"How to game La Haye Sainte?" Topic

I would like to run a game in 20mm centered on the French assaults on La Haye Sainte using the great Sarissa model. Most Napoleonic rules don't handle fighting in buildings at the level of detail I want, but, on the other hand, a man to man level skirmish game, similar to some Alamo games, doesn't seem quite right either. Has anyone come up with a great La Haye Sainte game?

My group did it years ago. The best I remember is it was a quasi skirmish deal. The troops defending were lights and when the French columns attacked, they couldn't just overwhelm the defenders,they could only fight their frontage. So when you had say two defenders in the doorway, you could only attack with 4 at most. Artillery wasn't a factor because once the infantry got within six inches of the building, artillery was stopped because of damage to it's own troops. At some point there were ladders brought in and eventually the French took the farm, but it was taken back later by the allies in the same way they lost it. It was a great game. Our rules were home brewed rules at the time, troops were assigned point values. Grenadiers were 2 point figures, line troops a point. Dice determined the damage. I still use the same rules when I introduce kids to wargaming, they are very simple.

Artillery should not be a factor in any case as LHS was in a dip and it was in a dead zone. One Waterloo letter from a defender of LHS describes artillery passing overhead.

I was thinking you'd want about 1:5 or 1:10 and as cavcrazy says, "quasi skirmish." Ammo should be a factor.

If you go on YouTube you can see how others gamed the battle, just search for "Gaming La Haye Sainte in miniature". There are some pretty cool videos that will give you plenty of ideas.

Thanks cavcrazy. I forget that youtube can be a good resource.

I was thinking something on the scale of Sharp Practice or Muskets an Tomahawks (Shakos and Bayonets). Figure scale unspecified, but separate individual leaders. I'd lean to each unit being a company or half company depending on the army.

Totally gratuitous link about Hougoumont:

TMP – 200m/400m/600m- Sufficient to show a brigade?

Silliest post: The Traveling Turk 2014-Mar-29 13h00 PST

I count 23 BNs squeezed into a space about 400 yards wide, and maybe 300 yards deep.

Most informational post: Personal logo McLaddie 2014-Mar-29 22h09 PST

11h50 1. ATTACK Bauduin's Brigade attacks