Battle Of Barrosa - Allied Playthrough: Setup & Turn One

THE 15th scenario in Mike Lambo's Battles Of Napoleonic Europe is the Battle of Barrosa.

This clash in 1811 featured an Allied force of British, Portuguese and Spanish troops, under the command of General Thomas Graham, trying to relieve the French siege of the port of Cádiz.

Opposing Graham and his men was a French force under Marshal Claude-Victor Perrin, who is usually referred to simply as Marshal Victor.

The Allies start below the red dashed line

In this scenario the human commands the Allies, receiving, in addition to General Thomas, four units of infantry and one each of cavalry and artillery.

To win the Allies must have a unit occupying the dark higher-ground hex at the end of turn 10.

The AI, in addition to Marshal Victor, receives six units of infantry, two of cavalry and one of artillery.

The human's units are placed first, and then the AI's formation is decided by dice throws. 

I have placed my army in three activation areas, planning to advance across the hill and engage the French, while enjoying, where possible, the advantage of being on higher ground

The AI has spread its infantry across the battlefield, but concentrated the cavalry and artillery on the right flank, which may mean they will be slow getting into the fight.

As usual I will write up the battle as I go along.

TURN ONE

My activation dice land 6, 4 and 3, which means I simply change the wildcard 6 into 5 in order to activate my whole army.

I advance every unit in accordance with my plan of occupying the hill.

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

The right-flank cavalry roll 4, causing them to move towards my artillery as being the nearest enemy unit furthest up the map The cavalry want to do so vertically, which they can for one hex, but then they move into the large wood. The French artillery roll 3, causing them to move forwards obliquely right.

In area 2 the cavalry roll 2, causing them to advance directly down two hexes. Both infantry units roll 2, causing them to move towards the objective hex, doing so vertically. Marshal Victor advances so as to be adjacent to both infantry units.

In area 4 the infantry roll 4, causing them to move straight down.

The French artillery is a long way from the action, but the French cavalry have advanced much quicker and more directly than my previous experience of French cavalry had led me to expect