First 40mm Peninsular Sharp Practice Game

So with me still basing the last figures 2 hours before the game, I managed to scrape together enough figures for a decent sized Peninsular game with my new 40mm collection. It was great to see them on table en-masse Alongside the buildings donated by Chris and Steve's very large trees.

The game would be a rescue Mission, local Guerilla leader El Calde and a party of British Officers have been Captured by Captain Le Penne and his unit of 6 Skirmishers. Held in the Villa the Allies must rescue them whilst the French must recover and remove them for interogation. Simple enough, but as soon as the cards started to turn both sides completely forgot the objectives and went for each other.

The Allies have one unit of 6 Guerilla skirmishers in the church, 3 units of 6 Rifles and a formation of 4 units of 8 Spanish with a Major and supporting Seargent. All Leaders are level one except Captain Blunt of the rifles who is a level 2.

56 troops 6 Leaders 78 points.

The French meanwhile have one unit of skirmishers in the villa, 3 units of line, 2 of grenadiers and 2 more of skirmishers marching to support the men in the villa. Most of their leaders are level 2 to balance out the rifles other than a sergeant with one unit of skirmishers and a level 3 Major with the line.

So 58 troops, 5 leaders 74 points.

Pretty balanced I felt. Maybe the French needed slightly more?

First move and the Rifles are first cards drawn and they are on their way,. A huge amount of points for these guys and they were to earn their keep in todays game.

Next out the Guerillas who were busy praying in the church, or maybe having their confessions heard, anyway they came out to line the wall and cover the Allied left flank.

The first French sees Chris using the mobile deployment point to bring his Voltiguers on the flank and hidden in some woods, oddly enough not the flank he needed to get the prisoners out but lets see where this goes, a cunning plan perhaps.

The second unit of French Skirmishers and the two groups of Grenadiers quickly follow and march straight up the middle of the table to contest the ground with the allies.

The French lights are drawn but sensibly stay inside the Villa ready to pepper the advancing allies from the windows whilst the prisoners can only watch the action develop.

Turn two and the rifles show they are worth all those points, flaying Captain Macrons skirmishers before they get into musket range leaving one dead and 3 points of shock.

Finally the Spanish deploy on table, about time too.

The rifles however concentrate on Macrons men, with two dead and 6 points of shock they are forced to retire and the French loose one morale point.

The Grenadiers have made it to the Villa ahead of everyone else, things are looking good for the French.

The prisoners look over the walls for rescuers to no avail as the allies dont seem too interested in freeing them. The second French Skirmishers are having a personal little War with the Guerillas who they eventually force out of the Church with heavy casualties.

After a bit of shilly shallying the Spanish are finally in range and release a devastating first volley into the French Grenadiers. The white cotton wool balls denote a unit unloaded.

The Grenadiers take a real mauling but are still standing....just.  Chris chooses to return fire with a controlled volley. At the same time three flag cards are drawn one after the other which triggers an event. One of Corporal Knockers riflemen accidently shoots him in the arse and he becomes a level 0 leader. Oh dear!

The Spanish push forward whilst the rifles concentrate their fire on the Grenadiers.

Its too much for the grenadiers who are forced to break formation and one group retires with double shock. Chris plays three command cards to increase his status temporarily to 5 and take 5 points of shock off halting their route. At the same time the French Ligne step out of the wood and unleash a deadly volley onto the Spanish and Rifles. with all level one leaders unable to remove the shock the Spanish already look shakey.

I remind the players of their objective and it becomes clear that everyone has forgotten the plan to get to the prisoners first. Chris C is the first to react pushing Macron and his remaining 4 skirmishers up to the wall of the Villa. A further volley from the French Ligne into the Spanish pushes them close breaking but not quite. We reach 10pm and decide to call it a day before we turn into pumpkins.

The French under Chris C have come closest to their objective, however the mauling of the skirmishers and Grenadiers has left him with only 4 morale points where the Allies have nearly all of theirs remaining. Another volley or two into the Spanish might have changed all that but such are the vagaries of Wargaming and a narrow Allied victory is declared (By the Allies)

Brilliant to get the new figures on table and thank you Chris, Chris and Steve for some great entertainment. Hopefully we will do it all again soon.