Empire Refresher

The COVID-19 crisis has put a major damper on gaming but things were improving enough to try a game in my open garage.  A little warmer outside than we prefer but acceptable to get to roll dice and push lead.  As I had a number of newly painted Napoleonic miniatures needing exposure to battle, I selected our favorite Empire as the game.

Quite frankly I told people to bring what they wanted to play with and we wouldn't be too concerned about balance or historic sides.  As it turned out we had a Polish corp under Poniatowski and French corps under Oudinot, commanded by Marechal St. Cyr going against an Anglo/Hanoverian/Sicilian/Portuguese army under Wellington.  "Daddy" Hill was also present for the Anglo allies.  Rules are Empire (V), 15mm figures, seven players, of which three were fairly new to the rules and all of us were out of practice.

Each side got a 12" deployment from the table edge and had the option to hold troops off table.  Roughly 50 battalions and 10 cavalry regiments per side.  The French/Allied force had a significant advantage in cannons.

The Anglo-Allied left.  British/Hanoverian with 
Portuguese on their right.

Pro-rating grand tactical movement.  Poles advance
on redcoats.

The Anglo-Allies "attacked" forward a bit to get a
better defensive position as the French swarmed.

Polish uhlans are sent packing by the KGL hussars.

The center has the elite British facing a mostly elite
French division with much more artillery.

The Loyal Lusitanian Legion sallies forth against
the flank of the "Terrible 57th."

Center looking right.  The French are engaged all
along the line, but not closely.

The Loyal Lusitanian Legion and Cacadores have
been thrown back and a major fight is pending on
the British held hill.

The center is looking good for the Anglo-Allies with
most French attacks thrown back.

We needed to knock off but the battle was clearly going into the record books as another Wellington win.  The Poles had valiantly attacked but mostly veteran troops against crack+ British in two ranks is a serious challenge.  The first hourly round the French with two corps commanders and a good commander got the initiative.  In the next Wellington won the roll and the Portuguese were able to take a lot of pressure off the allied center by routing two battalions of the 57th (grenadier rating) who were charged in the flank.  A real donnybrook was developing on the Anglo-Allied left but with the Poles in retreat it was just going to add to the body count.

Great to play Empire again and better to get together for a sociable game.  With folding tables available and a double car garage there will hopefully be many more in the future.