The Battle of Enns River - A 25mm Napoleonic Batrep

I should have posted this game a few weeks ago, but time seems to have flown by, infact its nearly 2020!!!

Me and Surj went round our old pal and Rejected Reject Ian's new shed.

Ian has a very large 28mm Napoleonic collection and put on a large game for us. The Battle of Enns River. Surj played the French while I played the Austrian's

Ian's spent a lot of his hard earned dosh on some beautiful terrain boards, which are all individually handmade. 

One of my Austrian line units, looking very pretty.

My CnC

The aim of the game was to destroy our opponent, but to try to take and hold the bridge in the centre foreground. It looked like Surj ignored the bridge, setting up the majority of his army in his centre right. 

Ian's great looking buildings out on show, The French line unit has just moved out of the building complex.

This is the left flank of my infantry, roughly in the centre of the table.

The bridge is on the right of this pic, hence the large number of troops this side of the table.

Surj didn't have a lot of troops facing me here, so I moved out of the building onto the road.

Who's gonna get to the hedgeline first?

Luvvly ranks!

Surj's French, blocking his artillery????

You should get a better idea of the board from this pic.

The bridge can just be seen on the right.

The left of the table. Ian needs some curtain's the sun was beating in through the windows ruining my photos!!

BANG!

At the start of the game during the setup. We had to throw a dice off, whoever lost had to place a brigade. Surj elected to place his Cavalry on the extreme right of his army. So I placed mine ther as well.

But I placed mine, so I could get 2 units to his 1, if we charged?

I had a reserve brigade behind my front brigade on the left. I started to move this out to make a new flank.

Imoved as quickly as possible on my right as Surj hadn't placed many units there.

Austrian artillery giving fire.

Nearly at the hedge.

I'm pleased with how its going so far.

I do like Ian's Grenzers.

No Surj, you can't do that!!!!

Big units!

And small units

After a lot of debate, Surj finally decides that he will charge, I was gonna charge whatever happened. And I do manage to hit with both units. Surj wasn't happy???? 

My brigade of Grenadiers close in for the kill.

But there's still some way to go.

I prepare for the French onslaught that'll be coming my way pretty soon!

After a lot of flaffing about Surj gets some of his units into column

I should be able to hang on............I hope?

Surj's Hussars take heavy casualties and lose the melee

And flee back, taking the unit behind them with them.

Its getting late, we've been playing for 6 hours!

So unfortunately that's where the game ended!
Ian declared the a draw, although Surj had lost the most casualties and I held the bridge.
Ian used the rules In the Grand Manner, which worked very well, obviously Postie pinched some for the rule ideas for his 15mm Napoleonic set of rules.
We will be having another few games in the New Year no doubt!!!
Well done Ian, and it was great to have a game with you again.

The Battle of Kirchdorf 1809, A Napoleonic Batrep

Finally, I played my first game of the 2017!

For a change it wasn't Postie reffing the game nor were they his figures. Ian's been collecting his 25mm Napoleonics for quite a few years now and this was only their second ever outing. And the last game Ian reffed was back in 2011, a WWII bash, see that here.

Ian's using General de Brigade as rules, they're a bit complicated and a tad long winded, but it was his first proper go at reffing the rules so we'll all hopefully get to learn the rules over time.

There were only 2 Rejects playing, Surj picked the French outta the hat, while I was in

charge of the Austrians.

We had to set on maps blind to what the other was doing. We were given info that some terrain

needed to be captured for points at he end of the game.

The left of the field, I guess both the hills were worth points?

Surj placed all his Horse this side up against my 2 Cuirassiers.

On the right, was a bridge, which I was told to capture and in the left of the pic in the centre of the 

table was a crossroads. I placed my Austrain Grenadiers here, in Hold orders, something

I would later regret!

Surj's overloaded right flank.

My plan was to hold all my infantry first, then move forward and attack next to the 

bridge, while my left flank horse would engage anything on the opposite hill.

Surj on the other hand was only going to attack on his overloaded side.

The Swiss and French in defensive formation.

Now this is where the game went tits up for me. After seeing Surj's setup

I realised I needed to push my right forward now, and also release my other cavalry brigade 

to cross the river and attack the French flank.

I could only test to change 1 order, which I failed miserably!

We both had engage orders with our horse and moved forward to attack.

My 9 pounders on the hill.

The first Cavalry engagement went Surj's way. One of my Cuirassiers failed their morale test

to countercharge and fled, leaving these two above to fight it out.

After failing my change order test once again, I was allowed a free order change, only because Ian felt sorry for me! I turned my artillery to fire on the opposite hill, and moved my infantry on top of the hill.

Meanwhile on the opposite flank, my troops stood motionless unable to change their orders.

Here's where the battle was won and lost.

Surj charged, my Jagers moved back behind the line unit.

Next turn I failed the order move again, but was allowed to change orders

anyway. The Grenadiers were given a assault order and pushed forward.

Looking a bit dodgy!

Oh dear, Surj threw a double 6 in melee and knocked 13 figures from my unit which

then routed.

I carried on moving forward but the game was already lost on the left flank.

So the game was called a victory for the French.

Conclusion

My dice throwing ability was really crap.

While my set up was ok, giving my foot hold orders really lost me the game, I couldn't change them, if Surj and Ian didn't let me change my orders when they did, the game would have been over earlier.

It was difficult giving your troop orders on the map before you'd seen the enemy dispostion, something that Ian will change for the next game.

And it was great seeing 25mm Naps at Reject HQ!