Road to Quatre Bras, Turn 1, game 2

The Road to Quatre Bras, a 2-player Napoleonic Campaign, using the Black Powder rules plus some custom mechanics. The battles (3 per turn, left/centre/right flank) are linked together, pushing forward or retreating, commiting reserves etc to produce a greater battle plan.

We are now on the 2nd battle (centre, near Frasnes) of Turn 1, on the left it was a stalemate but the French lost 2 infantry battalions (there goes the 54th Régiment de Ligne..) compared to lighter British losses, and the French were poised to reverse this on the centre battle.

Army lists:

After a roll-off, I was stuck to the board edge with the river, a nice defensive position but a bit restricting, so I placed the Legere Brigade on the riverbank, Line Brigade to the bridge and the Cavalry Brigade on the open fields. Similarly, the British opponent placed his two infantry and one cavalry brigades opposite me, so we would see some cavalry action very soon.

Light Brigade with attached Foot Artillery Battery (limbered)

French Line Brigade, set to defend the riverbank

The lads are eager, the British commander issues the order to advance

Line Battalions, RHA

Hanoverians, Guards, Royal Foot Artillery

1st turn, the british advance hastily, artillery deploying and hitting the French columns, Scots Greys and Hussars boldly galloping up to the middle. They were then met with their counterparts, driven back, and then swept away. I was worried by the British charge re-rolls, but the french superior statline prevailed in the end.

En avant!!

They seemed terrifying. They probably are, when fighting non-Cuirassier units

Cavalry clashes

Skilled (or lucky) French cannonnade destroys the enemy Royal Battery in 2 turns, forcing the British to close the French positions.

As usual, line formations form easily into squares, cavalry retires, infantry reverts to line, shoots at full potential, and then again forms square if the cavalry unit is still there (and not shaken, broken or disordered). We have devised some house ruling on that, coming into effect next game. Until then, the job will be done by combined infantry-cavalry assaults.

The enemy forms square? Time to send in your Infantry Attack columns..

On the bridge, fire by the British Guards routed a Light Bn, but the French Brigade remained firm.

Some moments before the battalion scatters

A trully rare sight, an artillery battery enfilades a line battalion at close range, 6 murderous dice at -2 morale. Unsurprisingly, the target unit was evaporated.

"Steady gunners.. a bit more.. NOW!! Enfilading fire!! "

As the British attack crumbled, the game was called.

Endgame, the British are surrounded and concede defeat

As per our campaign rules, shaken or broken units at the end of the battle roll a dice, 1-2 all good, 3-4 reduce size to "small" 5-6 destroyed. This produced 2 small units for the French, and 2 infantry battalion destroyed, another 2 units being small, and a battery routed for the British.