Built Up Area Combat - Another Test

Last night at the club I enlisted Mark B to help me do some more testing of built up area combat for Napoleon's Battles.

I used the same forces as in my previous test and much the same deployment, although this time I had both Prussian units deployed to get maximum benefit of the BUAs.

End of Turn One.

The French advance and have incurred significant casualties from the Prussians defending the villages. 

End of Turn Two

The French have deployed into line ready to attack.  Prussian fire combat remains on target and they are bringing up their battery.

First French attack.

The French were disordered going in, but fought well, however they were still repulsed.

End of Turn Three

The French have recovered and further deployed ready to attack. 

A major attack is made on the left hand village.

Both brigades attack.  The first is repulsed, forced to withdraw when it became disordered after a tied combat roll caused two casualties each.  The Prussian defenders were not disordered by this as their disorder number is increased by one for the occupation of the BUA.

The second brigade manages to inflict a casualty on the Prussians which causes them to reach their rout number.  The French occupy the BUA.  As well as being disordered I ruled that this was also an automatic change into column and, after a bit of thinking, that it actually represented them deploying into the BUA, so that they were considered to be filling all of it.

The Prussians counterattacked.

As the BUA is rough terrain, if the French brigade were considered to be where they were placed, then the Prussians couldn't reach them.  But as they are actually in the process of occupation, they are lining the perimeter etc, so combat occurs. 

End of Turn Four

The French light infantry on the right had been dispersed by accumulated fire casualties.  The brigade that had successfully occupied the BUA on the left were driven out by the Prussian counterattack and dispersed by accumulated casualties as well.  With two units lost, game over.

This test allowed me to work out an important aspect to occupation, namely that the unit will count as being in column, but occupying the area.  However I might need to do a further test.