Okay, it has been a LONG time since I got any 10mm Napoleonics up here!
So, I decided to finally finish up this game from some time ago, especially because I need the table for another piece of that super secret and unique project I hinted at some months back!
Now... here is how things left off:
So! Here is another shot of where we left off..
The British seemed to be in a bit of trouble... it looked like it would be a very near thing if the British didn't use their one advantage; their large cavalry brigade. So... in went the cavalry!
The British cavalry attacked in an attempt to hit the French Guard in the orchard, but were quickly intercepted by the French cavalry. Because of the orchard on one side and the edge of the board on the other, the British couldn't engage with all their cavalry at once, thus making use of their superior numbers... could they beat the French cavalry back and support the infantry?
Meanwhile in the center the British Guard brigade, under Colonel Smith, continued to try to push between the French line, splitting their attention between the French in the orchard (to support Del Rio's Spaniards) and the main French line.
However the French fought valiantly, and with fire coming from the orchard on their flank the regiment of Scottish infantry were forced back.
The Scots, however, quickly regained their nerve and turned their attention to the orchard... however, many redcoats dropped under the withering fire from the French Old Guard battalion in cover behind the thick orchard walls.
Meanwhile on the far right of the British line the redcoats continued to fall under the fierce French fire coming from the woodline, and one battalion and then another broke under fire and fled, allowing a French battalion of converged Grenadiers to push out in an attempt to complete the rout!
And under that pressure the last British battalion on the right broke and fled.
Here is another view of the British rout on the right.
In the center the British Guards under Colonel Smith continued to fight, but all three battalions had been terribly battered... in game terms they had all taken maximum casualties, and it was only good rolling, their elite nature, and nearby commanders that kept them on the field.
Then the French grenadier battalion turned and, under the direct command of Colonel Vin, began to pour fire into the British Guards.
The cavalry combat dragged out, with first one and then another group breaking and routing, until it came down to one French cavalry unit versus one British unit. To the right you can see Colonel Del Rio's Spanish infantry, which were whittled down by an almost impossible fight against the French Guards in the orchard, and they eventually broke and ran.
The British Guard in the center continued to defy all expectations (how many sixs can one man roll?!) and stand and fight, but now the entire French center and left turned and began to pour fire into them from the rear. The Scots broke and ran first, followed by one of the Guard battalions, as the rest of the French in the orchard also began to redeploy, the Spanish to their front being beaten back.
Finally there was only one British Guard battalion left, which fought on, surrounded on all sides... but this last battalion finally broke and ran, the British finally routed from the field.
So that was it! The British were beaten! Above is a shot of the surviving French... in a bizarre circumstance, the only French battalions that survived the fight were elite battalions! Very strange, given that elites get only a few small bonuses, but still...
Here is a shot of one of the French division commanders.
And another shot of the other division commander!
So... that was it! It was a very near thing for a while... but the French troops being in cover across their battle line really helped keep them alive and in the fight, and the Spanish troops failing that crucial command role and therefore rolling down the hill to attack was a huge problem. Still... a good time!
(In a note... for some reason, the pictures are all very small, even when you click them. I'll try to figure out why.)
