We ran through our first full scale AOE
game last weekend, working out the rules and finding out what not to
do! It was a lot of fun and as a WWII gamer up until now I loved the
ebb and flow and unpredictability of a Napoleonic era battle.
Forces allocated three divisions to the
French (two infantry, one cavalry) and three batteries of artillery.
Each infantry division was made up of two line and one light brigade
while the cavalry division had a brigade of chausseurs and an
over-sized and very powerful brigade of cuirassiers.
The Spanish forces were divided into
two divisions, with the army and one division leader embodied in the
same leader, giving the larger Spanish force poorer command and
control. The right flank and centre division was made up of two line
infantry brigades, a light infantry/Swiss foreign infantry brigade
and a smaller brigade of élite Walloon Guards, supported by a
brigade of dragoons and three batteries of cannon. The second
division was composed of a brigade of light infantry/Irish foreign
infantry and the grenadiers of all units brigaded separately. A
brigade of dragoons and two batteries supported the left flank and
all brigades were on the largish size, again trying to reflect some
of the unwieldy nature of the Spanish army at this time, although the
high proportion of foreign troops and light infantry made this a more
effective than usual force.
I built a non-historical 6'X8' table,
introducing various terrain so we could get a sense of how that would
impact play. Our soldiers were 1/72, having scaled up all the AOE
measurements and base sizes by half. We then diced for sides and
ends, and Ted won, choosing the French and the attack, which meant
the Spanish could deploy anywhere below the stream which cut
through the centre of the board. And then it was game on!
(Apologies in advance for the
ridiculous number of photos taken. I got carried away seeing all
those brightly coloured figures finally deployed on a board!)
The Battlefield
The battlefield, picture taken from the
Spanish end. The Spanish deployed below the stream, anchoring their
right flank at the edge of an impassable escarpment, placing their
centre by the bridge on the edge of an orchard and their left
utilizing a long stone wall in defence. The stream was fordable
throughout its length and all hills were considered rough ground. All
buildings were merely decorative but we treated the tall hedge rows
as a narrow but LOS blocking dense woods.
1. Spanish Lines
The Spanish strung across the
battlefield, anchoring its right (top) next to an escarpment and its
left behind a long stone wall.
Right flank (top) has a brigade of line
with two batteries attached, and the Walloon Guards and dragoons in
reserve behind.
Centre guards the bridge with a
light/foreign brigade (battery attached) in line in an orchard and a
line brigade in reserve in the rough ground of the hill to the rear.
Left flank has a light/foreign brigade
defending behind a stone wall with two batteries attached and the
grenadier and dragoon brigades in reserve behind.
2. Spanish centre and right flank
3. Spanish left flank
4. Enemy spotted
The Spanish left spots the French army
as it enters the battlefield on a distant ridge.
5. View of Spanish lines from French
left
6. French forces arrayed on field
The French general commits one division
to his right (bottom) supported by the chausseurs and the second (top) to the
centre, while artillery is brought up between the two. The
cuirassiers move towards the Spanish right (off screen, top). The
first battery is quickly emplaced to start bringing long range fire
on the Spanish left.
7. First contact
The French line exchange skirmish fire
over the stream with the Spanish deployed in the orchard. The Spanish
fire bolstered by artillery is deadly, quickly whittling down the
lead French forces in the uneven exchange.
8. Batteries on Spanish left open fire
The Spanish batteries engage in some
long distance and ineffective fire against the advancing French.
9. View of battlefield from Spanish
left
10. Cuirassiers move to cross stream
Meanwhile on the French left the
cuirassiers form up to cross the stream.
11. Cuirassiers threaten lead Spanish
brigades
Now across the stream the cuirassiers
threaten to outflank the lead Spanish brigade, which refuses flank in
response.
12. Overview
At the top the Spanish move quickly to
counter the threat to their right. Battery fire disorders the
cuirassiers and the Spanish, taking advantage of this, shift infantry
forces left to make room for the dragoons to charge. The cuirassiers
countercharge.
In the centre the French and Spanish
continue to exchange fire over the stream (to the French's deficit)
while on the French right (bottom) the first French forces forge over
the stream. The Spanish cavalry charge and force the light brigade on
this flank into square, blunting this first move against the Spanish
left.
13. Spanish right in trouble
Suddenly the Spanish right is in
trouble, with the cuirassiers driving off the dragoons with great
loss to the latter before executing a charge into the face of the
Spanish artillery (left unprotected by the detaching and moving of
the Spanish infantry to their left).
14. Into the teeth of the cannon
Somehow they survive point blank
canister with only light losses, close and drive off one battery
silenced. On a breakthrough charge they wheel and shatter a Spanish
line brigade, routing it completely!
15. Cuirassiers get -well – carried
away
The second countercharge carries them
deep into the middle of the Spanish centre.
16. Enfilade!
The Walloon Guards deploy into line and
deliver a devastating enfilade fire in concert with the Spanish
cannon (now recovered) reducing the cuirassiers to a spent force -
but not before they had successfully shattered two Spanish brigades
and gutted the Spanish right flank!
17. Dragoon brigade flees the
battlefield
The remnants of the Spanish dragoons on
the right never recover and eventually rout from the battlefield.
18. French close with Spanish left
Meanwhile, on the Spanish left, the
French close. Charging chausseurs are met by dragoons and the
dragoons triumph, driving off the chausseurs with heavy losses to the
latter.
19. Spanish left holds firm
With the support of cannon and their
strong position behind the stone wall the Spanish left holds firm.
20. Spanish centre assaulted
The French in the centre ford the
stream and assault the light/foreign brigade deployed here, now
bolstered by a Spanish line brigade that has moved up in support.
21. First French brigade routed
The French are driven off with heavy
casualties, with both line brigades in this division now spent and
one retiring completely from the remainder of the battle.
22. French artillery in action
23. Fire!!
24. Mid battle overview
Top right has the cuirassiers charging
recklessly into enfilade on a breakthrough while around the bridge
the Spanish hold firm, with only a large légere brigade and a spent
line brigade left to oppose them.
At the bottom the Spanish left holds
firm at their wall and all seems to be going not too badly for the
Spanish, despite the loss of two brigades on their right.
25. Outflanked
But in a renewed assault on his left
the Spanish general suddenly learns the bitter lesson of an exposed
flank. The Spanish grenadiers are driven back with losses, exposing
those Spanish defending the wall to a flank attack in a breakthrough
charge. The Spanish light/foreign brigade is swept away in a
disastrous melee, loosing half their force and both cannon!
26. French seize wall
With the Spanish routed, the French now
seize the wall.
27. Spanish centre in trouble
Hard on the heels of this loss the
Spanish centre, so firm, is suddenly in trouble. Spanish redeployment
exposes their supporting line infantry to attack from the légere
which completely destroy this brigade in close combat.
28. Spanish light infantry driven from orchard
In a breakthrough charge the triumphant
légere wheel and drive the remaining Spanish from the orchard,
inflicting heavy losses. This brigade, retreating along the stream,
never recovers.
29. Overview
On the left the French can be seen
moving up to consolidate their gains while the Spanish retreat in
disarray. Far top left the French chausseurs, a spent brigade, have
finally rallied and are returning to the battle.
On the hill in the centre the
cuirassiers, spent and blown from their devastating charge into
enfilade, remain wavering on the top of the hill despite their leader
attaching himself to this brigade in an attempt to get them
re-engaged.
On the right things are heating up as
the French light infantry, after a second successful charge against
the Spanish light/foreign, continue in a breakthrough charge into the
teeth of the Spanish cannon.
30. French light infantry charge
towards Spanish guns
The breakthrough charge leaves them
short of their target and facing canister shot from the cannons.
31. Walloon Guard move to enfilade
The Walloons detach from their
artillery and wheel around to bring the French into enfilade. One
Spanish battery is damaged by French artillery but the second and the
Walloons open fire, managing no more than a disorder despite massive fire points!
32. French légere triumph…
The French charge the Spanish battery
and this one, too, is driven off disordered, with the Spanish general
learning for the second time that he really shouldn't leave his
batteries unattached when confronted with a determined enemy.
33. And move to decimate Spanish right
flank
With the Spanish cannon sent packing
the victorious French wheel and charge the Walloon Guards who are
also outflanked by the remnants of one of the French line brigades. The Spanish corps (and division) leader has attached himself to the
Walloons in the hope of steeling their defence, but all for naught.
The Walloons are destroyed and the Spanish general taken captive.
34. French command accepts surrender of
Spanish general
35. Légere destroy one battery and
engage second
With the Walloon Guard destroyed the
French turn their attention to the now rallied but disordered Spanish
batteries and finish them off in quick succession. With the only
remaining Spanish force on this flank spent and wavering far off on
the flank, the Spanish right and centre are now totally decimated.
36. Meanwhile, on the Spanish left
Meanwhile, on the Spanish left, unaware of the disaster that has struck the right flank and the loss of their corps commander, the
Spanish have retreated to reform their line in the face of the
advancing French.
37. French cannon limbered up and moved
forward
38. Chasseurs charge back into the fray
The chasseurs finally return to the
fray for the final round of fighting, as do the cuirassiers.
39. Overview of final assault on
Spanish left
The French form up for their final
assault on the Spanish left, moving their cannon forward and trying
to get their cavalry into play. The Spanish, seeing this, take the
initiative, charging with their grenadiers into the middle of the
French line and after locked combat driving them back. The dragoons
charge the light infantry, forcing them into square but get driven
back while the remnants of the Spanish light/foreign brigade retreat,
bleeding away more infantry in desertion.
40. Nearing the end
41. Game end, Spanish left flank
The Spanish grenadiers are destroyed to
the last man in a concentrated French assault, and as the cuirassiers
finally charge in, the Spanish, with only a disordered dragoon brigade
and a spent light/foreign brigade on this flank, throw in the towel.
42. Game end, Spanish right flank
On the Spanish right it's as equally
conclusive, with only a spent brigade left, (now losing stands to
cannon fire upper left) while the infantry dispatch the Spanish
cannon (right). Even the French line brigade that had routed early on
returns in triumphant march formation over the bridge while the sheep
are happy to have their hill back.
Lessons learned
Being one of our first Napoleonic games and certainly our first serious AOE game, we learned a few lessons the hard way:
1. Watch your flanks! Being outflanked has very serious repercussions!
2. It's not a good idea to leave unattached batteries within striking distance of enemy brigades.
3. Not much you can do about it, but over zealous breakthrough charges can lead to a world of difficulties.
4. It's also not such a bright idea to attach your division leader to a brigade if that brigade has even a chance of loosing Bayonet and Sabre.
5. Roll better. I've never seen so many uneven close combat rolls and the results were often the complete evaporation of a brigade - sometimes without having fired a shot. Your fortune can turn on a dime.
