Naps 9.4.11

I have been having a bit of bother with blogger the past few posts and I can't suss out what I'm doing different so I have decided to change my format a bit.

Last Saturday we had a pretty large game of Naps. It was an interesting affair with ten players in all involved in the game. JP text me during the week to see if I was up for it and by mid week we had DC, David P snr, JP and myself confirmed. Von Hannah added his name to the list late Friday with David P jnr, John M and Jon B confirming on Saturday. At the last minute we had another couple of recruits joined us (Alan and Tam).

JP and David P snr started setting up the French lines (we had decided that the French would be attacking so they were given a large amount of troops for the job).

Far too many if you ask me!!!!

DC appeared near the end of our set up and with Tam's entrance DC somehow managed to pop another French cavalry brigade onto the table complete with horse battery (without us allies noticing! I swear that man has 4 hands!!!).

So it was a big layout, JP and John M had the French right, each with a brigade of infantry and a brigade of cavalry. The French ended up with 8 cavalry regiments to our 3!

It was going to be a tough day for the good guys!

And DC was in the French centre with an infantry brigade.

Tam and David P were on the French left.

Alan being new to Naps and GdB took the all important Prussian right flank with my newly finished East Prussian cuirassiers and West Prussian dragoons.

It is always a tense time when a newly finished unit takes to the field of battle!

Jon B was inside right with a Prussian brigade.

And young David took a Russian brigade in the centre.

It was a good opportunity for me to take stock and see what's lacking from my armies and the main thing that I can see that's needed is cavalry, cavalry and more cavalry.

I'll really have to pull my finger out and get some more painted.

I took a mixed bag of Prussians with 2 guard battalions, my newly finished reserve battalions and a landwehr battalion.

I was pretty chuffed on Saturday as all of the allied figures were from my own collection plus I had a full Minifigs Prussian brigade still in the box.

Some self promotion with my newly finished reserve battalions taking to the field.

Von Hannah made it ten on the day being the last to arrive with his usual health eating plan of pie and cakes from the local deli.

It would be another greasy day for my Russian cuirassiers!

Von Hannah set the ball rolling by sending out the cuirass to try and dent the French lights before they had a chance to start a plan of attack. It was a bold move that almost worked as the French lancers failed to join the fray at 1st but soon their numbers would tell. Maybe a little more caution and some good rolling with his 6 gun horse battery could have steadied the ship? Who am I to talk as my Prussians tried to change their order and ended up taking a major move backwards!!!

At the other end of the table the Prussian cavalry were holding their own against a cuirassier brigade but yet again the superior French quality would shine through.

Pretty soon the French infantry was pressing our brave troops all across the line, I put in a poor showing (although I was diddled out of firing canister at some approaching cavalry!!!!)

my new reserve were easily crushed and only my guard infantry held their own.

In the end it was a devastating victory for the French and the fields of Saxony were soaked with Allied blood. However there will be more battles to come as we fight on to throw the Corsican Ogre from the fatherland!