Phil and I met for another 15mm bash of Soldiers of Napoleon on Wednesday, with 750 points and 4 brigades each, one off table but plenty on.
My forces, not the elite heavy British force but my mixed allied division: Could they do better than last weeks debacle when I lost twice with my Austrians vs Neil (no battle report for that one, sorry, it was all over in a flash)?
British Infantry Brigade
KSLI - 5x Line infantry, attached rifles.
Saff Essex - 5 x Line infantry, attached rifles
Highlanders - 5 x Vet infantry
2 stand 9lber battery with full caissons
Nassau Brigade
1st Nassau - 5 x Vet light infantry
2nd Nassau 5 x light infantry
4 x Belgian militia infantry
2 stand 9lber battery with full caissons
Brunswick Brigade
Leib light infantry - 5 x light infantry
1st foot - 5 x militia
2nd foot - 4 x militia
Brunswick Uhlans - 3 lancers
2 stand 6lber horse artillery battery
Off table in reserve, due to arrive after turn 2.
Dutch Light Cavalry Brigade
4 x 8em Belgian light dragoons
4 x 6th Dutch Hussars
Was not sure what Phil was due to bring, but when it arrived, it was BIG! A French brigade with veteran Swiss, a legere and two line units, two artillery batteries, both with full caissons and three infantry brigades, and a large German contingent (featuring Hesse-Damstadt, good choice).Phil held something in reserve, I prayed it was not a large cavalry division!
The table was relatively dense, two big hills one on my left, two large woods, and plenty of fields strewn around the right, on the left was relatively open. I deployed en eschelon right, with my Nassau pushed up behind the main wood, and tasked with holding the fields to the right vs Phil's Germans who were sheltering in line behind their wood with only one unit and their artillery exposed. The centre was held by my British, with my small cavalry in reserve due to arrive on the open left, My Brunswickers were tasked with holding the exposed left until then. I was defensive, so a 'Hold the Line' command card was on table, ready to be taken.
We join the action mid-way through turn two, mainly because I forgot to take photos...
My only hope was Phil wasn't coming in hard on the left.
Drat!
That's his veteran brigade coming to towards me, fast! He had his veterans and line behind a legere in extended line, making them very difficult to hit, plus and other line supporting in line (yeah, I know). My Brunswick Leib Lights were in extended line too, allowing them and their supporting militia to exit our deployment zone. My Uhlans were coming round the left while my militia, seeing a column attack coming, were scattering left and right to try and support but not have to fight. The Brunswick artillery had managed to get up onto the long hill, after deploying limbered, and now were wondering if they had brought enough cannister? Not really a hard outer shell with soft underside, more a floppy trampoline cover in a hurricane.
The French centre and Germans on their left, it's a lot of units, but it's not moving as my all-terrain specialists of the Nassau brigade move up to sniping positions.
So, how do you defeat that French mass?
I was seriously worried. My Brunswick lights were a good match one-to-one, but my militia would be next to useless vs bigger and tougher French units should they assault. Having two columns assault my lights would be rather overkill (attack columns can pass freely through extended line, useful new rule there). Thankfully, my artillery had managed to use their shrapnel on the line while it was stationary, causing many hurts, my skirmishers from the Leib Lights and the Saff Essex had caused some decent hits, but Phil had rallied them off. What had caused the issue for him was my uhlans had 'threatened' the line and the elites, causing lots of disruptions. Then, taking their lives in their hands (and after a lot of persuasion and a reroll), charged. The French lights hated this, and failed their motivation test, being caught in skirmish (not squares take three disruption if they fail their motivation when hit by cavalry), then using their lances, the Uhlans miraculously outscored the lights, sending them scuttling back, taking their brigade commander with them! Their lances broken, the three victorious stands of Brunswickers had managed to blunt the attack, leaving two columns exposed.
The Brunswickers Leib light line reform into line, fearing the worst, but knowing there was no artillery to target them due to being in the lee of the hill (on the right, my Nassau were not fearing ze Wurst, as the Germans had not advanced at all), but the uhlans had been targeted by French long range artillery and the line skirmishers, giving away a morale point for this damage. You may notice the lack of senior officers here. Both of us had failed our 'at risk' rolls, and the officers had scarpered back to safety.
The Swiss veterans found themselves at 9 5/8th inches from my artillery, and had to withdraw to rally after being both broken through, then hit by two withering volleys of cannister artillery fire. Furthermore, hit by more fire from unopposed skirmishers. The Brunswick uhlans also withdrew to rally and ask each other why they hadn't taken a standard?
The uhlans, the glorious uhlans, put in a second charge against the left hand French column unit. Without their lances, they were not as effective, but they did bounce them, but broke in the process, gifting Phil 4MV. I shot away the French line infantry in line. Thankfully my Dutch-Belgian light cavalry brigade had arrived (woopppee, Hold the Line points for me)
Over on the right, my artillery broke a Hessian unit, while the British artillery broke a French line unit in the centre.
My Dutch Hussars, seeing the French column being shaken by skirmisher and artillery fire, decided there was only one thing to do, and charged.
Eight dice on the charge on 3+ (four bases, shock impact 2 due to fine horses, better quality and something else I've forgotten, might be a card). Phil's column had six dice on fours and had fallen out into line, not a good set of hits there then!
The column behind was already in bad shape. Being broken through by the line, definitely not good! This was enough to shatter Phil's army.
Good thing too, as two units of French reserve cavalry was fast approaching, and I'm not sure my Dutch-Belgians would have won that fight!
In the end, it was 24MV to the Anglo-Allied, and 10 to the French, half of which had been caused by the shaking and loss of the illustrious Brunswick Uhlans, who really had stopped the French about 2 inches short of a complete victory and won me the game, not bad for a three stand unit! All the action was on the left flank, really interesting scenario
Another cracking game, very much enjoyed by both players, and I am sure a rematch will happen soon.
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