Monday, November 28, 2011

Napoleonic Game

It has been a while, but we were able to get together this past Saturday for a fictional encounter, somewhere in Spain, between a French division and a mixed Anglo-Portuguese division. To even out the numbers I played on the British side as the Portuguese commander. It was a curious experience to command against the French as I always play on the French side. However, by switching sides it gave Eddie and Carl to use all of their figures for a change.

To recap the game, I led the Portuguese against the French left wing and got bogged down in a protracted firefight in the woods. By the time that I got my messy deployment straightened out it was too late to help Jeff's British troops as they swept forward and decimated the French right wing. We stayed away from the monastery in the hill as it was just too well fortified to assault. At he end of the battle the French had lost an infantry brigade and the Saxon hussar regiment as well as all of their artillery. The British had suffered heavily, thanks to lucky dice rolls by Carl and a lack of support from my Portuguese. All in all, a minor Allied victory as the artillery would have been free to pound the remaining French units... As usual, we played in 25mm using General de Brigade.


Here is the set up:

Action at Montaña de Dios
June 1813

A small detachment of French troops under GdB Jallet is en route from Soraluze to San Sebastian when news of the loss at Vitoria reaches them. They have received orders to secure the road from Bergara to Deba in order to allow the retreating units from Vitoria an open passage. Jallet quickly chooses a local feature know as the Montaña de Dios. It is the site of a church and priory on top of a commanding hill position.

An ad-hoc Anglo-Portuguese force has arrived and their goal is to strike quickly and oust the French from the hill position, and thus control the roadway, before more French troops arrive to transform the situation. The French units begin the game already set up. The Allies may set up on their side as close as 24” from the French set up line.

Terrain Notes:
Montaña de Dios is steep so it is classed as DIFFICULT Terrain with Steep Slopes (page 88)

The Rough Ground area is classed as SEVERE Terrain (page 88)

Woods are OPEN Terrain for movement but give cover as IN COVER (-2), and block LOS

Low Hills are treated as OPEN Terrain, and block LOS

The Monastery is classed as BUILDINGS when fired at (-4) and counts as CHURCH in melee (-3). The Monastery will hold 2 battalions of infantry

TROOP CLASSES WILL BE DECIDED AT SET UP
Allied Force
1 CiC
1 AdC
3 Brigade Commander Infantry
1 Brigade Commander Cavalry

6 British Line Infantry
1 British Light Infantry
1 British Grenadier Infantry

6 Portuguese Line Infantry

2 Light Cavalry Regiments (12 Figures each)

2 Foot Artillery Batteries (6lb) of 3 Sections each

Imperial Force
1CiC
2 AdC
3 Infantry Brigade Generals
1 Cavalry Brigade General

2 Light Infantry
7 Line Infantry

2 Light Cavalry Regiments (12 figures each)

2 Foot Artillery Batteries (6lb) of 3 Sections each



Pictures