Napoleonics - part 1

A game arranged by Matt for Sunday Morning\Afternoon. Unfortunately the guest of honour (Kieron the Guardsman) that the game was arranged for, failed to turn up. This might of been because of his map reading skills or possibly a hangover. The game went ahead anyway.

A brief campaign set in northern Portugal as the French forces attempt to force a way over\around the river Droubo to Oporto. The rule set is 'In the Grand Manner', which I thought I had played in the past but I can't remember ever playing this version of it.


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After an initial (and very brief) battle at Braganca where a small force of Spanish Infantry attempted an holding action against the three encroaching French Divisions, both forces started to congregate around the middle of the map, as the Allies leading forces fell back to link up with additional units moving up from Oporto.

The few units of Allied Cavalry deployed on the far left flank with the Portuguese Infantry inside them on the left. The Spanish stayed lurking in the cover of the village, with the British line infantry holding the right. Most of the French cavalry lined up against our left, but the elite Polish Lancers (you could tell they were elite by the way they were painted!) were set up against our right as shock troops. Also against the British was the major thrust of the French Infantry assault with a large density of columns waiting to advance and engage.

The KGL and Spanish cavalry some how managed to beat the odds and had caused enough disruption in the French cavalry to stop them from effectively supporting the Infantry advance in the left and centre, with only a single isolated column managing to contact, and rout, some artillery. A few columns tried to advance against the centre but were repulsed before contact. The was also a shocked as the Poles were temporarily repelled, but they still bought the time needed for the attack columns to move into charge range, and charge they did.

So things are balanced with the Portuguese and Spanish holding the left flank and centre with a partial lull as the French reorganise, but with the British under immediate pressure from the columns of the French crashing down onto the right.


At this point we called it a day, but agreed to carry on the fight next week.