"French cavalry at Maida" Topic

I'm waiting for my copy of Black Powder to cross the pond. Maida seems like the perfect size battle for these rules. But I do wonder how many cavalry the French had at Maida. Some sources say 300 – 3 squadrons and others say 128 – one squadron. If cavalry are powerful in these rules it makes a big difference.

I used to play the WRG 1750-1850 rules back in the day. Napoleonic infantry had to form square when facing cavalry, which made them very powerful. The French romped over the Brits twice this way. Once a new player didn't use his cavalry and got thumped by the redcoats.

But back to my original request: anyone know how many Chasseurs a Cheval were in Reynier's command?

I was under the impression that it was 3 squadrons of Chasseurs e Cheval. Unfortunately all of my sources are packed up for a move. Pink facings for them as I recall…

Hopton's "The Battle of Maida" lists the cavalry force as 300 men.

Doug

Based on rules I've seen dealing with the Peninsula, it makes little difference. All French cav is rated crap, and all Brit cav is rated like guard. Maybe that was the reality.

Do I sound bitter?

Dear All,

300 troopers (a suspiciously round number but surely directionally correct) of the 9th Regiment present at the battle.

Little did I know that when my very first contribution to Napoleonic literature was published, "A Reappraisal of Column Versus Line in the Napoleonic Wars" (Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research, 1982), that Maida would continue to be a subject of interest. This article launched my Napoleonic book career but on the gaming front proved problematic. I introduced "Generalship Napoleonics" and put on a re-fight of Maida at a convention in Chester, PA (a precursor to today's various HMGS cons.) The little French battery (commanded by Grios, oh how I thrilled when I was the first to find and cite his Memoirs!) fired its four-pound shot and hit Kempt's Light Infantry. Morale test required, 90% chance of passing. The poor player failed. In shock all around, on to the Panic Table…anything but a one on a six sided die and the light bobs would stay on the table. The roll: a one.

Maybe that is why today, when I re-enter the wargaming publishing arena, I stick to historical scenarios and Battles for Empire rather than publish rules.

Enjoy your game.

James Arnold
Napoleon Books.

The Battle of Maida 1806 – Fifteen minutes of glory
Richard Hopton
2002
ISBN – 0 85052 845 3
Pen & Sword

page 111 :

"There seems to be no dispute that Regnier had 300 cavalry from the 9th Chasseurs at his disposal".

3 squadrons

Incidentally, my friend and I played this battle out several years ago with exact orbats, terrain layout and deployments using my own system which is down to btln/company level. The astonishing thing was that the overall progress of the battle and eventual outcome was almost identical to the real battle. And what was more interesting was that the battle took three hours to play-out.

Regards
Shane

James, when I first started playing Maida I assumed the French had come on in columns. But it was an easy battle to put on the table.

Dear VTAOSGAMES,

I first met David Chandler after my article on Maida appeared. I had written "even David Chandler had it wrong" about the French columns. He cheerfully explained, with tortured logic, that the French arrived on the field in column and that therefore he was right, but, maybe, this young fellow named Arnold, also had it right; they then deployed in line.

It was the start of a life long friendship.

James

Based on rules I've seen dealing with the Peninsula, it makes little difference. All French cav is rated crap, and all Brit cav is rated like guard. Maybe that was the reality.

Do I sound bitter?

You sound ill informed.

Maida was in Italy. Still is :)

Maida makes for a great game.

If you stick to history and have each brigade engage in turn it usually ends mimicking history.

If you allow the players the same forces and have the fight on the same field, its fairly well balanced.

If you allow the French to stay in their camp instead of advance to meet the British it favors the French but is hardly then a historical scenario.

…And there a Swiss on both sides!