Peninsular War Game Revisited

John and I made another trip to the Durham Wargames Group last night to finish the Peninsular game we left 'hangin' last week. Cutting right to the chase, here are the photos of how the game concluded.

Conrad's right wing was faltering but managed to rally when it was time to take the faltering test.  It was still worn out as a fighting force but was doggedly hanging on and slowing the French assault that was suffering heavy losses. 

John's brigade in the village was also taking a battering but was still hanging on to the village grimly.  One assault had already been beaten off, 

The 42nd Foot crest the brow of the hill as my left wing advanced very slowly and hesitantly towards the French.

The French skirmishers had been driven off or destroyed. Had I not been hesitant  I might have been able to catch the French in square.  

The King's Dragoon Guards had niftily sidestepped the French squares and valiantly charged the French artillery. Despite heavy casualties the cavalry made it to the guns and overran them. 

After the KDGs had ridden over the first battery I threw 21" for the 'charge on!" so they hit the battery behind  and destroyed that one as well!

The French centre was meanwhile inching slowly towards the slightly unsteady British line.

Another assault on the village by the French went to a second round so the English were able to reinforce the melee, throwing the French back in confusion.

Meanwhile the KDG had completed the remaining 19" of the 'Charge on!" move and hit  a French  column. 

The KDG broke the French thus to all intents and purposed ending the game.

So, it was a British victory, which is always good. We got a few things wrong in the rules, but we're getting better as we gain experience and overall GdA produced a great game played by gentlemen who played with great integrity, eschewing any ideas of 'wargamery' moves even at a cost to their own troops.

Man of the match has to go to the King's Dragoon Guards. They survived a 'faltering' test early in the battle and then saw off an entire brigade of French cavalry without even crossing sabres (see last week's report), rode over and destroyed two batteries of cannon and broke a French infantry battalion, making the brigade in the French centre falter, as was their left brigade attacking the village. It was all made even more fun by using Shaun's wonderful and gorgeous collection of figures.

I really do like GdA especially as we now have a far greater understanding of the mechanics, which are actually dead simple, certainly as simple as BP in my opinion.

Big game here at The Burrow on Saturday. My French Revolutionary Wars Flanders 1793 Campaign is also ready to kick off, of which more in another post.