Sharp Practice a Napoleonic skirmish.

Game at Bryns War Shed last night with Billy.
We were using Sharp Practice (Bryn prefers original to version 2) with some very nice 28mm Napoleonics.
























I was defending British with a Company (3 'Groups') of Regular Line and four 'groups' of Riflemen supported by 1 Light Gun.

Bryn and Billy attacked with French with (I think) 2 Line Companies (5 'Groups') 4 Skirmish units and 2 Light Guns.
British were nominally defending a central farm area.

Riflemen on my flanks suffered (especially from Billys dice) and two units were soon reduced and Retiring.
Whilst my cannon dealt out a lot of Shock it failed to kill many men (2 I think all game).
As game ended the French had not actually gotten into the farm partly due to a sacrificial charge by my Regulars, but were certainly on its verges and British casualties were now very heavy and withdrawal of survivors would have seemed prudent.

Lovely figures from Bryns collection which I believe are a mix of plastic Warlord and Metal Front Rank with one or two odds and sods ?.

Have only played Sharp Practice once before (and that was 2nd version) but Bryn supplied a copy of the QRS so had bit of an idea of rules systems (lot of it is 'standard' Lardy).
Some difference in cards from V2 but otherwise similar game.

The Line units can form into actual Line/Column formations rather than the default 'Group' whereas Light Infantry Skirmishers simply skirmish.
Formations give some benefits (spread of Shock inflicted, single order to Activate) but are unwieldy and can be out shot by Light Infantry types.

Lots more to rules than we used with a mass of character enhancements and abilities for the 'Big Men' and of course being TFL set some stuff not really defined such as gun arcs of fire, when to count enfiladed, which can lead to discussion during game, I would rather have a simple definition to save 'debate' time.

But overall a good gaming experience and I would be tempted but do not wish to start another scale as despite figures being highly paintable it would mean acquiring and storing new terrain and suchlike.
A few small forces in 15mm for ACW might be a possibility, he says knowing it will never happen !!





British gun defends on left with Riflemen at hedge line

More Riflemen

French advance

First shots exchanged

Bryns Regulars start to form as his Light Infantry skirmish with mine

British Regulars advance to farm

Billys command with 2 guns

French skirmish from orchard

Great field of fire for British gun

British deploying into farm

And form Line Formation

Riflemen advance to support gun

French guns unlimber and Regular form up

Riflemen start to take Shock and casualties

Pressure mounts on my right flank

Line try to hide from French cannon but length of formation makes this difficult

Left flank heavily engaged