Napoleonic gaming again today

It was all around Steve C's today for a French v Russian game using 1300 point armies and terrain previously diced for and agreed.

Steve C, Steve L and Graham controlled the French, Mike and I had the Russians.

We discovered the Russians had out scouted the enemy and so had the initiative. We had two brigades able to come on in Bound 1 and these were two infantry brigades each of seven battalions, over on our left flank. They diced well and swept across the table swiftly taking the hill in the centre and by-passing the cottage and woods

The French were able to bring on an infantry brigade of six battalions in line between broken ground on their right flank and a hill in their centre.

but before they could make any progress, our Russian infantry charged

next on, a Polish brigade of six battalions picks its way across the broken ground 

French light troops try to bring some fire upon the attacking Russians

but the next Russian infantry brigade prepares to charge too

they slam into the Poles - so 14 Russian battalions against 12 French and the French are pinned on their start line

with this impetus, the Russians manage to break French units which break off the field never to return

and the Poles now face the same 

my cossacks made a late appearance and baulked at the idea of entering any broken ground

Steve L and Graham ponder - they have brought on more French infantry brigades, so all four are now on the field but getting the two new brigades over to help out may take time 

The Russians are wearing down the French and Poles here on the French right flank and now Russian cavalry has arrived to harass the French infantry out on their left flank

the Russians withdraw disordered units to make way for fresh combatants 

The original French brigade has now broken and a gap appears in the French lines. The cossacks have turned and consider a move to seek weaker prey

There are still plenty of French infantry left in the centre though !

They throw a "blunder" and end up charging Mike's disordered cuirassiers

Steve L brings up the final French brigade too

The Russian steamroller is relentless

The Poles are now wilting under the strain

a lone French battalion has chased after a Russian horse battery, watched by bemused Russian cavalry 

Despite their casualties, the Poles have gained some breathing space as the Russians retire from the broken ground - but this allows Russian artillery to bombard them

This is enough to break the Polish brigade too

With Graham and Steve L's infantry forced into square by the Russian cavalry and the artillery taking advantage of this juicy target, these French infantry are quickly broken too.

This was the final straw for the French, three of their four brigades broken signals the game is up - an emphatic Russian win today.

The French had chosen to use all their points on infantry (24 battalions) and accompanying guns but they simply did not get the chance to use their numbers. The 14 Russian infantry battalions had moved so fast to attack and destroy the first 12 enemy battalions, the French never recovered.

The two Russian cavalry brigades were able to contain and distract the other 12 French battalions as their comrades were picked off.

Needless to say, Mike and I were very pleased with our dice throwing today !!!