Battle Of Columbeira In 3D - Turn Five

Map

Situation at the start of turn five

My activation dice are 3 and two 1s. I reroll the 1s, having the good fortune to get 5 and 4, meaning my whole army can be activated.

In area 3 I advance the artillery.

In area 4 the infantry in Columbeira fire at the French in square, the four dice increased thanks to the enemy's formation. I roll 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2, destroying the target. My rearward infantry advance diagonally left, but I leave the other infantry where they are so as not to get in the way of my cavalry.

In area 5 both cavalry units swing two hexes diagonally left, into the stream, and are followed by Sir Arthur Wellesley. Both infantry units advance.

The French commander suddenly looks vulnerable

The AI's four activation dice land 6, two 4s and 1. Wildcard 6 and a 4 are rerolled, becoming 3 and 2, meaning all French troops can be activated.

In area 2 the infantry roll 6, at last leaving their position and advancing off the hill.

In area 3 the French artillery do not have a target in line-of-sight (guns can only fire along a direct line of hexes, rather than having a continuous arc), and so roll 3, which has no effect. Because Allied cavalry are within three hexes, the infantry form square.

In area 4 General Delaborde rolls 2, which only has an effect after turn six.

Halfway through the battle, and the Allies are rampant

Battle Of Columbeira In 3D - Turn Four

Map

Situation at the start of turn four

My activation dice land 6, 4 and 1. I reroll the 1, but get another 1, and I turn wildcard 6 into a 5.

I start in area 5 by sending my rearward cavalry to charge the nearest French infantry, who may have thought they were safe on high ground. I make them pay for not forming square by rolling 6, two 5s, 4, 3 and 1, eliminating the enemy unit. My forward cavalry charge the one-strength French infantry, who have formed square, which decreases the six dice to three. Nevertheless I roll 6, 5 and 1, and another enemy unit is destroyed. Also in area 5 the Allied infantry units each advance a hex, and Sir Arthur Wellesley advances two hexes to keep up with his cavalry.

In area 4 the middle infantry enter the village and fire at the French directly ahead, the four dice decreased for shooting after moving, and I roll a miserable 2 and two 1s. My two-strength infantry fire at the same target, rolling 5 and two 1s, scoring a hit. My rearward infantry advance diagonally left to the outskirts of Columbeira.

My right hook is having success

The AI's activation dice land 5, 4, 2 and 1.

There are no troops in area 1, and in area 2 the infantry roll 1, which has no effect in this scenario,

In area 4 the two-strength infantry form square and shoot at the nearest Allied cavalry (they prefer shooting at cavalry, rather than infantry, when in square), their two dice decreased for moving. They roll 4, causing my unit to fall back a hex. General Delaborde rolls 4, moving diagonally across the middle hill so he is next to three friendly units.

There are no French troops in area 5, so that activation die is wasted.

End of turn, with the French down to five units, including the commander

Battle Of Columbeira In 3D - Turn Three

Map

Situation at the start of turn three

My three activation dice land 4, 2 and 1. I reroll the 2 and 1, but get a pair of 1s.

In area 4 my second-furthest forward infantry fire at the French cavalry, rolling 5 and two 4s, just enough to destroy the enemy unit's final base. The furthest forward infantry enter Columbeira and fire at the enemy diagonally to their right. The four dice are decreased for shooting after moving, but I roll 6, 5 and 2, reducing the enemy to one-strength. The third unit of Allied infantry advances to the edge of the village, and the fourth unit advances diagonally right.

My activation dice were poor, but I have still made progress

The AI's activation dice are two 4s and two 2s. One of each pair is rerolled, becoming two 5s.

In area 2 the infantry roll 3 - no effect, because they already occupy high ground.

In area 4 the infantry cannot immediately fire at my men in Columbeira, thanks to the plateau effect of high ground. Instead they roll 4, advancing to the edge of the hill, from where they can shoot. Their four dice are decreased for firing after moving, and for the target being in cover, but they roll 6 and 4, destroying one base and forcing the survivors to withdraw from the village. They cannot fallback straight, so I choose for them to drop diagonally to their right. General Delaborde rolls 1, which has no effect if thrown before turn seven.

In area 5 the one-strength infantry have to form square as there are Allied cavalry within three hexes, even though the plateau effect of high ground means they cannot shoot at the horsemen. However they can shoot at my furthest forward infantry, although their two dice are decreased for moving, but increased for being on higher ground, and they roll a worthless pair of 3s. The other infantry roll 5, advancing a hex.

The French have had little success so far, but remember they win if they have any troops left on the battlefield at the end of turn 10

Battle Of Columbeira In 3D - Turn Two

Map

Situation at the start of turn two

My three activation dice land 5, 3 and 2. I reroll the 2, which becomes wildcard 6, so by changing it to a 4 I can activate my whole army.

I start in area 4 by advancing the forward infantry, who then fire at the French cavalry, the 3 dice reduced for firing after moving. I roll 6 and 2, causing the enemy to lose a base. The middle infantry also advance and fire at the same target, rolling 6 and 1, meaning the cavalry lose a second base. The rearward infantry advance diagonally into Oak Wood.

In area 3 the infantry advance diagonally right, while the artillery advance straight forward.

In area 5, both Allied cavalry units advance two hexes, as does Sir Arthur Wellesley, while the infantry advance their maximum distance of one hex.

After the Allied half-turn

The AI's activation dice are two 6s and two 5s. All but one 5 are rerolled, becoming 2, 4 and another 5.

In area 2 the infantry roll 3, but in this scenario rolls of 2 and 3 by French infantry only have an effect if the unit is not on high ground.

In area 4 the infantry roll 2, with the same non-effect. General Delaborde rolls 4, which means he stays where he is as he cannot advance to a hex where he is adjacent to more friendly units.

In area 5 the cavalry roll 3, but that only has an effect after turn two - more hesitation by the French! The forward infantry roll 6, advancing a hex, and the same result occurs for the rearward infantry.

The French cavalry's hesitation is likely to cost them dear - more dear, that is, than they have already suffered

Battle Of Columbeira In 3D - Turn One

Map

Battlefield

My three activation dice are two 4s and 3. I reroll a 4, but get another 4.

In area 3 I advance my infantry diagonally right so they are no longer in line-of-sight of the French artillery.

In area 4 I advance all three infantry units.

The AI's four activation dice land 6, two 4s and 1. The 6 and a 4 are rerolled, but become 4 and 1.

There are no French troops in area 1, but in area 4 the infantry roll a 3, which only has an effect if the unit is not already on high ground. General Delaborde rolls a 2, which only has an effect from turn seven.

End of turn - a quiet one in which the Allies have slowly advanced most of their infantry, while the French have stood pat

Battle Of Columbeira In 3D

AT the real Battle of Roliça in 1808 the French commander, General Henri François Delaborde, prepared a second position south of the village of Columbeira.

The idea was to fight a delaying action at Roliça, and then make the main stand on high ground behind Columbeira.

To a certain extent this is what happened, and the two actions are usually treated as one battle, as indeed does Mike Lambo in devising his scenarios for Battles Of Napoleonic Europe.

Scenarios one and two cover the first action, from the Anglo-Portuguese and French perspectives, with scenarios three and four depicting the second action, again from both sides' perspective.

For the sake of convenience, and to reduce possible confusion, I have renamed the second action the Battle of Columbeiro. but I will be fighting it as per the book.

Map for scenario three, where the human commands the Allied troops, which start below the red dashed line

Map converted to my Hexon II battlefield

I have composed the three woods or copses of different trees, so I can refer to them as Three Fir Wood, Big Fir Wood and (right) Oak Wood.

The human, in addition to Sir Arthur Wellesley, receives five units of infantry, two of cavalry and one of artillery.

To win I have to destroy the whole French army, which in the scenario is almost as strong as mine, before the end of turn 10.

I have opted for a strong right hook, my plan being to conquer the main hill and roll up the French army from there

The AI, in addition to General Delaborde, receives five units of infantry and one each of cavalry and artillery.

The AI's setup is semi-randomised, but it too has concentrated troops on the flank with the largest area of high ground

Here is how we setup when I first fought the scenario, using the book's map and counters.

The biggest difference is that in the 3D version I have favoured the right hook much more strongly

In the original playthrough I won what I called "a fairly crushing victory with a turn to spare," although I conceded that the AI "was hampered by bad dice throwing at the crucial activation stage of many turns."

It is nice being gracious in victory - I hope this time I do not have to be generous in defeat.

As usual I will write up the battle turn by turn.

Hoping For A Hat-Trick

I RECENTLY finished reading another great find in a charity shop, Peter Fleming's News From Tartary.

If the author's name sounds vaguely familiar, it is because he was the elder brother of James Bond writer Ian Fleming.

£2.25 from a branch (cannot recall which) of Oxfam

The book tells of Times correspondent Peter Fleming's 3,500-mile journey in 1935 from Peking, as the Chinese city was then known in the West, to Kashmir, accompanied by a female Swiss travel writer-photographer.

Fleming's account is very much a piece of travel writing, but the region they passed through was experiencing turbulent times, not least thanks to what was then a confident Soviet Union and its agents, so there is plenty to interest anyone with an interest in (recent) history.

I enjoyed the book so much that writing this mini-review has prompted me to order two more Fleming travel books via Amazon: Brazilian Adventure, about his part in searching for a missing British adventurer, and One's Company, Fleming's account of traveling to China for The Times.

They have cost me rather more than £2.25, but I have high hopes of another two enjoyable reads.

Summing Up My French Playthrough Of Roliça In 3D -

Another exciting and fluctuating game, the outcome perhaps hinging on the AI's general, Sir Arthur Wellesley, impetuously putting himself in harm's way while encouraging his men to push home their attack.

When he was killed by my sadly depleted, but brave, sharpshooters, who were defending the objective hex, it meant the Allied army no longer had a unit that could move two hexes in a single turn, and that 6s thrown for activation areas would no longer be rerolled.

That proved hugely important in turn nine, when the AI rolled two such 6s and could not move the only Allied unit that might have reached the all-important hex.

In this series I now lead the AI 2-0, whereas at the same stage of my first playthrough of Battles Of Napoleonic Europe we were tied 1-1 - perhaps I am getting the hang of this generalship business!

Roliça In 3D - French Playthrough: Turn Nine

Map

Situation at the start of turn nine

My three activation dice are 5 and two 2s. I reroll a 2 and the 5, getting 1 and wildcard 6, which I turn into a 3.

In area 2 I move General Delaborde forward diagonally right, and then onto the ridge, from where he is exposed but can support my infantry and my cavalry, the latter charging the Allied infantry in the copse. The four dice - my unit is one-strength - are increased for being next to the commander. but decreased for the target being in cover. The gamble seems to have failed, as I roll 4, two 3s and 1, merely pushing the infantry back a hex.

In area 3 my one-strength infantry fire at the Allied infantry straight ahead, the two dice being increased for being on higher ground and for being next to the commander. I roll two 6s, 4 and 2, eliminating the enemy unit.

Only one Allied unit can possibly occupy the objective hex in the two half-turns left to the AI, and to do so it must mount the ridge this half-turn

The AI's activation dice are two 6s, 3 and 2. Since the Allied commander is hors de combat, the wildcard 6s are not rerolled, and since the one Allied unit that can reach the objective hex (marked by a green bead and defended by my remaining infantry), is not in area 3 or 2, it cannot move, and therefore the objective hex cannot be captured by the end of turn 10, and so I have won.

Roliça In 3D - French Playthrough: Turn Eight

Map

Situation at the start of turn eight

My three activation dice are two 3s and 1. I reroll the 1 and a 3, but get two more threes,

In area 3 my infantry get out of square formation and fire at Sir Arthur Wellesley (he is the only remaining Allied unit able to move two hexes per turn). My two dice are increased for being on higher ground, but decreased for having moved and for the target being in cover . I roll 6, killing the Allied commander. One effect of this is the AI can no longer reroll wildcard 6s.

The AI's four activation dice land two 3s, 2 and 1. A 3 is rerolled, but becomes another 1.

The AI has no units in area 1, but in area 2 the infantry fire at my cavalry, rolling 6, 4 and 1. That reduces my unit by a base, but the survivors do not retreat as they are supported by General Delaborde. The artillery fire at the same target, their two dice decreased for firing through trees, and they roll an ineffective 3.

In area 3 the one-strength Allied infantry fire at my one-strength infantry, rolling an ineffective 3 and 2.

The French are desperately hanging on