I thought this looked a fairly even fight, but the stats say it's a French victory 75% of the time. I guess that sudden death win makes a difference.
Playing the Russians, as I am, could be hard work then. Hopefully, the Mother Russia roll would bolster my forces. I was able to add a Cossack unit on the extreme left and another centre-right with the Light cavalry (I'm using left and right as shown in the pictures, not as the Russians would see it), bring a Line infantry up to full strength (next to Bagration, centre-left) and add fieldworks to the two forward artillery units.
The first action saw the Russian cavalry in the centre attack the French Light cavalry in front of them in a pre-emptive strike. The result was both sides' cavalry taking heavy casualties without anything conclusive (the Cossacks were eliminated, but there are no victory banners for them).
The Russian artillery was damaging French infantry units as they advanced in the centre and right. The French cavalry on the left attacked, putting two Russian Light infantry into square. In return, the Russian guns removed a French Light infantry, under General Desjardin, on the right, the General scampering to safety. {First blood to the Russians and the score's 1:0.}
The Russians brought more infantry forward to the hills on the right to support their artillery while the guns on the left drove the French Heavy cavalry back from the squares. However, this left a clear field of fire for French muskets and artillery to take out one of those squares. And advancing in the centre removed the Russian Line on the end of the right-hand hills, French Horse artillery taking their place. {The score swings the other way to 1:2.}
Russian Grenadiers responded to the French attack in the centre and eliminated a Light infantry, while another was destroyed by musketry from their Russian counterparts across the frozen lake on the right edge of the battlefield. {And it swings back to me 3:2.}
In response, the French Horse artillery destroyed the Russian Line under their muzzles on the hills on the right. {Evert's lucky die roll makes it 3:3.}
The French cavalry on the left resumed its attack, a second Russian infantry unit going into square. However, this put the cavalry under a lot of Russian gun muzzles and they started taking casualties. French Line infantry moved up to support the cavalry and overran the first square. {3:4}
The Russian guns removed the Light cavalry from the left attack while the Heavy cavalry retreated to a hill. {4:4}
Damaged by the French Horse artillery, one unit of Grenadiers in the centre was finished off by advancing French Line infantry while the French Line on the left overran a second square. {4:6}
The final move was French Line infantry on the left and in the centre combining to finish off the battered Russian artillery centre-left.
I thought I was doing okay there, but took too many casualties as the French advanced. Evert was able to retreat several units that had been reduced to a single block and put fresh troops into the fight, which is always useful. The question now is how well he can do with the Russians.
Pevans
