Monday, July 13, 2015

On the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo I spent the morning boxing up troops and marshaling them into the car to head to my favorite gaming community in the city of Goulburn. Willow and I tried to recreate the 1st attack of that fateful day in 1:20 ratio of figures to actual men at the battle. So DÉrlons 1st Corp assembled across the field from the thinly stretched allied line with only a few regiments standing to oppose the massed french infantry supported by the grand battery and some cavalry. The Players for the allied side looked on in dismay. We used General de Brigade and they played out beautifully. Was great to see 250+ figures per column. Quite a sight mon ami....
Columns of attack form on the French Side
Ready to move off skirmishers forward
















The Allied Line and Union Brigade lying in wait behind the crest

The Grand Battery or Napoleons Daughters

Columns approach after being bombarded by artillery all the way across the valley

The columns move into contact with the allied line and are halted
The fire from artillery with canister and musketry from the infantry halts the columns


The Scots Greys to wreak havoc on the columns of French troops.....

They couldn't stop the wave of Scottish enthusiasm and the column routs

The Scots Greys just before their charge.
 The dice gods then really abandoned the French and the remaining columns seeing their friends turn and run decided that survival was probably preferable to being charged by cavalry fled back across the table resulting in a complete rout. So history in this case definitely repeated. Greg and Boyd patiently awaited the French Arrival rolled some great dice and rolled up the french with just the Scots Greys as the rest of the Union Brigade wasn't so keen to charge which was almost the perfect outcome. The Duke of Wellington would have said "well played that man".
A glorious victory to my Allied troops and a stern talking to of my French lads.

Cheers

Colin

7 comments:

  1. Great photographs Colin and great to see so many wonderful figures on the table.

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  2. Wow, that's "big battalion" Nappies! Right up my street,
    JJ

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  3. Nice posting mate. Great game too - I enjoyed the day very much.

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  4. These masses of troops are so, so impressive! Beautiful figures...

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  5. Love the massive columns Colin.
    Repeat the errors of the attack, repeat history, hey?!

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  6. A great day had by all in the spirit of the day.
    That has got to be the first time I have played a game where the outcome matched history...Must have been a missing rules lawyer or three

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