Final Moves and the Conclusion of The Battle for Teodorstal Valley. . .

Moves Seven and Eight were pivotal in the ongoing tabletop Battle for Teodorstal Valley between Colonel von Adalnowksi and his houseguest, the younger Major von Topfsange, who was still somewhat reluctant to pull up a chair given his recent accident during the wild boar hunt. But let's peek in on the two gentlemen in the drawing room and see how things are coming along. . .

At the far western end of Teodorstal Valley, the large cavlary mele was resolved at the end of Move Seven with a few casualties on both sides and the squadrons invovled both retiring 12" to rally after everything was wrapped up. The beginning of Move Eight saw Colonel von Adalnowski give chase with a fresh squadron of Grenadiere zu Pferd. "Ha, ha! Take that!" shouted the Colonel with renewed vigor.

To his dismay, von Adalnowski soon discovered that his vehemence and sabre rattling may have been somewhat premature. Major von Topsange quietly informed his elder host during Move Eight, "I'm ordering several of my Leib (Grand Duchess Sonja's Own) Grenadiers to charge your remaining three Irish Grenzers in the village of Instetten. Although the melee will have to wait until the end of Move Nine to resolve, my dear Colonel, you'll notice that my troops now firmly control all three built up areas on the table, precisely as the Brigadier's scenario specified!" Von Topfsange punctuated this revelation with a smart click of his heels and dusted an unseen speck from the gold braid across his dolman.

Meanwhile, in the middle part of the valley, between Instetten and the larger village of Effibriest, Colonel von Adalnowski's infantry had taken a beating at the hands of von Topfsange's line infantry, jaegers, and half battery. "Blast!" exclaimed the Colonel, "And I felt sure they would make short work of your men, von Topfsange!"

But it was at the eastern end of Teodorstal Valley where the battle was really decided, during Moves Seven and Eight. A squadron of von Topfsange's 3rd Kuirassiere, which had advanced previously into contact with half of von Adalnowki's battery on the right of his line, rode down more than half of one gun's crew at the end of Move Seven. "Curses!" spat the Colonel in utter disgust. To add further insult to his injury, the young Major casually informed von Adalnowski at the start of Move Eight, "Oh, and I'm positioning the rest of my cuirassiers on the flank of your line should you like to cause any additional trouble." The Colonel stared in disbelief, dropped his monocle, and reached unsteadily behind himself for a chair. It was a masterful and fortuitous stroke for von Topfsange.


Surveying the battlefield from his chair, Colonel von Adalnowski finally spoke after several minutes of uneasy silence. "I suppose there's nothing for it but for me to order General de Latte to surrender to General von Tschatschke -- The Flamboyant Silesian -- confound it! Damn good game, von Topfsange! Seems there's a backbone in there after all, what? But you know of course I was really demonstrating to you how it shouldn't be done. If I'd really meant to, well, I could have given you a right good thrashing, a figurative bloody nose, and all that. A really good going over, like we used to do in the old days when I was your age. Still, no harm done. I suppose you'll do me the honor of allowing my remaining troops to retire unmolested to their base near the Stollenian-Zichenauer frontier?" From across the table, Major von Topfsange smiled genially, nodded, and puffed on his clay pipe. Not only had the Army of Stollen finally won a battle, but it would live to fight another day, which, judging by the well-known treachery of Colonel von Adalnowski and his alter ego General de Latte, would be before too long. The Colonel rang for Valerie l'Vivandiere, requested a bottle of something medicinal, and proposed a walk around the grounds to the young Major, so that the two might discuss the Battle for Teodorstal in somewhat more detail before dinner.