006 River Coa (24 July 1810)

Here is a Battle Report

For my latest day of games with nephew Tom we added in the Generals, Marshals & Tacticians expansion, so we could use the Tactics cards and the expanded Command deck. I drew the French for our first play. My initial move was to attack with the Light Cavalry on my right flank. The intention was to force some of the British infantry into square, reducing Tom's options (players lose a Command card for each unit in square). However, Tom declined to form square and the cavalry finished off two infantry units (including one of the rifles that I was particularly concerned about). Though this did leave them in front of the British artillery...
Tom decided that the way to win was to get units across the bridge and used a "Bayonet Charge" card to evacuate his first - and start a traffic jam on the approach to the bridge. I played "Forced March" to move up the main French force in the centre, starting to damage the British units even as they disappeared behind the hills towards the bridge.
The British cavalry moved up on my right, their Heavies taking out one of my Light Cavalry units. At the same time, Tom got another two units off the board - that's 4:2 to the Allies. A "Grande Manoeuvre" card let me shift several units onto the now empty hills overlooking the bridge. But Tom used a "Leadership" card to get two more units over the bridge to win 6:2. It felt closer than that scoreline suggests, though.
Re-playing as the other side saw my British manoeuvre with a "Bayonet Charge", shifting units closer to the bridge, while the French attacked on my right. I managed to get one unit off the board while my light infantry tried to hold up the French advance on the right, despite being forced into square by the French cavalry. They fell, but I was able to use "Grande Manoeuvre" to get the two Portuguese infantry off the board with British line infantry taking their place in the fortifications.
The French continued to advance, with a "Bayonet Charge" starting a pitched battle in front of the bridge. However, the score was still 3:1 to me at this point.
But the fighting went in favour of the French and they siezed the bridge before finishing off enough units to win 6:4. And that's 12:6 to Tom in total. Oops! (Full report - with photos - on BGG: boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/109906 )

A bizarre scenario which ended with the British Horse Artillery chasing down the last block of Loison’s debacle of an attack. Only two Portuguese blocks made it off the board for 1 Banner and only 5 British infantry blocks were not eliminated, yet the British win 6-5.

The Vassal module, up to Version v3.42, has an error, turning the centre French LT (as shown in the official scenario and on this page) into an LN.

Evert's and my progress through the base game scenarios reached this one this evening with me taking the French.
An initial advance on the British left put the Rifles into the windmill, from where they then shot up the closest French Line infantry to good effect.
The French moved up their heavy cavalry in the centre and then charged, the Heavies hitting the end of the British right flank while the Lights attacked the Rifles in the windmill. The plucky Brits stood their ground, leaving three battered units that then attacked, forcing the cavalry back.
The French Light cavalry finished off the Rifles in the windmill, only to be chased away by advancing British Line infantry. 1:0 to the French.
A second attack by the French Heavy cavalry on the battered infantry at the end of the British right flank forced them both into square. Musketry from the Portuguese Light infantry and the central Rifles inflicted casualties on the cavalry and drove them off.
The French started bringing up their main force in the centre only to find the Portuguese Light infantry coming to meet them. French line units took on the Portuguese, damaging one and finishing off the other at the same time as superb shooting [4 hits in 6 dice] from the British Line in the windmill destroyed a French Line infantry. 2:1 to the French.
The second Portuguese unit bit the dust, their attacker then forced back by the Rifles. 3:1
The two right-flank British infantry finally came out of square, the more damaged Light unit retreating while the Line advanced to finish off a French Line while another one disintegrated under fire from the British Horse Artillery in the centre. 3:3
This finally provoked some activity from the French left flank under Ferey, making a Bayonet Charge on that advanced British Line unit. It survived and retired into the fieldworks while the Horse Artillery continued to Bombard the French centre.
Ferey pressed his attack, storming over the field works to finish off the British Line unit, General Sydney falling with his command. 5:3
What was left of the British right flank Light infantry scampered over the bridge to leave the battlefield. 5:4
The two French Light cavalry that made up the whole of the French right flank charged the British artillery that had gradually worked its way forward from Almeida, but completely failed to inflict any damage. They were attacked by the British Heavy cavalry, eliminating one unit, while the British infantry in the windmill combined with the artillery to drive off the other. 5:5
A second Bombard from the Horse Artillery provided the coup de grace for a quarter-strength French Line infantry in the centre to win the battle for the Allies 5:6.
This was a tough battle, not least because Evert only realised he could earn banners for exiting units late in the game - while my handicap was the preponderance of all-but-useless right-flank cards in my hand. I look forward to the return match.

Time for my return match with Evert and my turn to be the Allies.
The first action was some gunnery ("Hold & Fire") from the British centre-left that pushed back the advanced French units in front of them.
The French advanced their left flank to engage the British right with some musketry while one of the Portuguese Light infantry deserted the field works to be first to escape the battlefield. 1:0 to the Allies.
Counter-volleys from the British right were met with a Bayonet Charge that battered the British Light infantry while the Line sent their attackers packing. A French Line on their right wing also charged and annihilated the Rifles on the British left. 1:1
Musket volleys from the British right missed completely and the French charged again (another "Bayonet Charge"!) to finish off the Lights and force the other Portuguese unit out of the field works. 1:2
While the Portuguese escaped, the British Heavy cavalry (which had worked its way across the battlefield) attacked the French unit occupying the field works and took casualties for its pains (Evert had a "First Strike"). 2:2
The French infantry polished off the Heavy cavalry only to fall to the combined fire of the Rifles and Horse artillery as a British Line escaped across the bridge. 4:3
On the French right, a Line infantry and Light cavalry combined to destroy a British Line infantry unit while French Lights occupied the bridge. 4:4
The soldiers on the bridge took a pasting from the Rifles as the British Light cavalry moved up. However, French Light cavalry smacked into the British horsemen, forcing them back into the woods and finishing them off amongst the trees. 4:5
The Rifles completed their demolition of the French troops on the bridge and then made their escape: 6:5
That was another tough fight as the exiting Allied units weakened the flank that needed to defend the bridge - and the French just kept pushing forward on their left to attack it. It was a win for the Allies both times, with the aggregate score tied 11:11.

I played this scenario with my wargaming partner at my Wargames club. First time round I played the allies. The French infantry in the centre rapidly advanced with a bayonet charge and pushed back the Portuguese light infantry while the French infantry closed on my right assaulted my British light and line infantry. Despite some damage to my units I was able to stem the French tide and managed to extract a couple of units over the bridge. The French then swept round my right flank and won the day 6 to 3.

Playing the same scenario as the French, I launched an assault on my left with my infantry as all my order cards were for that flank. I had good cards throughout the game and good dice rolls and pushed back the British Line and light infantry who with their backs to the river lost additional stands due to retreat flags. I also annihilated a British horse artillery battery that had come off the hill to challenge my infantry in the centre. I did significant damage with two fire and hold cards, then played an elan card which wiped out the British units on my left as well as the Portuguese light infantry in the centre. The allied units fought back heroically but failed to do much damage and soon I was winning 5 victory flags to 0 over the allies. Victory was then sealed when my French light cavalry on my Right flank charged and caught the British rifles unit near the windmill out in open ground - the rifles lost one stand but also retreated allowing my cavalry to take ground and attack again finishing them off. Final score was 6 / 0. Vive l'France. Vive l'Emperuer, Hail Marshal Ney!

Contemplating the games both me and my gaming partner agreed that for the British to win they need to hold off and defeat assaults by the two nearest French infantry forces (those in the centre and on the British left) - this would buy vital time to enable the allies to evacuate units off the bridge as the bulk of Ney's forces are on the French base line and will take time to close on the British. In both our games though, through having good command and tactic cards, the French in the centre and on the British left flank were able to seize the initiative and close with the allies swiftly pushing them back and causing additional losses when the allies could not retreat due to the river/other allied units or the British base line. Cards like bayonet charge and force march play important roles in this game where both sides are in a race against time (The allies to leave the board via the bridge and the French to stop them.)

One point of contention when we were discussing a retreat was whether the bridge could be entered from an adjacent hex - we decided that the bridge hex can only be entered from the hex that the bridge leads on to. If anyone can clarify this would be appreciated.