Clash of Empires

John and I renewed the hostilities two weeks ago, this time a classic French vs British clash, Black Powder's Fighting retreat at El Perez scenario. The battle featured a small British force retreating from a larger French army. John took command of the rosbif while I controlled the frogs. And this time, I have LOTS of pictures!

The British had to get as many units as possible off the table via the bridge before the end of play.

The initial British deployment.

Run you yellow bastards! British troops already retreating towards the bridge.

The British retreat, aided by fantastic command, is going very well early on.

A courageous French garrison prepares for the incoming British onslaught

The French 1st brigade and the artillery brigade finally arrive on the battlefield. Unfortunately, the artillery blunders and ends up directly in front of the enemy, limbered!

While the French commander shakes his head in disgust from the awfully poor early performance of his troops, the British continue their magnificent retreat.

The great escape! Things could not go any better for the redcoats.

British troops pass right by the garrison as they leave the table. Alea iacta est

The French 2nd Brigade, supported by the artillery brigade, finally moves forward toward the British lines.

On the French left flank, the 3rd Brigade moves slowly...

...while the first brigade approaches the farm and the middle of the battlefield.

The now customary pic of John pondering his next move...

The French 1st Brigade gets within firing range of British Dragoons.

And the British Dragoons wisely retreat from the advancing brigade.

Outnumbered, the French garrison exchanges volleys against a large British battalion.

The French 2nd Brigade moves toward the enemy.

The Berg 2nd Regiment leads the 2nd Brigade, while the British battalion braces for impact.

The French start to outnumber the left flank and charge a British battalion. The courageous garrison blocks the bridge as Colonel Louis-Marie LeBlanc shouts to his men "Ils ne passeront pas!"

On the French right flank, the cavalry Brigade, hampered early by awful command (again!), is finally in position to threaten the British flank.

The battle rages on on the left flank, while the incredible performance of the garrison still stops the remaining British battalions from evacuating.

Charge!! The French commander goes "all-in" in an effort to break the British, and sends the entire Cavalry brigade charging on a flank attack, supported by two infantry battalions.

On the left flank, the British Dragoons courageously block the bridge, while taking horrendous casualties from two firing battalions formed in line.

No quarters shall be asked nor given! The bloody battle continues in the middle of the battlefield.

Poor redcoats stand no chance, charged from the front by two battalions and then hit in the flank by a regiment of Dragoons.

Nous sommes victorieux! The French all-out attack is a resounding success!! (except for the rout of a regiment of Hussars). The situation looks dire for the rosbif.

The French destroy the British infantry on the left flank, as the remaining redcoats, having finally routed the garrison, make a mad dash towards the bridge!

The French are masters of the battlefield! The last British effort falls a bit short...

The French are victorious (barely!). The British had to move 10 units across the bridge and John managed to move...9!!! So as close a game as one could imagine.

The game started really slow, and after some awful dice throws and two blunders in my first two turns, both John and I thought the game would be over quickly, as shades of our last game came to our minds. Early on John was just advancing his units, unhampered, as you can see from the pics. But then my French commanders woke up and whipped their troops forward and the tide turned. The French fought with great distinction and won most if not all close combats. The late arrival of the cavalry brigade was, in the end, a blessing in disguise, as their all-out charge impacted the game greatly.

However, the one event that changed everything was a small tactical error by John; drunk by early successes   (well, he probably just forgot, really), John forgot to send one battalion to charge and take care of the French garrison, opting instead to exit his units as fast as possible from the table. Later on, that garrison's stand on the bridge delayed the British retreat long enough to give the French a chance to overwhelm their enemies. I will however admit that my first idea was to move that garrison on the bridge on the first turn, but I completely forgot as I was too busy worrying over my awful start! If I had followed my plan, that garrison probably would have been taken care of a lot earlier.

All in all it was a very enjoyable game. The last few turns were fast and furious, and a lot of fun.