Sunday 19 June 2016

DBN 16 Brits vs French 1809 Villerbosa

Spain 1809, a fictional battle between the British-Portuguese & the French using DBN rules.  This would be a 'Big Base' game, 4 normal bases making a standard DBN element, 2 for an Artillery element.  General Spavington-Bligh would take the Allies, yours truly the mighty French.  The Attrition system with hit markers used again. 

British-Portuguese (13 points)
1 x General(+special ADC), 1 x Artillery, 1 x Muskets(Elite), 4 x Muskets, 1 x Light, 1 x Jager(Elite), 1 x Light Cavalry, 1 x Light Cavalry(Militia), 3 x Muskets (Militia)

French (14 points)
1 x General(+special ADC), 2 x Artillery,  7 x Muskets, 2 x Light, 2 x Light Cavalry

The British-Portuguese would be the defender & set -up first. The majority of troops being placed upon a set of hills.  The village of Villerbosa being the anchor on the left flank held by the British Light Infantry.  The Elite Rifles would take the other flank, supported by Portuguese Muskets & Cavalry.  After the French placement, the defender was allowed to move 2 units.

After reviewing the positions, I went for an all out column attack from the French Left.  This would leave just two elements of Muskets & Light troops guarding the French Right.  A Grand Battery of French Artillery would hopefully, dominate the field.

The Battlefield & proposed attacks

The French Left

The French Centre

The French Centre again

The exposed French right flank

The Allied Centre

The Allied Right Flank, would face the French onslaught

Attack!

The French Light lead the way

The French guns

The Brits hold Villerbosa, but a 'cunning plan' starts to form with Spav.

The Reserve Brit Muskets would be sent to the British right flank

Beat the 'Pas de Charge' & the French attack starts

The French General surveys the field 

The British right, the weak point

Five elements of French Muskets

Good CaPs for the Allies & an attack on the other flank 

Would the Allies hold?

It's now race to see who can turn the opposition flank...

The French Hussars eye the weak Portuguese Cavalry

Rum dum, Rum dum, Ruma dum Ruma dum Rum dum..

The British Artillery are taking a beating.. 2 casualty markers

The British attack, would the French hold?

French Light against British Light

The British Cavalry are ready to pounce...

The mighty French Battery

The French columns approach the British

The British Artillery are finally destroyed by French Artillery fire

The British Muskets open up, the French column takes losses

SPAVs die rolls are woeful...

However on the other flank, the French Light troops take a beating

The French Columns finally hit the British line

SPAVs howling, back go ze French....

Battlefield Overview, which flank would break first ?

Good CaPs for the French, the Hussars look threatening...

Attack Attack Attack!!!!!

The French Dragoons are sent to support the French right flank 

The French Light finally go under.

Ba Humbug!  Another attack is repulsed...

4 against 1, not good odds....

SPAV rolls good CaPs, however he sends the British Cavalry against the French Dragoons

The Portuguese cavalry charge in...

...but are sent packing by the French Hussars!

It's crisis time on the French right.  The Artillery are re-deployed, the Dutch Muskets retreat..

The CaP die rolls are vital for both sides now

The columns are re-formed, ATTACK!

SPAV now has a CaP die nightmare, one after one after one...

FIRE!!!!

The French columns hit the Brits again.

It's a mighty scrap...

However, the French Hussars destroy the Portuguese Cavalry..

BREAKTHROUGH!
In DBN Cavalry & Columns advance to another combat if victorious...

The dreaded 6-1 on the combat dice....

SPAV is in turmoil, the 'Dice Gods' are smiling on the French today

Another defeat, back goes the British Line...
SPAVs die is sent into a low orbit over the neighbors garden...lol

It's crisis time on the British Right & Centre.

A whiff of grape halts the British attack....

The British & French cavalry engage

Another British loss!

Another round.. Vive l'Empereur!

Another die... more 1's for SPAV.......

The French Hussars are rampant.

Supported by the French Light

Ze French guns go BOOM!!

... & the Highlanders go AAAARRRGGGGHH!!!

Victory!

Victory!!
It's a complete British collapse...

The final battle positions...

General Spavington-Bligh has the right idea.... 
A great game, at last the French Columns won through.  The play balance was just right, the game could of gone either way.

We both agreed that 'Big Base' idea, works & looks a lot better.  We will definitely have more games using this format.

12 comments:

Stephen Smith said...

Great game a real hard fight lot's of tension to the end the bigger sized bases just make the game look right on the table cheers for posting

MrF said...

Cheers Bud
It was a tense game. CaPs were in short supply for both forces. I recko we'll be playing all DBN games as 'Big Base' from now on. The units'looked' right.

Cheers
MrF

Norm said...

Yes, I think the 'big bases' gives a nice look.

Unknown said...

The best game yet.

I am in complete agreement with your 4 bases to an element concept.

The game looked positively Napoleonic.

Greg.

MrF said...

Cheers Norm. If you have the extra figures, I recommend having a 'Big Base' game.

All the Best
MrF

MrF said...

Cheers Gregory, If you play DBN, then I do recommend you try out Big Base.

Happy Gaming
MrF

Unknown said...

MrF,

Many thanks to you,your talented generals and to your site.

I do think that the big base concept adds a great deal to the look of the game.

My immediate thought was-this would look so good with a pike and shot game as well.Relatively simple dynamics with a more natural looking body of troops.

Alas,my games are few and far between these days but I have enjoyed this one and your ACW battles immensely.

DBN can be a neat looking game when played this way.

Cheers,

Greg.

MrF said...

Cheers Greg, thanks for the nice comments.

Spav is a good mate from 'teenage hood' & we have just recently met up. Alas our gaming time together is few & far between. However he is the only opponent I can get..soz Spav! My son Jack is now a 'geezer' & at Uni. Amy is growing up & school/sports/scouts takes up all of her time.

I agree, It's like DBN has a new depth to it with the Big Base action. I'm planning all future games for this style. Which will obviously be a great excuse for collecting more bases of troops. I'm currently building a 15mm 1813-15 Prussian Army & picked up a spiffing French Revolution Army from a Wargames Show (so I will need some Austrians....lol). Though I seem to have misplaced the painting MoJo & need to find that somehow.

We've tried Pike & Shot, Ancients before with Big Base & they worked well.

Next up will be another Longstreet game & hopefully a big French/Russian DBN affair.

All the Best
MrF

Unknown said...

Mr F,

Thank you for your reply.Have you published the big base pike and shot games on your excellent site?If so could you point me in the right direction? I would greatly appreciate it.

Greg.

MrF said...

Hello Greg

ECW action=
http://mrfarrow2udba1519k.blogspot.co.uk/2009/12/dba-15-19k-big-base-royalist-vs.html

from our other DBA site=
http://mrfarrow2udba.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/dba-big-base-romans-vs-dacians.html

All the Best
MrF

Unknown said...

Mr F,

Thank you for the links-brilliant!

Just to explain the situation.I now live in Thailand where,as you can imagine,wargamers are few and far between.I did however keep smallish armies of Nicephorian Byzantines,ECW and ACW mainly for the visual love of the figures.

My club in Sydney,Australia was always experimenting with DBA and DBM because of the convenience of introducing "new recruits" to miniature wargaming but,as far as I can remember, I don't think that we ever got around to "big base" games.

My apologies for the longish post but I do enjoy following your battles and a few others on different sites.

Cheers!

Greg.

MrF said...

No probs Greg

I'm always happy to answer any questions. If any of our stuff gives others inspiration for their gaming then that's great.

MrF