Napoleon’s Battles Scenario
The Battle of Vimeiro 21 August 1808
Background
Following the uprising in Spain, Portugal has also rebelled against French rule. The British have landed a small army under the temporary command of Wellesley who is marching on Lisbon. After a delaying action by one of the French generals which culminated in the Battle of Rolica the French commander Junot has been able to collect his forces and has marched north to defeat the British and the small force of Portuguese who have joined them
Map
The map is sourced from the boardgame by MMP (via Vassal) and is close to the map provided by the Napoleon-Series site.
British forces are deployed in line, the Portuguese in column.
The French enter in march column. Junot with Thomiere and the two brigades of Loison's division arrives at 8:00 at the road marked A. Kellerman and the remaining cavalry enter at 8:30 at the same point. Brenier and the 3rd Provisional Dragoons arrive at 9:00 at the road marked B.
Victory Conditions
The game lasts for ten turns, 8:00 to 12:30 (which is when either Junot sobers up and chooses discretion or when Burrad orders Wellesley to stop fighting in case someone gets hurt). Demoralisation of the enemy will provide victory as will holding Vimeiro at 12:30.
Terrain Effects
Creeks are impassable to both cavalry and artillery except if they are in march column and moving via a road crossing. While they may or may not have much water in them they have steep banks covered in boulders and thorny bushes.
Creeks count as rough terrain for infantry while any part of the unit is in such terrain. The infantry unit also counts as fording.
The creek running from the village of Vimeiro to Toledo is impassable (well the French thought so).
Rough terrain includes vineyards,steep slopes (denoted by hexes with small stone clusters) and orchards. This terrain disorders artillery and cavalry. Infantry in line moving in rough terrain or changing formation into line in rough terrain is also disordered (this does not apply to BrLT which is classified as skirmish infantry). Remember if you are disordered you cannot move to close combat.
Impassable terrain includes any hex with the large stone cluster symbol which also tend to have multiple contour lines. These are very steep slopes with dense scrub and boulders etc.
Infantry in column or march column can move along a road through impassable terrain. Artillery and cavalry can only do so if in march column. The rough terrain movement penalty applies.
Villages are just +1 (small and unprepared). They are the only terrain feature to provide cover.
Note: The rough nature of the terrain will severely limit the use of the French cavalry.
Order of Battle
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British and Portuguese
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Commander
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Wellesley
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10"G(10)+3D
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6M/5F
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45
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1st Brigade
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Hill
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20BrLN
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8D
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20
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|
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2nd Brigade
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Ferguson
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20BrLN
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8D
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20
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|
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3rd Brigade
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Nightingall
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12BrLN
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5D
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12
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|
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4th Brigade
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Bowes
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16BrLN
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6D
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16
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5th Brigade
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Craufurd
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16BrLN
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6D
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16
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|
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6th Brigade
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Fane
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16BrLT
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6D
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17
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7th Brigade
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Anstruther
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20BrLN
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8D
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20
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|
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8th Brigade
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Acland
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12BrLN
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6D
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12
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Portuguese
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Trant
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16PtLN
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11D
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6
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184
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|||||
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French
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|
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||||
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Commander
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Junot
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10"G(10)+0
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5M/4F
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42
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Cavalry Division
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Margaron
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4"A(6)+0
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10
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3rd Provisional ragoons
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8FrLC
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4D
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8
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4th Provisional Dragoons
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8FrLC
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4D
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8
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5th Provisional Dragoons
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8FrLC
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4D
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8
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Infantry Division
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Delaborde
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3"G(6)+1
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1F
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13
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1st Brigade
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Brenier
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16FrLT
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8D
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15
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2nd Brigade
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Thomiere
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16FrLN
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8D
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14
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Infantry Division
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Loison
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4"G(6)+1
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1F
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14
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1st Brigade
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Solignac
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20FrLT
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10D
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18
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2nd Brigade
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Charlot
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16FrLN
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8D
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14
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Reserve
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Kellerman
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4"E(7)+2
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1F
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18
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Grenadiers
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16FrGN
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6D
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21
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203
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Special Rules
I use Napoleon's Battles 4th Edition with some throwbacks to 2nd Edition (principally I retain the 2nd Edition's way of doing interpenetration).
Each side has four Free Rolls.
Brenier and the dragoons form a continuous column which is therefore in command while they stay on a road.
Changing formation in rough terrain into line causes disorder, but not into other formations.
Turn to flank is a formation change within the unit's footprint with line going to column formation. A unit can always try and wheel to the right or left and then move sideways if it can to achieve the same thing (which would mostly work for units in column). Some units can also effectively perform two or more formation changes in a turn.
A unit halved for disorder or with a half move does have its movement affected by terrain. (But, remember a unit moving sideways or backwards in rough terrain uses the worst effect, not a combination).
If a unit that is able to move, doesn't have enough movement to change formation it may use all its available movement to change formation, but is then disordered (my reasoning being that the order can still be given, it will just take a while before it is completed).
A unit in march column on a road is in command and may change formation (I'm in two minds about this. I did use the unit being able to roll its response number to be in command which could be used to achieve the same effect. Alternatively you could think of the original command being to go to such and such a place and change. However my preference is now just to force the unit to use its initiative to come out of march column, although this can be rather deadly. Still in two minds.)
Unit coming out of march column can pick any of its bases to form up around and also angle that base in any desired facing. This is more from my experience with the Prussians in the Waterloo game and also from playing Fire and Fury.
A unit that forms or is in march column with its head on a road gets to be considered to be on that road provided the head stays on the road (still thinking about this).
A unit that wins a combat against an enemy in a village gets to advance fully into the village (i.e. occupy it). It is disordered. It then needs a turn to recover its order and the following turn, subject to command, can deploy into the village. Occupying a village in this way puts a unit into column formation.
A unit in line formation (i.e "deployed posture") gets a plus one firing at enemy infantry in column. This does not include units deployed in a village who continue to suffer the existing minus one reflecting their strength is dispersed around the village which of course is providing the ability to fire from all sides.
Units in column firing at enemy infantry in line get a minus one. Again this does not apply to firing at enemy in a village who get to count as in cover (assuming they have moved to fit within the village's foot print. A unit deployed in a village gets the additional benefit of +1 to its disorder and requiring a double to score one hit as per 4th Edition).
Enemy contacted but then routed or dispersed in the fire combat phase does not cause a winner's loss but does allow occupation.
Using small units does create a problem depicting formation. My current thought on this is to leave the base in place and mark as four casualties, which was something enabled in 1st Edition by the casualty counters. I also used the limber markers to denote a two base cavalry or infantry in column.
The optional rally and command rules (10.3 and 10.4) are also used (basically rolling the response number minus three to rally or get in command, but I didn't use the further rout if a ten was rolled).
Optional Rules
Wellesley’s Challenge
Wellesley has a response number of 8 which reflects him being distracted by the imminent arrival of Burrard or Dalrymple.
Junot’s Challenge
Junot was challenged by the bottle and has a response number of 7.
Notes
The French could have four Fr4# batteries. Given the contours they will be tricky to sight and were not a feature of the historical battle (i.e. Junot was not tempted to form a petite grand battery as a player with four guns in Napoleon’s Battles might be tempted to).
The Allies could have one 8BrLC unit. It is half British and half Portuguese. In play testing it just got in the way. It might be better used as a special effect as follows:
Option for British cavalry is to turn one successful French withdrawal into a rout.
Sources
Multi Man Publishing Talavera and Vimeiro boardgame http://www.multimanpublishing.com/Products/tabid/58/ProductID/48/Default.aspx
Peninsular
War
Osprey Vimeiro 1808
Labels
Roster
This information can be found as a Word document on Google Drive at this location:
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