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Goodenot and Margarita at game start
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Spanish Line groups advance on Villabuena
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Hussars round the corner and move on the French Right
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British Elite Hussar Troop
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French Fusliers defending Villabuena
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French voltigeres occupying a Church
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Table Center Turn 3
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Hussars devastate the Dismounted Dragoons
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Guerrillas bring fire on the Voltigeres and Dragoons
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Goodenot and Margarita
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French Artillery Center Position
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95th Rifles and British Marines
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Barn area occupied by Castaneda and his Guerrillas
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French Dragoons line up on a hapless Spanish Line group
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Aftermath of french Dragoon charge
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Hussars push back the dismounted dragoons
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congestion along the road
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Spanish line units take fire from village
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British Advance on Villabuena
Shockley’s Village Revisited
Being a Sharp Practice Scenario in living 28mm
Several of my fellow clubbies and I came together on Memorial Day to play out my latest Sharp Practice Scenario. This was a modified, expanded and enhanced version of Shockley’s Village that we played a few weeks ago. Andrew & Rich played the British and Mike and I played the French.
See the Main Page Right Sidebar “Shockley’s Village Revisited” for the scenario information
The Set Up:
The game table was set up on a 3.5’ deep by 7.5’ wide playing surface with 8 units/groups and 5 big men per side. Each side had 6 infantry groups, 1 cavalry group and an artillery piece deployed on the table. The basic premise was that Shockley is marching on Villabuena and seeks to link up with a Spanish Guerrilla Force (located in some woods, near a barn). He has several game objectives: Liberate the Village, Exchange information with the Guerrilla Leader, Free the captured civilians, secure a supply wagon and, most importantly, rescue his best girl Margarita from his nemesis, French Lt. Goodenot. The French objectives were to move the civilians and wagon off their board edge, woo Margarita and have the footsore dismounted dragoons liberate 3 horses located near the barn, on the French right. The French would also attempt to defend the village from recapture.
The game was set up such that on the British Right, the French are in control of Villabuena and already have a victory point. The Wagon & civilians are near the village and are attempting to move off the French map edge along a road. Meanwhile, the British more or less hold the barn with several horses that the French footsore dismounted dragoons are interested in. The French have a moderate advantage in position and the British have a superior quality force.
Game Play:
Turn 1:
The Game opened up as the British decided to try and bring fire on the wagon at long range to attempt to drop at least one of the horses, to prevent the French from moving it offboard. The Brits also decided to go ahead and have Shockley link up with the Guerrilla leader, Castaneda (Task=12), since that would be an easy VP and they start very close to each other. The link up was achieved within the first turn and the exchange (task) completed with relative ease (Brits = 1VP, French = 1VP (Town)). The small arms fire upon the wagon was ineffective and it moved a short distance down the road that turn.
Other action saw the British Cavalry near the Barn begin to move towards the French Right. The French Hero, Lt. Goodenot, managed to charm Shockley’s Girl, Margarita, by using two of his initiatives to do so. Mike rolled a “10” which yielded the modified result of “12” which was necessary to charm the innocent young lady and this yielded the French = 2VPs vs. the British = 1VP.
Turn 2:
The British continued to bring fire upon the wagon at long range with no effect. Both the French and the British artillery pounded an enemy target group each that was caught out in the open. The French began to advance towards the Barn with a Voltigere group and the Dismounted Dragoons. The British Cavalry moved around to the extreme French right while the Mounted French Dragoons did the same near the British right flank which was near Villabuena.
Shockley and Castaneda directed the 95th Rifles group and the Guerrillas into defensive positions in and around the barn area. Meanwhile, the French moved up two more groups of Fusiliers to support Villabuena.
Small arms fire was exchanged up and down the line with some effect.
Turn 3:
The turn opened with the British Hussar Troop charging the dismounted dragoons, causing 5 casualties and heavy shock to the dragoon unit. (We found that the small cavalry units were fragile, but very effective against unformed infantry in the open (+100% dice). The Guerrillas were now in place behind the Barn’s wall and the 95th Rifles were supporting them in the woods. Both groups brought devastating fire onto the dragoons and voltigeres that were attempting to move up on the barn (horses).
The wagon and civilians continued a slow march up the road toward the French map edge and were effectively moved out of range of the advancing British.
Meanwhile, the French Mounted Dragoons continued to advance on the British right (moving within striking distance of a Spanish Line unit) and the defending French Fusiliers moved out of Villabuena towards two groups of Spanish Line Infantry that were advancing on the Village. (The Spanish were substituted since Andrew had brought them to the game – they replaced two British Center company groups and added some nice color to the game). A second Fusilier group entered the village to take up the defensive position vacated by the first group.
Small arms and artillery fire was exchanged along the line, increasing shock and casualties on both sides.
Turn 4:
This turn opened as the French Cavalry Leader’s card came up first. The Mounted Dragoons charged the hapless Spanish Line unit and decimated it, killing 8 figures with no loss to its own ranks. The Spanish unit was routed off the table edge and was swept from the field.
On the British Right, near the barn, the British Hussar troop pulled back and regrouped while the dismounted dragoons and voltigeres reeled from heavy casualties and shock.
The wagon and civilian cards did not come up, so their advance was stalled on the road (probably cowering in fear from the nearby small arms fire and din of the battle).
Fire continued up and down the line with increasing effect to both sides.
Final Turn 5:
As the last turn opened up (game was limited to 3.5 hours), both sides had significant causalities and mounting shock to their respective units. The French were basically stalled on their right (near the barn) and could not advance due to shock and casualties. The Spanish line on the British right could do no better against the village. The British did have a fresh group of center company troops that was moving up to threaten the village.
Meanwhile, the 4 remaining Hussar figures had recovered their shock and mounted a second charge on the remnants of the dismounted dragoon group and were able to completely rout the French unit from the field.
More importantly, the fresh British Line group advanced on the exposed and battle weary French Fusiliers and routed the unit in sharp exchange of fisticuffs. This placed the British unit at the village wall which was close enough to contest control of the village and force the French to give up their precious VP for possession of Villabuena.
Thus, the game came to a close with the French @ 1VP for wooing Margarita (poor Shockley having lost his love (same thing happened in our first scenario!)) and the British @ 1VP for having exchanged information between Castaneda & Shockley.
It was a fun game and quite exciting with the cavalry action and other objectives trying to be met. We find that the rules offer the traditional “feel” of horse & musket gaming, while also offering a sense of high adventure to the genre. It really is like watching a “Sharpe’s” episode or reading an adventure novel!
Happy Gaming!
Faron.
