LA ROTHIERE, 1814 with SOLDIERS OF NAPOLEON, GAME 3

Scenario 3 is a small battle, as the Wurttembergers advance to take the French outpost at the hamlet of La Giberie. On the day, it was not strongly held, but the French committed some reinforcements to try to hold it from the Wurttemberger's advanced guard. That action would be this re-fight.

My Wurttembergers required some stand-ins from the Austrians models to make up the extra battalions, with Grenzer standing in as Wurttemberg light infantry. 

The game began with the Wurttemberg light infantry skirmish lines moving up and the first skirmish fire being exchanged. Both sides had a single, weak, light cavalry regiment, and they faced off, but neither was going to be strong enough to quickly and decisively win a fight, so caution prevailed for now. The Wurttemberg battery was instantly nerfed by 'low ammunition', and in a tit-for-tat move, the same was played on the French battery, both cards came up in turn 1. So, artillery and the light cavalry would have almost no say in the outcome, it was an all infantry brawl.

The Wurttemberg lead line battalions pushed up and traded fire, and the French held the line as best they could with their weak battalions. Up the road the fighting was hottest and here the French were forced to pull back and rally after a solid volley... but they did, and regrouped for a counter-attack. 

The cavalry did briefly clash, a handy 'fierce cavalry charge' card allowing the Wurttemberg chasseurs to beat the French chasseurs back, and they rallied as well. Wurttemberg was in the lead. 

The French though were not done. Their reinforcement infantry brigade arrived and suddenly they had the extra action card and could counter. Their chassuers lurked at the back, and my own chasseurs had no option but to pull back faced by advancing French columns, a few volleys, and their painful voltiguers. The Wurttemberg chasseurs needed to rally too. Also, the French had 'held the line' and suddenly had just crept ahead in VPs.

The infantry fight was now joined in full, skirmish fire for the most, but the French counter attack was slowed by the woods. On the road, one Wurttemberg battalion pushed up again and in another volley of fire drove the French back again, the cottages were empty and a quick follow-up order saw them occupied by my boys. They had taken a stronghold (an objective) but could they hold it? Just outside, another battalion column tried to launch an charge but failed, got cannisters for their pain, tried again, and failed again - not heroic stuff!. The French gunners, re-rolling all To-Hits, meant it was not so bad, but still the battalion broke under fire. My single, isolated battalion in the cottages held tight and French just couldn't muster the men for the counter-attack. So I claimed the VPs and rolled a maximum result!

In the end phase, adding up the VPs, Wurttemberg had just done enough to win it, marginally. The bold push up the road and into the cottages had been enough. In all, a short but sweet fight, just 90 mins.  Next time it will be a far larger fight, at Morvilliers, with a joint Austrian/Bavarian advance. Wurttemberg will have to stand-in for Bavaria.

 

The Wurttemberg advanced guard push up along the road through La Giberie and either side of it.

Right of the road, with the chasseurs deployed on the far right, they'd advance to block the gap in the woods and face down the French light cavalry. Stop them being a menace.

Action up the road, towards the cottages, French battery giving fire but low on ammo.

Chasseurs to chasseur, too even a fight... deadlock broken by a fierce cavalry charge card... time to have a crack at them.

The Wurttemberg battalion push up the road, after volleys and skirmish fire, to get to the cottages. An objective is within reach, valuable VPs to claim. Probably the French should have held the buildings and forced an difficult assault and house clearance.

The French reserve infantry counter-attack out of the woods.

They're in and holding on. The French just didn't have the men to try and drive them out. Claiming the objective is the difference to get a narrow win.