Met up with the gaming group (or three of them) from the local Train Exhibition a few months back. 2-on-2 introduction game to Valour & Fortitude, a brigade-level Napoleonic game that is a rules collaboration between the Perry brothers and Jervis Johnson. French versus British. Time period is circa 1815. Scenario created by host and is loosely based on the Battle of Quatre Bras.
FRENCH
(Ney) - Army HQ + ADC
+ Foot artillery battery
2nd Infantry Corps (Ney)
1st Bde (Legrande) + ADC
57th Line (3 Bns)
2nd Bde (Vandamme) + ADC
9th Line (2 Bns)
45th Line (2 Bns)
3rd Bde (Moreau) + ADC
4th Line (3 Bns)
6th Light (1 Bn)
Cavalry Bde (Lefebvre) + ADC
3rd Hussars
4th Dragoons
+ Horse artillery battery
Cavalry Corps (Bessieres)
+ADC
1st Brigade (d'Hautpol) + ADC
1st Cuirassiers
10th Cuirassiers
6th Dragoons
2nd Brigade (Nansouty) + ADC
7th Cuirassiers
1st Carabiniers
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ANGLO-ALLIED
(Wellesley) - Army HQ + ADC
+ Escort
Cavalry
Union Bde (Ponsonby) + ADC - due to arrive Turn 2
Dragoon Guards
Royal Dragoons
RNB Dragoons
Household Bde (Somerset) + ADC - due to arrive Turn 4
1st Lifeguards
2nd Lifeguards
Royal Horse Guards
Light Bde (Uxbridge) + ADC
11th Light Dragoons
15th Hussars
Infantry
Guards Bde (Cooke) +ADC
2/1 Foot Guards
3/1 Foot Guards
3/95th Rifles
2nd Bde (Picton) + ADC
42nd Highland Infantry (Black Watch)
92nd Highland Infantry (Gordon Highlanders)
71st Highland Light Infantry
1/95th Rifles (skirmish)
3rd Bde (Adam) + ADC
28th Line
69th Line
88th Line (Connaught Rangers)
51st Light Infantry (skirmish)
King's German Legion (Alten) + ADC - arrive Turn 5
5th KGL Line
8th KGL Line
5/60th Rifles (skirmish)
Hanoverian Bde (Pack) + ADC - arrive Turn 5
Lauenberg Bn (Hanoverian)
Calenburg Bn (Hanoverian)
Verden Bn (Hanoverian)
52nd Light Infantry (skirmish)
Artillery
RHA batteries: Bull, Ross, Ramsay
Foot batteries: Ibert, Hutchesson
Rocket battery: Whinyates
===================
THE GAME
I was assigned control of all the British cavalry while my companion was overall Army commander Wellesley who also oversaw the infantry. There were three objectives with the crossroads the most valuable.
Our side (British) won the initiative die roll which thereafter determined who would go first every turn. Sequence of play took some getting used to and there were times when we played out of sequence. But all good; just learning game anyway.
View from behind British lines looking south/south-east. As my first cavalry units would not enter until the next turn, I happily helped out by deploying one of the infantry brigades - Adam's 3rd brigade consisting of 28th Line, 69th Line, 88th (Connaught Rangers) Line, 51st Light Infantry (skirmishers) making for one of the objectives. Accompanying the infantry would be a Foot artillery battery (either Ibert or Hutchesson).
Wellesley would accompany both Picton and Cooke's brigade as they made for the main objective which was control of the crossroads. Cooke's guards brigade would be in the van while Picton came next. The bulk of the French, meantime, entered diagonally from the south-east corner and quickly moved to control the nearby heights (not far the 95th). Meanwhile one of the French heavy cavalry brigades surprised us by riding down the road heading straight for the advancing British infantry.
The action by the French cuirassiers on the road caused a rethink on objectives for Ponsonby's cavalry which initially had been to plonk themselves behind the partially obscured woods (photo above) to their left as reserve. Adam's infantry brigade was still moving towards the low hill objective to their immediate front and would reach it soon enough. This left Wellesley to concentrate on the approaching threat posed by the French main advance toward the crossroads. Cooke's brigade failed to activate leaving them stranded in march coloumn on the road. Picton's Scots, meanwhile, moved off-road in a south-westerly direction (see on photo below to the left) to support Cooke's left flank. While the British are experiencing movement issues d'Hautpol's heavy cavalry brigade circles around the field, bypassing an objective, in preparation for a smashing ride into the inevitable squares about to be formed.
By splitting up and placing the brigade units of the French cavalry corps on opposite flanks it forced the British commanders to change their initial plans and counter the new developments. Behind the main front line (road running north-south) one objective would soon be in British hands.
The photo above is a couple of turns later. Cooke's brigade is able to weather the initial French firing and assaults made on them as their advance stalled. French attacks were eventually repulsed. Nansouty's heavy cavalry brigade are pounced upon by Ponsonby's Union brigade. The French are forced to flee the table leaving the now British right flank free from interference. The French soon regroup and realign their front line (top centre) to cover the one remaining objective left to them. A grand battery is soon atop that low hill ready to defend where possible. Over on the British left, Uxbridge's command had finally arrived after being delayed by our opponent playing a Fate card. His cavalry corps comprise both Somerset's Household cavalry brigade and Uxbridge's own Light cavalry.
Situation (above photo) close to the finish of the game. The threat posed by d'Hautpol's brigade facing the British left saw one unit from Somerset's Household brigade lost in early combat as they try to hold their sector. Uxbridge also loses a unit of light dragoons right of Somerset as they are able to thwart Lefebvre's light cavalry attempt to push through to the Picton's squares. Picton's Scots are able to hold and maintain their line although they lost their most forward square - the Gordon Highlanders - to telling French musketry and artillery fire.
The final two turns (it was decided finish on Turn 9 or 3pm whichever came first) saw the arrival of further British reinforcements in the shape of Alten's King's German Legion and Pack's Hanoverians. The victory points accumulated by now meant it was a clear British victory.
Post-game comments
Quick, fast-paced are my initial thoughts. It was my first brigade-level game in a very very long time. First time playing V&F II. I will say that many times both sides forgot to draw Fate cards which may have helped during the firing and melee phases. Next time, I suppose. A positive to emerge though was that play tended to focus more on tabletop tactics rather than navigating and familiarising oneself with a new ruleset. And this was from the very start. So hats off to V&F. Beer-and-pretzel game? Definitely.
I will leave our host to comment on what we found with the game after our first play-through (for three of us at least; the host had play-tested it several times).
Finally, big thanks to Daniel (Bessieres), David (Wellesley), and our host Donald (Ney) for an entertaining yet casual wargaming day. And the lunch put on by Donald's wife, Marie, was superb, especially that homemade ice cream. Good fun with your Lion Rampant 2 game on Monday.
Cheers
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