It's 2015....

Happy New Year

It is also the year for everything Waterloo

For our start of the year Big Battle, we travel to Tim's to replay The Battle of Waterloo.

Tim has been a very busy boy and is supplying all of the figures required for the battle. Both Monsieur le Rosbif and I will be there on the Allied side.

On our last Saturday at the club, we had 3 tables of "Waterloo Type" games.

Van and I had organised a game a couple of weeks ago, so I prepared a big table with the usual ridge on my side of the board. 

Van has a very unhealthy obsession with Imperial Guard 12 pounders and included them in his point tally. I said that you can't have Guard artillery without any Guard, so allowed him to add some Middle Guard to his ranks. I am going to face some stiff opposition at the Big Battle, so prepared myself for the onslaught.

After 2 moves I suddenly thought about my camera. I rushed past Monsieur le Rosbif, telling him of my misfortune, he assured me that everybody does it.

Van had decided to only use a portion of the table to outflank me

Van's Dragoons moved over the ridge to my left with the Middle Guard.

He also moved some line battalions toward the trees to stop my Highlanders from impeding the Middle Guard's advance

The Middle Guard cresting the ridge

Van initiated a firefight but failed his morale test and had to withdraw

I used this time to form line, in case he came back and tried to do that again

Van's battalions have to reform, which will take a couple of turns

I managed to knock off a gun whilst in transit, but they are still 12 pdrs, so I will still suffer

My troops were spread out, both sides of the built up area on the road. I had to bring them across to combat the flanking manoeuvre 

Van positioned one of his guns to rake fire down the ridge, over the trees. What a nasty chap.

I lost a gun straight away

Oh no, Van's Middle Guard are moving to catch my Highlanders with their kilts up

He shot me up the Khyber Pass and I had to retreat to the front??? Well I couldn't go back

Lost another gun

With no artillery in front of me, but still some cavalry, so I stayed on the ridge. Cavalry can't charge up a very steep hill....snigger snigger, sneaky me.

Lost another gun, down to 50%, time for a morale test

Typical.......

Run away......well retreat (hence the orange drum)

Curses, lost another gun

I sneakily reformed my 95th rifles into line to threaten his 12 pdr. Unfortunately for me, it took all 3 functions to do this, so couldn't shoot him.... oh what havoc I would have wreaked upon him if I could

Van moved his gun and took a pot shot at me

I lost enough to need a morale test.....and......typical

They ran off the board, well not really but I couldn't rally them so I took them off the board

Van attacked my Highlanders 

Causing the Highlanders to break

I took a calculated risk and charged Van's battalions, it paid off as I failed my pre-melee test and had to retreat, saving them from decimation in another move

Unfortunately my other Highlanders had exposed their flank during their break

Van's pre-melee roll......typical

I didn't pass and broke again, losing another 20% 

Van didn't have enough movement to get up the ridge.....phew

I decided to take the front foot and moved forward in closed column to protect the battalion to my left. This battalion moved into the flank of his column and fired

Van had to take a Morale Test for being fired on the flank and surprisingly threw a 10

They had to run away

Van then attacked my guns on the ridge

They had to halt in their pre-melee test, so I charged as I passed mine

It wasn't much of a charge, but it was enough to make them run away

It was 5 o'clock and there was no quick resolution, so Van suggested we might call it quits

The 12 pdrs didn't have any targets, as I bravely ran over the ridge to get away from them. 

I asked if it was a draw, Van agreed and I quickly shook his hand

What a shame we didn't have time for more moves.

Well that was it for the club for 2014, we have the Big Battle next week at Tim's house. A great spectacle indeed. It will probably be the subject of 2 or 3 reports.

I look forward to treating you to those reports and pictures.