Battle of Rolica : Command and Colours

 Well Christmas Day has been and gone, the country is in and out of lockdown and the weather has been pretty poor but luckily we were able to be together as a family for the first time since last Christmas which has been really nice. With some pre ordering I made sure I received a handful of hobby related gifts.

Dark age archers for my planned battle of Hastings in 2021, hot off the press a new Rubicon Panzer III, a couple of really nice books the Spanish Civil war being a surprise gift from my son encouraging me to start another period !!  Plus Command and Colours Napoleonics. I ordered this ages ago having seen a number of games being played on other people’s blogs and scratching a historical itch.

Anyway my son makes an idea opponent so I spent a couple of hours christmas afternoon and Boxing Day sticking the unit cards on the blocks and reading the rules. We do have a copy of Memoir 44 which we played when kids were younger so we are broadly familiar with the style of the game. Boxing Day evening we were able to set up and play the first scenario the battle of Rolica. If you are not familiar with C&C the core mechanics are fairly simple but it gives considerable subtlety in the game which takes around 2 hours.

Rolica sees the British, supported by some Portuguese  under Wellesley attempt to knock the smaller French force off a ridge line next to the town. After some initial long range shooting the British (my son) grabbed the horns and sent Nosey directly at the ridge with as many troops as he could muster.

The French were soon struggling to hold the ridge and the British pressing on their left flank as well.

Gripping tightly to the ridge the french attempt some easy victory points by attacking the weaker Portuguese troops but they quickly form square and turn the French light cavalry back

Despair now on the ridge, french have been hit really hard, the British infantry using cold steel to force the assault.

French command under Delaborde is pushed back, but Nosey has neglected to deal with the last French Light infantry unit who pour a devastating volley along the ridge, the broths at this point only needed a single point to win !

The ridge is again clear but there are few french left to hold the line

The British try an aggressive cavalry charge on their right ordering the Portuguese cavalry forward but their charge is turned back. Both sides now only needed a single point so it is next point wins

Having feinted on the right the french light cavalry spot a solitary figure in the distance and in the classic first episode from Sharpe (we really didn’t plan this) they charge Wellesley who had been left out in the open.

Captured....perhaps to be recused later by a member of the 95th with a rather rough Yorkshire accent ? Obviously he can’t be dead as that would really mess up history !

But a Narrow French victory 5 to 4, they clearly couldn’t hold the ridge any longer but Henri Delaborde has delayed the British advance which was his objective.

A splendid introduction to the game which we both really enjoyed. We may have made a couple of minor rule errors but with a few more games we should have it. I’m sure as many others have I am pondering expansions and the potential use of the system and the blocks for other games, these thoughts may never come to fruition but they are fun to ponder.

We are planning another game this evening 😀