HOW NOT TO EXPERIMENT WITH BLACK POWDER

Cavalry clash in the Peninsula.

I have been wanting to do a cavalry encounter for a while now but have been thwarted by a lack of, yes you've guessed it, cavalry! My solution was to simply make each squadron a small unit and hope for the best. The units turned out to be far too brittle and the game was over far too quickly. For the purposes of the game all squadrons in the regiment had to be broken or have reached their stamina level to be a broken 'brigade'

Here's how it went with two French Dragoon regiments and a battery charged with the task of escorting a battalion of infantry off the table. Five squadrons of British cavalry are trying to cut them off.

The KGL advance directly towards the French instead of trying to cut off their escape.

1st KGL Hussars. (Perry plastics)

 French Dragoons (Perry plastics and Front Rank)

The French starting positions

British 16th Light Dragoons (Brigade Games)

French Dragoons face off against the KGL.

The infantry make for safety.

British cavalry remain static as their artillery advance.

Infantry shielded by cavalry.

French cavalry now positioned across both gaps.

KGL charge the French Dragoons who counter charge.

The other Dragoon regiment shilds the infantry from the advancing 14th LD.

The melee reslted in one squadron of the the KGL falling back but the other squadron defeated their opponents who fled the field. The remaining French dragoon opt to fall back...

to the position shown here with the other dragoon regiment to their right rear. The 14th LD position themselves to charge with artillery support on the hill.

An overview of the battlefield.

Clash of sabers as the Dragoons charge and counter charge.

Infantry head over to support the artillery.

The 14th B squadron are defeated.

and retire disordered.

The same fate awaits aA squadron.

C squadron are left exposed to a follow through charge by the French dragoons.

They are defeated..

and dispersed.

Things aren't looking too good for the British.

but their artillery have a nice juicy target to aim at..

and the KGL a nice flank to charge.

They defeat their enemy but are unable to carry on as casualties mean their regiment is now broken.

With both British cavalry regiments broken it was impossible for the British to do anything but fall back leaving the field clear for the French to continue their withdrawal unmolested.

The stamina value was too low to work as most units became broken too easily preventing the commanders from rallying off points. Next time the figure will be raised to 3. Should provide a more interesting game.

Thanks For Reading

Mick