Vimeiro Scenario Turn 2

This is the second in a series of three AARs for the upcoming First Victories Napoleonic wargame designed by Terry Doherty. Terry has provided quite a significant amount of detail about the turn order and game mechanics and we thought it best to split the AAR into several parts. You can check out the first turn in the scenario which we published last week.

10 AM August 21, 1808

Turn 2 Command Segment

The French win the initiative by a roll of 9 to 1. With the French roll modified by 2 and the British modified by 1, the French receive 3 orders while the British receive 1. The French player decides to go first to try and follow up on some of his good luck during the first turn. The British player must place his order first and places an attack order on Fane. The French player then places attack orders on Delaborde, Margaron and Kellermann.

Turn 2 French Recovery Segment

The French have several rolls to make after last turns carnage. They have 3/32 Ligne which is broken. They roll a 20 which fails and they enter the rout state retreating three more hexes. Like 1/50 Foot they have one more chance to rally, before they call it quits. They’ll be found later two terrain features to the rear. 3/82 rolls a 75 and goes from shaken to disorder. 2/86A Ligne cannot rally, because they are in enemy ZOC. They remain in disorder. 1/86 Ligne and 2/86B both pass recovering to normal. The reserve artillery stack fails and remains in disorder.

Turn 2 French Fire Segment

The French have three fire attacks at the stack of British artillery. 2/86A fires with an FS of 1 (French in column, +2 for flank shot, -1 in disorder, -1 artillery stacked alone). The 1re Division arty has a FS of 3 (4 -1 for arty alone) and the Reserve arty stack has a FS of 6 (8 -1 arty alone, -1 for disorder). The three rolls are 47, 62 and 91 resulting in M, M-15 and 1M-15 results. The step loss is inflicted destroying the top British arty unit in the stack. Then they roll the morale checks with 82, 40 and 29. The 82 passes, but the other two fail causing the artillery to become broken. Artillery that is broken is eliminated.

The British have no return artillery fire, because it’s all been destroyed.

Turn 2 French Movement

Delaborde’s 1re Division continues to press his attack on the village entering to assault 2/9 Foot and 1/50 Foot. Weiss and 4/26 Chasseurs à cheval move forward to protect the French right from the 20th Light Dragoons. Kellermann’s grenadiers move up against the dry stream bed to further protect the right flank from the movements of Acland’s brigade. On the left French Dragoons maneuver to get into place for a cavalry charge. They are not quite there.

There is no British Reserve Segment.

Turn 2 French Close Combat Segment

2/86 Ligne and 1/86B Ligne assault 2/9 Foot at the head of the village. They first make their attack morale checks. 1/86B Is modified by -10, because they started their assault adjacent to the target. Once, troops got into shooting range it could be difficult to get them to overcome their fear and move forward again. The rolls are 56, 14 and 22. 2/86B Ligne passes, 2/86A fails, becomes shaken and drops back a hex. They are out of the fight. 1/86B becomes disordered. 2/9 Foot now rolls its defender morale check. A roll of 05 will disorder them. 2/9 Foot now conducts defensive fire choosing 2/86B Ligne as its target. They are in column and start with a FS of 1, but subtract 1 for being British in column, -1 for the village, but +1 for the French in column. The net is 0. Even if the final sum is less than 0 we still roll on the 0 column of the fire chart. They roll an 82 which is an M-10. The French roll a 22 which leaves them shaken. 2/86B now retreats a hex and is out of the fight. That leaves just 1/86B Ligne left to fire. They similarly have a low roll of 0. They roll a 65 which is a morale check. The British roll a 67 and pass.

2/9 Foot is in a village hex, which is a Built Up Area hex. So now they engage in hand to hand combat with the bayonet which is called cold steel combat in the game system. Each side adds up its combat value modifiers (CVM) and adds it to a die roll. High die roll wins. Ties go to the defender. Any modified roll over 9 will see losses inflicted on the other side. The lower drops two morale levels and runs away. The French have a CVM of 1 from the unit counter, 1 for the leader and -1 for disorder. The British have a CVM of 0 for the unit and 0 for the leader, -1 for disorder, +1 for the village and +1 because they have 6 SP to the French 4, for a net 1. This is a crap shoot. The French roll a 9 modified to 10, while the British roll a 5 modified to 6. The British will take a step loss and lose two morale levels which breaks them. They retreat three hexes. 1/86B Ligne advances into the hex. 2/9 Foot retreats over the top of 2/52B Foot causing them to take a morale check, which they pass.

Then 1/86A assaults 1/50A Foot who are shaken in the village. They should be easy meat. 1/86A takes its attacker MC. They roll a 61 and pass. 1/50 Foot now takes its defender MC and they pass with a 51. 1/50 Foot conducts defensive fire with a FS of 2, because they passed their MC. They roll a 94 which is a M-15. The French fail, become shaken and fall back a hex.

That’s it for the French half of turn 2.

Turn 2 British Recovery Segment

1/50B Foot has an important rally check. If they fail they will be eliminated. They roll a 34, with the -20 for being in rout even Wellesley’s morale modifier can’t save them. They are removed from the map. 1/50A Foot can rally even though it is adjacent to a French unit, because enemy ZOCs do not extend into village hexes. They roll a 21 and remain shaken. Last up is 2/9 Foot who broke under the weight of the French assault. They roll a 62 letting them recover to shaken.

Turn 2 British Fire Segment

1/50A Foot fires at 1/68B Ligne with a FS of 0. A roll of 92 is M-10, which the French pass on a 58. 2/52B Foot skirmishes with 1/86B Ligne also, with a FS of 0. They roll a 26 and miss.

2/95 Foot and 5/60 Foot both fire at 3/82 Ligne. Each has an FS of 6. Rolls of 47 and 82 result in M-15 and 1M-15. The step loss is 3/82 Ligne’s last and they are eliminated.

Turn 2 French Arty Segment

With the British artillery eliminated and the rest of the formed British troops behind the crest of the hill, the French artillery turns its attention to 2/95 and 5/60 Foot. The Reserve artillery stack and 1re Division artillery stack target 2/95 Foot. 1re Division arty must rotate 30 degrees to bear on 2/95 Foot. The Reserve artillery stack has a FS of 8 -2 for SeD target, -1 for disorder, and -1 for scrub terrain or 4. The 1re Division stack has a FS of 4 with -2 for long range, -2 for SeD and -1 for scrub net 0. Rolls of 09 and 35 are both misses. 12/3 Arty then fires at 5/60 Foot on the 0 FS column. A roll of 62 is a morale check which 5/60 Foot fails on a roll of 09.

Turn 2 British Movement Segment

Fane has an attack order and sends 2/95 Foot, who are still in good order, to attack 2/86B Ligne. 5/60 Foot splits its stack and pulls back a little to protect themselves from the cavalry. Acland pushes down the slope to skirmish with the grenadiers of the French reserve. Anstruther holds position. The train scoots across the river. They will continue to head towards Maceira out of harm’s way.

There are no reserve orders, so there is no French Reserve Segment.

Turn 2 British Close Combat Segment

The British have one assault to resolve against 2/86B Ligne. 2/95 Foot makes its attacker morale check, which they pass with a roll of 63. The French also pass their defender morale check with a roll of 90. The French stack now conducts defensive fire with an FS of 1 (1 -1 scrub, +2 well directed fire, -1 for shaken). A roll of 84 is a M-10 and the 2/95 Foot passes on a roll of 99. 2/95 Foot now conducts offensive fire with a FS of 6 (4 +2 well directed fire, +1 col, -1 scrub). A low roll of 14 results in only a M-10, but the French roll a 15. They drop two morale levels, become broken and retreat 3 hexes. 2/95 Foot becomes disordered and advances into the hex.

That’s it for turn 2.

The conclusion to this exciting series is only a single click away.