SOLDIERS OF NAPOLEON, DEMO-GAME

This was a ‘Corps’-sized game, that is 4 brigades per side, with 3 deployed on the tabletop and 1 in reserve. It was played on a 6x4, which is perfectly do-able, although we usually go 7x 5 for this.

The French force’s 4 brigades were: a French Infantry brigade of 3 battalions and an 8 pdr gun battery. This was regular and 1 veteran battalion. An Italian infantry brigade of 4 battalions, all poor infantry except the 1 grenadier battalion (these counted as regulars) again with a 8 pdr battery. And finally, a light cavalry brigade of 2 chasseurs regiments (both smallish) and a good Hussar regiment, with their own 6 pdr horse battery. The French reserve was a single Dragoon regiment, but again with a horse battery attached.

The Austrians matched this with an infantry brigade of 4 fusilier battalions and 2 landwehr infantry battalions with a 6 pdr battery in support. The ‘advanced guard’ brigade, a unique mixed brigade type (you can have 1) of a grenz battalion, a feldjaeger battalion and an uhlan regiment, with a horse battery of 6 pdrs in support. The third brigade to deploy was a cavalry brigade of 1 dragoon regiment and 1 chevau-leger regiment, no horse battery here though. In reserve, because they have to start there, was my grenadier brigade of 2 grenadier infantry battalions, marching up to my aid.

The French deployed with the Italians holding the farm on their right. The centre was the French infantry and the left his light cavalry. The reserve dragoons were pre-arranged to arrive in the centre (so can go wherever they are needed fastest), from turn 3 onwards.

The Austrians deployed with the infantry brigade on the left and centre, the cavalry on the right and centre and the advanced guard out front, screening, in front of the infantry and facing the farm (they have to deploy furthest forwards as a restriction on using them). My plan was to attack and take that farm from the Italians. The light infantry would lead, with infantry moving through and finally, when they arrived on my left, the grenadiers would be the coup-de-grace force to assault and take the farm once the Italians had been well-mauled. The centre would be a feint attack, with 2 fusilier battalions and landwehr, go forwards, engage those French and keep them busy, try not to die too quickly. The problem was the left, with the cavalry facing off, he had a 3-2 advantage in regiments and a horse battery to help and I feared a swift move here would see him defeat my cavalry and turn that flank. My Dragoons would have to work hard to stop that, aided by the weak chevau-leger, but it would only be delaying action to buy time for the assault on the farm to break his Italians.

Two sample forces.

French
Italian Infantry Brigade
Infantry battalion (militia)
Infantry battalion (militia)
Infantry battalion (militia)
Grenadier Battalion (regulars)
8 pdr foot battery

French Infantry Brigade
Veteran Infantry battalion (veterans)
Infantry battalion (regulars)
Infantry battalion (regulars)
8 pdr foot battery

Light Cavalry Brigade
Hussar Regiment
Chasseur Regiment
Chasseur Regiment
6 pdr horse battery

Dragoon Brigade - Reserve
Dragoon Regiment
6 pdr horse battery

Austrians
Advance Guard Brigade
Grenz Battalion + Jaeger detachment (militia)
Feldjaeger Battalion (veterans)
Uhlan Regiment
6 pdr horse battery

Infantry Brigade
Fusilier Battalion (regulars)
Fusilier Battalion (regulars)
Fusilier Battalion (regulars)
Fusilier Battalion (regulars)
Landwehr Battalion (militia)
Landwehr Battalion (militia)
6 pdr foot battery

Cavalry Brigade
Dragoon Regiment
Chevau-leger Regiment

Grenadier Brigade  - Reserve
Grenadier Battalion (veterans)
Grenadier Battalion (veterans)


On to the action…

Well it started well enough, the light infantry deployed in extended lines (skirmishing) and sent out their own skirmishers, and the jaegers and grenzer were soon hurting the Italians with accurate fire. They, in return, deployed their own light companies to fight back, but the Austrian uhlan, as light cavalry, send a harrying squadron to drive those enemy skirmishers back in (something light cavalry can do is chase-off enemy skirmishers). The Austrian's ace skirmishers, rifle-armed, were making life hard around the farm. In the centre my ‘feint’ pushed up and the French moved up as well – careful, not too far. The landwehr battalion formed line and started to get some volley’s in, lucky that, for once, the French gunners were rolling poorly and missing them. Landwehr militia are not easy to rally once the damage builds up. On my right, French left, his cavalry raced up in march columns (so very fast) and then deployed into lines, his battery with them deploying and opening fire. My dragoons wheeled right to face his hussars. If they came, they were ready to counter-charge (something all cavalry can do, even if they are not the target of charge, they can try and intervene, it's worth keep reserve cavalry back for this, although I didn't). My chevau-leger went forwards to round the small wood and draw-off his chasseurs, but heavy Voltigeur fire and many cannon balls sent them falling back in disorder and needing rallying, which they did. But yeah, too much fire that way. Best hang back.

Initial moves over, I made my first mistake and pushed my uhlan, on my extreme left, up to charge his Italian gun battery, only for them to not charge far enough and catch horrid canister fire from the battery. As men and horses died, the uhlan broke and fled… drat! I had been too eager and got them destroyed for nothing. Still, their threat had forced the Italian grenadiers into a square and that is bad news if enemy guns or skirmishers are targeting you, and my grenzer were. Units in square cannot skirmish back to defend themselves and are easier targets for gunners.

Time for the Austrian infantry to push on, and they moved up and through the light infantry skirmish lines and engaged the farm, were one wavering Italian battalion broke and ran. In the centre, my volley firing fusiliers and landwehr were holding their own and then drove the French back, to rally and regroup in some disorder. Hurrah! Keen (again), I followed up and sent one fusilier column charging in, only to lose the melee and be repulsed. I must stop being so aggressive and play a longer game… tbf, I thought I win that fight and break his battalion and rolled poorly (just blame the dice!).

On the right, his hussars moved up so my dragoons spurred in and attacked them, to fight a very inconclusive melee and we both fell-back, regrouped, formed lines again, and got ready to try again. The dragoons and hussars would fight it out 3-4 times here, with neither getting a decisive advantage until the last turn of the game. It was even, his hussars were better trained and led by a heroic commander. My dragoons were heavier cavalry though with shock impact…

The French reserve had arrived, his dragoons galloped to the right to aid at the under pressure farm, where I had no cavalry to match them (I needed those uhlan now). The French horse battery deployed and started adding its fire to the Italian battery which was doing heroically, under heavy jaeger rifle fire but still blasting away, before 1 gun crew broke under the fire (the full caissons had long been emptied and retired). The arrival of the French dragoons gave my fusilier's attack columns pause and they started to take morale tests for the cavalry ahead, threatening to charge them. Heavier cavalry (or lancers) can just intimidate the enemy by hanging about.

In the centre, the French had recovered a bit and their skirmishers were now shooting up my columns, the brave landwehr had to fallback, leaving many dead behind. The centre as crumbling, it was time to go at the farm, now or never. Meanwhile, my reserve grenadier brigade had arrived. Fearing his cavalry outflanking me, I had sent back orders to divert the grenadiers in to the centre and then formed a new blocking line, stopping them from joining my attack, but securing the right flank with two good infantry battalions that his light cavalry would be unlikely to break. It felt safe there now.

At the farm, my fusiliers finally closed in and charged home, driving one, then a second Italian battalion back at bayonet point, out of the farm buildings, hurrah! But the losses where mounting for me too, mostly from artillery. I had lost my own horse battery now, it limbered up and fled when his cavalry showed up. Still, the Italians were still only in the fight because of the many Rally cards he’d spent to keep them there. It had been costly and stopped his attack in the centre or with his cavalry on the left. In Victory Points gained, it was very close, the Austrians just ahead and both sides close to breaking off and retiring for the day. In the next turn, somebody would break.

As it happened, both broke. My dragoons used a ‘fierce cavalry charge’ special event to rush in and defeat his Hussar once and for all and they fled, breaking the French army. But, in the centre, my ragged fusilier and landwehr battalions also suffered more musketry damage and the landwehr broke, along with the hard-fighting feldjaegers, would had been engaged since the start and were probably just out of ammo and bit peckish by now. That was enough for both sides to gain enough VPs to break the opposition. A draw then… maybe marginally to the French on damage inflicted to my infantry… but too close to call really.

An excellent fight, no quarter asked or given… a bloody day for the Italians, their brigade shredded. I feel I wasted my grenadiers a bit, but he only didn’t press his cavalry attack because they were there. If I’d have sent them quick-marching on the farm as planned, he’d have no doubt pushed harder here and maybe turned the flank, broken my cavalry brigade and won the day. Still, proud of my Austrians, for once not a good kicking of the French.

Soldiers of Napoleon is now a done deal, finished writing the rules, awaiting production to turn it into a nice book and set of action cards. Sometime in ’22, with a following wind…

A few quick snaps of the action. Not many, too busy playing for that. That was such fun, we’re going to do it again in our next game. 

The crux of the battle, the Austrian assault on the Italian farm. Jagers and Grenz are skirmishing, before the fusiliers in attack columns move through into the assault.

 

Italians, grenadiers, battery and infantry deploy to the hold the farm area. Behind the 8 pdr battery has 'full caissons' upgrade, so is well stocked with ammo. They'll need it.

French Voltiguers, in force screen their centre. A stalemate here, but it was only a feint attack anyway, to hold the best French infantry in place.

The far right of the Austrian line, hussars approach in line as the dragoons wheel to face them. His horse battery is in support. This cavalry fight would flare-up and subside through the battle, eventually the white dragoons could claim the win...