Team Tournament

Looks like Todddrew and I will be battling it out on Saturday.

Just as a heads up, next wednesday I go on holiday for two weeks, so will no be around immediately, but I will pick up my third game on my return.

Scenario: 211 Borodino - Village of Borodino (7 September 1812)

Player 1 Toddrew (Russians) 3 banners
Player 2 TheMP (French) 7 banners

Another hard fought game for me personally but also slowly due to my inexperience of VASSAL. Thank heavens you players have patience.

The battle opened with the French on both flanks getting some units nestled into positions of preventing a Russian cavalry breakthrough on the French left by placing INF units in firing positions and getting cavalry foward. On the French right by moving artillery and some INF forward. The Russians rejigged their centre, with the Guard Jaeger leaving Borodino to avoid artillery fire and also getting their batteries and grenadiers forward in a worryingly tough looking line.

The battle then came to life as the French Cavalry units, all three of them unleashed a charge in 3 sectors. Two charged across the river Kalatsha. One of these was in the centre against a Russian battery. The battery was pushed back (by 3 flags!!), but the heavy cavalry were unable to advance as they had moved into a river and therefore unable to follow up. The same occurred with French heavies on their right. Attacking Russian Jaeger which formed square and held. However, on the French right, their light cavalry pushed back Russian heavy dragoons, eventually finishing them off as a second round of cavalry charges was unleashed as well as mopping up the Cossacks located here. Russian morale seemed to write the battle off after that event.

But it was nowhere near finished as the Russian centre proved horribly stubborn. The French found it hard to crack this line at all and threw in the Young Guard to help. But they, like others had to cross the river and were seen off as a force very quickly.

Back on the right, a slow French advance had weakened Russian Jaeger around the woods and were getting the upperhand, but the French light cavalry on the left were being heavily attacked by Russian infantry forces. Despite the numbers the Russians attacked with here, the French lights somehow manage to slither away with half their number remaining. In that time they had gone on to damage Russian INF units as well as a remaining Russian light cavalry unit. They had in fact been the main cause of the win, surviving apparently 15 rolled dice to sustain just 2 block casualties.

A grand manouevre by the French allowed them to get further forces forward, albeit not as much as they would have liked, but it was enough to continue damage near the Russian held heights on the French right and also get French units nearer to Borodino. Throughout all this, Russian artillery was unable to settle. Having been forced to retreat, they were then short supplied. The other battery was eliminated.

Eventually, and perhaps slower than the Russians may have thought, the French inflicted the damage required as their INF reached the first parts atop of the heights with artillery support and also at Borodino had reached the edge of village. The battle ended as a 7-3 banner victory to the French in what was a long fought out tussle.

Thanks to Todd for seeing me through it.

Borodino Round 2 results

Banners	Russian Team B	Scenario	French Team A	Banners
3	Todd (Todddrew)	211 Borodino - Village of Borodino (7 September 1812)	TheMP	7
5	Michal (MK20336)	212 Borodino - Utitza (7 September 1812)	Mark McG	7
	Thom (Grondeaux)	213 Borodino - Raevski Redoubt (7 September 1812)	sufete

Too late to join the tournament?

After what seems innumerable attempts, Michal and I finally got together for our match.

Scenario: 212 Borodino - Utitza (7 September 1812)

Player 1 MichalK (Russians) 5 banners
Player 2 Mark McG (French) 7 banners

Russians have just 1 ART and no cavalry here, with a few Cossacks. The French initial advance up their right went well, the French cavalry doing good work, but they got cut off by the few remaining Russian infantry, and in a fury of Yellow dice, the French cavalry died. Too late the French infantry moved in, felling the remaining Russian infantry. French 3-1. Cossacks were beaten off.

The Centre cards finally started to come out, and the French ART could move up, and the cannonade on the Russian lines began. With few options, the Russians counterattacked on their right, and managed to bring the score up to 5-5. However, the effort depleted them too far, and the French reaction was sufficient to win the game.

Played with the Tactics cards, but really only used twice.

I have tried to do my best but with the Russian position and Mark's experience it was hard to get something more...