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> Painting and Modelling > Gallery > Waterloo At Recon 2016, Orlando - FL, playing the game!
TOPIC: Waterloo At Recon 2016, Orlando - FL, playing the game!
PM Rene
Standard User
Posts: 13
Waterloo At Recon 2016, Orlando - FL, playing the game!
Rene
18th Oct 2017 04:15:04

Dear 6'r!

In the terrain section you can find some information how I made this table.

First I will tell you a bit about the used game system and the troop scaling, as sooner or later there will be questions about this anyway!

My preferred game system these days is Commands and Colors (CnC) Napoleonics with the latest sets: GMT - Generals, Marshals and Tacticians and Epic Battles - for 6-8 players.

This system allows experienced players to play huge battles in 2-3 hours and even allow convention games with a lot of new people -with experienced support- to be done in under 4 hours.

With this game I found out that my preferential troop scaling is:
1 Infantry/Grenadier/Militia/Guard stand = 1 Batallion (400-800 Men)
2 Light Infantry stands = 1 Batallion (500-800 Men) but in traditional looser formations
1 Cavalry stand = 1 Regiment (300-600men)
1 Artillery stand = 1 Battery (6-12 guns)
This allows for an average 4 stands to be a brigade.

To be CnC conformal, some units have an extra stand (e.g. British light and guard), or have 2 stands to a batallion (British guards - so 2 Batallions are 5 stands).
In some cases, brigades that had only 3 batallions went up to 4 stands and some that had 5 went 1 down!
This fits nice for British cavalry brigades as well (3 regiments) and for historical reasons I did bump the Household brigade to 4 stands. Yes I know the Life guards and Blues were small regiments, but it nice to be able to identify these units!
Dutch/Belgian light brigades were only 2 regiments, but as the Dutch regiments were almost twice the size as Belgian, 3 stands makes a nice brigade.

Another thing to consider is to not have every artillery battery present, as this may overwhelm the battlefield with artillery. I try to only have known concentrations and reserves present.

Blue (French) and Red (Allies)  toothpick markers on the board indicate victory hexes.
Points are scored for Victory hexes occupied and units destroyed.
The game ends once either sides scores 21 points or immediately if the farms of Mt St Jean (French victory) or Belle Alliance (Allied victory) are occupied at the start of the turn.


On to the battle!

During two days several sessions with different people were played, but I will concentrate on one I more or less remember.

The battlefield runs from W-E Braine L'Alleud to Ohain and N-S, the farm of Mt St Jean to Plancenoit.
Impression of the setup, seen from the French side
P0.jpg

The French open with a massive attack on Hougoumont (center bottom) and a probe towards La Haye Sainte (center top).
P1.jpg

Yes, this Hougoumont affair could get messy...
P2.jpg

While on the other flank Marcognet's and Durutte's failed attack on Fichermont and Papelotte have seriously depleted the French infantry, they did make a dent: Wincke's Hanoverians, Vandeleurs cavalry as well as several artillery positions were taken out.
Here we see Jacquinot's lancers just having driven off Vandeleur's troops and forcing an already displaced Pack into square. Bijland and Best still feel themselves protected by the Union brigade in their rear.
French and Nassau troops at a stand off in the lower left.
P3.jpg

La Haye Sainte: French batallions engage Major Barrings KGL light troops.
Observe the companies of the 95th in the sandpit, Ompteda's KGL line overlooking the farm and to the right Trip's Carabiniers and Sommersets Household brigade ready to counter any French success.
P4.jpg

On the extreme French left, cavalry skirmishes between Pire and Grant/Dornberg have started. Signalling some success for the allies, Chasse's division is send forward!
P5.jpg

The battle for Hougomont is drawing in more and more French, who are now trying to encircle it...
P6.jpg

On the Allied left, the Union brigade chased off the French lancers (how's that for a reversal?) and forced the French infantry into square!
But the two divisions of Cuirassiers coming up may make this success short lived...
P7.jpg

In the center Ompteda's KGL has reinforced La Haye, but gets almost wiped out by a renewed French infantry attack.
The Household brigade charges and puts a stop to these French plans!
P8.jpg

The pressure on Hougoumonmt increases as the French bring in a massed battery to fire at the Foot Guards from point blanc range!
P9.jpg

Quick and smart counter attacks by the guards has them change position with the light infantry, taking down another brigade of French.
In the meantime the area outside the Chateau is now controlled left and right by French Cuirassiers and Caribiniers!
PA.jpg

The (trumpets a.k.a.) guns of relieve for the Allies! The Prussians arrive! Time to rethink the right flank for French...
PB.jpg

Yes it's Blucher alright... soon the entire French right flank will be full of those pesky little Prussians...
PC.jpg

Top-Center we have the first Prussians arriving, so the French shorten their lines on that flank. Troops are being send to defend Plancenoit (top-right)
But the French still believe in victory! There is still a chance!
French infantry and guard artillery are massing for yet another assault on La Haye Sainte!
Kruse's Nassauers have been put forward to defend the farm this time, Royal Horse artilley batteries are called forward from reserves to fill the other gaps in the infantry lines... The Allied center is thin!
PD.jpg

This has not happened since Ney charged the Raevski redoubt at Borodino!
French Cuirassiers found a backway into the Chateau of Hougoumont and run down the last Foot Guards, while Jerome in a fell combined arms assault takes the gardens!
PE.jpg


It's 20-20 now.... The game would only take one more turn, the final point going to the Allies!

I hope you enjoyed reading!

Next report will be Wagram, which was played a few months ago at Recon 2017!


Rene

 


PM Nick the Lemming
Standard User
Posts: 208
Waterloo At Recon 2016, Orlando - FL, playing the game!
Nick the Lemming
18th Oct 2017 04:32:25

Nice report, and really nice table and figures!


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