Evert and I have reached the end of the 1807 campaign as we play through the Russian scenarios. As I play the Russians first, I started the game with the Mother Russia roll. This proved quite useful, allowing me to add an extra block to the Foot artillery in the centre and the Line infantry next to it, while also erecting fieldworks in front of them. My fifth die added a Cossack (or nuisance) unit on the extreme right. (For simplicity I'm using left and right as they are in the set-up picture.)
Initially skirmishing on the flanks saw a battered French Light infantry retire on the left and a battered Russian Light infantry retire on the right (where the Cossacks fell without making any impression on the enemy). At the same time, the French moved their artillery forward in the centre.
The French Heavy cavalry on the left took on Gen Gorchakov's advancing Line infantry, but the infantry formed square and the cavalry bounced off this thicket of bayonets. The infantry quickly came out of square and chased the cavalry away with a volley of musket fire.
Led by the Guard Grenadiers, the Russian infantry in the centre attacked over the hills, engaging the French infantry and destroying the Horse artillery with them. {And a "Bayonet Charge" opens the scoring, 1:0 to me.}
French muskets caused casualties in the Russian ranks in the centre, but the infantry held firm and responded, eliminating a French Light infantry unit. {2:0}
General Mortier led a French counter-attack. His Line infantry centre-left removed the Russian Light infantry in front of them. Light and Heavy cavalry attacked the Russian positions on the left, General Gorchakov's Line infantry on the hill forming square in response, but the damaged Russian Heavy cavalry fell to the enemy sabres. {2:2}
Artillery fire drove off the French cavalry on the left, allowing Gorchakov's men to come out of square, but more Russian Line infantry fell in the continuing fight in the centre. {2:3}
The remaining Russian infantry retired from the hills in the centre to lick their wounds. {"La Grande Manoeuvre" let me withdraw exposed units.}
On the left, the French cavalry attacked again, but the Russian infantry formed square. On the right, Russian infantry under Gen Bagration advanced to remove French Line infantry, only to retire under heavy fire from the remainder of the French troops. {3:3}
As French infantry advanced on the left to bring their muskets to bear on the Russian squares, the Heavy cavalry took on the Russian Light horsemen under Generals Uvarov and Kollangribov. With artillery in support, the Light cavalry made short work of the Frenchmen. {4:3}
However, French muskets then eliminated the square of Light infantry, even as Gen Gorchakov's men were able to come out of square again and drive off the remaining French cavalry. And charging up the hill enabled the French Line infantry to destroy the final Russian square. {4:5}
The next French attack saw the Guard Heavy cavalry sweep forward across the fieldworks in the centre to destroy one Russian Foot artillery, while Line infantry's muskets removed the other. At the same time, French Grenadiers occupied the woods on the right after eliminating the Russian Light infantry holding them. {An "Elan" card let Evert storm to a sudden win: 4:8.}
My Russians were holding their own there for quite a while (even when I had three infantry in square), but Evert was able to pull back damaged French units to avoid losing them. The extra attack die provided by Elan gave Evert a useful advantage in his final attack, though he also needed a bit of luck to take the win. Overall, an excellent game.
Pevans
