Caldiero 1805, Turn 2: 3rd French and Austrian Initiatives

Massena wins the toss for the next  initiative...

and starts out with a MOVE!

Lacour rolls a triple magic move for his Dragoons ! (opposing roll, not shown, was a 4)

The dragoons move forward, turn to face the Uhlans, and with the third segment, charge them. They have a slight edge in the resultant melee, The Uhlans are pushed back 3" with the lioss of 1 UI; the Dragoons, having rolled even, maintain good order and elect rto "take the position, which leaves them still in contact with the Uhlans.

Meermet's Cuirassier brigade scores a triple magic move as well!
(I was surrpised that there actually was a brigade of Cuirassiers assigned to the Army of Italy in 1805).

Before the Cuirassiers move, a French foot battery shoots at the Grenadier square, but has no effect.

Positions after the sweeping move of the Cuirassiers and their supporting Horse battery.

Goulus gets a Double Magic Move!

First the horse battery fires at the battered Grenadier square at point blank range; only a hot die roll on their D8 defense die saves it from being eliminated!

The column charges the unloaded, battered Austrian battery, and eliminates it in melee!

Situation at the conclusion of the move by Goulus.

"There was magic in the air that night..." in fact, Double Magic for Camus!

The infantry attack columns launch several charges.

In the initial round, the French score a hit with a D12+2 roll of 1.

However, now being Disordered and no longer initiating Melee, they are throwen back 3" with the loss of a UI!

Using one segment to turn to the left, the French column charges the Austrians in the flank, supported by a second unit attacking out of Caldiero. The Austyrians are pushed back 3" with the loss of 1 UI; having rolled Odd, the French uinit is disordered, and cannot "seize the position".

Situation on the Southern ridge after both melees.

"Tsk, Tsk, Andre, are you forgetting to move your Routers again?"
 One unit, having already reached the table edege, is removed from play. No additional Morale points are lost for this, however.

"Got to believe, we are magic.." more Double magic, this time for Solinac's brigade, in fact.

The Italian Dragoons are within 24" of the opposing Hussars, and may charge them!

Before that, the brigade's horse battery tries to soften the target up, but to no avail.

Carica!

The Dragoons are repulsed in disorder, but the melee disorders the Hussars as well.

The irrepressible Grenadiers charge the unloaded and badly battered Austrian Line, dispersing them.

Situation along the Verona - Venice highway after Solinac's MOVE.

No Magic and no MOVE for Compere!

No matter what your opponent rolls, an LD roll of 3 is always one plain segment; such is the case with Valory's Brigade.

Situation following their MOVE. Two of his  units in column both fire at the unloaded Austrian battery, causing severe damage and throwing the crew into Disorder.

Some double Blue Magic for Launay's Brigade.

Another unloaded and crpipled Austrian battery is charged, and eliminated without much fuss!

Valentin's  small grenadier brigade will advance 1 segment.

Overview after Valentin's MOVE.

2 segments for Espagne's Light Cavalry Brigade, but no Magic Moment for them, sio they hold thier positions once again.

All of the French Batteries RELOAD, but none choose to fire at this time.

Talk about good timing!

The D12 is +4 (point blank range for Artillery UP 1. Target in square UP 1).
Karl scowl and tells Massena to take back one Morale point, meaning the Austrians had dropped to zero AMP prior to this fire!

A flash in the pan!

Al ot of smoke, as the wounded Austrian battery trades shots with the Grenadiers and Italian line, net result is only causing Disorder amongst the crew.

Whittling down the entrenched Grenadiers, one shot at a time.

Even with 2 battalions combining their fire there is no effect upon the already disordered battery.

MELEE - Massena can scarcely believe his good fortune!

The column charges the Austrian Grenadiers in line, and tries a little "melee con queso" (so called, because it's a cheesy tactic), firing upon contact immediately prior to resolving the melee. It has no effect here, but can be risky by driving the target unit back out of contact.

The following Melee throws the grenadiers back with losses.

The Dragoons charge again, but can only manage a tie in the first round of the melee, which effects neither unit.

Round 2 goes to the Uhlans, who push the Dragoons back in Disorder, losinga UI in the process.

Having rolled Even, this time it is the Uhlans who "take the position" and follow up.

The Italian column charges the unloaded and cripled Austrian battery dispersing its crew.

The two French columns charge another battery, which is similarly compromised...

with the same results.

Situation at the end of the French initiative from the North...

and from the South.

Eagerly anticipating his own initiative, Karl turns the first of his 4 cards; ARTILLERY FIRE. He shakes his head, noting this would have been much more useful had he gone first, before the French eliminated three of his batteries!

Shooting DOWN 3 (2 UI lost, and disordered), the battery fails to make any impression upon the accursed French Grenadiers, even with the UP1 for both short range and a column as target.
. 

The sole remianing Austrian battery, this one unscathed, shoots at the Chasseurs, to no discernible effect. So much for that card!

Karl heaves a deep sigh; INFANTRY FIRE./ Once again, would have been more useful before the destruction of several front line units.

The Hungarians inflict some losses on the Legere, but fail to drive them off. 

Puff!, but no magic Dragons (or even Dragoons)  here. 

The accurate fire of the badly wounded Grenadiers manages to drive back the French column .

 Another shaerply delivered volley causes heavy losses on the French, but they hold their ground.

 Second verse, same as the first!
Karl is not pleased to turn another ARTILLERY FIRE card; a MOVE would be nice, so that he could bring up the reinforcements that entered the end of turn 1, not to mention more expected but yet to show up upon the Field of Battle...

The battery's fire manages to push the Grenadiers back a bit in Disorder; not nearly decisive enough at this juncture, though!

 The other Austrian battery pops off at the chassuers, who shrug off the fire again.

"Was für eine Scheiße ist das?", explodes Karl! True, he doesn't lose the initiative to the enemy, but Massena turns 4 cards and uses them to break his defensive position, whilst he turns 4 cards, only one of which is really at all useful. The day is not looking like one he is going to look forward to writing about to the Aulic Council!