We played another Epic Napoleonic Game in the Garage using 4 of the Borodino boards which gave us a a 16 x 6 foot table to play on.

On the the Franco/Bavarian/Austrian side we had the left flank of Austrians commanded by SteveT, the Franco/Bavarians in the center commanded by Russ while Moi(Terry) commanded the French on the right.

The Allied side had Alan on the right opposite SteveT with British/Dutch, in the center Keith with his newly painted British having their first outing, then on the left Goldie with the Prussian’s opposite me.

Franco/Bavarian/Austrian deployment below.

Allied deployment below.

For this game we halved the movement and shooting ranges at Alans suggestion. Personally, I thought it gave a better feel to the game.

Goldies Prussians with my French in distance.

Keith’s British with Russ’s Franco/Bavarians in distance.

Alan’s British/Dutch with SteveT’s Austrians in distance.

There was a 2 foot no deploy zone on either flank and sides could deploy up to 18 inches in from table edge.

Turn 1 and I managed to get a long range artillery shot to cause a casualty!

Bavarian’s charge a Dutch Jager who lose and pop. Supports hold… although one has its back to Bavarians so may have been unaware of what was happening 🙂

On right after a few turns managed to get columns with skirmishing Legere close to the Prussians on the ridge.

The Borodino Great redoubt was covered in tree’s and classed as a large wood. I managed to get 2 Legere in and Goldie one Jager…..my shooting had them shaken.

Russ continues his attacks on the Dutch.

My Legere are getting shot up by the 2 batteries…but I had a plan!

In the Big Wood, Goldie threw another skirmish unit in.

Part 2 of an attack by the Scots Greys. The French unit had lost the first combat and retired. The British cavalry followed up and finished them off.

Which resulted in some collateral damage to supporting units.

Over on the Austrian Front….. SteveT had thrown Cuirassiers into a unit of shaken infantry…who formed square and popped. The sweeping advance took out another shaken infantry unit. The Allied flank was in a perilous position now.

Goldie moved infantry and cavalry up to attack around the right side of the Big Wood. Russ countered with cavalry charges to make the forward units form square.

SteveT’s large Austrians columns are advancing on the British lines. If you do the math, the British will eventually lose with out artillery having damaged the big columns before they get into contact.

Back on the other flank.. this was my plan…..move a unit up the the village to block the troops in it shooting at my cavalry as they race down the road and destroy the Prussian gun line! Legere have gone into the woods and attacked the Prussian skirmishers as well. I selected my newly painted 2nd Chasseurs for this glorious charge!! Yep…new unit…first charge…sigh…rolled double 6…and a 1. They left the table. They never returned…being renamed Duke of Cumberland’s Chasseurs.

On the other flank however… SteveT was like a cat with a bowl of cream…..the British brigade have broken and the was is clear to sweep around the allied flank/rear!! Woohoo…plan was working.

Back on my flank…another turn on…Goldie in his turn threw a unit of Dragoons into the flank of my blocking unit on the village. Somehow….they bounced…the dice gods can be cruel. In my turn…..this time my lancers charged the artillery. I also sent my 2 Cuirassiers charging up the ridge to hit a shaken skirmishing unit…who formed a square…but importantly…a shaken square so I was able to continue the charge into them.

Sigh……so events went like this…my lancers took out the batteries and hit the flank of the Dragoons who had turned to face the incoming Cuirassiers. The square broke and was destroyed…..I foolishly listened to the others and did sweeping advances into the columns behind…..the day was coming to an end….otherwise would have pulled them back…odds were uncertain…and so…yep one lost a combat and the other retired with a bloody nose…and then got charged by Goldies Kuirassiers…..we both did 2 casualties…but I lost the combat and popped. C’est la vie.

Surprise! StephenC was not able to make the game with his Prussians until after lunch…which I kept from the other players. We randomized which road he would arrive on….. and luckily for the Allies it was their right flank.

The battle in the center…. the Prussians have been forced into squares which Russ is grinding down….the British are unable to push forward(Keith has yet to paint the rest of his cavalry…that will help in future games). At top right you can see Prussian landwehr heading for the other flank.

Below we have Austrian reserves arriving in the top right. However, we also have Prussian Grenadiers advancing past the village in the bottom left!

Austrians grinding through the Dutch while the newly arrived Prussians advance on their flank.

View from Prussian side.

Oh dear…..Goldie removing Prussian Grenadiers(yes they are Guard…but made only Grenadiers for game). That was a surprise.

End of game in the middle… French looking a bit thin…but there is a Austrian reserve brigade…and those are French Guard moving into the front line!!

So that was that….what fun…a full days play…lots of combats…some great dice and some appalling dice were rolled! Weather outside was horrible…wet….windy and cold so perfect way to spend a Saturday ….. we had a great lunch and I shared 4 different whisky’s with the ladz to warm them up!!

Looking forward to the next big game…..should be able to fit another 4 foot board in…….and is an incentive to continue to add units…love these wee chaps!!

Terry Out!!

Another Epic game that was played Alans with a scenario Alan set up.

Stephen(Dutch/KGL)) and Alan(British) are a holding force and Robert(French) and Terry(Moi -French) are marching on.

The Allied blocking force is below. The British take their left with the Dutch/KGL etc on the right.

French march on with Robert leading(he goes left… I go right)

French now on table viewed from Alans British position.

Rifles skirmishing are shaken. I have moved my Cuirassiers to the flank…ready to charge down the British flank if able.

Yep… we are able to. Column was moved up to block traversing fire. The infantry hit and the battery are on a ridge, so the British battalion on the right has no line of sight to the charge.

Mutual extinction event…British Dragoons v French Cuirassiers. British cavalry get to reroll any misses when charging…….so French players quickly learn to hide other cavalry from them.

Now that the cavalry have done their thing…the infantry get to it…once I got rid of the British artillery(they popped when the unit hit in the flank popped) my columns could advance safely.

We are locked in combat, but the French are winning the combats. The other 3 players all had issues getting their troops to move….even Roberts French columns would not join in the fun!

Alans British are in trouble…..4 shaken foot….1 destroyed…hits on the cavalry……

From the combat above 2 more units have popped. The British are done.

Else where…there was cavalry combat on the far flank that I missed…otherwise Stephen moved up to the center , Robert attempted an attack but a lone unit got stranded and pushed back….. the dice Gods were not anyone friends on the other half of table.

So that was that…….The Dutch and surviving British were heading for Brussels!