003 Vimiero (21 August 1808)

Time for a return match with Evert over scenario 3, Vimiero, with me taking the defending British/Portuguese Allies. Some initial manoeuvring in the centre saw me bring the Rifles forward where they could damage the French infantry as it was lining up - and annoying Evert.
A French cavalry attack against the British artillery on the hills was beaten off with damage on both sides. Then Evert used a "Bayonet Charge" to engage the British infantry and artillery on the hills with the French infantry. His success was in eliminating the Rifles, but he lost a line infantry in exchange. However, another unit was stranded under the muzzles of the guns and they didn't last long. 2:1 to me.
Evert then brought his right flank cavalry into play. I tried to pre-empt this with a "Bayonet Charge" of my own, bringing the British infantry into a better formation and attacking the French infantry. That was another French line infantry gone, making the score 3:1.
Then in came the French cavalry. A "Cavalry Charge" saw attacks on both flanks. On the right, they took out a damaged unit, on the left they charged the guns. (Why do the words "Light Brigade" come to mind?). In this case, the cavalry won, I had no more artillery and the score was 3:3.
Fire from light infantry and artillery on the French right finished off the damaged line infantry trying to hide in the town. 3:4
The left flank French cavalry kept attacking a British line infantry in square on the hills, gradually beating them down, while my other infantry kept shooting at the cavalry. And missing: dozens of dice and the best I could manage was a few flags... But that cavalry kept coming back.
More shooting on the French right finished off another British line infantry (some lucky rolls there). 3:5 and it's looking precarious (6 banners wins).
I finally got the Allied (light) cavalry into action, swinging them round the hills to hit the now battered French cavalry. Light cavalry attacks heavy cavalry uphill.. and wins, the leader retreating to the other cavalry. 4:5. Light cavalry then attacks light cavalry and finishes them off. 5:5. Oh, and roll for the leader. That's a 1/6 chance and the result is a win - 6:5.
Phew, that was close. I was lucky at the end, but think I deserved it after the bad luck earlier.

There are 17 hill tiles, not 18.

nope, there's def. 18 hill hexes (I compared it with my scenario booklet just to be sure, as some of the hills in the picture here can be less visible).

18

J.F. and I started a new scenario where we will both play each side and compare total banners. I was the French and pushed part of my center INF into the woods to attack the British left. In the early game all the action was around Vercosa on the French right. Why go for the big town for 2 banners when it is locked down like a Fort Knox. Just swing right and go for six banners. This was the French plan. It worked. The French took Vercosa and slowly ground down the British. The Brits had a Rally card that gave them new life and two Elan cards that did damage, but the French prevailed. The Brits did do damage in the French center, but a combined arms destroyed a British line unit to push them back. The last banner was won outside the walls of Vercosa not Vimiero. French win 6-3.

Ran a quick solo game of this, my first C&CN game in quite a while, which was (unsurprisingly) marked by some major mistakes by both sides. 

General Junot had a fantastic hand (including two bayonet charges and two break the squares) and almost managed to squander it. The battle opened with a fierce bayonet charge on the French right. In its haste to roll as many dice as possible, Solignac's brigade failed to take advantage of the potential cover offered by the town of Ventosa. Both sides lost a large number of blocks in the melee, but after a few turns, the British had destroyed Solignac's infantry and taken a 3-2 lead. Solignac managed to redeem himself, quickly noticing the gaps that had opened in the British line and throwing his cavalry into them. It was now Britain's turn to make a major mistake by failing to attach Fergusson to a unit, resulting in his untimely death at the hands of the French light cavalry. Meanwhile, the French dragoons shattered a hastily formed square that the remaining British line battalion had formed on the hill overlooking Ventosa. The French now took a 4-3 lead, but Wellesley was able to form a last line of British and Portuguese infantry and artillery on the hills at the rear of his left flank. Having lost almost all of his infantry, Solignac's attack now petered out, although he was able to send one battalion through the woods to join the action in the center of the battle. 

Throughout all of this, the French left and center had seen very little action other than a steady exchange of artillery fire between both sides. Junot now gave Kellerman the orders to advance, and Kellerman was able to screen the movements of the advancing columns of infantry with his light cavalry. The French cavalry was devastated by a combination of canister and close range volleys, but it did its job, allowing Kellerman's brigade to reach bayonet range without suffering significant losses. At this crucial moment, an unlucky leader roll left General Fane dead and forced Wellesley to abandon his positions and begin a retreat. France won 6-4. 

Vittoria inglese 6-2

The French opened with an attack on Ventosa on their right. They were able to take the town, but the British expelled them the next turn. The fighting here was moderate, but the British held the town and the battle shifted to the French left. The French pushed forward and neutralized the two units across the river. However, this came at heavy costs, and the British were up 3-2. Both units of the French light infantry were destroyed on each side of the battle. The French made one more attack on the hills in front of Vimiero with cavalry support. They put two units in square, and destroyed another unit of line. However, a British artillery unit was not destroyed and it kept firing away at the cavalry. A British counter attack with light cavalry put a French line unit in square as well. The French could not break the British squares and the British used a Fire and Hold card to destroy a second cavalry unit. The general (St. Chair) with the unit died as well giving the British six units. This was the second game we played having switched sides, and remarkably it also ended with a French general dying to end the game. The British win 6-3.
The two games combined were British 6-4, and British 6-3.

TK4 and I sat down to play Vimiero. I had played this as an EPIC solo. TK4 too the British. I started on the right and took the small town of Ventosa. I never lost it. But could not move forward. I probed in the left flank, but he moved up the units from the river and got good hits on my destroying my left. In the middle I did not do well again. At this point it was 4-1 his favor. I then played two CAV charges in the next two turns. The first one worked very well, the second one failed. It was now 4-4. He moved up his rifle unit and took out a one block with the leader. He rolled 1 die for the leader check and got the kill to win 6-4. The last two turns were very tense. A great game. This game was played on 2026-02-01.