rear guard infantry division while a mixed cavalry/horse artillery
force galloped straight for Wavre. Simultaneously Joe's French
went over to the offensive at Nivelles resulting in the PAA setting
up a defensive line anchored on the doubled hill and river positions
from Nivelles to Genappe and beyond using their formidable infantry
divisions. By mid-afternoon on the 17th, the point of main effort
shifted back to the Nivelles sector with two major assaults against
doubled positions that exceeded French expectations with the
total destruction of the two defending divisions. The shaken
but resolute combined PAA armies began a measured withdrawal
northward toward Mont St. Jean and Mark reinforced the forces
at the LaLasne River against the approaching French cavalry.
Late on 17 June, Joe's French began a careful advance toward
Mont St. Jean screening his main battle line with cavalry in
anticipation of possible low odds counterattacks from Mark's
demoralized PAA forces while sending additional forces to strengthen
the wing moving up to the LaLasne River. Additionally, Joe dispatched
a small covering force led by the Young Guard infantry division,
to contest the arrival of the Prussian IV Corps if they used
the primary road on the east edge of the board to threaten the
French rear. Joe was making all preparations for a massive French
assault on the morning of 18 June. Sensing impending doom and
despite the arrival of the distant Prussian IV Corps, Mark threw
his entire combined PAA armies against the well screened French
lines in a series of low odds attacks. These desperation assaults
resulted in merely driving back the French divisions two hexes
and they would return with a vengeance. Mark's morale sagged
as the massive dressed French battle line, led by the Old Guard,
surged forward on all sectors engaging almost all of the PAA
units. These devastating attacks were executed with perfection
and final reports told of how Mark "The Warrior" Gutfreund
died heroically at the hands of French lancers commanding the
final Prussian rear-guard as the routed PAA survivors fled the
battlefield and Joe "The Surgeon" Beard rode victoriously
into Brussels and the Waterloo Final.
A real "Clash of the (Waterloo) Titans" now
lay in store for the championship game, much anticipated by the
rest of the Waterloo players. But alas, in a repeat of
last year involving Richard, Rob was unable to play the championship
game. He was locked into the Russia Besieged Final and
that was his team game. So, he made a decision to play that Final,
which he won, and that victory best supported his team.
Early intelligence reports indicate that Beyma the Elder may
be retiring again from further Waterloo competition effectively
passing his baton to his son. Whether Joe "The Surgeon"
Beard returns from the far West next year also remains to be
seen. That pretty much opens the doors for the next set of contenders
to the Waterloo throne. Come join us next year and give
this simple, balanced, really old (but revered!) classic a try!
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Go to those kiosks and take a left.
The Old Folks home is right inside. |
John Clarke, Bill Scott and
Pat Mirk push cardboard. |
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