MT21 Fan Epics

Friedland - Round 3

Allied. - David I 15 Banners
French. - ToganAlper 14 Banners

Thanks to Togan for another epic match. A few lucky rolls at the end saw an unlikely and incredibly narrow victory for Bennigsen.

Battle was joined with French advance on both flanks, then in the centre, followed by a counter-attack to Elan which saw the Russians pushed back nearly to Sorlach, before managing to counter-attack a Forced March. Grand Manouvre from the rack then allowed the French to re-organize their line, forcing GM from hand by Bennigsen. The following French attack was indecisive and elicited a Cavalry Charge from hand which squared up the last of the Old Guard, and saw off a second French heavy cavalry unit. Bayonet charge then decimated the Russian infantry but crucially the Light cavalry holding the Guards in square were unmoved.

Russian assault on the left garnered two banners and a possibly ill-advised attack in the forest crucially did not suffer any casualties on battle back. Both sides were running out of cards for the French right and a Forced March from the rack was used by Napoleon to advance in the centre.

At the beginning of the third session a Russian bombardment scored a few hits but was answered by a bold horse artillery attack which saw Markoff's foot artillery destroyed and him captured against the river, with a deftly played art. reposition evading the looming Russian Guards.

Bayonet charge from the rack allowed an advance by the Grenadiers in the centre and a couple of 1-block LN were dispatched on the left. France 10: Allies 9. On the next Russian turn the old guard were blown away by Bagration's artillery outside Sortlach and the lucky light infantry in the forest suffered heavily on battle back but survived and endured 3 dice without a hit on the next French turn. A well-timed and rolled Rally from hand allowed the light back to full-strength, eliminating the last of the French infantry on that flank.

Scenting victory the French horse pushed Forward across the battlefield, capturing Bagration's guns and him. Then finally action on the French left as the heavy cavalry routed the horse artillery which had come down off the hill, then unexpectedly targeted Uvarov's full-strength light cavalry rather than the adjacent horse artillery. This and the other two cavalry attacks on the remaining artillery were indecisive. French 14 Allied 11.

A desperate Russian Cavalry Charge off the hill on the right flank - from hand - was largely successful but still only garnered one banner. On the next French turn a perhaps premature musket volley allowed the Russian light cavalry to escape their counterparts, presenting the Russians with one last chance. The lucky light cavalry and cuirassiers mopped up heavy cavalry and foot artillery respectively on the right and then a second cavalry charge from hand, ordering the Russian Guards in the centre, mowed down the horse artillery outside Sortlach for the final banner.

Could have gone either way at many points. Looking forward to our next encounter.......

Blocks lost were:

Allied 52 ( Plus two leaders )
French 69

Round 4 - Vittoria

David I - Allied - 15.  ( 66 blocks lost )
Andre. - French - 13 ( 58 blocks lost + 3 leaders )

Thanks Andre for a master class in how to use your artillery and your leaders!!

I don't believe anyone has won this scenario as the French during the tournament but this game was incredibly close. Still it seems a tough ask for the French given the preponderance of Allied units.

The major engagment occurred on the French left with the Allies first absorbing a French assault and then counter-attacking, at one stage taking Subijana only to abandon it and retreat back over the stream when threatened with superior forces. A very tactical game ensued with the French using their artillery masterfully to whittle units and prevent the British massing forces near the rivers, and Wellington using his trademark reverse slope positioning on the right flank to evade the guns.

One particularly well-positioned artillery unit outside Estarrona could only be dealt with by Short Supply which finally allowed the British to command the river bank on that flank.

French were on the defensive almost the entire game but came within a whisker of victory, won the block count and never allowed the Allies to gain a foothold across the river. The result, as so often, could have gone either way with a few different dice. The French leaders were a little unlucky,but in this game they led from the front and some paid the price for La Gloire.