We played Bailen again using Le Feu Sacre. We haven't played these rules for a couple years. It's been longer since we played the Bailen scenario. Tom hasn't played these rules before, though he's played ‘They Can't Hit an Elephant' which is based on these.
Tom played Dupont and I commanded both of his infantry divisions. Bill played Reding and commanded the 1st Spanish division. Rick played de Coupigny, the CO of the 2nd Spanish division. The scenario bases French victory on the number of units able to escape easily off the far end of the table before the end of the game, either turn 12 or 13 depending on a late game die roll. Anyone who can't escape is presumed captured when Castanos shows up behind Dupont with another army.
Both Tom and Bill were sent copies of their info and a rough map before the game by email. Tom decided to put everything into an attack on the Spanish left, with just one detached cavalry regiment to observe the Spanish right. The scenario requires the Spanish to start the game with hold orders. Bill deployed Reding's division on his right and de Coupigny's on his left. We lucked out here, as the weaker division was our target.
We were also lucky that our reinforcements showed up on a timely basis. My first division started half on the table and half off. Low pip rolls made my progress rather ragged. Tom's cavalry division passed behind me to threaten the Spanish left.
Rick started the ball by getting a lucky hit on my divisional battery. This threw them off. They became shaken and didn't manage to hit anything for a while after they were rallied.
Our second infantry division showed up on time but then sat there while Dupont failed to give them orders for three turns in a row. This was a result of one low pip roll and the poor CO card – twice. It was inadvertently a help, as Bill waited to see which way it went. Once it finally moved off in support of our main attack, he should have changed the orders of his first division to come to the aid of his left. Instead, Reding gathered up a few units and began to shepherd them south. Low pips rolls and the poor/cautious CO card slowed his progress. By game's end they weren't far enough to stop the French from escaping.
My first attack went in, with two conscript battalions in column supported by conscript grenadiers attacking a Spanish militia battalion in line. The Spanish had the edge. Rick rolled high and both battalions routed down the hill. My artillery now managed to get a hit. Tom's horse artillery began hosing down another militia battalion. After a couple turns of this it became shaken. Tom sent in an opportunity charge. The battalion broke and carried away the E class Spanish cavalry that was partially behind them. With my infantry forming line near the hill, Rick decided against using his few pips rallying the two E class units and instead moved to refuse his flank. His battery rained canister onto one of my conscript battalions, shaking it.
I sent two battalions up the hill in line, with a column in support. Another battalion column attacked the Spanish battery but was routed. A conscript battalion got into a firefight with a like Spanish unit and drove them back shaken. Another grisly firefight broke out between my conscript grenadiers and a lesser Spanish unit. They also fell back shaken. Luck was with me – the next turn my divisional card came up before the Spanish did and I charged again, breaking both battalions. They disordered and pushed back two of Rick's three regular battalions. The Spanish horse artillery limbered up and fell back. Rick's third regular battalion charged up the hill and broke my conscripts. They charged again the turn after that and sent my conscript grenadiers back in rout. By doing so they moved into canister range of the divisional battery, which had moved forward to support the attack.
This heroic battalion was charged in the rear by one of Tom's cavalry regiments. His division had finally gotten orders changed to attack by Dupont and were advancing over the southern flank of the hill, riding down Spanish battalions. The battalion failed to turn about. Here I made an error. Infantry hit in rear by cavalry are automatically beaten. But we went to the dice and Tom rolled low. The Spanish drove him off. They then attacked the division battery on my second division. It was close, but they fell back shaken. I now threw in a small battalion of Swiss, who routed the beaten up regulars. Rick's last regiment was charged by cavalry, who broke them and captured the wounded de Coupigny.
We had been playing for three hours. It was 10 PM. Rick last un-routed unit, his artillery battery, had unlimbered near the edge of the table. He was tired and wanted a more comfortable place to sit. The living room couch beckoned. Bill also wanted to head home. We had played through half of the eleventh turn. Rick's division had ceased to be an obstacle. Bill had an artillery battery, an E class cavalry regiment, a regular battalion and a battalion of Walloon Guards possibly able to attempt to stop us. I discounted the cavalry – Tom's division would make short work of them. They would also be able to stop any further southern movement by the infantry. We had 11 units able to escape. In a turn or two we could get that number up to 13, enough for a marginal victory. The French lost 1,900 troops and 1 gun, while the Spanish lost 2,600 and a gun crew. The final French losses would increase by several thousand since all units not able to escape are considered captured by Castanos' army. That would probably be two batteries, a cavalry regiment, 4 or 5 battalions and the wagon train full of loot and wounded. It having been a couple years, I made some more play errors. D/E class troops pursue on 4, 5 or 6. That would have made an even more chaotic game. I also missed this: Routers pass through troops greater than 4" away, but the troops who have been passed through take a Bombardment Morale test.
Rick fought like a tiger, with his one division against the vast majority of the French army, attacked up to three times per turn. My infantry attacks went in piecemeal, a product of low pip rolls and my being rusty with the game. Tom did well, stubbornly driving an attack forward while saddled with Dupont, a poor CO. Bill's not changing the first division's orders left Rick out to dry and allowed our so-so execution a shot at victory.
