206 Eylau - 8AM to Noon (8 February 1807)

This scenario was one of the games featured in our league's 2021 season. The league uses Blue Command cards only, so no Tactician stuff.

It was played 14 times and the results ended up as 7 wins each for the French and Allies. The banner split over those 14 games was French 75, Allies 76. So it really could not have been much closer.

Also worth remembering the scenario was designed before that Tactician cards were invented. Maybe they unbalance it?

Evert and I arrive at the main part of the battle of Eylau. (I'm slightly disappointed that there's no special rule for the snowstorm that had a big effect on the historical battle.) Evert gets to play French first and opens hostilities.
The French forces on the left under Soult advance. {For simplicity, I'll use left and right as they are in the set-up picture.} After an exchange of musket fire the French infantry charges on the left (led by Marshal Soult) and centre-right. They obliterate two Russian infantry units on the left and force another to retreat in the centre. {A "Bayonet Charge" and some good dice from Evert see the score immediately 0:2 in his favour.}
However, the space on the left allows the Russian cavalry to attack, forcing the victorious French infantry into square. A French advance on the right takes out a Russian Light infantry and pushes back the Russian Cuirassiers while the Russian Heavy cavalry on the left retires in the face of French Light infantry. {A second "Bayonet Charge" takes the score to 0:3 and the Russians are in disarray.}
The Russian Cuirassiers come back on the right, taking out a French Light infantry while the Russian guns force back the French Line infantry next to them. {1:3, but the French will get a banner for holding the hill on the left edge of the battlefield, to make it 1:4.}
French infantry advances again on the right with the Russian Cuirassiers retiring. An exchange of fire between the infantry and artillery on the opposing hills right of centre removes a French Line infantry (damaged in the initial French attack). {2:4}
While the artillery finishes off the remaining French Line infantry in square on the left, Gen Tutchkov leads the Russian Light cavalry to cause serious casualties to the unit under Marshal Soult that's just come out of square. {4:3}
The French attack again on the right, to be met by the Russian cavalry. Gen Saint-Hilaire leads his Line infantry onto one of the Russian hills and destroys the battered Russian Line sheltering behind it. {5:3 and then 6:3 for occupying a second hill.}
In response, the Russian infantry, Grenadiers to the fore, advances in the centre. To no avail, Saint-Hilaire and his men eliminate the Grenadiers attacking them to win the battle. {7:3}
I thought my Russians were doing okay, but failing to shift the French off the hills left them at a significant disadvantage. A fine win for Evert in what was a quicker game than usual (must be all the Bayonet Charges and Forced Marches).

Having been soundly beaten by Evert's French in our first play, I was looking for revenge.

Both armies move forward gradually, then Marshal Davout's force on the right {for simplicity I'll use left and right as they are in the set-up picture, rather than from each army's point of view} attacks to remove the two Russian infantry units on that flank. {That means the score is 2:0 to me.}

The Russian Cuirassiers move into the empty space on the right, only to be rebuffed by Davout's (Light) cavalry, while both sides' Light infantry skirmishes on the left.

Generals Augereau and Saint-Hilaire lead the French infantry forward in the centre. Augereau, on the left side, removes a Russian Line unit and both get troops onto the Russian hills. {3:0}

But the Russians are quick to push them back, eliminating one of Saint-Hilaire's units. {3:1}

Battered French units retire, but one Line infantry (centre-left) is caught and finished off by their Russian counterparts. {3:2}

More skirmishing follows, with the Russian cavalry trying to get into the action. As French muskets have cleared the hill in front of him, Gen Saint-Hilaire moves onto it. His Line infantry is backed by the Old Guard, who've marched across the battlefield. However, the Russian Cuirassiers on the right kill off the Light cavalry in Davout's force and force one of the infantry units into square. {3:3, however the French get a banner for holding a hill to make it 4:3.}

As the Russian infantry moves forward in the centre, Russian Grenadiers take the hills centre-right, pushing Saint-Hilaire back. Their muskets kill Marshal Davout! {A "Force March" from Evert and lucky dice take the score to 3:4}

Saint-Hilaire's Line infantry and the Old Guard fight back to remove a Grenadier unit and re-take the hill. {4:4 and then 5:4 as the banner for the hill comes back.}

Despite taking casualties from musket fire, the Old Guard follow Saint-Hilaire's men onto the hills as they destroy another Grenadier unit. {6:4}

Russian fire fails to dislodge either French unit from the hills, but does kill the Line infantry under Gen Augereau in the centre, the General retreating to the town. {Evert uses a "Fire and Hold" to make the score 6:5, but then it's 7:5 when I get the second banner for the hills.}

Another French win, then, but a tougher battle (and slower game with fewer "Bayonet Charge" and "Force March" cards) than last time. Evert's French having won 3:7, the aggregate is 10:12 to him. I'm slightly miffed by losing Davout to that 1/36 chance, but that's the game. The stats say this scenario is almost 50:50 and I can see that, with better cards, the Russians should be able to take the battle to the French.