Sunny Spain, 1812

Sort of.  The occasion was to "break in" a new corps of Northern Italians and the requested foe was an Anglo-Portuguese force.  So, using our favorite Empire rules, 34 Italian and 12 French battalions (each of 12 castings) with French and Italian cavalry under Eugene took on 40 British and Portuguese battalions (almost all 10 castings) under "Daddy" Hill.  Cavalry numbers were about even, but the Allies had a decided quality edge.

A serene view from a small village looking across the valley.

A convoy under Spanish guerrilla protection moves along the road.

Perhaps the destination?  Of maybe just eye candy.

A view of the Allied position.  Click to enlarge the pictures.

Each side could deploy 18" in on the 6x9' table.

Brown patches are cosmetic to reflect the arid terrain in Spain.  Some sections were designated as disordering terrain for charges and all movement was at half speed.  Slopes were gentle and the woods were light.

The right most two Allied divisions with cavalry in deep support.

Eugene's forces advance, then halt to soften up the Allies with
bombardment fire.

Looking over the Allied left and refused flank of the Italians.

Cavalry attacks, infantry squares up and repulses them.

Hill launches a division to attack on the left, but the friendly
cavalry fails to support!

The French form line and engage.

 A pattern quickly emerged in the game.  The Italians and French couldn't roll to close in any of their charges, but also were shooting great.  The Italian Chasseurs, despite firing from the saddle, exacted a heavy toll among the squared up infantry.  More important was the failed elan tests.  Several times infantry failed to close on British squares.

Italians hitting the Allied center, this time in column.

Desperate struggle on the right as the decimated squares hold.

95th Rifles at a heavy cost drive off Italian artillery, a gap opens
in the attacking line.

After four hours of game play and almost four hours of real time play, the Italian/French force was a disorganized shamble.  An attack into the flank of one Italian division saw the rout of three battalions.  The front line had been thrown back onto their supports, disordering all.  On the Anglo-Portuguese right, although clinging by their toenails, they were holding.  The center looked promising for the Allies.  So Eugene and his cohorts conceded the game to Hill.  Overall casualties were relatively light on both sides considering the combat.

We had nine players, each running roughly a division.  Of those, four were rookies.  So all in all, very satisfactory.  Your comments and observations are welcome.