Gaming at my place last Friday night was another 28mm Lasalle Game. This time the 4th scenario in the rule book.

The British were the Red Team trying to defend their position against the French Blue Team. The two armies consisted of:

British (183 pts):

• 2 British veteran regiments;
• 4 British conscript regiments;
• 2 Foot Artillery batteries;
• 1 Rifle Regiment;
• 1 Brunswick cavalry regiment;
• 1 Rocket battery;
• 1 ADC.

French (250 pts):

• 4 French veteran infantry;
• 6 Allied conscript regiments;
• 2 Filed Artillery batteries;
• 2 Heavy Cavalry regiments;
• 1 Horse Artillery battery;
• 2 Sapeurs.

Objective 1:

Objective 2:

Picton ready to “dance very well with the French” by meeting “them in the same old style”!

The table set up ready for opponents to arrive (complete with grappa grails – a fine Pinot Griggio actually!).

French Conscript Brigade

French Veteran Brigade

The French Dragoons on the “rooster” reserve tray.

British First Infantry Brigade defending the second objective, with Picton and his ADC

The British Second Infantry brigade defending the village.

The attached British Army Assets – KGL Light infantry, Brunswick Hussars and the Rocket Battery.

The French have the initiative so they move their conscripts forward to engage the British right flank.

The British ready for the assault. The Brunswick Hussars are behind the crest of the hill so cannot be seen by the French.

The First and Second Battalions of the 2nd French Regiment advance on the Brunswick troops in the forest in Irregular formation.

The two battalions of the French First Infantry Regiment advance on the British centre.

The British move forward on their right flank with the Brunswick Hussars forcing the Wurttemburg light infantry into square. The Nassau regiment moves forward to engage the square. The Brunswick Line Infantry fire from the village.

The French move forward and one battalion moves into line to volley fire more effectively.

The French Second Regiment moves forward within charge range of the Brunswick regiment and their artillery bombard the British regiment.

At the end of turn 2 the French Dragoons and their supporting horse artillery arrive in March column.

The Nassau Regiment was repulsed by the square and routed by French volley fire.

The British are under pressure all along their line as the French Dragoons move forward in the centre to threaten all three sectors. The cavalry regiments artillery move up to fire on the KGL rifles, while the Berg infantry are thrown back as they attack the village.

The British 73rd Scots disperse the a French battalion as the Brunswick infantry prepare to charge.

Napoleon once said “give me a lucky general over a good one” and luck was certainly on the side of this French infantry battalion. Charged by a weakened Brunswick unit and a full strength Scottish Regiment the 6 to 1 dice swing repulsed both British units.

The French Cavalry advance while the Danish infantry fire on the village.

Meanwhile on the British left the French have cleared the forest and caused the Brunswick infantry to flee.

With the French allied square shaken the Brunswick Hussars have no problems in riding them down and now threaten the whole French attack on the village. The British Cambridgeshire Regiment moves up to support the village, while the French allied line fires on the village.

Surprisingly the British win the initiative and the Hussars ride down the second Danish regiment and their attached sapeurs.

Not to be outdone the French clear the village of the weakened Brunswick Battalion threatening to seize the objective.

Worse was to follow as the French dragoons charge the foot artillery of the second British Brigade who failed to evade and bravely died defending their guns. The KGL rifles are also forced into square in front of the Horse artillery by the second dragoon regiment.

Picton deploys on the table to make sure the KGL form square. This severely limits his ability to command the rest of the army.

The end is nigh for the British as the 73rd are blown away by French canister enfilading their flank. This leaves only a shaken Brunswick battalion (1 strength point left) and the foot artillery to protect the left flank and the second objective. Two full strength French battalions have now cleared the woods and are marching to attack the artillery and seize the objective.

The Cambridgeshire Regiment about to charge.

The French “marching to the sound of the enemy guns”!

The situation at the end of turn four.

At this stage it was getting late and we decided to declare a French victory. In the four turns that were left to play the French would have taken both objectives (3VP) and seized the British camp behind the village (1VP for a total of 4). There was nothing stopping the Brunswick Hussars from raiding the French camp (1VP). They were clearly the most effective “British” unit along with the KGL rifles! Where would Picton have been without his German allies!

A very decisive French victory, and another great Lasalle 2 game!