A Larger Sharp Practice Game AAR

We returned to Sharp Practice this week with the 40mm Peninsular collection.

I decided I wanted quite different forces and push the size of the units to see how it impacted the game. Quite a lot it turns out.

For our game Chris Charlton commanded two formations of 32 Spanish infantry each with 3 level 1 commanders to allow the unit to be broken up. He also had a Spanish heavy field gun and a troop of British Light Dragoons.

Steve meanwhile had a formation of 40 Hessians with 2 level 1 and 1 level 2 commanders plus 4 six man skirmish units each with a level 1 commander.

So 72 Spanish and 64 French.

The French/Hessian deployment point was next to the Villa in their own half of the table whilst the Spanish deployment point was on their own table edge. Each side needed to capture and hold the villa.

I also allowed 2 of the French skirmish units to deploy already on table to allow them to get into to position and have half a chance against the artillery.

I already had in my mind how this would play out, the British cavalry flanking left forcing the French to hive units off to keep them at bay, the Hessians occupying the Villa to use its walls as cover from the gun, the skirmishers nuibbling away at the advancing Spanish.

Probably not surprisingly none of that happened as the players had their own ideas.

First move the Hessians occupy a position between the villa and the woods to the right flank of the villa, two units of French skirmishers started to deploy into the Villa grounds, the other two to ruined walls either side.

The British Dragoons meanwhile deployed to their right flank and the gun to the open Spanish left flank with the infantry marching straight up the middle one formation behind the other.

As the French Voltiguers get into position behind the walls and ruins the French are almost deployed and a quick shot from the left flank unit empties a Light Dragoon saddle.

The Spanish are still sorting themselves out and slowly moving forward.

The Light Dragoons however get two sets of cards back to back and charge the Voltiguers.

The French stand firm and with the cover of the wall have almost as many dice in combat as the Cavalry.

The net result is the French lose just one Voltiguer and the Light Dragoons have two troopers dragged from their saddles, losing the melee they are forced to retreat.

The Spanish have got going, Chris sacrificing a cohesive line in order to just get forward.

The Light Dragoons take more casualties from skirmisher fire as they try to rally and eventually, down to three troopers from eight, they break.

Things may however be about to change as the Spanish heavy gun is deployed and made ready. Its first shot into the Voltiguers ont he French right wipes the unit out to a man

The Spanish are now at long range and the Hessians unleash a first volley supported by skirmishers and they are now inflicting casualties.

The Irish regiment responds with a volley of its own and the Green faced regiment passes through to fire its own volley.

At this point we start to see why such large units do less well in gaming terms as the casualties are spread over the formation and nobody seems to take enough hits for anything to happen for quite some time.

The game has devolved into an attritional firefight, the Spanish gun joins the slaughter but with the walls blocking visibility is not inflicting huge casualties on the Hessians.

40 Hessians and 18 skirmishers however are taking a toll on the front unit of Spanish, as the night closes there is an hour of play left but the outcome is not really in doubt and we declare a French/Hessian victory.

Its been great to get so many of the lovely 40mm figures on table and try a different game out. It does however highlight  a need for somethign different for larger games.

Lots of fun and thanks for bearing with me Chris and Steve.

Thanks for stopping by.