1812 Retreat from Moscow - Scenario 1 - The Barn at Dawn

 So I have made it through the first scenario on my second attempt.

Got off the end of the board with my food and only lost two men,(the minimum requirements) plus got some firewood, bandages, fodder, clothing, and a sword.

On my first attempt, I only found some food at the last loot spot, at which point the table was crawling with Russians and five of my men were dead.

So some photographic evidence of the successful game.

End of turn 1. I decided to split the group in two, to reach the loot points as simultaneously as possible to reduce the number of Russian reinforcements - the more loot discovered the more Russians turn up. Firewood was discovered at the first loot point. Two Russians have come on at the right side.

End of turn 2. One more loot point is discovered, fodder. This was worrying as I need food! The Russians reach the edge of the wood and open fire but miss. Two more Russians arrive on the left.

End of turn 3. Benoit discovers food at the bottom of the field near the exit. Unfortunately five Russians turn up next to it. Elsewhere, a Russian is killed in melee but Edouard receives one wound, luckily he has found some bandages. In the top building Luc has discovered some clothing.

End of turn 4. Benoit makes a bee line for the exit. Christophe finds some vodka in the bottom building but is caught by the Russians and suffers 3 wounds. Alain and Luc head to the exit, Alain shoots one Russian on his way as well as discovering another food package. Edouard kills another Russian but Gaspard needs to fight off two of them. More Russians appear on the right.

End of turn 5. In this turn the choices got nasty. Alain, Benoit, and Luc exit the table to safety, Edouard nearly makes it.  Christophe and Gaspard remain to hold off the Russians to allow Edouard to escape  next turn. Gaspard is cut down but Christophe managers to survive. More Russians appear at the top.

End of turn 6. Edouard escapes, Christophe can't make it to the exit and is cut down just short of safety.

A difficult game with some difficult decisions to be made. The scenario teaches that you need to be utterly ruthless to live through the retreat.

The campaign phase.

The food points fed everyone and allowed me to recruit one more infantry (Marc) and one Lancer (Christophe) I chose the Lancer as we can eat the horse if we need to 😢 Hopefully the two remaining fodder points will help.

The bandages healed Edouard's wound but then he got frostbite! Having lost two men morale went down 2 but then rose 2 from our new recruits.

So stay tuned for scenario 2, Through Frozen Streets. 

A few final thoughts. I expanded the QRS so I didn't need to flick through the rule book so much. It all fits on one page. As food is vital I think I may choose loot points items in advance to ensure that there is at least 2 food points hidden on the board. Otherwise it can be impossible to win if food does not come up when rolling for the loot point contents on the Loot Table. Although food becomes more plentiful in the next game so I may just see how I go. 

1812 Russians

 The Russians are coming, the Russians are here!

All the Russian troops that came with the 1812 Retreat from Moscow purchase are now painted.

In the foreground French infantry trudge down the road while chased by the Russians. On the right French lancers try to slow down the Cossack horde.

Cossack horde

Russian line, just as cold and miserable as the French.

Russian Jagers taking pot shots at the French column.

Well, that is all the painting and terrain completed for the 1812 Retreat from Moscow campaign. Now to play the game!  I just have to clear the table of another project, print out the campaign documents, and then off we go to see if I can make it out of Russia alive!

1812 Houses and French

 For the 1812 Retreat from Moscow project I have completed painting the houses and the French forces.

While the houses are not strictly correct for the period they are close enough for me. They come with a courtyard so the houses can either be placed independently or as part of a fortified farm. This will give a bit more flexibility in any future snowy games.

The French I have painted as pretty much in their summer blue uniforms as that is what has come. Some infantry I have painted grey to represent wearing their greatcoats. But they look OK I think and I can pretend that this is early on in the retreat. 😁It still looks pretty dismal!

I have based them all on clear plastic counters and have painted numbers on the bases so that the individuals can be distinguished.

Trudging along the road to Paris. Led by some lancers and with some at the rear to guard against Cossacks

Some civilians hoping to join the procession

Another view of the dispirited team. At the cross roads a forgotten standard is stuck in the snow. This is used in the fourth scenario.

Drone or crow's eye view

Another closeup

 Well half done now. Just the Russians to do.