1812 Retreat from Moscow - Scenario 3 - The Killer Wind

 The third of the four scenarios in Pazoot's 1812 Retreat from Moscow Battle Chronicles game.

The French stragglers need to get through the village and collect loot to survive the night while avoiding the chasing Russians. But with a raging blizzard their sense of direction can be confused and the exit can shift randomly and the Russians can appear just a short distance from them. 

While not as lucky as last time their luck still held and they nearly all made it out of the village.

The situation at the start of the game. The French need to get from the top right to the exit at the bottom left. However, each turn the exit may move around the left or bottom sides.

Our pursuing Russian heroes. Lots of Cossacks.

Our French team. I have added their names to the bases. While the white painted numbers were very effective in not being apparent on the table I couldn't read them. 😂

End of turn 1.  The French have split into three groups consisting of: three unwounded infantry, three wounded plus the cook, and the two Lancers. This means each group can move at the same rate.
 Two Russians have turned up on the right.

End of turn 2. The lancers have attacked the two Russians killing one. The unwounded French have looted some bandages, a sword and a telescope. The wounded head towards the center of the board but two Russians have appeared on the right.

End of turn 3 - The Lancers finish of all the Russians on the right -  red dots. The unwounded French loot some warm clothing while the wounded loot some bandages....still no food. Two more Russians appear from the snow storm from the south.

End of turn 4 - Those two Russians are quickly shot by the wounded French. The unwounded French and Lancers head for the exit and any remaining loot in that direction. Some firewood and vodka is looted.    Three Russian Jagers appear on the left.

End of turn 5. The wounded group looks to find some more loot at the bottom left of the village. The unwounded French trade fire with the Jagers killing two of them but Marc receives a wound. The exit appears tantalizing close to the French unwounded group and Lancers. During the turn the French loot more Vodka and firewood.     Four Russian infantry appear out of the snow at the top, partially hidden by a building.

End of turn 6.  After killing the last Jager the two French infantry and the two Lancers escape the village. The remaining French troops head towards the exit and pick up any convenient loot but they are now in a very dangerous position with two groups of four Russians after them.

End of turn 7 - Russian fire is ineffective and they can't reach the French for melee. The French loot vodka, a sledge and bandages, a poor return for the risks taken. Four more Russians appear from the south. With the Exit now disappeared out of reach will the French survive to the next turn? They need one more man to get off the table, preferably Alain and the cook (otherwise the horses are toast)

End of turn 8. A sudden flurry of snow and the exit appears very close. "Lucky" Luc has cunningly thrown a bag of gold coins towards the closest Russians, distracting them, but unknowingly has dropped his lucky rabbits foot that took him through three battles and five years in the Grande Armee. The remaining two Russian groups close in and fire, wounding Luc twice meaning he will move too slowly to make the exit next turn.

End of turn 9. Luc is shot down in a hail of musket fire just short of the exit, covering the escape of the others. They will remember his sacrifice if they make it back to France.

As they huddle around their campsite the French pray for Luc and count the day's loot and wounds.

In the campaign phase they can heal all the wounds with the bandages and vodka they looted. the firewood and remains of the sledge get them through the night without frostbite, plus without Luc and with the efforts of the cook they have just enough food (including a food point carried over from last scenario). The horses eat their fodder hoping tomorrow they will be just as lucky.

The telescope will come in handy in the next scenario although the Green Hat they looted before may cause problems. No gold coins are left but with everyone unwounded their prospects are brighter.

Thoughts on the scenario.

It is very interestingly balanced. As more loot is collected the chances of getting anything other than Russian infantry falls and with a maximum of just twelve of them it makes it easier to escape.

While the victory conditions say you need to get food, I thought that as I have the horses and the cook I would be able to feed everyone anyway so I just let that slide. Escaping the Russians today is more important than eating tomorrow.

The moving exit marker made the game very exciting. At what point do you start escaping? I should have left the cook with the unwounded French as they move faster and as she doubles the amount of food losing her would have been disastrous... especially for the horses.