The Setup

The French on the left (top Brayer, mid Marisy, Bot Chauvel)

Spanish on the right (Top Butron, Mid La Carrera, Bot Ballasteros)

The terrain map was put together with brown wrapping paper – 80gsm 750mm x 50m Kraft Wrapping paper. Overlapping in the middle set to size 5’ by 4’ with side edge extra for strength of a few inches – glued with PVA / glue stick. Terrain map basic layout courtesy of Michael Hopper’s - Rise of Albion scenario book. So I sketched out to scale and painted on with Acrylic paints to designate the hills, roads, river / stream, and orchard / vineyards (see Simon’s blog on other 20mm French V Austrian campaigns (there are also WWII) http://www.servicerationdistributionhobby.blogspot.com ). Found with 15mm figures the 2D maps are the easiest and Michael’s maps and positions of terrain make all the difference in the battle. So cheap, easy to store, and if you are finished with it then environmentally easy to dispose of.

Today’s battle was fought with the Spanish versus the French (I was umpiring today). The Spanish are defending with La Romana as CinC 2 ADCs, Div Gen Butron 3 Poor Cav, Div Gen Ballasteros with 2 Average Infantry, 11 Poor Infantry, 1 Horse Artillery, Div General La Carrera 1 Average Infantry, 2 Light Infantry, 3 Poor Infantry, 1 Light Foot artillery.

The French have Girard as CinC 2 ADCs, Div Gen Chauvel 6 Average Infantry and 2 Skirmishers, Div Gen Brayer 6 Average Infantry and 2 Skirmishers, Div Gen Marisy 2 Light Cavalry, 1 Horse Artillery. Again the setup specifics and victory conditions are all in the Rise of Albion scenario book.

End of the game with a decisive victory to the French 6 points to Spanish 0 points. There were 2 more turns to go but the Spanish decided that the victory was in the French hands.

It is a scenario we would like to play again. The Spanish player realised that sending Butron with cavalry into the hill and the orchard proved too slow and ineffective. He had also setup as far forward as he could – but seeing how the terrain hampered the French Chevaul division, he would like to see if sitting further back might give him an advantage if the French player only attacks with 2 divisions Marisy and Brayer! Certainly if the Spanish use the hill La Carrera would be best to press on this, and then Butron would support the centre!

The French player realised that Marisy in the centre was not great and the cavalry went too far forward and too early – could they be delayed to allow the infantry to spread out and take the centre so that Marisy could press on one of the Spanish flanks. The French cavalry got in the way of the French foot artillery which packed the biggest punch with artillery especially in canister range. So lots of ifs and buts for the next time we play.