Battle Of Cacabelos - Allied Playthrough: Setup & Turn One

IN this scenario the human becomes General Edward Paget, a younger brother of the Lord Henry Paget who led the British at Sahagún.

General Paget commands a British rearguard consisting of  four units of infantry and one each of cavalry and artillery, and has to hold off a French advance guard pursuing the main British army under Sir John Moore.

The British start within the red dashed lines

I know the French consist of General Auguste de Colbert-Chabanais, together with five units of infantry and four of cavalry, who will start randomly placed near the top of the map.

I have arranged my men so all are within areas 2, 3 and 4, although this means some starting in river hexes

The French units are placed according to dice rolls, although the exact mechanism is not explained, eg the five infantry units roll for area and are then placed on the "third, fourth or fifth hex down," but nothing is said about about how to decide between the three possible hexes.

I have used dice rolls to decide the exact placement of the French units, which have split into a strong and weak wing 

The British win by preventing any French unit leaving via the bottom of the map in the 10 turns of the engagement.

As usual I will write up the battle as it unfolds.

TURN ONE

My activation dice are 6, 5 and 3. I reroll the 5, but it shows 1. I turn wildcard 6 into 4.

My cavalry charge along the river and attack the French infantry beside it, the normal six dice being reduced for attacking from a river hex. I roll 6, three 5s and 4, eliminating the French unit. The infantry in area 4 move obliquely right and fire at the French infantry sheltering in trees. My four dice are reduced for firing after moving and for the target being in cover, and I roll two 3s.

My artillery fire at the cavalry directly ahead of them, the two dice being increased for being next to General Paget, but decreased because the target is among trees. I roll two 3s and 2. My infantry in area 3 fall obliquely back so they are no longer in a river hex.

The British have claimed first-blood

The AI's activation dice are 6, 4 and two 1s. The 6 and a 1 are rerolled, giving 2 and another 6.

The forward infantry in area 1 roll 6, meaning they move towards the nearest British and fire. Their four dice are decreased for firing after moving, and they roll 6, 4 and 3, reducing my unit to two-strength and forcing it back a hex. The other infantry in area 1 roll 5, meaning they move towards my artillery, who are furthest up of the nearest British units. General Colbert-Chabanais advances into the trees to put him adjacent to three French units.

The infantry in area 2 leave the shelter of the trees and fire at my artillery, their three dice being reduced for firing after moving. Nevertheless they roll two 6s, eliminating my unit. Both cavalry units in area 2 roll 4, but only one can advance two hexes towards the enemy.

The cavalry in area 4 roll 1, which has no effect until after turn 2.

The French right looks very menacing