The Napoleonic Wars, Shadow of the Eagles, 28mm

With just Sean and I this week, we wanted a small, easily playable game. We found the perfect set-up in Charles Grant’s new scenario book, published by Partizan Press. One of its scenarios is called The Two Churches, and involves an assault on a village – with two churches of course – which propped up the flank if the defender’s hold on a bigger town or city a little way off the table. As that fitted the bill, that’s what we did, with a few minor changes. In ours, Zweikirchen, with its Lutheran and Catholic churches, was close to Dresden, which was held by the French. A small French garrison held the village, but a thick wood it off from easy reinforcement from Dresden, a mile or two to the north.  A Russian Division was ordered to capture the place, which was held by a Brigade-sized force. Also, rain in the night left the ground muddy, which slowed movement. In this one, played out on a club night on a 6×4 foot table, I commanded the small French garrison of three three battalions, two cavalry regiments and a gun battery. Sean, who led the French, had four battalions of Russian musketeers, two battalions of jagers, two cavalry regiments, a Cossack sotnia, and two gun batteries. The aim for the French then, was to hold the enemy at bay for as long as possible.Sean held one brigade of three battalions back, as well as his regular cavalry. He was saving them for the second wave, launched when the French  were fully committed. For the first wave, Sean had two musketeer battalions and one jager one, his Cossacks, and both gun batteries. This force advanced onto  the left side of the table, following the line of the road leading into Zweikirchen. The Russians wasted no time in launching an assault. The three battalions  entered the table in column, so Sean kept them that way for the attack. The trouble was, unusually, in Shadow of the Eagles attacking in column doesn’t give you any benefit. In fact, it’s quite the reverse. Also, like most rules, multi-unit attacks can be tricky, and essentially one battalion takes the lead. That’s fine – unless you roll like Sean did…The first assault was thrown back, by the French battalion of the 108th Ligne, which was deployed in  the vegetable garden which had been the target of the  Russian attack. the Russians pulled back to lick their wounds, while for the French General de Division Dessaix, arrived to restore flagging morale. Sean then tried something different. He his Cossacks forward to outflank the French right. Fortunately I’d already brought up the French 7th Hussars as backup. I charged with them, and surprisingly the Cossacks didn’t run. but fought the hussars instead. In the melee we each rolled four dice, and a 4-6 is a hit. I also  I had a +2 modifier and the Cossacks had a -1. Easy, right? Oh no…! What should have been an easy win for the French, turned into a humiliation, as the hussars came off worst, and retired towards the table edge. The Cossacks were battered too though, and retired behind their guns. Now though, the Russians were ready for another attack, this time supported by their  gun batteries. this was going to be a tough fight!This time the 7th Legere  battalion garrisoning a key house in the village, came out and stood against a battalion of the Sofia regiment   facing them. The firefight was brutal, but at least the Russian infantry blocked their own guns, and eventually they were ‘Weakened’, and forced to retire.The reast of the assault though, went well for the Russians, and the 108th Line had to give ground, pulling back towards the centre of the village. Worse, the 7th Legere retired too, behind the French guns. It was then that the Russian cavalry appeared , the -Smolensk dragoons and  Izumski Hussars. There wasn’t much to stop them at this stage, especially as the Russian guns had ‘Weakened’ my light infantry.

So, lacking enough fresh troops, withdrew and left the village to the Russians. So, the game was duly declared a Russian victory. Sean did well, holding back half his infantry until I’d committed everything. It was also good to get these toys out again – it’s been far too long since our last Napoleonic game!

Tags: Shadow of the Eagles