BLACK POWDER NAPOLEONICS

International Tabletop Game Day

Cullison's Cards & Games, Jonesboro AR

 

Sometimes you just have to make one up!  I'd completed getting a new brigade of British ready to fight, and had a Regiment of Prussians at the ready, and wanted them to jointly take on a small Division of French in The Hundred Days.  Sooooo.. we played a "what if" scenario using the lots of fun BLACK POWDER rules.  :)

 

 

During the twin battles of Quatre Bras and Ligny, two days before Waterloo, the Allied armies fought separate battles, never quite managing to link up.  Our scenario has a Regiment of Pirch's Corps, marching towards Ligny, hearing the guns at Quatre Bras and mistakenly heads that direction instead.

 

 

D'Erlon's French Corps, which countermarched back and forth between the battles that day due to conflicting orders received, never took part in either fight.  In our scenario, he uses some initiative and sends one of his Divisions headed North to try to flank the British position at Quatre Bras.  The British, seeing this, extend their line to the left while that lost Prussian Regiment shows up off to their east.  The stage is set for our fictional battle of Sart-Dame-Avelines!

 

 

The forces starting positions and the French's planned axis of attack to the north.

 

 

The British have their Rifles holding a road junction to their south while the rest of their Brigade emerges from the woods.

 

The French Brigade on their flank deploys and moves up to meet them.

 

A Legere battalion in skirmish formation attacks and pushes the Rifles from the huts they'd been sheltering in.  The Rifles fall back behind the friendly lines.

 

The French Cavalry, attempting to push north between the Prussians and British, is forced to fall back by the Allies wisely concentrating fire on the advancing horsemen.  MERDE!

 

A Hannoverian Line battalion attacks, disperses the Legere, and seizes the huts.

 

On the opposite flank, a French assault column covered by Legere in skirmish push back the Jagers and are threatening to turn the Prussian's left flank, but their attack is ultimately dispersed by concentrated fire that, even disordered, smashes the French column.

 

A French Ligne battalion moves up and threatens to push the Hannoverians out of their cover, but a KGL Line battalion advances to join the melee.  The French break and the battalion to their right, that had provided a flank support bonus in the fighting, rolls the dice and also breaks.  MERDE again!

 

 

The French left is in ruins, their cavalry center is forced back, and their right will be overrun by the advancing British.  They French commander wisely decides to withdraw his remaining forces to the south, the Prussian and British allies have linked up in the center and are in firm control of the field.  Victory to the Allies!

 

Good game, guys!  Glad everybody enjoyed it.