Carlist Royal Expedition Caught AAR

Having not played a big Carlist game for some time we decided a game on Chris Flowers big table was too good an opportunity to miss. We would use nearly all of the forces we had between us and Chris Charlton, Mark and I would field around 13 brigades all told.

We would also try out the amended Black Powder we have been using for Great Northern War without the period specific stuff. I was tasked with finding an appropriate scenario.

I decided I wanted something of a fighting retreat with lots of action in different parts of the table but a bit more than just lining everyone up at opposite sides and going for it. I decided that the back end of one of the Carlist Royal Expedition's might provide a suitable scenario.

The Carlists ran a number of expeditions. These was designed to rally support and raise recruits outside of the Basque centres of operation around the rest of Spain and show the world it was not just a localised rebellion. The expeditions met with varying degrees of success. The 12,000 man Royal Expedition after bypassing Madrid was pursued by 26,000 Isableino's and caught damaging many formations which led to the battle of Aranzueque where the Carlist army narrowly escaped destruction. Our scenario is loosely based around this period. The Carlists have 7 Brigades, 2 are badly mauled with wavering troops that take a break test after each casualty, Three are still excellent and two more a bit more average.

They are marching up table and leave a rearguard to hold up the pursuing Isabelino's, unfortunately they also need to get their baggage over a ford at the far end of the table defended by two battalions of the French foreign Legion with supports. Meanwhile to Isabelino Guard Division is attempting to out flank the retreating column marching off table around the right flank. A lot will depend on movement dice and how long the Legion can hold the ford.  A fun game was predicted.

Below is copy of the main amends we have made to Black Powder for anyone interested.

The table was 13 feet long with a village 2 feet in held by the Carlist reserve, at the far end the stream is passable to all but wheeled transport. The Carlists must get the majority of their force and the baggage off the table edge. The Isabelino's want to cut off and destroy the retreating Carlists. Simple really.

The Carlist Vanguard has two Brigades of Veterans all of whom get tough fighters re-rolls, alongside a less experienced brigade totalling 8 battalions, three squadrons and just one gun.

The baggage is guarded by two brigades totalling 6 battalions of more average troops with a mountain gun a field gun and one unit of cavalry. Commanded by Chris Charlton who was also commander in chief.

The rear guard is commanded by Chris Flowers who has the two brigades of poorer troops who have been beaten up badly in the previous few days fighting. 6 battalions, 5 of them are wavering taking break tests after every casualty, just one is veteran guides, the brigade also ha s a mountain gun and two squadrons of horse.

A total of 21 battalions plus supporting troops.

The Isabelino's also have a mixed force in terms of quality. The British Division is commanded by Mark consisting of 6 battalions of foot, one with rifles, supported by a rocket troop. All very average troops.

Steve Shann then commanded the next Division 7 battalions of foot (4 were militia and 3 of these small only having 2 rather than 3 firing dice) they were supported by 2 guns and a cavalry brigade of three squadrons of horse.

Off table to our right I would command Guards foot brigade of three foot and a rocket troop alongside a Guards cavalry brigade of three squadrons supported by a horse gun.

Finally the ford was defended by two battalions of Legion with a squadron of lancers and a mountain gun.

18 battalions of foot plus supports.

Move one and the Carlsts roll to go first. Of they go, with the Navarese Brigade of Veterans marching straight at the orchard where the Legion have set up shop, the skirmishers out front they finish the tun lined out ready to volley the French next turn.stopping us from doing any damage. Our turn and we volley the Navarese skirmishers inflicting a casualty, the gun fires and a casualty on the battalion behind them, the British division fail to move at all and the Isabelinos can manage little more than a crawl forward. On the upside the rocket has deployed and causing a bit of damage amongst the Carlists in the village and the cavalry has managed to move a fair bit.

The Navarese line out two battalions to poor shot into the legion, moving the skirmishers to fire into the mountain gun. Fortunately the cover allows me to save most of the hits and the Navarese start to take casualties in return during my turn.

The Isabelino's are back to a crawl all along the line, including the cavalry and the British again fail to move with one brigade and only one move with the second.

The vanguard have two squadrons of cavalry almost over the river already and one brigade making good progress, but they must clear the orchard if they want to get the baggage away over the ford.

Next move and the Carlists next to the village retire slightly and the British and Isabelinos continue to dilly dally around with poor movement dice. Although one British brigade is at least in range to start taking artillery fire.

The first of the carlist cavalry is over the river and its looking like it will simply be a race rather than a battle at this stage, a race that the Carlists are winning.

The Navarese charge the orchard, closing fire doesnt do much and in they go, the skirmishers charge the mountain gun, however its closing fire is enough to break them before contact. The Navarese guides loose the first round of melee but morale holds. However at this stage they notice the Legion lancers on their flan and have to turn one unit to counter the threat.

At the far end the British continue to do not a lot but the rocket troop is inflicting some casualties. The Isabelinos creep forward, curling around the flank of the Carlist rearguard and the Carlist baggage train and guard is ready to start trying to bypass the orchard. We have however managed to keep the Guards division moving off table through all this and they come on a this point almost half way up and potentially in striking distance of the rear of the baggage train and guard.

A second round of melee and despite rolling some good melee dice the Navarese and kept to a draw by the legion, both battalions are shaken by casualties so a break test each, in what will become a bit of a theme the Legion pass comfortably and Jerry rolls a disastrous double one to see the Navarese battalion break and leave the table.

The British start to form lines to begin their attack on the village whilst the Isabelino Cavalry charge the Carlist cavalry to clear a way forward up the right flank whilst the guards division starts to close in on the baggage and guard.

Jerry now charges the next battalion of Navarese at the Legion and throws in the Guipozcoa brigade onto the second battalion to try and clear the pesky orchard. Both charges are held by the Legion and the melees roll over to second rounds in both cases with the Guipozcoan's shaken by the fight.

The Guard Cavalry are organising to attack units of the baggage guard and the horse artillery has unlimbered and caused its first casualty. The Legion Lancers get a bit carried away and charge the Navarese facing them which has just been hit by the mountain gun. A second round of melees sees the Legion and the Carlists draw again in both cases, however the Navarese Guides and the first Legionaires are both shaken and both require morales, the Legion fail and retreat dis-ordered but the Navarese again roll terrible dice and break, Next the Guipozcoan's roll and an equally terrible roll sees them break also forcing a break test on the supporting battalions one of which breaks too. A smart action by the Legion Lancers sees both them and the last Navarese battalion shaken by drawn combat, both test, the Legionaires again are pushed back but the Navarese break making it 5 battalions in amazingly quick succession destroyed trying to take the Orchard. In the only light for the Carlists the Legion skirmishers which have been taking potshots at the Carlists are charged and broken but its not much of a consolation.

As the attack on the orchard is falling apart the right flank Carlist unit approaches the stream and looks set to escape the table. The Isabelino Guard has marched forward three actions to bring it into potential charge range of the Carlists and two squadrons of Guard cavalry swing around the rear of the Carlists to avoid being shot up by the mountain gun and musketry and to get into position to charge the Carlist flank.

Steves pressure on Chris's poor Carlist troops outside the town has also paid off and two battalions break with the Carlist Cavalry also being pushed back by Steves light cavalry. It has been a disastrous turn for the Carlists loosing 7 battalions in all, over one third of their force with little to show for it.

Frustrated but determined Jerry and Chris each throw another battalion at the orchard walls, With Jerry able charge the flank of the dis-ordered unit he previously forced back. Whilst Chris's attack is initially held the flank charge proves decisive and the first of the Legion units breaks. In a consolation prize however the Carlists who charged the skirmishers have left them selves almost perfectly aligned to be enfiladed by the mountain gun, although at long range enfilade give me double dice and I get a double 6, Chris's morale saves are a double one with the added problem that the dis-order caused by the double six prevents him from re-organising.

Steves line cavalry and my Guard Grenadier cavalry charge Chris's hussars and drive them back but they pass their morale for a third time, I follow up with a sweeping advance but end up being forced to retire myself.

The Guard Coracero's charge a Carlist unit but are both dis-ordered and shaken by closing fire forcing them to retreat.

The Guard however charge the Carlist Mountain gun which misses with closing fire and is overrun, the second two battalions charge the Carlists dis-ordered on the hill from behind, unable to closing fire and charged from the rear they break. Steve's British lancers charge charge another unit of Carlists forcing them back, following up with a sweeping advance he pushes them back further but is himself forced to retire, however the mauled and dis-ordered Carlist unit is dangerously exposed to the Guards brigade just a few inches away.

We dont have it all our own way however, a second round of melee in the orchard sees the second battalion of Legionaires finally broken by the Carlists who now occupy the walls and can start to pull the baggage over the river. At this point to add insult to injury the guard rocket troop opens up and has rockets land next to two retreating Carlist units dis-ordering both and preventing them from leaving the table.

The Guard Hussars are charge the Carlist cavalry and are immediately broken fleeing the table. However this is a small success in the scheme of things with the Carlist forces collapsing in the centre.

The Guards brigade charge the Carlist unit pinned against the woods and another unit of Carlist foot has been broken.

The Isabelino forces now swing around behind the village and cut off any potential escape for the Carlist brigade still holding out there. The first British brigade charges the Alavese Guides and are halted in bloody street fighting but the game is all over to all intents and purposes.

The baggage finally crosses the river but the Carlists have over half of their forces completely destroyed and 40% of what remains cut off and surrounded. An overwhelming victory to the Liberal forces.

The scenario worked well and was balanced, The awful morale dice of the Carlists made a significant difference and the stubborn resistance of the Legion was probably the deciding factor.

The amended rules worked really well and we were all very happy with them so we will continue to use them. I enjoyed it so much I almost went home to by some Portuguese but I talked myself out of it in the end.

I hope you enjoyed our game, I am happy to share army lists, stats and the amends if anyone would like a copy.

Thanks for reading.