Setup

Introduction:

The lines of Torres Vedras were crowded with allied troops on the heights south of Sobral de Monte Agraco. Once fighting died down on the 12^th, Pakenham moved the 7^th and the Brunswick Oels to Dois Portos to flank Sobral de Monte Agraco. Junot felt his position was precarious and resolved to capture Dois Porto sans drive the allies southward.

The terrain map was put together with brown wrapping paper – 80gsm 750mm x 50m Kraft Wrapping paper. Overlapping in the middle set to size 4’ by 4’ with side edge extra for strength of a few inches – glued with PVA / glue stick. Terrain map basic layout courtesy of Michael Hopper’s - Rise of Albion scenario book. So I sketched out to scale and painted on with Acrylic paints to designate the hills, roads, river / stream, (an adaption I chose from the lovely maps created by Colin in our 20mm campaigns – see Simon’s blog on http://www.servicerationdistributionhobby.blogspot.com ). Found with 15mm figures the 2D maps are the easiest and Michael’s maps and positions of terrain make all the difference in the battle. So cheap, easy to store, and if you are finished with it then environmentally easy to dispose of.

In this map the hills are gentle going, steep ones on the left are impassable (see on full map above), the River is impassable except at bridges.

The basic scenario involves the French pushing in on the Allies out of Dois Portos and try to get over the Northern bridge to the North West side.

I am playing the British CinC Cole who has Pakenham as General who has one large regular infantry, 1 regular, and 1 poor Brunswick Oels (played here by 95^th). Harvey the other General has 4 Portuguese battalions classed as poor and skirmishers, and Kemmis who has 1 large regular battalion, 2 regular battalions, a skirmisher, and light foot artillery (LFA). Alan is the French CinC Junot, with General Menard who has 4 poor infantry and skirmishers, and Gratien who has 6 average infantry, 2 skirmishers, and a sapper, and light foot artillery. The British setup first. The French on attack orders setup second. You would get the full scenario details in Michael’s book - Rise of Albion.

Conclusion French 1 point, Allies 1 point. But Gratien only lost 1 out of 6 units. Kemmis only on 2 out of 3. Harvey has two 2^nd rate units both with 2 casualties so very close to 50%. Another couple of turns and the French would have the field.

In the last couple of battles we have been introducing the extra rules for artillery out of ammunition (but there has not been much in the way of artillery so far). We have added to the initiative (using cards to denote the brigade) with simultaneous movement (this battle was too blunt for that subtly) but were using the Staff Officer addition and General bonuses. It just requires when the card comes up for the Brigade we roll a D6 and on a 6 we get the Staff Officer or use a bonus. So in this game Gratien got his staff officer and added it to the unit attacking Dois Portos with a sapper. This got Gratien into Dois Portos. The unit then setup to the West and was fired upon by Harvey’s Portuguese – the staff officer met his end here! Menard also got his Staff officer and added it to his 2^nd rate East of Dois Portos that kept attacking Pakenham’s unit. Since they were constantly pushed back then destroyed he was also killed. The Allies only got one Staff officer with Harvey who sat with the unit protecting the bridge. The Staff Officers are single standing officer figures.