Shako II - Solo scenario throwdown - October 2024 - Flavor of Maloyaroslavets

 Over a couple of days in October, I had opportunity to set up the table and leave it, so that I could run a game over a longer period of time without having to clear it all away.

I would have post the data about this game in November, however the day I was to start working on this my bride took a slip and fall and did much damage to her left elbow, after a day in emergency, then overnight and surgery the next day for 6+ hours, she was able to recover in hospital for a few days.
Then return home.

I have been her arms for a few weeks now and shall continue to have much time taken up with these ongoing support tasks.  Thankfully her recovery is progressing well.

With the delay explained, now onto the battle:

Scenario 2, from Scenarios for all ages, was a contested river fording situation.  It reminded me very much of Maloyaroslavets, from the retreat from Moscow situation the French faced in 1812.  This being the case I chose to make it a Russian defending the line, with French attackers.

Again as a solo game, I chose some cards to make the 'command decisions' of the two sides, the Russians came up the 4 of clubs and the French the 5 of clubs. Meaning that both sides were only going to have 'middling' plans with no real commitment to much at all.

My Eugene model had commanded cavalry
many times after the first Maloyaroslavets game
now out in a command stand again

an even older generation Russian command
figure was selected to take on the role of
Baron Sacken for this encounter

I used the ruined hovels for the 'built up areas'
that the game calls for

so ... the plans were terribly simple
I was hoping that the French could get a toe-hold into the
ground on the far side, enough so that the
large force of infantry could storm across
with their flank covered

Once again I used a time-lapse system to capture all the action, which turned out to be a good idea, since I could not fully recall all the actions taken from just the still photos.

Reviewing it all via the editing process, I recalled that the French column did get across the river, in force, yet were all 'damaged' and fighting uphill into supported artillery.  The damage may only have been a 'shaken' or 'disorder' yet it was enough to make the attacks just that little bit weaker ...

The coup de grace was the Russian Dragoon force riding down a French demi-brigade to a man, capturing their eagle and putting a total victory on the battle for the Russians!

Looking back I see it was last October 2023, when I managed to get in scenario 1, perhaps I'll be able to do scenario 3 in 2025?

Let me know if you enjoy this sort of content or if I could change it up some way more interesting.

No idea if I will get in another game before the new year, though I have some painting progress to report in the coming weeks, happy holiday season to everyone reading.