Battle of the Blogs!

Let's get this post started with a BANG!

Last Saturday saw Garry and I facing off against Darren and Paul (of Duke of 1815 fame) in a scenario where the British were ensconced on the ridge, flanked by rough terrain. The French, obviously, had to break though the British line. The British players had most of their forces hidden behind the ridge, out of sight, so the French had to guess where to focus their attack.

While the French had slightly greater numbers, the British were in a fairly good defensive position. I hadn't realised we were in quite such a good defensive position, as I had brought along a fairly substantial cavalry force, only to find that the hills were classed as steep, which ruled out any charging by cavalry!

On my side of the ridge I had my artillery positioned on the crest along with some cavalry vedettes. Once the impossibility of cavalry charges over the ridge was established, these vedettes were replaced with skirmishers instead, to keep a weather eye on the enemy's movements. The artillery were quickly engaged in counter-battery fire, but with Paul's greater number of guns, my batteries were quickly whittled down. My horse-gun battery was like the Black Knight from the Holy Grail; getting pummeled but refusing to face the inevitable! The other foot battery wasn't quite so stoic, being forced off the ridge not once, but twice!

There was a minor spat on my left flank where I managed to engage Paul's infantry in a firefight, forcing them to retire, but the next move the victorious regiment was caught in the flank and caused to retreat in turn. I also managed to get my cavalry around the ridge to cause a bit of anxiety, but Paul used an infantry square to cramp my style, until I got my heavy dragoons around as well. They charged the artillery battery, which bugged out before contact. Paul's cuirrassiers counter-charged, but bottled it and halted in disarray before my dragoons crashed into them sending them scuttling to the rear! We won't mention that Paul's dragoons then sent my light dragoons fleeing off the edge of the world, never to be seen again!

By now Paul's infantry had approached to within charge range and my artillery was more or less neutralised. I had no illusions about what was coming next; my highlanders were in for a hard time. I jsut hoped that they would be able to take enough off the front line to hurt them in the melee, but unfortunately that was not to be. They were over-run by a brigade charge, resulting in a large hole in the British line! If the game had lasted longer there would have been time for a counter attack, but time had run out and Paul's French were in command of the ridge!

The ridge and the defenders: artillery and cavalry vedettes

The little battery that could!

Darren's Republican hordes

Paul's division heading my way!

Dragoons

...and cuirrassiers!

"My camera's bigger than yours!"
 It's not how big it is, Paul; it's what you do with it!

Paul's cavalry peels off to the flank, observed by my vedettes

Paul's artillery unlimbers and lets rip!
The battery at the rear has already lost a gun.

As has my horse battery!

On the left flank, my cavalry vedettes are replaced by infantry skirmishers,, as the cavalry prepares to skirt the ridge to the left.

The artillery bangs away at a target rich environment!

Garry is faced by a French skirmish screen. His artillery fire over the heads of his own skirmish screen.

Ouch! Gun #2 lost in the artillery duel

The French cavalry brought to a halt by the steep hill.
The skirmishers blow raspberries

My artillery inflict further damage on Paul's guns, but I'm outgunned in numbers as well as weight of metal.

Paul''s infantry tramples the rye.

On the left, my infantry show themselves on the ridge, while my cavalry sneaks around the corner.

The infantry do their best to distract the French
"Oi, froggies, over 'ere!"

While my light dragoons tiptoe around the woods. "Curses! We've been spotted! They're in square, dammit!"

What's this? Paul brings in some fire support!

The horse battery is down to 2 guns!
Uh-oh! Time for a morale check!

2! That's the way to do it!
They live to fight another day

With the French cavalry facing the threat, my infantry have a nice clear shot at the infantry ahead

Hopefully they'd get in a flank shot on the cavalry, too!

The light dragoons fan out.

What's this? The cuirrassiers are horning in on the fun, too!

The situation across the table. 

In another tit-for-tat exchange, I take one of his guns...

...and he takes two of mine!

This time the morale check isn't so kind!

Retire!
The horse gunners on the left jeer in derision; Pussies!

In a race to the flank, Paul's dragoons race over the hill to try and get around my light dragoons, while his pesky infantry square tries to box me in. Oh, for another horse battery!

But wait! What's this? Heavy dragoons come trotting around the corner!

The infantryadvance and loose off a volley at long range into the French below.

The French are getting a little too close for comfort, so the remaining horse guns switch their attention to the approaching infantry.

The foot gun battery tried redeploying on teh ridge, but lost another gun and rolled the worst morale check, again!

Run away! (Again)

Things aren't looking too hot from the top of the ridge!

I was hoping that the two regiments on the left flank would be able to drive off the French and then be able to get in to the flank of the main  attacking force.

Down came the lines and engaged their counterparts in a firefight

While I won the firefight, it wasn't quite as devastating as I'd hoped! Paul's infantry is only forced to retire, not retreat or break, and now the dragoons are menacing my infantry lines!

Meanwhile, one French battalion scales the ridge, gets in the flank of my battered battery and fires, knocking over another gun, but the gunners stoically stand to their one lonely remaining gun! 

Caught in the flank by another french column in the woods, the infantry are forced to retreat.

As Paul has reached the summit of the ridge, my reserves are no longer hidden!

The other regiment involved in the firefight are now exposed and take shot in the flank, too.

They are also forced to retreat with losses and disorders.

My column of dragoons take casualties from the French guns ahead.

In an effort to pin the square, the light dragoons take the opportunity charge when the infantry move to block the heavies. 

The result: Blown cavalry (love Paul's exhausted horse marker!) and disorders, leaving me vulnerable, but succeeded in keeping the square immobile!

With the path open, the dragoons charge the guns, expanding the column as they progress. The gunners are already fleeing!

They sail past the stalled square who try a long range shot as the cavalry thunder past, to no effect!

The cuirrassiers are caught flat-footed...

...and fall back in confusion! Unfortunately the dragoons didn't go battle-mad and are stuck in the midst of the enemy infantry.

One flank shot and the dragoons head for the hills.

Meanwhile, Paul's French dragoons move on to the flat and charge my blown light dragoons, who fall off the edge of the world, never to be seen again.

The little battery that could fires into the battalion on the ridge at very close range with its one gun and send them on their way, never to be seen again!

Danger, Will Robinson!

In comes the brigade charge! The highlanders are tough, but can't hold against those numbers.

Run away!

Paul wins the ridge!