Battle Of Sabugal - Allied Playthrough: Setup & Turn One

THE 17th scenario in Mike Lambo's Battles Of Napoleonic Europe is the Battle of Sabugal, which was fought in April 1811 near Portugal's border with Spain.

The Anglo-Portuguese force under Sir Arthur Wellesley will advance from the bottom of the map

The human takes on the persona of Wellesley, getting five units of infantry, two of cavalry and one of artillery.

I have opted for a compact formation, and will make my plan according to how the French line up

The AI, in addition to Marshal André Masséna, receives seven units of infantry and one each of cavalry and artillery.

The semi-randomised French setup has resulted in much of the army forming on the French left, while the artillery is, at least for now, sited unfortunately behind the town of Sabugal

To win I have to kill the French commander.

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

TURN ONE

My activation dice land 6, 4 and 1. I reroll the 1, but get another 4, and I change the wildcard 6 into 2.

I start by advancing my right-flank cavalry two squares obliquely right.

My left-flank infantry also advance obliquely right, getting off the same file as the French artillery. My left-flank cavalry advance obliquely left, and then directly forward, also moving off the enemy artillery's file.

The AI's activation dice land 5, 4, 3 and 1.

The infantry in area 1 roll 5, advancing a hex to approach my right-flank cavalry.

In area 3 the infantry roll 2, advancing a hex. The cavalry roll 1, which has no effect as there is no enemy withing three hexes.

In area 4 the forward infantry roll 5, moving obliquely left to approach my right-flank cavalry. The other infantry roll 3, advancing a hex. Marshal Masséna's actions are dice-independent, and this turn he advances onto the hill in the centre of the French position so as to be directly behind a unit of infantry.

In area 5 the forward infantry roll 2, advancing onto the hillock in the large wood. The middle infantry roll 6, moving obliquely right so as to approach, albeit from a distance, my right-flank cavalry. The rear infantry also roll 6, and also want to approach my right-flank cavalry, the sixth tiebreak (hex nearest French commander) deciding they move obliquely right.

The French are advancing en masse