New Prussians take the field

The French border, 1813: The new Prussian army is so fresh off the assembly line the paint isn't even dry (or in some cases not actually applied yet). Phil determined to test out his new army against my filthy Frenchmen. The good folks at Hobbymaster Ellerslie let us use their venue on a Wednesday evening, but we didn't think  to bring a good supply of terrain, hence the telltale 40k shell craters. I won't tell anyone if you won't.

The French army advances on the unsuspecting Prussians.

The French went first starting to advance up either flank. The Prussian Guards started on Phil's extreme left scared me a bit.

The Prussian army decides that the best offence is a good defence and goes stationary.

 Phil wasn't mucking around and most of his troops just went stationary.

The French go all in.

There's a couple of photos missing but the Prussian cavalry charged the French cavalry, who in turn were badly beaten. The Prussian infantry advanced and suffered a full on assault from the French.

 

The French infantry assault knocks back the Prussians, but a counter attack by the Prussian Guards threatens the French flank.

Obligatory blurry photo. The Prussians were pushed back, but I then had to deal with the Prussian guards on my right. Also one stand of cavalry in my rear which frustratingly wouldn't die!

Cannon to the left of them, cannon to the right of them, et al. 

The French had the Prussian cavalry all but surrounded, but the dirty cavalry flunked their morale and destroyed themselves, before I got a chance to shoot them. Somehow it was less satisfying.

Having knocked back the Prussian regular infantry, the French have a go at breaking the Guards.

 The Prussian horse artillery destroyed the French horse artillery with a pot shot. I was suitably unimpressed. It was time to have a crack at the Prussian guard division. I sent in my boys, who were getting cut to bits by musket fire.

It was coming down to the wire at this point, and Phil's dice seemed to have a an awful lot of sixes on them.

Sadly at this point Phil's superior morale came into play. I managed to dispatch one stand of guards where my own Young Guards (middle stand in the above photo) were charging, but suffered a humiliating rout against the other stand.

With both sides out of cavalry and rapidly running out of exhaustion points, it was going to be a close battle.

Phil had managed to rally a couple of his infantry stands and was rapidly bringing his infantry division back into the game. The French, meanwhile, were running out of men fast.

The French make a valiant last stand but it's not looking good for the Emperor's finest.

With the French Guard division knocked out by a charge from the Prussian Guards, it was starting to look like a mighty sorry situation for the brave Frenchman. The last French infantry charged the Prussian guns on the left, exhausting the Prussian infantry but with the Prussian Guards still in fighting form there was no chance of a comeback. 

The Prussians would cross the Rhine after all!