Battle Of Roliça Part Two - Allied Playthrough: Setup & Turn One

THE Battle of Roliça takes a special place in Mike Lambo's Battles Of Napoleonic Europe.

As with all the other battles in the book, it is to be fought from both sides, ie once with the French and once with their opponents.

But Roliça is unique in that it is refought as two separate battles or, perhaps more accurately, as two battles divided into distinct halves.

Lambo explains: "The French made a pre-planned retreat to a second position to the south of Columbeira."

Sir Arthur Wellesley's Anglo-Portuguese army advances from below the red dashed line

The human player, leading the Allies, gets, in addition to the future Duke of Wellington, five units of infantry, two of cavalry and one of artillery.

To win the battle I have to destroy the entire French army before the end of turn 10, so I have gone for a setup that should enable me to get on high ground as soon as possible, and from there I hope to roll up the French from the flank

The AI gets, as well as General Delaborde, five units of infantry (the same number as the Allies), one of cavalry (the Allies get two) and one of artillery (the same as the Allies).

The French setup is semi-randomised

TURN ONE

My three activation dice give me 5 and two 3s. I reroll one 3, but get another 3.

In area 3 I advance the infantry and the artillery.

In area 5 I advance the infantry and fire at the French cavalry. My three dice are reduced by one due to firing after moving, and I roll 4 and 3, forcing the French back a hex. My cavalry in area 5 advance two hexes.

The AI's four dice give it 5 and three 1s. Two of the 1s are rerolled, giving 3 and another 1.

There are no units in area 1. The infantry in area 3 roll 5, which means to move straight down, but only if that results in occupying high ground, which here it does not.

The cavalry in area 5 roll 1, meaning they stand still. Both infantry units in area 5 roll 4, meaning they want to move straight down as long as that means being on high ground. Only the rearward unit can do that as the other infantry are blocked by the French cavalry.

I have to say the odds seem stacked against an Allied victory (within the rules of the game), but I presume speed will be of the essence