Apr 14, 2020

The Peninsula Adventures of a French Dragoon Leo Sole: 1808 summer - part two

Are those lemons? -Leo Sole

Sun was still below hills when Leo was woken up and rushed to join a column ready to march.

"See that forest over there, soldiers?" addressed soldiers a lieutenant and Leo squinted trying to see something through the early morning twilight, he could not, "our general Bessières orders us to march there, take our position and hold it until further orders. Now get moving, dragoons, like a cavalry that you are! Tout de suite!"

And the column moved forward down a hill towards orchards surrounding a small town. Are they going to a battle? Leo's stomach was growling and convulsing, it's only hunger, must be hunger.

Orderly files started dissolving as soon as company entered orchards, soldiers maneuvering around trees. And despite drummers and trumpeteers ordered to keep quiet, the shouts of sergeants pierced morning silence.

Leo was looking up the threes as he walked, hoping in vain to find any kind of fruit. when he noticed a flash of yellow. A lemon?

"Spaniards!" his question instantly got answered by several screams. Then everything happened quickly. There was no order to form up or to load muskets, and even if there was one it was drowned in the chaos that erupted when yellow clad cavalrymen crushed into the mass of foot dragoons.

Luckily the trees did not allowed the cavalry to charge at full gallop. And most of the soldiers at least had enough time to draw swords. Leo was completely lost and then he saw a horse, his coat gleaming gold in first rays of morning. Spanish cavalry sergeant mounting palomino horse saw the french soldier gaming at him, pipe in his teeth, Spaniard pointed his straight sword forward and charged in a fast trot. Despite the best Leo's effort the sword bit through the young dragoon's shako, spilling blood, thankfully just a shallow cut. Leo yet managed to catch a glimpse of sergeant Pinchon lying on a ground face covered in blood, and a private Olivier running by, his musket and sword absent. He turned back to face the spaniard preparing for a second attack, and then another horse slammed the frenchman from a flank, kicking him in a head.

***

"Where em I?" it was hard to focus gaze, everything was spinning.

"That one is good to go!" Denis Dubuisson's - company surgeon's voice ringed.

Half hour later, head still spinning, Leo was standing in a line facing a hastily constructed flogging tripod to which private Olivier was tied. A whip whistled in the ear and Jordan Hachette managed to grab Leo just in time as he was about to pass out.

So that's what war is about. And as Omer, who saw more than one battle, explained the company got lucky. Despite the attack there were surprisingly few casualties, partially thanks to the fact that soft ground and orchard trees did not allowed cavalry to properly charge. It was also lucky that Spanish Line Cavalry decided against chasing the retreating dragoons, and most of the fallen soldiers were recovered soon after. Omer himself dragged Leo to safety. Despite Leo's company's early defeat the day was won by the Imperial army. 

And so went the firs Leo's battle, the Battle of Medina de Rioseco, name of which he only learned later.

History and Rules: the Battle of Medina de Rioseco happened 14th of July 1808. Around 12,550–800 infantry, 950–1,200 cavalry and 32 guns fought on the French side lead by Marshal Jean-Baptiste Bessières. And 21,300–22,000 regulars and militia, 600 cavalry, 20 guns fought on the Spanish side under joint command of a Spanish general Gregorio García de la Cuesta and a general Joaquín Blake. 

Battle of Medina de Rioseco
I did not try to integrate my scenario into the historical battle too much, I just decided that Leo's company got into some kind of failed early maneuver, that did not really affected the outcome of the battle too much. Judging by the map it happened somewhere on the left flank in hopes to outflank the enemy. French had won the battle with relatively low casualties (400–500 dead or wounded vs over 2000 plus most of the guns), but General Blake managed to retreat in good order triggering a chase that lasted almost until the end of the year. I think this has a good potential to become a story arch for the young Leo for the next few seasons. 

The game was a continuation of a horrible rolls streak that started in the Part One with failed supplies. Then I rolled for a scenario and got Seize. Night. 6 PEFs! And then instantly play a Defend scenario! Just terrific! The very first PEF resolved itself as Cavalry, one more than us. Sadly in my rulebook it is not specified what equipment Spanish cavalry has, but with a bit of research I made my own table which got me a result of Line Cavalry, which in case of Spanish seem to be armed with swords only. I also used a small table I stole from another game to generate a type of terrain a battle will take place in: orchards. Not the best place to deploy an infantry line, but not a good place for a cavalry charge either, so I decided that Spanish won't get a cavalry bonus for the Advantage roll.

Regardless, my dice hates me, and the enemy gets advantage, and they get first action. It seems like Leo's company got caught by a surprise, so I decide there aren't enough time to load muskets. Melee commences, cavalry rolls 3d6 against infantry's 2d6. Leo gets charged by REP5 sergeant, and I check whom the extra cavalryman will attack. Off course it's Leo! Roll attacks: 5 frenchmen and 4 spaniards are out of action, not too terrible considering the circumstances. Leo himself uses all his star abilities, that still results him ending Out of Action.

I also use Unit Casualty Test table from other THW games to check if soldiers run away after seeing their comrades next to them fall in battle, after all death is scary even for a soldier. Two soldiers on the French side and one on the Spanish breaks away. So there are 6 spaniards and 3 frenchmen left, not surprisingly two of those are REP5 veterans Jordan Hatchette and Omer Azena, and surprisingly REP3 soldier Jean-Luc Messier. I roll Will to Fight: spanish are just fine, but French side lost more than half soldiers so even with 2d6 passed Jean-Luc Messier retreats. 

My turn, and there is just one smart thing to do, to grab a few wounded and retreat. Jordan grabs his fallen veteran friend and I decide that Omer for some reason took liking to Leo and so he dragged his senseless body out of the battlefield. 

Finally I check if those escaped and left OOA on a battlefield will return, and surprisingly only one escaped soldier does not return, everyone else recovers! End of the scenario. 

I guess this was a good reality check for my character, so from now on he is REP4 but still keeps his Poser attribute, he needs another lesson to get rid of that one. I don't count increasing and decreasing REP for now, but I will start doing this beginning the next session. 

1 comment:

  1. Theme song should be Warren Zevon: "Bad luck Streak at Dancing School"

    ReplyDelete