First Carlist War Battle Report

Today's game was supposed to be an American Civil War action, but the week has been a busy one and the opportunity to plan was limited. This combined with the fact that I woke up late this morning and didn't have time to sort out the armies saw me change the ACW game to a First Carlist War affair, plainly and simply because in could very quickly grab the two storage containers from my study cupboard. We used all my Carlist War figures. 

For the game a Carlist force of 13 infantry battalions, four cavalry squadrons and two guns were charged with covering a road leading back to their heartland. Against them was an Isabelino force consisting of four guard battalions, one light battalion and 9 line battalions, three cavalry squadrons, two field and one mountain guns. The Isabelino forces were supported by components form the British Auxiliary Legion (BAL) and the French Foreign Legion (FFL) - a battalion of British Marines, two battalions of a BAL infantry, a squadron of BAL cavalry, a rocket troop and a detachment of royal artillery, four battalions of the FFL, a squadron of cavalry and a mountain gun.

The FFL and BAL troops advance

The Isabelino right flank

The quality of the troops would be essential to the game. Of the Carlist infantry one battalion of Navarese guides was rated elite, six battalions were rate trained and six raw. The cavalry and the artillery were rated trained. The Isabelino guard and FFL infantry were rated trained, the Marines elite, but all other infantry was raw. Of the Isabelino cavalry, the BAL cavalry was raw while the rest were trained. All the Isabelino artillery was rated trained.

The Carlists chose to deploy six battalions and the mountain gun in a village in the centre if the table with the remaining forces on or behind the hills to the rear. The Isabelinos came from two directions, the FFL, BAL and a brigade of five Isableino battalions on the left and the remaining troops on the right.

The Isabelno Cavalry

The guard advance 

The village became the centre of the action, quickly drawing the two raw brigades and two batteries of the Isabelino troops into a desperate fight with six Carlist battalions. The Carlist drove off ten Isabelino battalions before being driven out themselves.

Above and below, the Isabelinos advance on the village

Meanwhile on the left flank the FFL and BAL faced up against a mixed Carlist force, and on the right the Guard and the cavalry faced off against the Carlist Cavalry, three battalions of infantry and the field battery. The fighting on the flanks continued all day, but the final collapse of the village marked the end of the game.