Pas de Charge vs Thin Red Line

This is a play test of a Scenario I am planning to run at the NHMGS ENFILADE Convention in May, 2018. (For more on Enfilade see here: http://www.nhmgscitadel.com/enfilade/ )

For this Scenario we have two fairly equal Napoleonic forces both trying to capture a bridge somewhere in Spain. They approach from opposite sides of the map with a ridge of difficult terrain between them. The British because of the Riflemen, have a higher Points total so the forces are balanced by the French taking a Secondary and a Movable Deployment Point as Support Options. Whomever holds the Bridge or drives the opposite side Force Morale to zero wins the game. French enter from the top road, the British at the bottom. Tan spaces are difficult terrain and woods are light cover. Low stone wall provides light cover and is a minor obstacle. River is un-fordable.

Each side has three Groups of Regulars and three Groups of Skirmishers. One Group of French Skirmishers are dismounted Dragoons and one Group of British Skirmishers are Spanish Guerillas. At Enfilade, I was planning to use some Vistula Legion troops so have upgraded the French to use the Polish Stats instead of the normal French values. Doing so also allows me to use equal numbers of troops on each side. Below is the Roster and Troops values. You can see each side has five leaders, one level III, one level II and three level I's. Force Morale starts at ten for each side

To keep the game moving, I made two mods to the rules. One, the first movement die roll is always a "six". This gets rid of a lot of fiddly movement and progresses the game better. none of this moving only two inches with a bad die roll. Second, we used two Tiffin cards to give everyone a better chance of getting to activate during the turn. Turn doesn't end until second Tiffin card is drawn, but if one comes up as first card,that an "End of Chapter" event.

 A view of the table layout. Troops at the end aren't really there. They're just staged there in preparation for being deployed.

 

On the first turn,  French Leaders 2 and 4 cards come up and they can deploy their skirmishers up to 18" away using the secondary Deployment Point. Group Sk1 heads for the central rough ground while Group Sk2 heads for the upper woods. On the British side, Leader 2, Lt. Rod Stiffington and overall commander Leader 1, Capt Harry Baals are both activated brinking Sk1 and the main line with them. Lt. Stiffington heads toward the central woods with Group Sk1 and Ldr 1 heads down the road with Groups Ln1 and Ln2. He detached Group Ln3 with Sgt.Bonner to support the skirmishers.

French Deployment of skirmisher Groups Sk1 & Sk2 with Ldr 2, Lt. Alain Contri and Ldr 4, Sgt. Emil Fortu

Initial British Deployment. British Ldr1, Capt. Harry Baals has dispatched Ldr 4, Sgt Sirius Bonner with Ln3 off on their own.

In the next couple of turns the remaining Forces all arrive.  French Leader 1, Capt Marcel Surbuti deploys at the 2nd DP with the French Line troops and promptly marches down the road in column. The Spanish Guerillas( Group Sk3) and the other British Riflemen (Group Sk2) arrive with their respective leaders and head towards the center of the field. Capt Baals with the main Groups of British Line continue marching down the road. Sgt Bonner with Ln3 figures the skirmishers have enough support and heads off to support his Captain. Meanwhile both French and British skirmish Groups Sk1 head into the adjacent woods and begin trading shots with each other. Three French and two British skirmishers are soon killed and each Group begins to accumulate some shock. Some where in this turn or the next few, French Ldr 2, Lt. Contri is wounded and drops to a level one. The other French Skirmisher Group( Sk2), also moves into the adjacent woods and begins trading fire with the Spanish and British Sk2. Finally, French Dragoon Lt.Odur is activated and they deploy from the Movable DP into the walled grape orchard.

View of the British side of the field. Regulars with Capt Baal marching down the road toward the bridge. Sgt Bonner slightly behind with Group Ln3. French skirmishers in the foreground. Amazingly the Spanish Guerillas and British Riflemen Sk2 took no casualties in spite of spending quite a bit of time in the open. They did take some Shock though.

Capt. Surbuti marching down the road with all three Groups of French Line. Dragoons are taking cover behind the orchard walls which gave light cover.

Before the main French column advances down the road, the French Dragoons take a couple of casualties from the British Ln1 & Ln2 who are deploying into Line formation. British Riflemen Group Sk2 decide being in the open is no fun and move into cover of the woods. British Skirmish Group Sk1 takes another casualty in their fire fight with the French skirmishers.

French column bravely advances down the road after British have put a couple of casualties on the Dragoon skirmishers, Sk3. Whomever gets Initiative first next turn may be the deciding factor.

 

British Riflemen Group Sk2 wisely moves into the cover of the woods.Spanish have luckily accumulated no casualties, but are incurring Shock. Other Skirmisher groups continue trading fire.

Capt.Surbuti(French Ldr 1) has his troops deploy into Line and they get some good shots into the British Line causing about five kills. They take one kill in return plus some Shock. The French Dragoons get a kill on British Ln3, but are charged by them and suffer badly. The Dragoons rout back and due to excess Shock retire off the field. Elsewhere the Spanish Guerillas finally decide to move into cover. Sporadic skirmishing fire continues between the opposing skirmishers. Loss of the Dragoons and their leader along with the previously wounded Ldr 2, reduces French Force Morale from 10 to 5. 

French Line put some casualties on the British Line. They have three Groups to two so its understandable. British Ln3 has driven the Dragoons off in spite of the Dragoons have the advantage of defending an obstacle. Skirmishers must be no match for Line troops. A nice melee result for the British which may allow them to put some enfilading fire into the French Line.

 

View of firefight from the British side. Shock is building up on some units so something will eventually give.

 A very decisive turn. British Ln3 moves to flank the French Line but their firing is poor and only causes a few Shock. French Ldr1 next gets Initiative and with two Command Flags activates his formation with the Pas de Charge characteristic. This allows them to remove 2 Shock per Group and charge with 3D6. They just make it to the British Line and defeat them by 4 which with the extra Shock incurred, puts puts them off the field. British Force Morale drops from ten to three. Ouch!
Elsewhere both skirmish Groups Sk1 suffer another casualty.

Just before the French charge, British ln3 maneuvers to flank the French.

 

After the Charge. Most of figures by the hill are British casualties. Those remaining to right of hand, will withdraw  off table due to excess Shock. French line incurred quite a bit of Shock so British still have a chance to turn things around

Status of things after the French charge and melee. French Ldr 5, Sgt Leelair was also wounded in the melee.

Final turn. French Skirmish Group Sk1 has taken enough Shock that they have to withdraw reducing French Force Morale to five. Capt Surbuti gets the French Line to turn around and put some fire into remaining British Group Ln3. That along with some additional fire from French Sk2 is enough to wipe out British Ln3 reducing British Force Morale to zero.

British skirmishers all trying to put some hits onto the French Line. Unfortunately for them, the luck seem to be with the French this day. British Group Ln3 is wiped out before the French can be broken.

Thanks to Kevin Walker and Tom Condon for playing the British and to Gary Williams for so adroitly yet reluctantly(he doesn't like SP) handling the French Line troops in the roll of Captain Surbuti. I probably made some errors in this write up, but it was the best I could remember. I for one thoroughly enjoyed the game and it was good to see the French be able to use Pas de Charge to good effect for once in a game.

Some players don't like the card driven mechanics of the game because it can result in some players not being able to do anything. That's why we used two Tiffin cards, but it can still happen that some Leaders don't get activated, sometimes for a few turns. I've come to the conclusion,that SP is meant to be played between just two players. That way one almost always totally engaged in the game. With group or convention games with multiple players, some one is invariably going to get left sitting around watching other guys play. Anyone have a good fix for that, please let me know.

Hope you enjoyed this write up. Same but bigger scenario to be played at Enfilade, Memorial day weekend in Olympia, WA. We'll see there if Pas de Charge or Thin Red Line can make a difference.