DBN15 French vs Allies 1815

Early June 1815, Boney is building his forces along the Belgium border.  The Duke of Brunswick arrives in the area & decides to take a mixed Allied contingent to the border near to the Escourt river.   The local French commander takes the challenge & the forces meet just over the border.

We fought this one out again using DBN.  Yours truly took the Brunswick/Nassau forces.  These were made up of mainly 'Militia' class troops, this would give a big advantage in numbers.  Spav took ze French, made up of  'Average' class troops.  Another meeting engagement, both sides having one Horse Artillery Battery as well.  The Special ADC rules was used for both sides.

The battlefield

French Light Infantry race for the woods

A French mixed force heads for the road junction

Skirmish in the woods

Brunswickers advance slowly up the road

The French hold a strong position

The Allied Jagers are soon shot up... 

Lancers!!! Ohlay!!!

French Infantry shoot up the Brunswick column.

Another round & in go the lads!

Nassau Infantry advance

More Brunswick Cavalry join the fight

A poor show for the Brunswickers & they retreat

The Allied Jagers are destroyed

The French Lancers are victorious

It's all one way, more Brunswickers bite the dust...

The Brunswick Horse Artillery is deployed...
It forces the French Lancers to withdraw. 

Pressure begins to take its toll on the French Line

It's a stalemate across the Battlefield

The French Light Infantry were a rock.

FORWARD!

...and again.

It's not my day, the Lords of Fate aren't shining down on me....

Now it's the turn of the Cavalry...

CHARGE!!!

On the northern flank, the Nassau's go forward again...

Spav takes the initiative & launches a French attack.

However with the Brunswick Light Infantry holding the wood
the attack fizzles out.

I curse my earlier deployment.  I must regroup the Allied troops.

Another Allied attack!

This time, take the Church & smash the French line

A mighty Allied Column advances

Better odds this time.....

At Last!

The Nassau's attack the wood again... WHY WHY WHY!!!

However the French counter attack on the church goes in.

But it is beaten back with high casualties

Huzzah!!  Forward go the Allied Cavalry

Those pesky French Light Infantry

NOOO!!

The combat roll is tied, but the French are destroyed.

I'll target the French Artillery now

A consolation

Another casualty... Boo HOO!
Victory for the French

French ADC Colonel Baguette is smiling again..

AAaargghh! Spav wins our great debate over quality versus quantity in the DBN world.  In the end it was a close game victory points wise, with the French edging it.  I got sidelined with destroying the French Light Infantry & took a large amount of casualties with no result.  Both sides benefited from Light Infantry holding key points, though I would say using 2 elements for the task, was the key.

The posts are very thin at the moment.  I've been struck down with a dodgy back injury, so painting/gaming has taken a back seat.  Recovery is slow going at the moment, I've even taken up Yoga in an effort to get back on track.  MrF doing 'Downward Facing Dog is not a pretty sight...lol!!!!

Longstreet ACW2 - Pilgrims Church

Another bash at the Longstreet ACW rules now, this time the basic rules.  A bigger table & a few more units.  I took the Union force & Spav took the Rebs.

The Union forces had 3 Regiments of Infantry consisting of 10/8/8 elements. 1 Artillery Battery of 3 elements, 1 Cavalry regiment of 4 elements. The Reb army had an equal number of elements, except the Infantry had 4 regiments made up of 8/6/6/6.

The Rebs came in from the south.

Reb Cavalry & Artillery arrive.

The  Union Cavalry, dismount & ready to fire a volley at the Zouaves.

The Union Infantry arrive

The Zouaves deploy to face the Union Cavalry.  The Mississippians march into battle.

More arrivals

The Maine Regiment deploys, however it blocks the line of sight of the Union battery....juvenile!

PEG IT!!!! Not liking the odds of the Union Cavalry against the Rebel Zouaves,

Another round & The Maine Regiment open up, hitting nothing.

The other two Union Regiments deploy for attack.

The Battlefield at this point.

The Rebs take first blood!

However the Union strikes back...

That card again....

The Irish Regiment hold the apple orchard 

The Maine Regiment advances

Spav plays some nice cards that will help out in the fire phase

The North Carolina Zouves unleash a furious volley

The Reb guns also find their mark

The Reb Cavalry hold the hill of Pilgrims Church 

Now it's my turn to play the cards...... FIRE!

The Irish fire at the Zouaves

Another loss for the Rebs.
mmmmm... We are noticing a pattern, each fire phase is only inflicting a one element loss.. 

BOOM! Union guns open up on the Reb guns.

Ho Ho Ho, I play a lovely card.  It allows all Union units who have fired (ending their turn..) to now charge into combat.

CHARGE!! In go the Maine lads...
I've got no fear of this combat turning out bad.

CHARGE!! Whilst the rest of the Union lads pile in..

Back go the Virginian Cavalry

The Mississippians are sent packing.

The Irish lads send the Zouaves back.
However inflicted losses are still a  bit light...

The same combat from a different view.

Spav strikes back, two Reb units fire at the Union lads....

Another Union loss...

A poor Union round & the Rebs are back in action...

Reb guns extract some revenge...

The Union guns strike back on their turn

The ten element Maine unit has been reduced to just six.
They fall them back to form a line with the Cavalry. 

On the other flank, I mass the two Union Regiments for an assault

The Rebs shift sideways for a clear advance on the Union line

The battered Rebs retreat

Reb Cavalry deploy in support

The Rebs form a single line for more firepower

CHHARRGE!!

It's a mixed bag for both sides with the cards.....

The Rebs are sent packing, but casualties are light.
Both sides are close to achieving victory, as the break point is close.

Reb firepower comes up for the beleaguered Zouaves.

Whilst on the other flank, 'Spav's Charge' is launched..lol

Sneakily the Rebs move some units into a flank position...

HA! My secret weapon, good firepower cards. The Rebs are going to be blown away.....

BOOM!!!

mmmmmmmm..... Not the overwhelming display of Rebel casualties I was looking for...
However, for the Union charge phase, those Zouaves are going to be eliminated.

NOOOO!!  As I play the cards for the Union Charge, Spav plays a blinder & I'm forced to pass.

OOOhh Matron!!  In go the Rebs.....
The Union lads have been flanked, so are classed as 'Vulnerable', I fear the worst...

On the other flank, cards are played & the other Reb Regiments charge home...

The 'Rebel Yell' card is played, the Union will have to re-roll any successful  'defend rolls'

In the scale of 'Catastrophic Calamitous Collapses' this begins poorly....
In Longstreet the Defender rolls for a defence value, then the Attacker rolls for a attack value..
In this case Attacker 6 - 1 up

It's a monster 4 element Union loss......

....and to make matters worse, the Michigan lads can't escape.
The remaining elements are eliminated

The other combats go just as bad.... 5-1

OMG! Not one successful Union die roll.... 6-0

Spav doesn't have to try & make a Victory roll, as the majority of the remaining Union
Army turn out to be casualties... 

All Hail to the Spav, I've been 'whooped' big style.  We are enjoying Longstreet & now seeing how the mechanics fit together with the playing of cards, especially at critical times.  

I've managed to get hold of a Longstreet Card Set now (from Ebay), it has extra cards specifically for a Campaign.  I'll be having a Reb brigade & Spav a Union one.  However guess who's painting up the figures for it...