Back Powder Napoleonic Mini Tournament

Today Adie, Quint, James, Trev and myself had our Easter Monday Black Powder Napoleonic tournament at Maelstrom Games.

I took my standard Black Powder 500pt French 100 days list:
Divisional Commander - CV7
Brigade Commander - CV8
1 Line Infantry (elite 5+)
4 Line Infantry
1 Foot Battery
Brigade Commander - CV7
3 Line Infantry
Brigade Commander - CV8
1 Veteran Hussars (Reliable, +1 Attack)
1 Dragoons
1 Horse Battery


Quinton used his Austrians, Adie and Trev both took British lists and James also took a French list.

As there were an odd number, we each rolled a dice and the lowest scoring player would sit out that round, but no player would sit out more than one round. Adie would sit out the first round.

Round One

My first game was against Trevors Penninsular War British with Brunswick. His list was IIRC:
Divisional Commander - CV8
Brigade Commander - CV8
2 Line Infantry
1 Foot Battery
Brigade Commander - CV7
2 Line Infantry
Brigade Commander - CV7
3 Brunswick Line
1 tiny Jaegers
1 Battery
Brigade Commander - CV7
2 Light Dragoons

The scenario would be a pitched battle, a small town was in the center of the board and a waterway ran up the left hand side of the table.

My initial deployment

I elected to deploy everything on the right of the river, my small brigade would attempt to hold the right flank supported by the cavalry and the large brigade would take the town and hold the center. Trev deployed one brigade on the far side of the water way and everything else facing me on this side of the river.

Trevs initial deployment

 When rolling up the characteristics of the Generals my small brigade came out quite poor, but Trevor had some terrible dice, every brigade apart from the cavalry came out as Low Independence, fortunately as the terrain was quite tight this should not have too great an effect.

Trev took the first turn and advanced his horse. Then his CinC did a follow-me order and rushed an infantry battalion down the unoccupied side of the river, following the CinCs lead the brigade commander also did the same, my left flank would be quite vulnerable. Trev also attempted to get his Brunswickers into the town, but could not get far enough.

I retaliated by advancing my cavalry against his and deploying the horse guns to apply a whiff of grape to the Light Dragoons. My small infantry brigade moved up in support of the horse. My large infantry brigade moved a battalion and a battery to cover the river along with a batter of artillery and the rest of the  brigade surged ahead to take the town. My shooting was pretty desultory I only disordered a unit of Brunswickers.

Trev lined up against the town and did some devastating shooting, coupled with my poor saving throws -anything but a one!!!! - my occupiers were both shaken and disordered.

Trev pours his fire into the town

 On my right flank Trev charged his Light Dragoons into my Dragoons and Hussars, well, with the better cavalry and the supports going my way, you can likely guess what happened - both my cavalry were falling back shaken, the guns over-run into and destroyed and and infantry unit forced into square, to add insult, Trev only had one of his units shaken.

Hold fast - oh dear!!!

In my turn, I deployed my small brigade into line and drove off the Light Dragons with musketry, we both now had a shaken cavalry brigade. Not much else happened. In Trevs turn the Brunswickers stormed the shaken unit in the town, easily kicking them out. I immediately retaliated and put two battalions back into the town kicking him out.

My unit holding the river seemed to be permanently disordered, but I was able to shake and drive off the other unit in the brigade.

Battling over the river

 My small infantry brigade held the ground to the right of the river and had a stiff fight with the Brunswickers, but I came off work and this brigade was also broken.

The Brunswickers hold fast 

By the end of the game I was not in a good position, but neither was Trev, two of my brigades were broken, but in order to also brake Trevs army I needed to only inflict a few casualties. It started well, in the fire-fight over the river, I inflicted two casualties, my guns had two shots on 4+ if I got a casualty, this unit would be testing. I got a pair of ones. Next it was the Brunswickers turn, one unsaved wound would break them, nine shots later, Trev had saved every hit, bugger!

Final desperation

Totting up the points, I had destroyed more units of Trevs, but only broken the cavalry brigade, whereas I had my army broken, a 15-9 victory to Trev.

In the other first round game Quintons Austrians achieved a solid victory against James French

Round Two

We diced off and James would sit this one out. The next game was to be a 'capture the objective' game against Adies British. His list was IIRC:
Divisional Commander - CV8
Brigade Commander - CV8
2 Line Infantry
1 Foot Battery
Brigade Commander - CV7
2 Line Infantry
Brigade Commander - CV8
1 Light Infantry
1 Rifles
Brigade Commander - CV7
1 large Highlanders
1 large Line
Brigade Commander - CV7
2 Dragoons

A large ridge-line dominated the center of the table. Adie won the roll-off and made me move first. I did a fantastic set of orders and moved the large infantry brigade to the right of the ridge supported by the horse, the small brigade moved up to protect the flank. The majority of the British force was now facing nothing.

Echelon to the right

Adie attempted to break up the advance with his horse, forcing my front units into square, I countered with my cavalry and shook both units of the Union brigade and forced the Highlanders into square. Adie counter-charged in the middle with his large infantry unit but some nifty French bayonet work broke that unit and it's flanking unit also failed its break test. A large hole had developed in the British line. It did not go all my way though, on the left flank I charged into his line and in a reversal of the earlier combat my unit was broken. By the end of the game, my Dragoons had captured my objective and a unit from the Union Brigade had captured Adies objective. It was a victory to me, but Adie had also inflicted heavy damage on me - 28 - 17 to the French

Things go badly on my left.

In the other game this round Quinton inflicted a solid defeat on Trev.

Round Three

We rolled off and it would be my turn to sit a round out, I would get the average of my two earlier games. 

Steve and Kev turned up. Kev is over from Ireland and was keen to try out Black Powder so we set up a simple game, Steve and Kev would play the French, I would use some of Trevs spare figures and play with the British.

Beginners luck soon was in force, in their first turn the French brigade stormed up my left flank. In my turn, one of my units blundered and had to charge unsupported into the midst of the French. Combat went badly and I rolled a 3 for the break test - whoops. The French countered and launched another charge, a two this time for a break test and that was my left flank collapsed. It was now a case of mopping up my central brigade.

By the end of the game I had lost five infantry battalions and an artillery broken and had a single one shaken, in return I had shaken one French battalion, an humiliating defeat for the French.

With the British left flank gone the French can easily mop up.

Vive L' France

In the tournament games played this round James inflicted a massive lost on Trev and Quinton soundly beat Adie.

At the end of the event, the rankings were:

Quinton

James

Trevor

Myself 

Adie

Thanks to Adie for sorting it all out.

All in all, a great day, we are planning something similar, or a single large multi-player game on May Day.