FOGN 3rd edition battle report: 1809 British vs 1815 Russians

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I posted my first game of Field of Glory: Napoleonic 3rd edition on MY BLOG

I've limited this post to less 5000 words (shessh did I write a lot) so here is only an introduction.

In the full report I discuss how FOG:N 3rd ediition works, some things I would like changed (but i doubt anyone else cares) and my really bad, horrible no good morale rally rolls...
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Following a unexpected collapse of THE EMPEROR NAPOLEONS armies after the disastrous retreat from Moscow, RUSSIAN ARMIES have invaded WESTERN EUROPE.

The DUKE OF WELLINGTON has been sent from  SPAIN to negotiate a withdraw of the Russians.

However, the Russian Armies indicates they plan to stay...and it's 7 days to the Rhine...
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In my first game under the draft (February) rules for Field of Glory Napoleonic 3rd edition, I took my army off to fight Dave's Russians again. My last battle ended in an absolute disaster with the entire army routing for no damage...I hoped I could do better this time. The rules make a lot more sense than the 2nd edition did, but it was my first game playing under them, and Dave is one of the top 10 players of FOGN world wide, and played a half dozen games using it already. I thought the best I could do might be a draw.

  
 The Battlefield, looking East from the western edge. I am deploying on the right, and face North

Dave won the location roll off, and picked Eastern Europe. He blocked Flank and something and I blocked Prepared attack and something. I knew he'd have MAXIMUM ARTILLERY so I didn't want to get BOMBARDED for a turn before the battle started. With 4 divisions I had wanted to do a flanking attack, dammit.

He choose the most aggressive FRONTAL ASSAULT and I chose a cautious PROBE.  His entire army would deploy and could only move forward for 2 turns (and move quickly too) and I would only have one division on the field, with another one in reserve and 2 more marching to the sound of the guns in reinforcement. I chose probe as I expected a frontal assault, and wanted to be able to dodge to one side or the other and force part of his army to attack thin air. Meanwhile, I would attempt the classic Napoleonic strategy of concentrating on one flank and destroying it in detail...

I choose 2 gentle hills and a difficult terrain with cover forest and he chose a town, open terrain and extra road. I hoped I could hide behind the reverse slope of the hills and use the forest as cover for my light infantry division. He choose the road to give him another place to put his LOC and the open terrain to give a clear place to advance.
I also choose a rough terrain stream to try and slow him down, another town and another(difficult) forest. He took some difficult crops and rough swamp terrain that had no cover for him to shoot his artillery across.

Unfortunately for me the hills ended up on my edge of the battlefield, and I put the river somewhat in his side. The rest of the terrain favored him and because I didn't choose a 2nd road, I had to put my LOC near the middle of the table.
I decided the only way to protect it was to to anchor one flank with the town to it's right.so I would attack on the left.

  
 My one division vs his entire army 

With him doing a direct FRONTAL ASSAULT, he put his entire army on the table first. I decided his left wing was the weakest, consisting of 3 infantry brigades (2 line, 1 light) and a light cavalry brigade. His heavy and medium corps level artillery was in the centre with 2 large infantry divisions and a light cavalry brigade, and his cassocks on the far right. He planed on using the swamp in the middle to divide my army and whichever side I went on, he could shoot me from the other side safely. Then he would attack the town with overwhelming force and take control of my LOC and force a general rout.

My plan was that I would use my 1st Division to attack his weaker right wing. My Cavalry Division would be in immediate reserve and come on the battlefield on my left flank. There the 2 divisions would pin his 1 with my heavier cavalry forcing his one brigade of light horse to retreat and then put his infantry into square where my Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Artillery attachments would blast him before charging home. The cavalry could come on the table with the Corps Commander on the first turn.

Elsewhere, my Flanking Light Division would hold my right flank based on the town and LOC and my 2nd Reserve Division would come into the centre- either to help hold the LOC or support the attack on my left.  Both units were reinforcements, so would need to roll to arrive after the first turn, but were lead by skilled commanders so would get a bonus to do so. If needed, they could make a forced march to arrive one turn faster, but may be disordered in doing so (needing a command test to avoid it).

I knew I wouldn't have a long time to hold my right flank, but if I could catch his isolated division, I might be able to defeat it quickly and then have my cavalry run for his LOC.

Or in other words...I was re-fighting the Battle of New Orleans. And I was the British....

  
 My main body 1st Division, looking towards his left wing

My 1st Division consisted of  a large unit of British Line with an attached artillery battery, an superior KGL brigade, a unit of Portuguese with a cavalry squadron (to keep enemy skirmishers away), and a unit of Portuguese poorly trained Conscripts as a 2nd line. The 3 units of line infantry all had an attached rifle battalion. I put the KGL unit covering my LOC and the road, the rest facing his right wing.

  
 My right side KGL brigade covering the LOC, looking towards a LOT of enemy troops coming down the highway

  
 The Cavalry and 1st Infantry division march north towards the river, as the Russian division moves towards the bank

The Russian army advanced in group move, meaning if the division moved together, they only needed one command point to move everything. I did the same and brought my Cavalry on the far left flank. With a super-heavy shock and 2 light cavalry units, I would be able to win any cavalry fight with ease. I also outnumbered him in infantry, with his 2 line and 1 light brigades facing my 4 line units (even if the 4th one was a weak conscript unit). I moved my KGL elite infantry up to be with the rest of the brigade, on it's right side.

  
 The Light Division moves into secure the right flank. 

I rolled well enough to get my Light Division and 2nd Division onto the battlefield as soon as possible. With the 2 Russian divisions almost at the town, I decided to force march the Light Division. That meant all the units had to make a command test or become disordered. Funnily enough, the Spanish Guerrillas and Lusitanian Legion both passed- it was the Superior Veteran Rifle brigade that failed!  3 dice and a re-roll on a 5+!

Thinking it was the most important place, I put the Rifle Brigade into the town, they were the best unit (if small) in the army. I put the Lusitanian Legion on the road and the Guerrillas to their left towards the swamp.

  
 My Corps Commander looks over the army's positions. You will note from the good paint job, I did not paint them.


Check out the blog for the rest of the battle!