venerdì 2 agosto 2019

Battle of La Coruna (scenario)

It has been a long time since my last post. Painting has been very slow, and miniature gaming too. But I never gave up so I'm ready for my next game.

The idea is to test my fast Grande Armee rules with a more challenging scenario, using full rules for command and control, and the turn/impulse sequence. I took a small scenario, the battle of La Coruna. The scale is lower than my usual target (each unit is a brigade or a large regiment, instead of a division), so as to keep the command rules meaningful, but the battle is still suitably small.

The base for my scenario is found here, but I've changed a few things, reducing the units (leaving aside those who didn't fight, only leaving them as optional troops for play balance) and a few other details.

Scenario general info:
1. Basic Length: 3 turns.
2. Weather is Normal (with no variation). Ground is Hard.
3. The river is unfordable.
4. The British set up first, then the French, within respective deployment boundaries.
5. The French have initiative on turn 1 Impulse 1. Roll as normal after that.
6. Morale of the British Army is Shaky. Its Break Point is 4.
7. Morale of the French Army is Confident. Its Break Point is 4.

Scenario map (from the original scenario):



British Forces
Army Commander: Sir John Moore (Great)
This is a Traditional Army of 3 Forces

1st Division (1): Baird 3 / 4"
1/1 Warde (Guards)                6 SP   Sk2
1/2 Bentick                             5 SP   Sk2
1/3 Manningham                    5 SP   Sk2
1/A 6-pdr Foot Arty

2nd Division (2): Hope (V) 1 / 6"
2/1 Leith                                 5 SP   Sk2
2/2 Hill                                   6 SP   Sk2
2/3 Crawfurd                          5 SP   Sk2
2/A 3-pdr Horse Arty

Reserve Division (R): Paget 1 / 3"
R/1 Anstruther                       5 SP   Sk2
R/2 Disney                             3 SP   Sk2

Optional: Access to La Coruna (A): Fraser 3/4" (if used, the Army now has 4 forces instead of 3)
A/1 Beresford                        6 SP   Sk2
A/2 Banes                              5 SP   Sk2
A/3 Portuguese Volunteers    4 SP
A/4 Fane (Hvy. Dragoons)    4 SP


French Forces
Army Commander: Marshal Soult (Good)
This is a Traditional Army of 4 Forces

I Division (I): Merle 4 / 3" Aggressive
I/1 Legere                              7 SP   Sk2
I/2 Ligne                                6 SP   Sk2
I/A 8-pdr Foot Arty

2nd Division (2): Mermet 3 / 4"
II/1/1 31e Ligne                     4 SP   Sk2
II/1/2 47e Ligne                     4 SP   Sk2
II/2 French & Swiss               7 SP   Sk2
II/A 8-pdr Foot Arty

III Division (III): Delaborde (V) 2 / 3"
III/1 Ligne                              5 SP   Sk2
III/2 86e Ligne                       3 SP   Sk2
III/A 8-pdr Foot Arty

Cavalry Division (C): Under Soult command
C/1 Lahoussaye (Dragoons)  6 SP
C/A 4-pdr Horse Arty

Optional: add the following units to the Cavalry Division
C/2 Franceschi (Hus/Chas)   5 SP
C/3 Lorge (Dragoons)           6 SP


Optional Units:
These units weren't present during the battle. Frazer's forces were protecting the approaches to La Coruna, with the cavalry already on board the ships. Lorge's French cavalry instead was protecting the right flank of the French forces and didn't participate in the actual fight, while Franceschi's light cavalry division was on the left and did little in front of Fraser's forces. They were all included in the original scenario for balance purposes, so I prefer to keep them optional. In particular, if the British forces look too outmatched, the British forces should include Fraser's command (including the cavalry), which brings the British Army to become a Traditional Army of 4 forces. If the British units are added, add Franceschi's and Lorge's units to the French Cavalry Division too.


I'm eager to try this scenario and see if the small changes I've made are ok or unbalance it too much. This will also be my first true test of my full fast version of the Grande Armee rules.