NAPOLEONIC SKIRMISH IN THE PENINSULA: A (NOT) BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER BATREP

Mark D's new Spanish guerillas, on their still in-progress bases, make their (very successful) debut.

It's been awhile since I've posted about actual game activity. Thus, I am happy to finally report, albeit belatedly, about an excellent gaming visit I had with my friend Mark D (who also has a report on this game on his blog). Mark has been exploring skirmish level rules for his expanding Peninsular 28mm collection.   Having not settled on anything yet, he invited me up to his place to give my Brother Against Brother Napoleonic variant a try.  Regarding that system,  I'll make some contextual references to some of the rules in this report, but will defer a more direct discussion  until the end. Suffice it to say that I nicknamed it "Not Brother Against Brother" to tip players familiar with BaB to not assume too much when playing it.  It retains the bones of BaB, but departs in details.  In this post, as usual, you may clix pix for Big Pix...

Mark took the part of the British/Spanish and I the French. For the initial set-on, we placed the unit leaders and command figures. Once activated, we then bring the unit figures on. Above Left: the French initial set on, with the HQ and Baseline noted. The HQ is one of my additions to the BaB standard rules. The HQ can be placed anywhere within 12" of the friendly table edge--and is also limited to this zone. It moves at the end of every turn (may be relocated anywhere within this zone). It can provide company command to a "squad" within 6" and has some functions related to random events and leader replacements.  Each side has also designated a "baseline"--in this game marked by a wagon with the baseline extending 24" to either side. If the baseline is threatened (defined as an enemy unit coming within 12" with nothing in its way directly to the baseline), then units of the threatened side would be obliged to either hold in place or move closer to their baseline (if moved) until the gap had been covered or the threat removed.  Above Right: Mark's allied set on: a fairly balanced approach for both. 

The view from the French side after the first turn.  The discs are my universal activation markers  (in case anyone is wondering).

Overview of the action at the conclusion of the first turn--just before the "stuff" hit the fan. 

 INITIAL ACTION ON THE LEFT...

 My Legere cozy up to the hedge and let loose a withering, albeit futile fusilade (signifying nothing). The British Guards sidestep out of the fire lane. The French grenadiers, taking a cue, also scuttle behind cover. Meanwhile, the British lights have yet to activate, and seem to be up to something (what is Mark up to, we wonders?)...

...with a high movement die roll, Mark swings the British Lights out on to the flank, with the company officer along to allow them to initiate melee. A crafty move, indeed: who will activate first next turn? The British Lights or the Legere?

MEANWHILE, ON THE RIGHT...

My dragoons get the first activation and a golden opportunity to...

...send a fusilade into the Spanish guerrillas caught in the open...

...that was the theory, anyway.

Not being one to let an opportunity pass, Mark then sends Guerrilla Band #2 to melee my dragoons (of course, the guerrillas pass their moral check).

AND IN THE CENTER...

The French and British guns indulge in counterbattery fire, the British gunners scoring a hit and coming out unscathed. The French and Polish line infantry fire with about as much effect as the French dragoons. The Poles receive the attention of the Portuguese--and are much reduced as a result.

It was at about this time that I took the entirely rational step of purging dice that had disappointed me.
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OVERVIEW...

The action thus far: in the melee, Spanish Guerrilla Band #2 thumped the French Dragoons (note only 4 figures left), who will go on to fail their morale and fall back in their next activation.  Guerrilla Band #1, after dodging the French fire, is snugly ensconced in the building, and the British Lights are poised at the edge of the table on the extreme left flank. Both sides have secure positions, though, with neither baseline in danger.

BACK ON THE LEFT...

Above Left: my Legere get the first activation and launch a charge into the British lights (note that sometimes we use kill rings to show figures with empty muskets). The British Guards activate next and swing around in position to support the British lights and threaten the Legere. Above Right: I send my French grenadiers into melee with the British Guards to even things up. When the British Lights activate, the subsequent melee round doesn't go well for the French Legere (as witnessed by the figure count), but the Grenadiers come out ahead in the initial melee with the British Guards (sparing a few dice a trip to the gulag...for now)...

Above Left: in the ensuing action, the British Guards manage to back off and deliver a spirited volley into the Grenadiers. Above Right: the British Lights manage to dispatch the French Legere. This triumph is short-lived, however, as the French guns fortuitously now have a clear line of fire, sending the British Lights to join the French Legere in Ragnarok.

A random event "Gendarmes Return Stragglers" then came up (which allows each side to return some figures). Mark shored up his Guards and I shored up the French Grenadiers, which returned this flank to stasis. These were the only viable units in the area and both of us felt the tension to hold the line as opposed to just throwing units around--the effect of the baseline rule infuses the tension of maintaining a viable position.

AND ON THE RIGHT... 

The chastised remnant of my French dragoons return to the fray, taking a page from the guerrilla book and skulking in the woods. They unleash another near point blank fusilade in the general direction Guerilla Band #2, with the same results...

...and consequences.

AND IN THE CENTER...

Guerrilla Band #2, now known as the "Men of Iron" continue to defy the odds. Meanwhile, Guerrilla Band #1 has settled-in for the duration. 

THE SITUATION AT END...

The "Men of Iron" pull back to secure the woods on the British left. At this point, things had returned to stasis. With both sides stretched to cover the line, any advance  would be a risky affair.  Thus we called it a draw.

 It was just as well.  I was running out of dice, anyway. 

 THANKS!

 Thanks to Mark and his lovely wife, Nancy, for hosting me to a Friday/Saturday interlude of gaming at their place.

 

 NOTES ON THE RULES

Here are a few notes about my (Not) Brother Against Brother Variant. One probably would need an understanding of the rules to make sense of the below materials.

I replaced the cards with die rolls for morale checks and random events (roll for random events when a die roll of "1" or "0" comes up on a morale check).  I rate each unit for movement, morale, fire, and melee--but these ratings are independent of one another, allowing greater granularity for designing units. This allows you to have Spanish guerrillas, for instance, rated green for morale yet melee as "shock." The combat, movement, and morale effects are modified, as evident in the Reference Sheet. One thing to note is that unlike muskets, rifles have a "rate of fire": they may only fire up to  1/2 (max) per turn, but you don't keep track of loading/empty. Rifles also have extended range, but not an inherent +1.  The riflemen, however, could be rated as "skilled" shooters (and usually are), rendering the +1. You can access these files as well as some markers and other resources in this folder. Eventually, I'll gather together some coherent notes and post my BaB Napoleonic variant in a content page on this blog (there's no shortage of hobby activity ahead!).

In the meantime, dear readers, thank you for your indulgence on this rather overlong report.

Excelsior!