The Corlears Hook Fencibles started our anniversary replay of Waterloo. Bill was Napoleon, Rick was Wellington, Ken was Lobau and I played Blucher. The rules used: Bloody Big Battles, designed for 19th century games. Not strictly Napoleonic but the lads appreciate not learning another set of rules. Basic units are divisions or large brigades. We got off to our usual slow start. Napoleon, Wellington and Lobau all had to leave early so we only got 4 turns in a little over 3 hours. BBB usually plays faster than this but we have a lot of toys on the table. I can usually resist the "bigger is better" urge but this the 200th Anniversary. We played on a canvas mat I made. I didn't take pictures on the first turn.
An attack was launched on Hougomont. One of Jerome's brigades was stopped by musket and artillery fire. The other closed and was driven back. D'Erlon's Corps moved up a little and deployed artillery facing the Allied hill. Lobau began moving to the right flank.
On the second turn D'Erlon sent 2 divisions into the attack – Donzelot's division had been disrupted by Allied artillery fire. Durutte moved up and traded fire with Saxe-Weimar's Nassau infantry in Papelotte.
British defensive fire was off and both Marcognet and Quiot managed to get onto the crest of the hill east of La Haye Sainte. They looked rather isolated.
British veterans, Kruse Nassau and Bijlandt's Dutch-Belgians all moved in and began firing musket volleys. Quiot fell back under this pressure. Marcognet held his ground but losses mounted.
We broke for dinner. Dessert was thanks to my wife, who thought we needed fare appropriate to the occasion.
The Fencibles were pleased and the Napoleons were dealt with. Back to the battle we went.
Durutte tried to storm Papelotte. A wild fight saw two ties in a row. Each unit lost two stands and both became spent. The Nassauers won the last fight by a hair and the French fell back. Vincke and Best's Hanoverian landwehr stood up to a charge by Delort's cuirassiers.
The firefight in the Allied left center continued and Quiot's division gave more ground.
The Guards held on in Hougoumont. Allied guns began grinding up one of Jerome's brigades. A high roll on the 2 PM turn saw this unit dissolve.
Delort came on again backed by the other division in Milhaud's Corps. They were driven off again and this time Allied artillery nailed one of Delort's bases, forcing the other to quit the field.
My Prussians began arriving on the east table edge. Bulow's horse artillery had a flank shot into Lobau's attached cavalry but muffed the shot.
Here's a close-up of Saxe-Weimar's infantry after their hard fight with Durutte.
The Nassau infantry were finished just before the game today – I still haven't finished the bases. I'll be able to put static grass on them before we continue this next week. Hopefully all players will be able to come back. It will take 7 more turns to finish the game, though it may become apparent before then which way the wind is blowing. That means it might take us two more weeks to resolve this. We'll see.
I've seen mistakes by both the Anglo-Allies and the French, but will keep my counsel until the game is over. By then I may forget what the mistakes were.
Losses so far: Allies 5 infantry, 1 artillery base. The French have lost 11 infantry and 1 cavalry base. The command bases for Jerome's line infantry and Delort's heavy cavalry have quit the field. That's 3700 – 1850 Allies (18 – 9 guns) to 9000 – 4500 French. Marcognet's and Durutte's divisions are spent, as is Saxe-Weimar's large brigade.
paints the Dogman from the Flintloque starter set.
