Return to Tuyuti. (Or: "I Got Thumped.")

As regular readers will remember, Tuyuti (1866) is the biggest battle ever fought in South America, and we gave it a first playtest back in December 2015. Nigel fancied a second go at it using the revised version of the scenario, so we returned to the swamps of Paraguay. As Garry was a no-show, that left me as sole unchallenged dictator of Paraguay, to take on Nigel's Brazilians and Bruce's Argentinians and Uruguayans.

It's a tough one for the Paraguayans. I knew I could win the assaults if I could just close with the bayonet. The challenge is how to get stuck in when outranged by enemies with superior rifles and decent skirmishers. I opted to avoid the Brazilian artillery massed in and around the central redoubt and went for a strong attack on each flank, committing my reserve on the left to back up my cavalry.

Allies on the left await Paraguayan assaults.

Foreground: Argentinians on the Monte de las Palmeras confront Paraguayan cavalry, who have to cross a marsh to get at them. Redoubt just visible in the centre, lagoon and scrub beyond.

 

I think in the whole game I managed to initiate 4 assaults, of which one was successful, smashing back the Buenos Aires National Guard and earning a 50/50 chance of making President Mitre a permanent casualty, but unfortunately he escaped. Everywhere else my assaults were repelled, while most of my troops never closed at all but were just pinned down and gunned down. I think I lost 28 bases against just 4 Allied casualties. I failed to take a single objective.

Strangely enough, despite that it was good fun all the way. Even on the last turn I was in range and in with a (small) chance of taking two objectives and claiming a draw, if dice had been kinder and assaults could have gone in. With the Veteran Aggressive Paraguayans, you always feel you just need to get lucky once! And I do have an idea for an alternative Paraguayan plan that I'd like to try if we do it again.

But we did all agree that the scenario is still skewed against the Paraguayans. We kicked a few ideas around. Halving the number of Allied Skirmishers might be realistic, simple and effective at evening the game up. We'll think about it.

Tragically, despite my troops' selfless sacrifice, it's another defeat for me. My updated score for 2016 is now:

Played: 15
Won: 7
Drawn: 3
Lost: 5