Battle Of Barrosa - French Playthrough: Setup & Turn One

THE 16th scenario in Mike Lambo's Battles Of Napoleonic Europe is Barrosa from the French side.

The human receives Marshal Victor, five units of infantry and one each of cavalry and artillery

To win the human must ensure there are no Allied units on the hill at the end of turn 10.

The French start from below the blue dashed line, and I have set up in such a way that all my units are in activation areas 2, 3 and 4

The AI gets General Graham, six units of infantry, two of cavalry and one of artillery.

The Allied setup is pre-determined, except for minor randomness with the artillery

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

TURN ONE

My activation dice land 6, 5 and 4. I reroll the 5, but get another 4, and I change the wildcard 6 into 3.

I do not have much confidence in my plan, but I am going to try to concentrate against the Allied left, hoping to later to swing round to take the hill.

First my artillery fire at the infantry opposite them, rolling two 6s and 2, reducing the Allied unit to one-strength. Both my infantry units in area 3 advance, as do my units in area 2.

The AI's activation dice are two 4s, 3 and 1. A 4 is rerolled, but remains 4.

In area 1 the cavalry roll 3, and so advance two hexes. The infantry roll 2, which has no effect (Allied infantry never move on rolls under 4 in this scenario, but from turn seven automatically head for the hill, if not already on it).

In area 3 the three-strength infantry roll 4, becoming the first unit to ascend the hill. The one-strength infantry roll 2, which has no effect.

In area 4 the infantry units roll 3 and 2, remaining where they are.

A slow start by the Allies, perhaps reflective of the real-life communication problems between General Graham and the Spanish contingent