Vive la France!

This blog post is best read whilst listening to this :-)

Back to Friday gaming this week, but switching sides...

As we were starting to get to grips with Black Powder last week, we decided to play again this week.

This time it would be Dallas and I commanding the French Brigades whilst John and Brent commanded the Russians.

Each side would have 3 Infantry Brigades, 1 Heavy Cavalry Brigade and 1 Light Cavalry Brigade.

Dallas (the master tactician) decided that we should use that old trick of refusing a flank!

And with that, we were set-up and away.

Some of the amazing mini's and final deployment:

The French take the initiative and, for the first move.., the Cavalry shall retire to towards the right. Well, the Light Cav do (under my command - say no more..). The Heavy Cav are only able to make one move.

 The infantry on the left form a defensive position against the Russian right flank.

The Russian Generals, surprised by our tactics, review the history books for inspiration...

The Russians prepare for the onslaught as the French Infantry columns advance.

Only to be charged by French Light Cav forcing the formation of a square. Infantry in column follow-up and break the Russian unit - 1st blood to the French.

But the main battle will be for the hill. French Infantry advance...

The Heavy Cav just look good, but do little else.

Into the fray!

The Russian right relise they need to advance on the weaker French left.

The battle for the hill dominates.... both sides stubbornly refuse to break through combinations of absolutely epic die rolling mixed with utter rubbish.

The Russian advance on the right stalls...

Flank attacks fail to rout units on the hill...

Canon fire breaks one of the French infantry brigades....

More troops are feed into the hill...

The French left starts to get a little bored and inches closer to the enemy...

More hill fighting and the pesky Russian cannon are destroyed (only just!)...

The French left decides to have a crack at the Russian right....

As Russian units on the hill finally start to break!

The big moment... could the Russian Heavy Cav charge into the exposed French left flank!?!? It would win the game.

Nope.... too much vodka and they stay put (soon to be exiled to Sibera I expect). With that, the French columns break two of the Russian Infantry Brigades resulting in the Russians conceding. Vive la France!!

Fantastic game. Ebbed and flowed and very nearly could have gone to the Russians. If only those Heavy Cav had charged! :-)

Until next time. Thanks for reading.

Shock horror!

A gaming post finally!

Just had a look and the last time I posted about gaming was in Feb this year. Whoops...

Not much gaming I guess then :-)

Changes and generally busy lifestyles has meant gaming was patchy for a bit and then a little hard for me to get too.

Now things have changed again, gaming attendance (by myself!) should start to pick up.

Starting with last night! :-)

I finally made it back to Friday gaming in time for a big Napoleonics bash.

Lee and I would field Prussian's. We'd be up against Paul and Dallas who fielded the dastardly French.

Just as we were kicking off, the game was expanded as John arrived. His Russian's were only too happy to reinforce the Prussians.

Rules used were Black Powder.

It's difficult to photograph / explain the ebb and flow of the game as I had no idea what was going on in most cases (being my first game and all...). But, here's some photos of the very nice mini's provided by Dallas (French & Prussians) and John (Russians)... they have one or two.. ;-)

The French & Prussian columns face off...

 The columns close and engage...

The battlefield...

Melee ensues as the Russians engage the French...

French cavalry have a crack at my Hussars. But they are soundly beaten back. Huzzah huzzah!!

I try a foolhardy move next. My Dragoons traverse 2 cannon and a column of French infantry. Not the best idea as the Dragoons end up shaken, but still manage to defeat the French in line! Further cries of Huzzah!! :-)

Especially when French Lancers charge my cannon... only to be blasted back by cannister shot.

The final melee...

With the loss of this melee, it was pretty much over for the combined Prussian / Russian force with the loss of this flank. The Russian infantry on the right had also been routed. Time to call it and retire in good order in preparation for the next battle.

Thanks to Dallas for letting us use his superb mini's and John for the rules advise, tips, tactics and history.

I'm looking forward to the next game already :-)