PF02 Battle of London (June 1812)

Historical Background
London, 1812. History has taken a different course. The French victory at Trafalgar has destroyed British naval power and allowed Napoleon to accomplish what had seemed impossible for years: crossing the English Channel with a large army. After a rapid campaign on British soil, the French forces have reached London and established a massive siege around the capital.
The British army has concentrated in London to defend the heart of the United Kingdom. King George III remains at Buckingham Palace, while regular troops, Guards, and contingents from different parts of the British Isles occupy the city's defensive positions. Fortifications protect the approaches while British artillery attempts to contain the French advance.
East of the capital, Napoleon's army prepares its final assault. Among its ranks march some of the most veteran and experienced troops of the Empire, including the Old Guard and Young Guard. If the French manage to break through the defenses and enter London, the fall of Buckingham Palace could determine the fate of Britain. For the defenders, every lost position brings disaster closer.
The stage is set. The battle lines are drawn and you are in command. Can you change history?

Battle Notes

French Army
• Commander: Napoleon Bonaparte
• 5 Command Cards
• Move First

British Army
• Commander: Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington
• 5 Command Cards.

 

Victory
Eliminate 60 enemy blocks. Victory Banners are not used in this scenario; victory is determined by the number of enemy blocks eliminated.

Special Rules
There are not as many Line and Light Infantry units as shown on the map. We use 3 Portuguese Line Infantry units and 1 Light Infantry unit of 4 blocks, representing the Edinburgh Scottish Volunteers.
This map is not played in the traditional north–south or south–north orientation, but from left to right. Therefore, we do not use the conventional Left, Center, and Right sections. Instead, we use North, Middle, and South sections, each 3 hexes wide. For Command Card purposes, use the following equivalence:
Left = North, Center = Middle, Right = South for both players.
Regardless of how the baseline markers are shown on the map, the British retreat toward the left, with the left edge of the map as their baseline, while the French retreat in the opposite direction, with the right edge of the map as their baseline and retreating toward the right.
The Tower Bridge, St. Paul's Cathedral, and Hyde Park each provide 3 temporary Victory blocks to the player controlling them at the beginning of their turn.
Buckingham Palace provides 3 temporary Victory blocks to the British player if they control it at the beginning of their turn. It provides the French player with an immediate Sudden Death victory if they control it at the beginning of their turn.

Scenario Mechanics

1. London Defenses
   When a British unit occupying a fortification hex is attacked by artillery, the first hit scored by the artillery causes no block loss. Any remaining hits are resolved normally.
2. Explosive Ammunition
   When an artillery unit makes a ranged attack against an enemy unit that is not in a fortification and scores at least 1 hit, the target suffers the hits normally, and each enemy unit adjacent to the target loses 1 additional block.
3. Elite Troops
   While a unit remains adjacent to a Guard unit of its army, it receives +1 combat die.
   British Guard Grenadiers and British Guard Cavalry count as British Guard. The Young Guard and Old Guard count as French Guard.
4. Armor-Piercing Ammunition
   When a French artillery unit makes a ranged attack against an enemy unit occupying a fortification, Sabres count as 1 hit.
   Explosive Ammunition and Armor-Piercing Ammunition are mutually exclusive: outside a fortification, Explosive Ammunition is used; against a fortification, Armor-Piercing Ammunition is used. They are never both applied to the same attack.
5. Garrison Reserve
   When a Command Card allows 4 or more British units to be ordered, the British player may activate 1 additional Infantry unit, even if its section does not correspond to the Command Card.
6. Breaking the Line
   If a French unit forces a British unit to retreat or eliminates it while it is in a fortification, it may advance into the vacated hex and conduct a second melee against the same British unit or against another adjacent British unit.
7. King George III
   While King George III remains in Buckingham Palace, all British units located in the Palace and in adjacent hexes ignore the first hit received in each attack.
   If France occupies Buckingham Palace, France immediately wins by Sudden Death.
8. Unit Consolidation
   Two friendly units of the same type, with 2 blocks or fewer each, may merge if they are in adjacent hexes.
   The blocks of both units are combined into a single unit. One of the two units is removed from the battlefield. The new unit retains the resulting number of blocks, up to the maximum allowed for that type of unit. The merged unit may not combat that turn.
   The merger may be performed as many times as desired during the game, provided the conditions are met.

The River Thames cannot be forded. It may only be crossed using the bridges.