Last Thursday the Corlears Hook Fencibles played a game of the Plancenoit sector of the Waterloo battlefield. This was using our club rules "Bonaparte Waltz". We had done it before with each infantry unit = approximately 2500 troops. We changed the ratio to 1500 troops per infantry unit, adjusting cavalry and artillery to match. Many of the Fencibles were out of town or busy, so it was just Tom and me. I rolled high dice and got the French. My troops were deployed on the heights east of the town, facing the first wave of Prussians, about half of Bulow's large corps.
The Prussians headed up the heights and the French cavalry faded back before them.
I continued to delay the Prussian move with cavalry. Prussian horse artillery scored some hits on them. Tom's combat dice were good but he was rolling poorly for activation and having trouble getting his masses of troops forward. After several turns I fell back on the town and formed a gun line north of it. Tom brought up two 12 lb batteries and started shooting up the town. Some French infantry flinched back under the barrage.
I played a blunder card on the Prussians and caused one infantry unit to attack the town by themselves. They were shot up and sent back exhausted. We broke for dinner. After dinner my gun line shot up another infantry unit. I was having fun but this soon came to an end. I found all 4 Prussian 12 lb batteries blasting my gun line. The start of each Prussian turn became an ordeal. Meanwhile Prussian infantry worked forward against my left flank.
My 12 lb battery was demolished. A cavalry unit dissolved under artillery fire. A field battery was driven back in disorder and then run down by Prussian cavalry. Prussian attacks broke into the eastern part of Plancenoit.
French units were being battered by artillery fire and infantry and cavalry attacks. Then a massive assault went in against the churchyard.
The unit in the churchyard was demolished. Lobau escaped into the adjacent hex. I put in a counter-attack using an "on the double" card, a "follow me" card and a "surprise" card. This last allows a hex of attackers to roll combat dice before the defenders – who normally go first. I broke the Prussian unit in the churchyard and advanced into it. I was moving second, gained the initiative on the next turn and made two moves in a row. Seeing the swarm of Prussians around the churchyard, I abandoned it. Many French units had been routed and most of the survivors were battered. I tried to hold onto the western-most town hex, figuring that would release the Young Guards on the last turn of the game. It was not to be. While the last town hex drove back their attackers, every other Prussian attack routed their target. One failed for a moment but a well-played "on the double card" sent another attack in and broke them. This put Lobau's corps over their breakpoint and ended the game.
The game ended before Tom got all his reinforcements on the table.
We played 9 turns of a possible 10 in two hours and five minutes. French losses were 3900 and 20 guns. Prussian losses were only 2580 and 12 guns. In spite of being soundly trounced, I liked the way this game went. I don't see any rules changes as a result of this game but may adjust artillery ratios a tad to put more guns on the table in most scenarios. The game felt right. The scenario needs some more work. It might start later, when the Prussians are already at the town and launching their first attack. I need to rethink how the Guards get released. Play will be more exciting if they get into it most times. The game was fun and I was pleased to see most of my Prussians on the table.
Next week we're revisiting the Civil War and will try Shiloh.