Thanks for the comments so far. Here's the "companion" Quatre Bras replay. (Further replays will be some time in coming, as the Historical Wavre scenario that I played next is really too small to warrant much writing, and I haven't done Waterloo yet.) I probably should point out that of course units still only have two steps (corresponding to the front and back side of the NLB counters), so if I mentioned somewhere that a unit "takes heavy losses" that means it has lost a step. :-) -------------------------------------------------------------- 1400. The French lose no time (since the time Ney lost in the morning is already expressed by the late start of the scenario) and attack towards the weak covering forces. Weimar's brigade is driven back with losses. Around 1500, Ney moves most of the III Cav Corps over to the right flank, while the infantry attacks continue. Perponcher is pushed back on Gemioncourt as most of the 5th Division arrives to provide a more solide defensive position. At 1600, Reille finally has brought everyone up for a general assault, Campi's brigade compels Perponcher and Weimar's brigade to retreat, and Gemioncourt, which could only be weakly reinforced, falls to a major assault, which forces Buttler to fall back among the main road to avoid being hemmed in, although he himself severely handled Jamin's brigade when it and Husson's attacked him. However, Ney kept pushing with Husson and remains in contact. Most of the French cavalry keeps clustering around Thyle (which would be OK except they haven't crossed the stream, so instead of threatening Wellington's flank they're huddling around the town). As a result, the Allied left wing can concentrate on the main battleline and a concentrated attack by the 5th Division mauls Campi's brigade and sends it back across the stream, although Vincke's brigade takes some losses in the process. The Allies regain the stream although Gemioncourt 500m to the west remains in French hands. (With a morale check DR of 5, the Allies would have retreated as well if there hadn't been British troops involved.) In the meantime, Alten's division has arrived. The 1700 turn comes and with another division approaching that would be capable of holding off the cavalry that threatens his left flank, Wellington gives Alten orders to stiffen the center. On the French side, a division of d'Erlon's corps is close but not within range yet. With four hours to pass before sunset, the onslaught of II Corps still continues. So far, the left wing is spectacularly ineffective and concentrates on the front edge of the Bois de Bossu, with Specht and the remainder of Bijlandt's brigade doing not much damage but also not being pushed back. In the center, Buttler decides to stand and fight, and eventually Husson's brigade, taking heavy losses, has to break off the assault to regroup, despite Ney himself leading the men forward (a 6 rolled on the morale check). Buttler has taken heavy losses as well, but Kielmannsegg's brigade is moving up behind him. In the center, Baudin, supported by Pelletier's artillery from the outskirts of Gemioncourt, pushes forward and eliminates the remains of Weimar's brigade. However, at this moment Alten arrives with Halkett's brigade and Baudin's advance is stopped before the crest sheltering Quatre Bras, with both sides suffering heavy losses. East of Gemioncourt, Campi, aided by Pire's cavalry, causes losses to Kemp's brigade of Picton's 5th division, but finally has to retreat in disorder. With Baudin's right flank open, all seems ready for a devastating counterattack by the 5th division, but before that happens, Kellermann launches an attack (can't be a charge because he has to cross a bridge) on the British left wing. Marcillac' horse artillery and d'Hurbal's cuirassiers push Kempt back before retreating to reform, but Lefebvre-Desnouettes Guard cavalry and L'Hertier's cuirassier divisions smash into Pack's already hurt brigade and (with no avenue of retreat open) virtually annihilate it. The 5th division, still poised for a counterattack, finds itself in an interesting situation. If it does not attack, then Kellermann's best units will be in a position to launch a devastating charge on the next turn. If it does attack and each side in this particular situation gets the average '1 hit' result, then the cavalry will retreat voluntarily across the stream to the south and will not be able to charge next turn. This will also mean the hit caused by the cavalry is ignored and does not destroy Vincke's brigade. So the division attacks. Since the cavalry retreats, Kempt's brigade can advance into their hex, which simultaneously puts it too far away from Kellermann's other two unts for them to mount a charge, and puts Baudin's brigade in a fix. As the hour comes to a close, finally Cook's division and (on the other side) part of d'Erlon's corps arrives. It is now 1800, and Reille's corps has to fall back to reorganize (except Baudin's unfortunate brigade which cannot move at this moment). Alten mounts a counterassault on Baudin that drives him back into Gemioncourt. However (with luck) Marshal Ney manages to quickly form the four brigades from d'Erlon's corps that have arrived into attack columns yet again and attacks again (he needed a DR of 9 to get immediate action on the orders table, and rolled 10). Bijlandt is finally pushed into the woods, and Buttler has to retreat in the same direction. Kellermann cannot charge Kempt but simply assaults him instead and the result is that Kempt's brigade, with no good retreat route, tries to stand, fails its morale check, and is routed. An intended attack by the 5th division on Gemioncourt is canceled. Cook's division was ordered to move towards the left wing and that's where it goes although that may not be the best location right now since the center again looks threatened. Nonetheless, as the 1900 turn arrives, the French have not even gotten close to Quatre Bras. Ney decides to give Reille attack orders again, but because Reille has fallen back, not much of an offensive will result before the end. Reille starts moving his troops back up towards the front line as far as his reserve status will allow. Ney himself continues the attack with d'Erlons troops. Finally, these push further into the Bois de Bossu (the units opposing them there are damaged so that the loss balance would favor the French). In the center, they gain another 500m towards Quatre Bras. However, the real drama plays out slightly further east, as Kellermann finally is in position to launch a charge. Lefebvre-Desnouettes and L'Hertier attack Vincke's brigade, which (bad luck really) does not manage to form square. As a result, the cavalry attacks at double strength and eliminates the brigade as well as the battery it was stacked with, though taking some losses in the process. Kellermann now chooses to pursue and attacks Halkett's brigade, which also (more bad luck) does not form square in time and is likewise eliminated. Ouch. His pursuit spent (but luckily with no Allied cavalry within range to launch a countercharge), Kellermann comes to rest adjacent to Quatre Bras. The other stack launches itself at Cook's division, leading to one step loss each and a retreat of the cavalry. Cook, the last formation to do something on this turn, launches his other brigade in a counterattack at Kellermann that forces him to fall back, away from Quatre Bras. At the end of the turn, given that the fall of Quatre Bras is now quite unlikely, this would give the British player 12 points for holding it throughout the game. Incorporating total losses, the French player would be 3 points ahead. Unfortunately, his orders do compel him to continue attacking into the teeth of the stronger British defense. So, at 2000, II Corps marches forward again and pushes Specht back into the woods (although with losses for both sides), which satisfies their attack requirements. (Originally I thought about having Husson together with Baudin eliminate Kielmansegg's brigade, but that would also have meant either Husson or Baudin would have been eliminated - bad deal.) Cook's 1st division attacks Kellermann's units before its lines, the cavalry (of course) retreats but the Guard cavalry is still eliminated. (Actually, this was totally unnecessary as the cavalry could have just retreated. On the other hand I permitted myself as the French player to call off the Baudin/Husson attack after I noticed how stupid it was so that balances the score.) Kellermann sends in d'Hertier's division again which manages to eliminate Kielmannsegg's brigade, and I Corps attacks in the woods, pushing the Nassauers and Brunswicks back but electing to fall back itself again. Ney pushes against the Netherlanders (supported by a Brunswick battery) in front of Quatre Bras but they stand without doing him much damage. In the end, the points account stands 1 in favor of Wellington. Allied losses per turn: -,-,1,9(4+5),5,9(4+3+2),4 + 6 damaged units French losses per turn: -,-,5,5,-,-,4 + 6 damaged units Allied VP: 12 for keeping control of Quatre Bras + 14 for elimination + 11 for damaged ones=37 French VP: 27 for eliminated units+ 9 for damaged ones=36 Markus Last games played: Prussia's Glory, Panzer Grenadier, Napoleon's Last Campaign ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Was it not bully the way the Japs begun the fight?" -- Elihu Root, US Secretary of State, commenting on the Japanese surprise attack on Port Arthur