CnC Napoleonics - Peninsular Wars

I generally get to game twice a week. This is pretty regular, but sometimes gets interrupted by work schedules. On Thursday's it is miniature gaming with the Basement Generals at the Baron's. On Tuesday's, I play board games with one of the Generals, Greg. The last few Tuesdays one of us has been busy. It was nice to play again last night.

We trotted out a favorite. Commands And Colors, Napoleonic War - Spanish expansion. Greg played the French and I played the Spanish. This scenario was based on an historical event, but I don't remember which one. It is hell getting old. Anyway, there was a valley with three Spanish artillery units. The French were on the attack and their goal was to kill all the artillery. That was the instant French victory, or either side could win by claiming seven banners.

CnC is a great rule system, we have been playing this a couple of years now. The mechanics are clean, simple and there is absolutely nothing to change for house rules. We have tried and it breaks things. It is very likely my favorite board game system. The French started this scenario with 6 command cards and the opening move. The Spanish started in deployed positions and only 4 command cards. This lack of cards would prove decisive later on.

Initial deployment - French get ready to assault the guns.

Battle lines are formed -- The Spanish get a little lucky and manage to get organized. I had used the Spanish Order Interrupt token a couple of times by now.

Here comes the Cavalry!

Charge of the French Cavalry. At this point, the Spanish forward infantry had to deploy into squares. The rule for forming square is one must reserve a card to do so. That left the Spanish with two command cards, and they could no longer react. It was pretty evident that the French were going to maul the center at this point.

The Center collapses

The last Spanish Artillery piece falls - game over.

I used every shenanigan card and Spanish trick that I possibly could. For a while, I held the French off. However, once I had to form square, just to survive, it was over. Greg and I both had some wild dice rolling last night with some good and some bad rolls by each. I think my favorite was when Greg attacked one of my infantry units with 5 dice. He rolled 4 Artillery and a Cavalry hit. No effect! The game was a lot of fun and a very nice way to close out my elongated birthday weekend.