None shall pass: Spain, 1810

Spain, 1810: The British army advances relentlessly into the Spanish heartland, crushing all resistance before it. Determined to hold back the tide, French forces have massed to counterattack, meeting the British for a pitched battle. 

Holding a defensive position in the small town of Villar del Conde, the French army waited for the British forces to arrive.

This was Brian's first VnB game and he took the British, I handled the French. Thanks to Spellbound Games for the letting us game at their store.

The set up: British on the far side (green bases) and French on the near side, holding the town (tan bases). The British went first and played it cautious.

The British Left flank

"We'll hold this town for the Emperor!"

French troops massed on the left flank. 

First turn: The British took up a defensinve position on their right flank, holding the stream with infantry and the high ground behind it with massed artillery. I have have been more scared of this setup than I actually was.

On their left, the British advanced an infantry division through the forest and held the hill with a second division, with their single cavalry division in the centre of their line.

Consequently, the French advanced in mass to attack the weaker ("weaker") British right flank, while screening the other flank with two cavalry divisions. 

Seeing an opportunity to inflict some damage and give the British a bloody nose early in the game, I charged the French light cavalry into the British centre, hoping to clear out and unsupported artillery battery.

The French right: a dragoon division screening the right flank against British infantry advancing under cover of the forest, while an infantry division holds the town. 

In actual fact, the artillery stand held firm (blasted cannons!) and saw off my hussars, but the infantry suffered serious bloodshed at the hands of the chasseur brigade and retreated, leaving the cavalry standing in the middle of the British lines. A fast game's a good game, right?

On the left flank, the British troops held their defensive line, but lashed out with the dragoons, breaking up the French advance. In response, the French formed square to box in the British dragoons, and brought up the Young Guard division to reinforce the line while the infantry attacked across the stream with artillery in support. 

The British attempting to see off the French light cavalry with fire, but no luck. Seeing an opportunity to exploit an initial success with the cavalry charge, the French Dragoons charged in, destroying the British artillery and pushing back the infantry on the hill. 

The French cavalry advance onto the high ground with a combined cavalry and artillery attack.

On the left flank, the French attack is successful, driving back the British cavalry with musket fire and routing the infantry brigade holding the stream.

The British responded by charging in with the cavalry brigade, beating back the Young Guards. Meanwhile a charge from the British cavalry charge on the left flank cleared out all the lighter French cavalry, smashing both division off the board and clearing out the centre of the battlefield for the British advance. The Red Line wasn't looking so thin...

The French charged both brigades of the Young Guards against the British infantry holding the stream, but suffered a humiliating rout DUE TO SOME BAD DICE. Fortunately, the remaining French infantry held their ground against the resulting British counterattack on that flank.

Things are starting to look bleak for the defenders of  Villar del Conde.

The French finally make some headway with their attack against the British right flank, but it may have come at too high a cost.

The British take the town with a combined effort from the Guards and Highland brigades. The beleaguered French put up a brave defense, seeing off a charge by the Britsh cavalry, destroying the Scots Greys and routing the Dragoon brigade.

Despite attempts to bring the remains of the I corps on the French left to support the defense of the town, the British essentially had the army surrounded. 

In a last ditch effort, the French assailed the town but were defeated by the Highlanders holding the streets, routing the French division and destroying any hope of holding the line. 

A crushing defeat for the French!

Here's the armies that we used: