As a prelude, Mark invited Russ and I to his house to have a bash at Grand Armee - a Napoleonic rule set for larger armies (brigades and corps). I haven't played this before so Mark took on Russ in a Peninsular War battle - Fuentes de Orono.
But we had to get there first. I had to drive to Birkenhead to pick up Russ and my satnav took me around in circles and up a hill that (with the ice and compressed snow) meant that my car went backwards down the hill I was trying to drive up!
Eventually found Russ' house (another icy road) then we proceeded to North Wales. On the way the extreme cold meant that the windscreen badly steamed up (forcing us to stop to wipe it down) and the screen wash nozzles had frozen meaning that the windscreen couldn't be cleaned.
After driving through Ruthin we found a road into Mark's village - unfortunately it was the road Mark had told Russ NOT to take. It was basically a steep ice rink - and my car is no 4 x 4. Cue an hour of sliding a car down a hill - trying to avoid slamming into the banks at the side of the road and a really scary bit at the bottom where I had no control over the car at all (neither brakes nor hand brake stopped the car at all!). We had luckily found some grit by the side of the road and Russ had preceeded the car scattering grit in its path which gave a modicum of grip to ensure I didn't just plunge down the hill.
After getting to Mark's, he kindly pointed out the fully gritted and cleared road we should have come down.
Anyway, on to the battle. It was French vs English / Portuguese (wiki link below)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fuentes_de_O%C3%B1oro
Mark had set up a superb table with his Kallistra terrain (all in his personal games room!). Mark took the French with Massena in charge - Russ the Allies with the canny Wellington in charge.
Rather than give a blow by blow (as I have no idea which troops were which) I have included some photographs of the battle and can give a general idea of the flow of fotune.
Mark had more cavalry and so moved them down his left flank (they had determined that no cavalry could enter the hills - being very steep and covered in scrub and brush).
The bulk of the British army was in the hills blocking the French advance and also held the town of Fuentes de Orono (a key position in the battleground). The British attacked the French left flank first - and generally got mauled. The French then attacked the British in the hills and enjoyed an initial success. At this stage there seemed only one winner and the Peninsular War seemed over before it had begun.
But the wily old fox Wellington (depite spending 90% of the battle out on the right flank) managed to pull several rabbits from the bag and Russ turned around a likely loss into a spectacular victory. This may have been down to tactics but could also be down to Russ switching to his 'magic dice' - the ones he uses against me! And the fortunes did change not long after the switch.
His Portuguese were stars of the show - finishing off division after division that had been mauled by their exposure to the British troops. He made the extra numbers of brigades count - while the quality was lower, the quantity counted and the entire right flank then centre of the French disappeared.
At the end of the 4th Turn the battle came to a close. Both sides had gone through their break point but a lucky roll be Russ meant that the British were unbroken unlike the broken French - thereby handing Wellington a major victory. Given the number of troops involved, to have got a full battle in about 4 hours was fantastic. A great set of rules and great fun for all involved.
We then made our way home in temperatures of 10 below, braving icy roads and loony drivers. Russ was buzzing with his victory (he's played Grand Armee twice and won twice) and I was definitely hooked - and am now planning to rebase my British and Prussians to Grand Armee bases.
Many thanks to Mark for all his efforts and taking defeat so well (at one stage all three of us were convinced the French would romp it). And also for the cheese snadwiches and mince pies.
But what a fantastic day - and one I will not forget for a long time.
The town of Fuentes de Oronto and the surrounding hills - as viewed from the French lines
Russ with his British troops - good general, terrible navigator
Grand Armee artillery base - with limbers attached!
Grand Armee cavalry base
Infantry base - 58 figures!
British on the hill
The view from the British rear - see the open right flank that the French tried to exploit.
Artillery duel - British on the right
More shooting as the French try to take the hill
The French line starts to disintegrate
The British pour off the hill and into the French flank
The last action - the remaining French infantry surrounded and in great jeopardy