The Battle of Valderas 1808 - A Napoleonic batrep

The Rejects got together for a Napoleonic game today.

Surj & Richard were the French

Ian, Lee and myself played the Spanish

To put it bluntly.....the Spanish were crap!!!

Postie set the troops our, Ian our Commander took the centre, giving me the right

and Lee the left.

The set-up

The French were overloaded on their right, (Surjit's side)

Facing my troops was Richard's smaller force. So we decided rather than just sit on both hills

and defend, we'd push our right forward and try and take the initiative away from the French.... 

Along with my Infantry below, I was in command of the Cavalry on the flank.

Ian's command on the left and Lee's on the right.

Unfortunately, although the Spanish were a rather large army, they were, for want of 

a better word, rubbish! Half the army were Militia, which meant everytime you moved them on a roll of a 1 on a D6 they only moved half and became disordered, while the other half were normal line but with the same morale as the militia. This included all our Horse.

The French on the other hand were all either normal troops, Elite or Guard!!

!!!

Front Line - The 5th Villa Vicosa and 7th Numancis Dragoons, Maria Luisa Hussars

Back line - 5th Borbon Horse and Militia Lancers

 Ian's command

Lee's two militia units Avila and Soria, (in blue coats) sitting pretty on the hill. Out of shot 

on Lee's far left is our one and only decent unit, our Combined Grenadiers, which was next to our best artillery piece a heavy gun. Lee threw bad for their number of shots. They only had 3 fires for the whole game.

Thing start to go wrong for us straight away, I went and through a 1 for the Villa Vicocosa Dragoons

who refuse to move and go into disorder...Doh!

At this point I ran out of batteries for my camera, so had to use my phone.

I think the pics are better!

So the plan was to attack with my entire force, including my 2 militia units, Jerez and Toledo, who Postie had very thankfully put in my front rank, cheers Postie!!

Richard's troops can be seen trying to cross the river, he had a little trouble with one unit who went disordered.

A high shot of the battle field.

On the left Surj's troops can be seen crossing the river 13 units in all. While Richard's command is to the right of the field in the centre. Richard seemed to be having no luck as his artillery also went into disorder crossing the river.

On our extreme left Lee's 3 shot Heavy artillery sits waiting for the French to come into medium range, while the rest of his troops sit and wait for the onslaught.

Back to my side

Richard#s cavalry decided not to cross the river and face my Horse, rather unsporting if you ask me.

but then I go and throw another bloody 1, so my Lancers go disordered and bugger up my plans!!

Things seem to be going better for my Infantry though.

I took a chance and moved upto Richard's disordered artillery, to take a potshot at them, killing 1 figure. I also move my line up to force the French Chassuers back to allow me to fire at Richard's columns crossing the river.

Hang on a minute!!

Re-inforcements!!!

The French bring on their IMPERIAL GUARD DETACHMENT!!

Two units of Fusilier Grenadiers , two Fusilier Chasseurs and a small unit of Gendarmes de Elite!!

Oh happy day!

Ah I almost forgot...

Ian our General was late to the battle, he started the day in a town on our extreme right baseline. 

He was, lets just say enjoying some horizontal activities with a local lass. He raced in his coach back to out camp in the centre of our lines to jump on his horse., It took him most of the game!

Evil Postie, telling Surjit he's a bad boy. Surj made it on the Wall of Shame. After moving 

his troops, he decided he didn't want them there after all so moved them back. Postie

 let him get away with it???

On the right I bought on our reserve. 2 units of Peasants. Yes, you read that correct Peasants, no Imperial Guard for us, we get crappy peasants. Was we bitter??

Yes we were!

Ian, Lee, Postie and Surj, discussing I can't remember what?

Actually I think Lee was asking was it time for the sandwiches?

Always thinking of his belly that one??

Come on my beauties!!

What a mess!

Rich charged, my Jerez Militis who failed their morale and moved back, they were given a yellow disorder marker. He also charged the 1st Cordobo, (in front of my commander)

I moved my Horse up, close the the flank of Richard's unit, just incase he won the morale, so I could charge next turn.

A rather blurry close up on the situation.

Its looking dodgy but we're still in with a very small chance.....I think?

Until a lucky shot, Richard the Comte be Lobou is shot from his saddle. All units within 12 inches are forced to take a morale check.

While on our left, Lee, after much goading from Ian, sent two Spanish units the 1st and 2nd Valencia, down off the hill to try and destroy, two units the Surj had sent forward.

It's looking a little dodgy this side too?

The Thin White Line

All but 1 of Richard's units passes their morale check, but luckily for us the one who failed routs through the 3 oncoming French units at the corner of the filed.

What a stroke of luck!!!

BUT

All day long Richard's dice were quite dismal until it really mattered. In the melee above

 he managed 6 hits to my 4, destroying half my unit. The 1st Cordoba routed. 

Really? 

What was the point??

As the 1st Cordoba routed, it forced a Divisional morale check, on my Division.

So it was down to me to throw 2 D6, needing a 6 or more and what did I throw

Snake Eyes!!

The worst possible score on the planet.

As they were such fantastic troops the whole Division dispersed!!!

8 units left the table never to return, giving the flank and the game to the French!

Bo-Lox!

Conclusion:

Well what can I say? 

I don't like playing the Spanish? Well that's a lie, I do, but they need some help. Its almost impossible to do anything with them on their own. If they had a bit of British or Portuguese support to bolster their morale, it'd have been more of a challenge for the French. But alas their wasn't any. 

I think we did the right thing attacking on our right, it certainly made for a more exciting game, but in the end it kinda played right into the Rich and Surjit's hands.

Oh well....at least we live to fight another day??