Battle of Saguntum (scenario)

For my next battle using the Grande Armee rules I chose Saguntum, again taken from here. I wanted to try the rules again, and add the rally rules in. I'll also switch and test FPGA-style skirmish fire, with both sides rolling a die and adding the Sk factor. Whoever has the higher results inflicts 1 SP loss to the other. If result is a draw, nothing happens. If one side is beyond range (like Sk1 engaged at Sk2 range) or has Sk0, it will not inflict SP losses on the opposing unit even if it rolls higher.

This time I needed very few modifications to the existing scenario. Under my rules modifications, I thought that Loy's cavalry (for the Spanish) couldn't really attack if it had only 1SP as in the scenario, so I merged both cavalry units in Zayas' command as a single 3SP Trained cavalry unit, which would also make them behave more historically anyway.

The Battle of Saguntum in 1811 was a small but important clash between Suchet's forces (which were besieging Saguntum) and Blake's relieving forces. Blake was defeated and the town surrendered soon after.

Scenario general info:

1. Basic Length: 6 turns.

2. Weather is Normal (with no variation). Ground is Hard.

3. See original scenario for terrain effects: Streams count as obstacles. Horse may not enter the Carob groves which are all land to the NE of the streams between the Expeditionary Corps and the French except for a 3" area along the Valencia- Saguntum road. Horse may not enter any upland area.

4. Both armies set up simultaneously, as indicated on the scenario map.

5. Morale of the French Army is Confident. Its Break Point is 3.

6. Morale of the Spanish Army is Shaky. Its Break Point is 4.

Scenario map:

French Army
Army Commander: Marshal Suchet (Good)
This is a Napoleonic Army of 2 Forces

Left Wing (L): Suchet 1 / 12"
1/L Hebert's Brigade                    Trained   9SP   Sk2
2/L Harispe's Division                 Veteran   9SP   Sk2
3/L St.Paul's Italian Brigade        Trained   6SP   Sk2
1C/L Cuirassiers                          Veteran   3SP
2C/L Dragoons                            Trained   2SP

Right Wing (R): Chlopiski (V) 1 / 12"
1/R Poles                                     Elite        6SP   Sk2
2/R Robert's Brigade                   Trained   8SP   Sk2
C/R Italian Horse                         Veteran   2SP

Spanish Army
Army Commander: Blake (Average)
This is a Traditional Army of 3 Forces

Expeditionary Corps (E): Zayas (V) 2 / 9" Aggressive
1/E Zayas' Division                      Veteran   8SP   Sk1
2/E Lardizabal's Division             Veteran   7SP   Sk1
3/E Velasco's Valencians             Raw        5SP
C/E Loy's and Caro's Cavalry      Trained   3SP
1A/E 4-pdr Horse Arty
2A/E 4-pdr Horse Arty

Valencian Corps (V): O'Donnell 3 / 5" Aggressive
1/V Miranda's Division                 Raw        6SP
2/V Villacampa's Division             Raw        6SP
3/V Obispo's Division                   Raw        6SP
C/VSan Juan's Horse                   Raw        4SP
A/V 4-pdr Horse Arty

Murcian Corps (M): Mahy 4 / 3" Aggressive
1/M Creach's Brigade                   Raw       3SP
2/M Montijo's Brigade                   Raw       4SP
A/M 4-pdr Horse Arty

This isn't an easy battle for the Spanish to win. Only a few units are veterans and reliable, while the rest is of low or very low quality, with their Raw quality meaning they are unlikely to recover once routed. They also have a difficult command situation, even if the "Aggressive" status of their Sub-Commanders (which in this battle means they are prone to follow their attack battle plan) helps move them forward even in face of few CPs. Suchet instead will have little or no problem in controlling his higher quality forces.

Cavalry is very limited in numbers and strength for both sides. Yet its ability to interdict skirmishers (especially for the Spanish versus the French), threaten infantry flanks and face opposing cavalry trying to do the same may prove vital for both sides. In the end, this is a fairly small scenario that lends itself well to being used for introducing new players (in this case, just let them use the French!).

Battle of La Coruna (Battle Report)

I've played the Battle of La Coruna scenario I've recently modified (see here). It was a fun battle, and helped me test my modified fast Grande Armee rules (more on this later). I have a heavy green cloth to cover the table and books under it as hills. The weight of the cloth allows it to give the whole battlefield a very natural look of hills and valleys, with hillsides gradually degrading from the top. I didn't have anything to make the river on the French right / British left, but I had a turn record sheet there, so anyway there was no chance of units inadvertently moving there.

View of the battlefield, showing elevations (and the turn record sheet)

Another view from above

The battle started in a mostly historical way. Mermet's division on the French left started its attack towards Elvina and Baird's division on the heights, while the rest of Soult's troops advanced more slowly and less coordinately towards Hope's troops.

View from the French (Soult's) positions

View from the British (Sir John Moore's) position

British Artillery alone routed one French brigade but the rest of Mermet's troops pressed on. A furious skirmish battle erupted along the line. Still, the British forces were progressively suffering losses too and despite heavy casualties the French ultimately gained the top of the hill. It was brief however, as they were then routed by a counterattack by Werde's British Guards.

Start of French attack

The other side

Overall view of the French advance

French right flank slow, while action unfolds on the left

Around Elvina

The French have stormed the top of the hill...

...but get repulsed by the Guards' counterattack

Things went mostly likewise on the British left/French right. Delaborde however moved more slowly (Soult was concentrating on the fight on the left) and the skirmishing was more protracted.

Another view of the struggle on the hill

Once the French managed to organize a full assault, it was fierce. Faced with a strong British defence from the top of the hill, Delaborde led his troops personally with great valour but was shot and killed just as one of his brigades managed to open a hole in the British line, threatening to rout the entire enemy position. Hope quickly intervened to stabilize the line and repulsed one other French brigade, but he too was severely wounded and had to leave the field, leaving this part of the battlefield involved in a confused struggle. Ultimately the French managed to briefly storm the top of the hill, but they too were repulsed, this time by Crawfurd's reserve brigade.

Delaborde killed

As dusk neared, the French attack had been defeated along the whole line despite heavy British casualties. On the French far left / British far right the French cavalry and Paget's reserve division effectively nullified each other, but in the end this helped the British by avoiding a French flank attack on Baird's battered troops.

Technically the French routed, but the British had no cavalry to pursue and anyway were more interested in covering the embarking troops. The British could then embark without further French interference. Both sides suffered more than historically, thanks to the fact that this time Soult managed to attack on almost all front, even if a certain lack of coordination made his attacks less effective, and his lack of reserves proved vital, but the game had a mostly historical flavor.

It was a fun game, with a great Napoleonic feel that I hadn't felt in a long time. I'm very pleased with how the Grande Armee rules worked, especially with my modifications making them faster. I'm wondering if using the unit quality/rally rules would add much more time, because - contrary to my previous judgement - I now feel they could be useful to give a bit more flavor. At least, I'd like to try them once. I'll probably play a test game including them, to see how they work. If not, I will leave them aside.