Retreat From Moscow

This post is nothing like it was supposed to be. I had written a full turn by turn, blow by blow, account of this game (about 1000 words and two hours of writing), but as I made a final edit ALL descriptions of ALL 12 TURNS - 90% of the post - vanished and NO AMOUNT OF UNDO WOULD RECOVER IT! 

GRRRRRR Blogger!! 

Having read Ray's and Big Lee's blogs (Don't Thow A One and BigLee's 'Miniature Adventures' respectively) and watched their Retreat From Moscow project develop, I was encouraged dig out my own collection and play solo a game we have played in the group a number of times. The full details of the original game concept can be found here, but it is really just a variation on the Pony Wars game from the 1980s. A French column is marching along a single road that runs the length of the table and as they pass specific trigger points that indicate the arrival of the Russian units at places along the table edge. The arriving Russians will react in accordance with their troop class, what they see and how far away any enemy is. 

In normal circumstances French are ruled victorious if they get five of their seven units off the far end of the table. That said the whole game can be turned on its head when the column reaches the town because on entering the town 1xD6 is rolled and the result is: 1 Nothing is found; 2,3 a cache of supplies is discovered that allows each unit to recover four status points as it passes through the village; 5,6 the Emperor is found there, with a unit of the Imperial Guard. If Napoleon is there the whole game changes - the objective is to get him off the table regardless of the losses to the other units, and all Russian units move directly towards him. If a Russian unit contacts Napoleon, he is deemed captured.

The table setup is simple: a road weaves its way up the length of the table and a town is located about halfway with a couple of small woods and low hills running in from the edge. Along the road, before it reaches the town are five trigger points about 300mm apart and whenever a French unit passes one a Russian unit card is drawn. Whatever unit is drawn will appear at one of four Russian arrival points on the edge of the table: A1 on the left hand edge in the first quarter, A2 directly opposite on the right, A3 on the left hand edge at the half way mark and A4 directly opposite on the right. 

Because of what blogger did, what you are getting here is very cut down description - because I didn't keep my notes after the initial edit...grrr.

The French column arrives.

On turn 2 the first arrival is triggered - a militia gun at A1 that deploys immediately

Marbot's sleds arrive

Another Russian unit is triggered - a regular artillery unit at A3 that opens fire

Marbot heads for the militia gun

The French are passing many trigger points: first a regiment of Russian dragoons arrives at A4

Then two units of armed peasants appear at A3...

...and cossacks at A1

The French mixed cavalry unit arrives

Marbot's sleds head for the militia gun

Under threat from the dragoons a French battalion forms square

Marbot attacks the militia gun, cutting down the gunners

The French cavalry form up to face the cossacks 

The Russian dragoons advance on the French square that has been damaged by gunfire.

The French cavalry charge the cossacks, but are repulsed.

Having dealt with the militia gun, Marbot heads for the dragoons.

The dragoons charge the damaged square and it breaks and routs!

The dragoons break through onto a second square, but are repulsed

Marbot approaches the repulsed dragoons, firing them, while near the town the peasants are massing

More cossacks and mounted militia have arrived at A1. The French cavalry attack the cossacks again and after a sustained fight are repulsed again.

Marmot smashes into the rear of the dragoons and they scatter and quit the field

At the head of the column the French infantry open fire on the peasants, who suddenly are not so keen on the whole situation and back away.

The militia are being cautious

The Russian jägers enter the fight

 Cossacks and militia cavalry are threatening the rear of the column

More Russian dragoons arrive at A4 and Marbot is under threat

...but he slips away, past the militia, firing as he goes. In the town a '6' is rolled and the Emperor is found sheltering with a unit of old guard grenadiers. Suddenly the game changes and it is a race to get the Emperor away.

The French cavalry charge the cossacks again. They push the cossacks back, but fail to break them. When the French attack again, the cossacks get the better of them and the French cavalry are dispersed to the wind.

French infantry attack the jägers and peasants, driving the Russians off.

More jägers fire on Marbot causing three casualties...ouch

As the French push out of the town Marbot attacks and pushes back a battalion of Russian regulars caught in march column on the road.

The Emperor exits the town, guarded by three battalions

At the rear of the column the cossacks charge a French square, but are repulsed

Marbot cuts down the Russian regulars

The Emperor makes it to the road while Marbot faces the dragoons and the infantry forms either side of the road to fend off cossacks, militia and jägers racing to get at Napoleon

The rearmost French unit has made it tk the edge of of the town with Russian irregular cavalry in hot pursuit.

Napoleon is clear of the  pursuers but the fighting continues

At the rear of the column the French infantry form square at the entrance of the village for a last stand with Russian cavalry closing in.

 

But the Emperor has escaped...

Vive l'Emperor

It is worth noting that if the Emperor had not been found that honours would have gone to the Russians because with the French cavalry gone and two more battalions on the verge of collapse, they would not have managed to get five units away.