Game report by honorary P.I.G.S member Steve N.

The C&C Napoleonics day at Western Suburbs was excellent. Wayne E had set it up as all tables connected to a single battle for each round.  Wayne would put on his bicorne hat, draw players aside and announce to them new orders from the Emperor or command based on what historically happened.

I won all 3 games I took part in and rolled dice like Pierre possessed (no one’s on these dice).

In the first game (doubles), we won the extreme right flank against Russians who historically crushed us. Basically, blew the Russians out of the central town with artillery and musketry, stormed across the river with line infantry and chasseurs led by generals (we were French, where else would our generals be? – perhaps with their mistress Steve? Nah Dave in the Bordellos of the town they are storming!), and then led an attack out of the town where the Eagles bayoneted all in the Russian units that couldn’t get out of their way.

The second game was a singles one where I attempted another attack against Russians who were entrenched in town across a swamp infested river. My initial probe on the left saw my brave “Froggies” decimated by withering Russian fire. This was where I nhought I had my best chance to penetrate the Russian line so I was at a bit of a loss as to where to attack next.

Napoleon then turned up to tell me not to take unnecessary casualties as the main attack with the Guard on the table to my left would win the day. Just pin the “Ruskies” whilst pulling back and not risking defeat.  But the “Ruskies” sensed they could win and I couldn’t so launched an attack across the easy part of the river on their left with 5 units of (expendable) Cossacks and 3 units of Russian Light Cavalry.  My infantry took some hits and were bogged down in squares but they didn’t count that my only mounted unit, a light hussar regiment was led by none other than Lasalle himself.  With nothing else left to play I threw in the Cavalry Charge card and two Cossack units were wiped (Russians don’t care about losing these).  Lasalle then charged back and wiped out a third (still without a scratch).

Then a fourth.

Then a fifth.

Then another Cavalry Charge and (two Cavalry Charge cards and only one unit of mounted – always the way!). Scratch two Russian Light Cavalry units. I shot the third dead for good measure.  My Hussars now crossed the river (against the Emperor’s orders) and sabred a lone “Ruskie” general).  They then took on the Russian Guard Heavy cavalry but that was a ride too far and they limped back to (supposed) safety with one hit left. Unfortunately a cowardly Russian musket voley from behid took the last breathe from the Hussars.

The Russians moved a lot of their centre to now plug the gaps on their left (I had wiped it out) so my brave line crossed the river. Russians stormed off the hill and destroyed my brave lads.  With Russians now off the hill and in musket range of the river my light chasseurs rolled out of the centre wood, took aim and (with some artillery support) blew them away.  An unexpected French victory!

The supposed victory table to my left descended into a draw (French Guard tackling Austrian grenadiers who both beat themselves to one unit off victory each). However, it was deemed that late in the day I had turned the flank and drove into the tired Austrians and drove them from the field.  I shall never despise having only a single cavalry unit as useless.

The third game (doubles with me as the Frog Grand Poohbah) saw us tackle John’s Prussians at Dresden with both of us in strong defensive positions.   The game looked like a draw, especially as Napoleon told me that the main attack was on the table to my left and we were a holding action.

However, after several desultory turns of a cannon popping off a shot here and there I thought that this was going to be a boring end to the day and decided that the only Prussian week point was a town in the centre and we could reach it, with the town covering us from their artillery batteries.

We mounted up our horse artillery and they rode straight in to point blank range as well. Our attack was defeated (3 units down), and the surviving horse artillery limping away trying to avoid total destruction, but we had taken several units with us and weakened some more.

The Prussians attacked our weakish left and we looked in trouble as his artillery shelled us out of the town there. But with true Gaulish gall (and with no other card we could play) I moved straight back in, opened fire and by the end of the next turn two Prussian infantry units were shot down.  Looking liked I’d staved off defeat but our best troops were still trapped on the baseline (2 units of Young Guard and Light Cavalry Guard, and some ligth hussars and heavy cavalry).

I then had a cunning plan, opening up channels in the line and played the Grand Manoeuvre card so I could move 4 units up to 4 hexes but not to attack and I put the Guard (each with a general – where else should they be? – I think I answered this one Steve) one hex from his Landwher infantry.

Next turn, in went everything, after some line  infantry was sacrificed to protect the Guard, the Young Guard and light cavalry destroyed everything in their path. In my next two turns plus my opponent’s return bout in between, I rolled like Lucky Pierre and decimated nearly every Prussian unit that got into contact, taking down 7 units plus a general to get us past the lucky 10 flags required for victory.  Even the light hussars got in a charge against John’s prized and beautifully painted Prussian cuirassier regiment, inflicted a couple of sharp cuts and rode away without a scratch – such derring-do from the plucky and highly fashionable hussars!

Just good fun all round The 20mm plastic figures used on both sides were wonderful and well painted.  After being inspired by John’s lovely massed Prussians my French co-general explained that he has got to get more French.

Again, the supposed French victory table to my left was defeated!  Just can’t count on those Grandstanders on the table to the left!

Commands & Colours Napoleonics is a fun game system and works well. The command cards give the game a sense of ebb and flow as attacks build then peter out as the cards are played.  Sometimes you just don’t hold enough cards to continue attacking on the same flank just when success is within your grasp and sometimes you have that right card for the right moment that can stop an enemy attack in its tracks.  The event was a great success and congratulations to Wayne and the Western Suburbs club for staging the day.