This week Evert and I reach scenario 8, Bussaco (Ney's Assault), in our play-through of the base game scenarios. I take the French first, faced with another line of British and Portuguese units on the reverse slope of the hills on their side of the battlefield and a long slog acros the board for the French forces. At least there are a few advanced Allied units to enliven the early stages.
So the French start their advance. An initial success was some Light infantry moving into the woods left of centre. Their shooting pushes the Rifles back in the town of Sula. However, this leaves room for the British Light that was in the open to sprint into the town. A second British Light infantry moves up to support the Portuguese Lights in the wood right of centre.
The French Lights demonstrated their marksmanship again, damaging the British Lights now in Sula. Good job they weren't in the open.
The British advance their left wing [Assault Left] towards the woods that separate the two armies here. The French respond [Counter-attack] by advancing their own troops, getting some of their Light cavalry onto the battlefield. One British Line infantry goes a bit too far and is devastated by more accurate fire from French Light infantry. The remnant is lucky to escape the following cannonballs of the French artillery. This prompts the British left wing to retire back to the hills.
A French advance right of centre sees two Line infantry push the Portuguese Lights out of the woods, starting a continuing engagement. This ends with a French Line infantry eliminated, the other retreated and British Lights occupying the woods. [0:1 to the Allies]
Left of centre, more accurate shooting from the French Lights chases the badly damaged British Lights out of Sula to the woods behind.
A more concerted French advance in the centre [Force March] sees two more Line join the exchange right of centre with the unit already there taking the woods from the British Lights. Left of centre, the French Light infantry moves towards Sula and forces another forward British unit to retreat.
The engagement centre right continues with the French Light cavalry now joining in. Musketry finishes off the Portuguese Lights. The British Lights scatter in front of the cavalry and are ridden down. The cavalry charges on to force a French Line into square. [2:1]
However, this puts the cavalry under the muzzles of the British artillery and they are blown away. [2:2]
A lull sees both sides re-group, enlivened by the Rifles' long-range sniping. However, they run out of ammo and have to fall back to find more. [Short Supply]
The French right wing advances a bit further, while the Grenadier Guards and Heavy cavalry get into position on the British right.
A British Line moves forwards in the centre and damages an already battered French Line infantry. The Brits provide a target for the second French Light cavalry, but the horsemen bounce off the square that forms. The infantry comes out of square to drive off the cavalry with musketry, but they return straight away and the infantry goes back into square, taking no casualties from the French Line that moves into range.
An artillery duel starts on the right, then the French Line lets go a full volley [Fire & Hold] at the square, destroying the entire unit [5 dice, 4 hits!]. [3:2]
French infantry advances further on their extreme right, looking to outflank the Allies on the hills.
Then the British Heavy cavalry charges [Cavalry Charge] the massed French infantry in front of them (extreme left of the French lines). Taken by surprise, the unit that they attack fails to form square, but survives the attack to inflict some damage on the cavalry. Then they move left into the woods, allowing three infantry units and the artillery to open up on the cavalry. They have some effect, but what's left of the cavalry is able to retire into the village of Cerquedo behind them and then retreat further.
Musketry from the French left of centre pushes some Portuguese infantry back while the artillery duel continues. Then the French artillery runs out of ammo and pulls back. [Short Supply again]
The French launch the right flank attack, a Line infantry marching up onto the hills and wiping out [5 dice, 4 hits ... again] the Portuguese infantry they meet - the suppporting units have nothing to shoot at. [4:2]
A half-strength British Line attacks the victorious Line unit, causing hefty casualties, but being eliminated by the counter. [5:2]
The Grenadier Guards finally move into the action on the Allied right, only to take heavy casualties from French fire. The French Light infantry in Sula finish off the British Light behind the town and the French Lights on the extreme right remove what's left of a British Line sheltering in the village of Mondo Novo. [7:2]
It was a tougher fight than that scoreline suggests, leaving the French forces scattered across the battlefield and the Allies battered. How will the return match go?
Pevans
