More Napoleonic Sharp Practice

 

Yesterday evening, James, Sam and myself played a game of Sharp Practice set in Spain in 1811. Sam fielded a gorgeously painted light company of troops from the 52nd Foot with two groups of Elite foot, two units of Light infantry, two units of Portuguese rifles, officered by a British Captain(III), Lieutenant(II) and Sergeant(I) and  Portuguese Lieutenant(II) and Sergeant(I).

Despite being identical points my French force was much larger, with a Captain(III) and Sergeant(I) leading four groups of Conscripts, a Lieutenant(II) leading three groups of Conscripts, a Senior Sergeant(II) leading two groups of Voltigeurs then a Sergeant(I) leading a group of Voltigeurs and another Sergeant(I) leading a group of Voltigeurs.

James and I had thrown some terrain down before Sam arrived and it was decided that the French would try to burn two farm houses while the Anglo-Portuguese would try to thwart their plans.

As is sometimes the way, the Tiffin came up in the first turn before anything happened, but it was then onto the second turn. Sergeant Dupont and his Voltigeurs were soon occupying a commanding hill, denying the British much opportunity for concealed deployment, but Tenente Mourinho and his rifles turned up and their crack shots felled four of the Voltigeurs.

The French, having six command cards in the deck to the Anglo-Portuguese four were putting this to good use and using open column were soon in wheeling into line in commanding positions with the remaining Voltigeurs in support.

More rifles cracked and soon Sergeant Dupont was alone and isolated, the Portuguese Sergeant and his men leapt a small wall and wrestled him to the ground capturing him. Sergeant Volt leading two groups of Voltigeurs raced to the rescue, launching a charge from 2" away the Portuguese elected to flee, rolling a measly 2", aha, we have them in our grasp.... and rolled a 3 for movement, bugger!

The game rumbled on and the French conscripts were doing a great job of holding up in the face of British volleys, weight of numbers eventually told and the Anglo-Portuguese moral collapsed leaving the French to burn the farms unmolested.

It had been my first opportunity to play Sam for the first time an I hope to be able to face his Anglo-Portuguese again in the not too distant future.