10mm Quatre Bras Update!

I was able to grind through the next few rounds of Quatre Bras over the last few days.  I say "grind" because this is turning out to be a meat-grinder.  The Dutch, bless their hearts, held their ground valiantly and "did all that was required of them" as his excellency stated in the evening report and were allowed to retreat in good order, although "shaken" through the advancing British lines.

 The French had some initial difficulties in gathering their Brigades to deploy properly and unfortunate result for them was their units went into the attack in piecemeal.  Excellent British volleys stopped some French units cold and "shaken" units (units who have hits equal to their stamina value) cannot charge.

Dutch Brigade is disordered but amazingly they hold on despite being hit by the better part of a Division!

British units slowly deploy behind the Dutch and prepare to take up the line.

French Brigades on the French right move through Gemioncourt and swiftly move up, change into their infamous attack columns and beat the Pas de Charge!

French columns clear Gemioncourt

The French left division screws up their orders and only 1 Brigade moves in against the Dutch!

The French crash into the Dutch again!  How are they holding on???

 Some amazing dice rolling by the Dutch and they are holding on volley after volley from French units!  Finally they reach their shaken point and withdraw.

The Dutch win the combat, but are in no shape to stick around.  The command decide to let them withdraw.

French columns swarm the British defenders on the narrow British line that is emerging.  Note the stalled columns moving up the rear

 Then the British fail all of their command tests and not a single British unit moves!  The stage is set for French columns to sweep in and swarm the front.  Luckily, the French division on the right is the only unit that passes their command test!

The French right-most Division, who finally was able to get moving, pushes a British unit back and the road is open to Brussels!

Trouble brewing for the British!

A British unit pushed back, shaken, but reinforcements are enroute!

More British reinforcements - if they can get them deployed.

The French shake out their line in anticipation of moving forward.

 The French win a melee and change their formation to line in order to support their comrades being moved up by the Corps Commander.

The British have the troops but do they have the space or the time to stop the French?

The French right wing gets ready to exploit last turn's victory.

This has been a choppy game so far as I re-learn the Black Powder rules (actually they are pretty simple but there are a myriad of rules that I seem to have forgotten!) but it's all starting to come back to me!  The French have had a devil of a time moving their units into the attack and for once the Brigade orders aren't much help given the terrain.

The British have good terrain to defend but are having an equally rough time getting their units into position!  Tense action - stay tuned!