A Christmas Napoleonic Game

Twas the night before, the night before Xmas and all was quite-ish.

Chris Charlton was yet to try Steve's WIP Napoleonic rules so we decided this would be a good opportunity.

A meeting engagement with points for holding key objectives. The Objectives were two villages a hill and a bridge, but also points would be deducted for broken units.

Each unit represents a regiment and typically 2 to 4 regiments a Division. Each side had 3 infantry Divisions and two small cavalry Divisions each of a light and heavy.

I would have the French Chris the Russians and Steve would keep us up to speed with the rules.

I spread my activations looking to get forward right along the line and occupy the hill and farm on the right in particular before the Russians could get going, whilst Chris chose to focus a lot of his movement on his left and the nearest farm with the bridge beyond it.

My mass of infantry on the right quickly got forward to occupy the reverse slope of the hill and the farm at its base.

Chris reaches the farm on the left first as I push my infantry division forward to contest it, he unleashes volleys from two battalions. First blood to Chris as one of my French foot unit gives way and breaks.

In the centre I push forward my heavy cavalry thinking to hold one side of the bridge and thus deny it to Chris.

Chris decides he will drive me off and moves his own heavy cavalry to confront me.

The fighting on the left intensifies as Chris focuses all of his movement here to occupy the farm and the bridge. I line my foot out planning to hold him off with volleys, if I have both ends of the bridge the farm doesn't matter too much. 

The Russians charge my Currassier and in a hard fought melee drive them back, they push onto my second Cavalry regiment and marginally beat them too, its not looking great as the Russians look to consolidate and turn on my infantry but Chris's luck runs out and he fails his next order passing the initiative to me. The French infantry form a line to cover their flank and blast the Russian horse, forcing them to retreat back where they came. Disaster averted.

The Russian cavalry withdraw but the French are so badly beaten they wont play a further part in the game.

The fighting around the farm on the left rages with both sides taking heavy casualties. I am able to destroy two of Chris's battalions and force a divisional break test but he passes and he still holds the farm.

Despite heavy losses the Russians push the French back from the farm on my left.

Chris suddenly launches his left flanks divisions and pours over the hill and into my French forcing them back with heavy casualties. He is using multiple chips to keep the initiative and the French can do nothing in response as they are pushed back off the hill and almost to the farm.

At this point I have to leave and Steve steps in finish the game with things not looking great for the French but with most of our chips still to play and the Russian push at an end..

So things not looking great as I left, Steve text me on the way home, I was sat in stationery traffic on the M62, to let me know he had retaken the Hill, the Russians had lost more units than the French and nobody held the Bridge so the balance of victory went to the French.

Hurrah! Exactly as I planned it honest!

Another fun game with lots to think about, really enjoying these rules.