Borodino Refought in 6mm

On Friday 18th May, I mustered my 6mm Heroics and Ros Napoleonic French and Russians and put on a refight of the battle of Borodino (1812) at the club.

Phil, Patrick and Noel were on the Russian side, defending a line of redoubts, hills, and streams, on high ground. Rob, Simon, Mike, and Mal, played the French. Set up was not historical, so each side could deploy as they saw fit.

Rob duly deployed Davout’s outsized corps on the French right, much as the French Marshal had suggested to Napoleon before the battle. Simon took the centre with several corps while Mal deployed the Imperial Guard and a cavalry corps in support. Mike screened the left flank with Poniatowski’s corps and another command.

Although we had barely two and a half hours to play, and could not finish the game, Rob’s units were poised to capture Utitsa and roll up the Russian’s left flank. Simon had made headway in the centre, facing Patrick’s Russians, while Mal’s troops were beginning to zone in on the arrow shaped redoubts known as the Fleches. Mike and Noel seemed to be in a stalemate on the French left wing.

The rules used were an evolution of my Coup de Grace rules for 6mm Napoleonics. I had essentially rewritten them, basing the mechanism on my Eastern Renaissance rules, Sobieski!. Several players seemed to appreciate the new version, which had more depth while still being fun and simple to play. The rules basically correlate unit and commander characteristics, lending both balance and a degree of granularity missing from my previous rules.

All in all, a fun night, with all present enjoying the massed battle spectacle of 6mm miniatures!