And more Villa!

Spain spent most of the night trying to break through Portugal’s defense. David Villa finally did it. Villa scored off his own rebound in the 63rd minute, giving the European champs a 1-0 victory Tuesday that put them into the World Cup quarterfinals.
In a game where Spain dominated possession and outshot the Portuguese, Villa took Xavi Hernandez’ heel pass and struck a left-footed shot that was saved by Portuguese goalkeeper Eduardo. He then fired the rebound with his right foot off the underside of the crossbar and into the net — his fourth goal of the tournament — sprinted to the near corner and slid on his knees to the flag, letting out a mighty yell.
Spain was about teamwork, and it showed from the start. Fernando Torres and Villa immediately moved down the left, looking to exploit Portugal’s defensive weakness at right back, where Ricardo Costa struggled. Within the first seven minutes, Eduardo had to make three quality saves to keep Portugal in the game on angled shots from Spain’s two strikers.
Yet Spain moved on to an intricate passing game through the center of the field. Once Portugal’s defense settled in it frustrated the Spanish, reducing them to long-range attempts by Gerard Pique. Still, Villa knew a goal was coming.“We never lost our confidence,” Villa said. “We know the potential we have and what we can give.”
The game came two years to the day that Spain ended 44 years of international futility by winning the European title. The last defending European champ to also capture the World Cup was West Germany in 1974.

Taken form NBC Sports

Villa maravilla... again

David Villa scored a thriller on the first anniversary of Michael Jackson's death. Spain's King of Shots stunned impressive Chile with a 40-yard lob for the most spectacular goal of the World Cup so far. It set the tournament favourites on the way to topping Group H and a last-16 date with neighbours Portugal on Tuesday in Cape Town. The win means Spain neatly sidestep Brazil in their next match as their quest to become European and world champions gathers pace.
Both teams raced out of the blocks like sprinters after hearing the starter's gun. The breakthrough came after 24 minutes when Torres chased down a long ball from Xabi Alonso. Chile keeper Claudio Bravo raced out of his box to clear. But he failed to put the ball into touch and Villa, lurking on the wing, curled a beautiful left-foot shot over the keeper and into the net. Torres had a hand in Spain's second on 37 minutes.
The Liverpool man produced a neat backward pass at pace to allow Barcelona's Andres Iniesta to play a one-two with Villa and bury a second goal. But as Iniesta netted, Torres went down under Estrada's tackle and lay prone for several minutes while the Chilean got a second yellow card.
Chile still did not give up and in the 47th minute heaped pressure on Spain when sub Rodrigo Millar netted with a deflected shot. Spain boss Vicente Del Bosque refuses to believe his side have the easy option facing Portugal in the last 16 instead of Brazil. He said: "Anyone who watched that earlier match saw how Portugal controlled Brazil, and had excellent counter-attacking opportunities. ..... I think we've overcome a very difficult time for Spain. We were very disturbed emotionally by that defeat to Switzerland but we are more optimistic now."
Taken from The Sun See Villa at the 2008 Football Eurocup

Paddy Griffith is dead

Paddy Griffith, wargamer, military historian, founding member of Wargame Developments and author of many books on military subjects (See the Wikipedia) died the 24th June 2010.

Requiescat In Pacem

Duben on way (IV)

It is raining from several turns ago, and the men are moving with extreme dificulty over the soaked and muddy terrain. The French/Saxon units are slowly advancing towards the Russian lines but the Russian commander, Generallieutenant Kapzevich, has almost achieved his main objective: to save the heavy baggage and his aides de champ are passing the retreat order through the line.

Only a weak infantry rearguard and the fire of a heavy Russian battery, protected by the Russian dragoons, is visible, whereas the wagon train is vanishing under the rain.
The end of the battle is near.

Duben on way (III)

The combat of Düben is developing in a similar way to the real thing. The Russians are maintaining the advancing French-Saxon vanguard at a respectable distance, whereas their baggage wagon train is ponderously advancing and almost has reached the safe exit-point of the table.
It is raining now, and the terrain has become mud, so all units are now moving at reduced speed. This fact, united to the late arrival of the French reinforcements and the traffic jam in the bridge over the Mulde River, all are leading towards an almost sure French failure and a subsequent Russian success.
You can see above the retreat, to the second line, of the almost broken Saxon Prinz Clemens Uhlan Regiment, after suffering a strong Russian bombardment during several turns.
We are only at two Russian turns from the game end, marked by the baggage wagon train leaving the table. Only several additional turns and the end of the rain, could avoid the French failure and the Emperor's anger!

Waterloo Anniversary

Today, 18 June, is the 195th anniversary of the battle of Waterloo. An Imperial French army under the command of Emperor Napoleon was defeated by an Anglo-Allied army under the command of the Duke of Wellington combined with a Prussian army under the command of Gebhard von Blücher.
The defeat at Waterloo put an end to the Napoleonic era.

I want to recommend the reading of the Clausewitz's study of the campaign of 1815 , as translated by Christopher Bassford, Daniel Moran and Gregory W. Pedlon, and available free on Internet in the Clausewitz Home Page.

Duben on way (II)

The combat of Düben continues. The French have avoided the Düben trap by turning the town by the left, and are now advancing to break through the Russian center.
Because of the total absence of Russian cavalry (they are Reinforcements) the Saxon Prinz Anton Uhlans have broken a Russian square, and are now in good position to menace the Russian infantry.
However, the Russian baggage train, now past the cemetery, is slowly moving away from the danger. One Russian battery is also retiring under cover of its infantry, whereas the other has deployed and is firing, with small success, againts the left French flank.
The Russians are escaping!

Wargames: a poem

From my friend Agustín Espina, artist and poet, a drawing and an untranslatable Spanish text full of images...

I am building an army of knights like little bustards, dissolute legionaries, hearthless craftsmen and despicable melancholics; to all of them, criminals, shaken in the thick net of an amber coat of arms, interspersed and reborn from their deformities, I'll remake them like stars shining over the waves of a thousand of ponds, like the light discovered by the pilgrim after a frighting night. Or may be that they don't know, or may be they only learned when awaken, that the decoy of a gridded plank was made the prey of their fate. And forgetting the things they were, they will be made knights belonging to a legion of charming archangels.

I am also posting the original Spanish text. Excuse my poor English resources

Estoy construyendo un ejército de caballeros sisones, legionarios licenciosos, artífices desalmados y melancólicos envilecidos; a todos ellos, facinerosos, agitados entre la frondosa red de un matraz de blasonado ambarino, entreverados y renacidos de sus deformidades, reharé como rayos de estrella rielando sobre las ondas de un millar de estanques, siendo como la luz que descubre el peregrino tras una noche de terrible espanto. O es que no se sabe, que ellos nunca supieron, que lo sabido, tan solo aprendieron cuando despiertos, el señuelo de una tabla reticulada se hizo presa de sus destinos. Y olvidando, lo que fueron, serán caballeros de una legión de arcángeles de viso encanto.

To see the work of Agustín watch his site

Thanks my brother!

Duben is on way

The combat for Düben is now in its first movements. Here, French Light Infantry is seeing while crosses the bridge and deploys, under the protection of the Saxon Horse Artillery and the Saxon Light Cavalry, that is charging the Russians in front of Düben.
The Russian C-i-C has hastily deployed a Light Foot battery covering the town, whereas the rest of the batteries have left the convoy and are trying to come back and deploy, covered by the Russian infantry. Now, only the slow baggage wagoons are still on the road moving ponderoulsy towards safety.

Bon Jovi live in Madrid!

Bon Jovi ending the concert in Madrid this last night (june, 4th)....



Enjoy the power of music!

The optional rule about wagons is official!

Sam Mustafa, the designer of Lasalle, has included my Optional Rule about wagons as one of the Official Optional Rules, and he has incorporated it in the Version 5 file. Obvioulsy, the wording and style is the Sam's own (I am not so proficient in englsh!)
"This fun optional rule was suggested by Rafa on the Forum:

For historical scenarios, players may create wagons representing baggage trains, for one or both sides. They are a sort of “mobile objective marker” that must start in one location of the board, and either must remain there, or (depending upon the scenario) must be safely escorted to exit off a particular point on the board.
The wagon moves as if it were a foot artillery unit, always limbered.

The wagon neither fires nor can charge the enemy. It has only one formation: limber. It does not block line of sight or fire. It may not be fired upon.

Friendly units may move through it, as they move through a limbered artillery unit.

Any enemy unit - regular or irregular - may charge the wagon, as long as that unit is eligible to charge (it is in a formation that permits it to charge, it is facing the right way, etc.)

In its reaction phase, the wagon may attempt a Fall Back, as if it were a foot artillery limber. It succeeds on a roll of 4+, but if attacked by enemy cavalry, it must re-roll a success, even if within 1BW of friendly infantry.

If it fails to fall back, then the wagon is automatically captured in the ensuing combat. Combat must be “resolved” against it, as if against any other unit, but the resolution consists simply of removing the wagon, advancing the enemy unit(s) that captured it 2BW, and awarding the captured Objective to the enemy.

Any enemy unit that contacted the wagon suffers 1DISR, unless that would break it. (The men are dispersed, plundering the loot.) The unit must then take a discipline test. If it fails, it is marked in some way, showing that it is disordered and still plundering.

A unit that is still plundering is considered “Out of Command” for the entirety of its side’s next turn."
The Optional Rules file can be downloaded here