The Big 10mm Napoleonic Playtest continued...

And the battle continues!

Pictured above you can see the French artillery that has been brought to the center. Originally it was being brought across to pound the British squares that were holding their flank between the woods, but they were stopped early and used to bombard the British holding the chateau! Much like light infantry, being under artillery fire causes infantry to have to take "Stand!" tests. Like light infantry, targets failing can only become "Shaken," they cannot be routed by artillery fire. But UNLIKE light infantry, artillery actually has a small chance of causing some damage, and in this case, a lucky 6 actually resulted in a point of damage to the British infantry unit holding the chateau itself!


Speaking of the flank, Colonel Sharpe's brigade was still holding in square on the flank, hoping to keep the two French cavalry brigades at bay... charging infantry squares can be AWFUL hazardous to the health of cavalry, so they kept their distance.


However, while the French cavalry and British squares sat in a stalemate, the Division commander sent his lone infantry brigade through the woods! As long as his men stayed to the woods then the British cavalry could not threaten them, and the Allied troops might be easy pickings for the French, who could then flank the squares and put them under horrible fire, forcing the British to choose... stay in square and get slaughtered by musketfire, or form into line and be easy pickings for the French cavalry?!


But then, as the French infantry brigade moved through the woods, Colonel Vin, a man with poor control of his cavalry to start with, suddenly urged his men into a charge, perhaps afraid that he would lose his chance at glory! His two battalions charged the squares, who immediately opened fire on the oncoming French.


While the muskets failed to unhorse many men, the squares did their jobs, and the French cavalry was repulsed, taking thankfully (for the French, at least) minimal casualties for their stupidity. Immediately the Division Commander galloped over, in order to ensure such a lapse in judgment did NOT happen again!


Meanwhile, on the far side of the field, a sea of French infantry advanced on the British lines, who held up at a hedge and stone wall. The French, being bombarded by British artillery and sniped at by skirmishing greenjackets, were not in an enviable position... they could either sit back and get pounded by artillery and picked apart by skirmishers, or advance, which would not only bring them into range of the British muskets, but also bring them DANGEROUSLY close to a brigade of British cavalry that was just waiting for a moment to pounce!


And the British prepared for the attack, outnumbered but not outgunned, and the French drummer boys beat the pas de charge, and the French advanced through the explosion of shells and the haze of musketfire...


And so that is how the evening ended! The attack of the French on the far flank, the Old Guard waiting while the French artillery bombards the chateau in the center, and a nasty cat-and-mouse game on the near flank about to turn deadly serious as the French columns burst through the woods!

Please check back in for the next installment, and if you have any specific photo request or want to see something up close, just let me know!

Thanks for coming by!