Alcolea - Neil Thomas-esque

As well as a 'proper' test of the Alcolea scenario (see link for more of the background details), I used the base scenario to construct another Neil Thomas-esque scenario. Again, I made this a more 'generic horse & musket' game rather than sticking to its Napoleonic origins. The high-level objectives of the game are the same though: the Franco-Jacobite Spanish forces must either seize the crossing or defeat the opposition army - in this case, a Dutch force. The Dutch force is mainly poorly-trained, with a small cadre of trained troops; the Franco-Spanish forces are trained, with an elite battalion included. 

As usual, I used the Polemos: Ruse de Guerre rules. 

 

 

The Forces:

Franco-Spanish-Jacobites: 8 bases of Infantry (1 base Well-Trained), 3 bases of Dragoons, 1 base of 8pdr Foot Artillery

Dutch: 10 bases of Infantry (8 bases Poorly-trained), 1 base of Cavalry, 1 base of 8pdr Foot Artillery

The Set-Up:

Very similar to the 'main' scenario, changed into a slightly more representational terrain on a square 2'x2' board, but otherwise pretty similar I think. The Franco-Spanish are approaching from bottom-right.

The advancing Franco-Spanish

One part of the Dutch force, on the hill to the flank

And the other part, guarding the bridge and town. The barricades are represented by another 'urban area' on the top end of the bridge.

The Battle:

French infantry, supported by artillery, get ready to storm the bridge

A wider shot: Spanish infantry are positioned along the road to help protect the flanks; the Frech Dragoons are switching position and riding down the road (left) to isolate the Dutch on the hill

But considering attack to be the best form of defence, they storm the hill!

The French making slow-going against the Scots and Swiss in Dutch pay by the bridge

However, the Spanish, despite suffering quite heavy losses of their own, including one battalion which has routed, have caved in the Dutch flank on the hill

Still it is a bridge too far for the French...

However, excpet for a knot of infantry and cavalry at the far end of the hill, the Spanish are triumphant and the Dutch are in flight!

And it is only a matter of a few more minutes before the entire Dutch wing is broken

After a little more desultory firing, the Dutch commander withdraws, deciding not to contest the bridge any further since the loss of his Army's right wing.

Game Notes: 

Another Thomas-esque game which worked pretty well. Doing these scenarios back-to-back shows how little one loses in the more simplified scenario. The loss isn't 'nothing', but it is pretty small. The Dutch were a bit unlucky: if they hadn't failed their army morale test, tactically they were still in quite strong position around the bridge, with better troops in a better position. However, c'est la guerre and Polemos is going to punish the 'Spanish' (i.e. the Dutch, in this refight) for having that kind of risky deployment, which allows catastrophic success against a weaker wing to help defeat the stronger. Also, Ruse de Guerre as a baseline makes higher ground less strong a factor than in Polemos: General de Division...although how much that matters also depends on choices you make about troop quality...

In any case, all good fun: I commend this approach to the house!

Figures by Baccus 6mm, buildings by Leven.