I decided to adapt my 9 X 8 squares board to play the "Big Battle" rules (there are 3 levels of rules). And, while I really like Bob's new approach to figure basing (any new Napoleonic armies I assemble will use his approach), using the hair roller army (HRA) bases would require a tweak or two. The new rules should work fine, my challenge was how to shoe horn my hair roller armies into them. Each HRA base will be a division. I will use dice rolls to determine if orders are received , rather than card activation. Also will try the new tables for wounded commanders.
Enough talking, let's begin …
2 French and 2 Allied divisions fail to activate on Turn 1
Dutch-Belgian Artillery unlimbers on hill northeast of the farmhouse.
Dutch-Belgian Artillery fires and hits causing a loss of a Strength Point to the French 4th division, but causes no injury to sub commander de Marbot
Looking Northwest at the farmhouse occupied by the Allies.
Artillery both miss
The French prepare to retreat from Twee Heuvels as they are outflanked by the 2nd Anglo-Brunswick Division with the King's German Legion.
The French downfall was taking 6 turns to get all its forces into the battle. French Marshall Gerard had great difficulty communicating with his sub commanders, especially General Coignet's 6th division. The Allies gained control of the battlefield by having the Dutch-Belgian Artillery on the heights Northeast of the farm and withstanding counter battery fire from the French.
Trying to use the Hair Roller Armies in this scenario and with the "Bigger Battle" rules was like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. I will attempt this next time using the Division rules. The problem was NOT the rules, but how my HRA are organized and the tweaks required complicated play, requiring too much bookkeeping for my taste. Lessons learned.
The Portable Napoleonic Wargame by Bob Cordery is available as an ebook (PDF) for $5.50 (with tax) here or here.
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