THURSDAY GAME. CASTALLA 1813.

The original plan for last Thursday's game was that I would host, with a VBCW skirmish using FUBAR. However, with Neil visiting from the UAE, four people would be too much for my cluttered hovel. Rick stepped up to the plate with a re creation of the Battle of Castalla from June 1813, played out on his 6 x 4 Hexxon II covered table.

This is a Command & Colors Napoleonics game. With there being 4 players, we allowed the sub general to roll a D3 and order that number of units after the C&C had allocated orders from the card. blue markers are the commander's ordered units, white the sub general's.

 The starting positions seen from behind the Spanish and Anglo-Scicilian positions. It can be seen that the main French force is massed on the Allies left flank. A hopeless position?

                                                A closer view of the French dispositions.

                                                  View from the objective: Castalla!
In the early phase of the battle Suchet (Aidan) was happy to let the French centre and left flanks attack the strong positions around Castalla. There were a few casualties on both sides.

The French heavy cavalry then attacked. they brushed aside the British light cavalry and overran the guns. It started to look bad for the allies (below).

But the cavalry had outrun it's supports and had to pull back. The infantry in the French centre now made their presence felt in trying to exploit the confusion caused by the cavalry attack (below).

 The attack on Castalla made some headway, but was rebuffed by some accurate musketry and a glorious charge by the Spanish cavalry. The French on the Allied left flank still have not moved to support their colleagues(below).

The pictures below show the result of the battle of attrition on the Allied right and centre and around Castalla. This brought the French close to their required number of victory banners. Now the French right flank moved forward.

 The loss of the Spanish cavalry was the straw that broke the camel's back. The French now had 6 banners to 4. They had won!. We allow the loser one full turn to try to get a draw. Below, the pictures show the desperate gambit that I employed to try to rescue a draw. The allied forces on the hill attacked, but, alas, did not destroy any units. Instead, the French destroyed another unit. The last picture shows the end state.

This was an enjoyable game. Neil & myself took the Allies and Aidan & Rick the French. The French perspective can be seen here http://www.ccnapoleonics.net/index.php?option=com_kunena&view=topic&catid=4&id=891&Itemid=56#1139 .