"Favourite Peninsula Campaign" Topic

If anyone's into campaign gaming, anyone got a favourite? Or a favourite battle lead up?

I tried to get my head around Talavera which sounds like the most interesting
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since you have some many individual Corps in a relatviely small space and the fog of war allows one side to penitrate virtually into the heart of the other's territory. It's also quite finely balanced: just a little more knowledge leaking to the enemy threatens to strike either side with disaster.

The other one I'd vote for is perhaps the lead up to Bailen. Or perhaps another one where the fog of war is important: the Pyrenees: simply because you've got a number of smaller units: brigades and such like and the advances and retreats are relatively fast.

What do you think?

Three campaigns readily come to mind, largely because they don't include Wellington and are sort of "side shows" to the main event:

[1] Moore's retreat to Corunna can produce a number of interesting rear guard battle scenarios, leading up to the final set piece battle on the coast.

[2] I've always found Albuera to be interesting since it doesn't involve Wellington.

[3] Suchet's campaigns in eastern Spain

I read your Talavera piece on the other site. Nice background work that you have provided for all of us.

We have fought several campaigns in the "Peninsula". Once, the French could and did give as good as they got from the Brits….who always withdrew by sea when things went bad. But the Spanish kept raising new armies and chopping up French detachments so that the French never won outright.

Playing the Peninsular as a series of historical battles was also tried. IMHO this did not handicap the French as severly as a campaign, with all the loistical problems/issues. Even so the campaign ended as a draw.

We also played it as part of a larger "Global Campaign" and six months into the campaign the "Napoleon" player withdrew all the French troops not on the border of France/Spain. This allowed him to use the additional troops to suppress an Austrian/Russian alliance.

OOPS! should read "severely" and "logistical"… forgot to translate from "Texan" to english

1811

My favorite Peninsula campaign in the one in Virginia in 1862.

>"Playing the Peninsular as a series of historical battles was also tried."<

Please insert a noun after "Peninsular" as "Peninsular" is an adjective and needs something to modify!

I would plump for Vittoria. Apart from its effect, the approach march and the 'left hook' were worthy of Bonaparte himself! The capture of a 'certain article' adds a note of whimsy!

>>>My favorite Peninsula campaign in the one in Virginia in 1862.<<<

Good point, mine too… for the ACW. "old fart"

We played the invasion of Portugal, with 4 players: Massena, Soult, Wellington and La Romana/Spanish. There were not 2 teams of players, but each one had his own objectives and (in fact) Massena is not forced to help Soult, because if Soult reaches more "points of gloire", he would win the campaign instead of Massena. Imagine the face of Massena if Soult win With his help!

It was funny, only were 5 battles and played it in two week-ends.

My personal favourites:

- Galicia, January-June 1809

Manageable armies, interesting terrain, lot of skirmishes and small actions.

- La Albuera 1811.

That's a personal favourite of mine. Specially if gamed together Ballestero's activities in Eastern Andalucía.

- Burgos retreat october-november 1812.

This is one of the most interesting at all. Few people realize how near was Wellington of being wiped out. Still, he managed brilliantly to evade the French. But it was a close run thing.

Albuera and Suchet in the east are fascinating….also, try looking at many of the "Spanish only" battles or series…..

What was that British landing in the East against Suchet, when the British commander dilly-dallied and eventually got back in his ships. That was the best campaign that wasn't – I reckon it could make a pretty good game but I've forgotton all the names.

Cacadores,

You're thinking of Sir John Murray's failed siege of Tarragona in June 1813?

Regards

Yes, that was it, Whirlwind. A good game if you can get the fear to penitrate the leader's mind!

I recently read the Talavera campaign from the latest books written by W. Field and P. Edwards, both give a very good account of the campaign and battle and it has been one I wanted to recreate for awhile. The entire campaign actually with all its possible eventualities…

Shane

Salamanca. Good quality veteran armies on both sides. The British have a large cavalry force to fight an offensive battle of maneuver for the first time. Evenly balanced forces. What's not to like?

"What's not to like?"

The British winning =)

[ducks]

1814 napoleon was a genius when on the back foot.

And I play any side….but Generally French because everyone else has bavarians, Russians or British.