Okay, time for Part 3 of my Fall In posts!
I usually play at least one game at fall in, and I did play one game at Fall In this year. I had done a little asking around for recommendations over on TMP for which game would be a visual treat, and everyone pointed to the usual suspects; the Carnage and Glory guys, led by Nigel M. and Dave B. This year they were doing a big, three-part refight of Borodino. So I figured... what the heck!
And as a special, added bonus I took a BUNCH of photos of the game right next to ours, which was another one of the Borodino games.
So. For our game, I was one of four Russian generals. Our objectives were to hold the hill on our left, and if we can the woods on our right. We also had to kill a lot of French and their Polish allies!
We had, if I recall correctly, four divisions at our disposal. I would start the game in command of just the jager company in the woods on the one side of the board, whose main division was holding the hill. I would attempt to delay the enemy advance if possible and tire them out, and then drop back to the hill, assuming command of a newly arrived division at that point.
Here are our boys, advancing through the wheat field towards the battle!
Here you can see my four regiments of jagers. I threw them into open order to prevent too much exhaustion... open order is vulnerable to charge, but keeps you moving in trees!
And here you see the enemy advancing on us through the woods.
A close up of the Polish troops opposite me!
They got in and beat on my guys pretty badly. My troops eventually crumbled, one group routing, the other three withdrawing in relatively good order. I was a bit indecisive, and that cost me; the enemy attacked with three battalions, and while I HAD four I only had two on line. This was a mistake. This left the woods contested.
Thankfully some friendly reinforcements in the form of another Russian division quickly moved up through the wheat towards the front!
So... I was given command of the center division after I turned over command of my jagers back to their original division commander (who is holding the hill at the top of the above photo, the Russian left.) You can see my division in the center, along with all those guns, and the Russian Guards division to the far right, which moved in to hold the woods. However, before I snapped a photo, a questionable move on my part opened a hold between my own division and the Guards division, which our enemies quickly attempted to exploit! They began to pour men into the breech. My artillery, however, worked wonders, pouring cannister into the Poles and forcing them back as Russian reinforcements advanced to plug the gap.
Here you can see both my own division and the reinforcements beginning to plug the gap, as more men from the Guards division in the woods swarm out from the other side. The French and Allied troops in the gap looked to be in bad shape.
As my guns fired away (the right of the photo) I also rushed men up to the hill to help plug gaps, and as I crested the hill I plunged right into the face of the enemy, who had already been battered by artillery in their long advance up the field!
Here is a shot from above and behind our lines. From Russian left to right, you can see us holding the hill all the way to the board edge. Then you can see my own division with the guns in the center, some of them swarming down the hill, throwing the Polish down before them. You can see the gap, as columns of Russians are thrown into to plug it, and then the "knuckle" of the Russian Guards in the woods.
Another shot from roughly the same spot. You can see some of my men pouring down the hill, screaming and stabbing as they go!
A shot of the French and Poles as they are thrown back out of the gap, leaving many dead and wounded behind, including a captured General and a captured flag!
The French and Poles attempt to take the hill, but are struggling, as my own men, bloodthirsty from their bayonet work on the hill, countercharge down into them!
Another shot of the French and Allied lines, with my own Russians actually among them!
We did end up winning the game convincingly... while we didn't hold the woods (the woods were actually quiet as both sides just faced off but were more intent on keeping their opposites pinned in place and unable to help the center) we DID hold the hill. Plus, we inflicted a LOT of casualties!
Now, as an added bonus... here is some eye candy from the Borodino game that was happening at the very same time, right next to us!
Big thanks to Dave Bonk for a fun game, to the other generals (if you read this, please say hi!) who played (and helped this relative newbie out of a lot of jams!) and to the folks who supplied the fantastic figures and scenery. THIS is what a game should look like!:)
French pouring out of the woods.
The Russian defenders.
The French attack the Russian positions.
Yikes... that's a LOT of Russians!
But there are a lot of French on the way!
Battle is joined in earnest!
Not sure who won the game... but it sure looked nice!:)