25e Regiment of Dragoons

We interrupt the game narrative for a Dragoon moment! 

The The regiment traces its origins back to 1665, when a new cavalry regiment was raised and named Bourgone in 1685, renamed in 1711 as Bretagne. It reverted back to Bourgone in 1751, becoming Royal-Bourgone in 1788. The Regiment became the 17e Regiment de Cavalerie in 1791 and the 16e Regiment de Cavalerie in 1792. It finally became the 25e Regiment de Dragons in 1803

The 25e regiment saw plenty of action during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars:  1792: Valmy, 1793: Hondschoote, 1794: Etreux, Mons, and Maestricht, 1800: Offenbourg and Holzheim, 1805: Elchingen and Austerlitz, 1806: Halberstadt, 1807: Ostrolenka, 1808: Baylen, 1809: Lugo and Alba-de-Tormes, 1810: Lines of Torres-Vedras and Ciudad-Rodrigo, 1811: Fuentes-de-Onoro, 1812: Arapiles, 1813: Vitoria, 1813: Dresden and Leipzig, 1814: Saint-Dizier, Brienne, La Rothiere, Mormont, Fere-Champenoise, and Paris

6 Colonels of the Regiment attained the rank of Brigadier or higher: 

Louis-Rene Le Mouton de Boisdeffre,  General de Brigade 1792; 

Nicolas Cugnot d'Aubigny, General-de-Brigade: 1794, Officer of the Legion d'Honneur: 1804, Chevalier of the Empire: 1810, Baron of the Empire: 12th April 1813;

Jean-Oliver Gaudin, General-de-Brigade: 1794;

Archange-Louis Rioult d'Avenay, General-de-Brigade: 1807, Officer of the Legion d'Honneur: 1808, Died: 1 June 1809 (Died of wounds received on 8 May 1809);

Antoine Rigaud, General-de-Brigade: 1807, Commander of the Legion d'Honneur: 1805, Baron of the Empire: 1809;

Philippe-Antoine Ornano, General-de-Brigade: 1811, General de Division: 1812, Count of the Empire: 1808.

The regimental facing color for the 25e- 30e regiments was aurore; I have used Delta CC "Calypso Orange" here. I think it looks quite striking! The figures once again are Piano Wargames by Lucas Luber. The next Piano Wargames Kickstarter commences October 14th!

Standoff in Scandinavia, part 4

 

The 2nd turn starts with the Swedes winning the roll off for 1 impetus; they act to go first and turn LEADERSHIP. 

With many units with UI losses ("hits") and/or disorder, they choose to act upon it right away. Each command group rolls its modified Leadership die type against the opponents D8; the LD can range from D8 to D12+1; for this game I made everyone LD 10 to keep things simple. The Swedish roll fails to beet the opposing D8, so no effect. 

If the modified LD roll exceeds that of the opponent's D8, Disorder will be recovered, and routed units will rally back to good order. 

The modified LD here is D6 because there is a modifier for rallying Routed units. If the modified LD roll is a "1", then no more rally attempts may be made by that commander, and the free change of facing or formation on the L:EADERSHIP card cannot be used by that command. 

If the modified LD roll exceeds the opponent's D8 by 3 or more, one UI ("hit"0 is regained for every 3 pips difference. Nothing here, though.  

No UI regained, but the Light Dragoons do rally from routed. 

Not having much luck with rallying!

Well,  that was a bust!

The initiative passes to the Danes, who turn ARTILLERY FIRE. 

Nuthin'. 

And Nothin again!

and yet again!

Complete bust for the Danish card action as well!

Swedes win even, and opt to take their 2 impetus. 

The "Wild Card!"

Swedes take it into their hand, and turn ARTILLERY FIRE. 

They act upon it right away. All smoke, no action here!

The fire causes some Disorder, but no significant losses. 

No effect!

The roll would cause Disorder, but the target is already Disordered; a second Disorder has no effect. 

Next card is LULL, but the Danes fail to seize the initiative. 

The first Danish card is INFANTRY FIRE; they act upon it now. 

1 Ui and one Swedish Army Morale Point (AMP) lost. 

Swedish return fire is ineffective; hardy surprising with 3 UI loss and in Disorder... as bad as it can without being elimnated (4 UI loss of infantry and cavalry, 3 for Artillery). 

Danish fire is ineffective, but the Swedish fire is not. The Danes are forced back 4" (difference in die roll) in Disorder, take 1 UI, and lose one AMP. 

Danes are more effective here. 

Return fire causes them to become Disordered. 

No effect.

Target is already Disordered, so no effect here either. 

Same here. 

The second Danish card is MOVE, and they again chose to act now. Triple move, but no Magic!

The Norwegian Liv regiment moves to cover the battery. 

Double move, no magic. 

The Danes move up and volley fire at the Swedish battery to effect. 

Cavalry get a Double Magic Move... CHARGE!!!

Round 1 of melee between the Danish and Swedish Dragoons sees both fall in to disorder, with the Swedes having 1 pip on the Danes. 

Round 2 to the Danes; the Swedes retreat 4" with the loss of 1 UI and AMP. JHaving roled EVEN in the last round, the Danes can advance to "take the position". 

The Danish Hussars are defeated, and forced back 4" with the loss of 1 UI and 1 AMP. 

The last Danish command rolls a single move, and decides to stay put. 

Standoff in Scandinavia, part 3

 

The Swedes have 2 impetus; they turn INFANTRY FIRE. 

Eagle's eye view of the battlefield, note all the "smoke", indicating "unloaded" units. 

The Swedes, however, decide to hold the card, and draw MELEE. 

In the battle of the small cavalry units, the Swedes are victorious! 

The Swedish Cuirassiers change the Livgard til Hast... routing them!

Next, the Swedes draw Artillery Fire, and act upon it immediately. 

Accurate shooting by the Swedes cripples the opposing Danish battery. 

Just managed that overhead shot!

More well aimed fire!

The Swedes win the LD roll off even for 1 impetus. Now they decide to play their INFANTRY FIRE card. 

An ineffective volley - the Swedish commander call for a do-over!

BAM!  The opposing Danes are routed with heavy losses!

With a "chicken" (Disorder) and two rocks (hits/Unit Integrity losses), it's not surprising this Swedish column's fire has little effect upon the opposing Danish footguards. 

"Ja , der powder gevetted ist!"

The damaged battery's fire disorders the Swedish battery, but causes no losses.  

Danish cannister empties many saddles in the Swedish Cuirassiers, but they hold firm. 

That's a hit, Sven!

Whilst the Danes have 1 card remaining (a critical INFANTRY FIRE card), the Swedes have no cards left, so the deck is shuffled, and the Infantry Firepower card is unused. Note that if the opposing Leadership die rolls for initiative are tied, that will also end the card, with the decks shuffled, and any unplayed or unused cards are lost! That concludes the first turn of the battle; both sides are running low on Army Morale points!