Lasalle 2 - Solo game

Started a solo game with Lasalle II today as it took my fancy to use my French Guard units which seldom see the tabletop and to make up for missing first meeting of Elimination Club last evening !

So I picked scenario 4 from the rules 'Making The Omelette' which is an attack/defence scenario and I choose the French Imperial Guard to attack (300pts) against Russian defence (220pts).

Set up scenario adding a single wood to Russian defence area and managed to play through first turn so far using all advanced rules.

French field 14 units in 4 Brigades with an Old Guard Brigade (2 Old Guard Inf) and 2 Young Guard Brigades (4 Elite Inf) supported by a Brigade of Guard Cavalry (2 OG Lancers) and two OG Reserve Artillery (2 Heavy OG Batteries) with the CinC having added trait of Artillerist to boost guns (re-rolls failed hits on primary target), an ADC completes their roster.

The Russians have 13 units also in 4 Brigades with two Infantry Brigades (each 3 Vet Inf) one with a Field Battery attached, a Brigade of Jager (3 Jager) and supported by a Light Cavalry Brigade (2 Hussars) with a Heavy Gun Battery and their CinC having Steadfast trait (re-rolls when defending).

Russians set up first but have a nice defensive position along a ridge with woods on one flank.

French set up second but not a lot of real leeway as to axis of attack.

Early days but on French left a Young Guard Brigade has encountered first Russian line with the Old Guard Lancers pushing forward and forcing a Russian foot unit to go into square and to commit their Hussars which were in reserve behind the ridge.

The French have a decided advantage in Skirmishing dice (30 vs 21) but this made no difference on first turn indeed Russians got Initiative although not a big deal at this stage. 

French have basic 7 MO (with ADC) versus Russian 6.

I do like the sheer playability of Lasalle despite its somewhat basic/broadbrush approach to unit types, and you the constant changes of initiative in a turn are keeping me fit going from one side of table to another. And nice to see my Guard units in action.

Initial deployments, with Guard in long line of units

Russian lines of defence with Jager on right around small wood

Views from Russian left 

Old Guard lancers support Young Guard Brigade

Old Guard artillery in center

Second Young Guard Brigade with Old Guard at end of line

The weak Jager Brigade awaits

Russian Hussars in reserve behind ridge

View from behind Russian lines

French begin their assault

French left wing engaging

End of first turn with some permanent hits visible and Russian cavalry committed

Shako II - Utitsa scenario played

Played Shako II today with Stephen utilising the Utitsa (Borodino area 1812) scenario from the Field of Glory scenario booklet. 

Stephen used Russians in defence so I was attacking with the French.

My Cavalry Brigade (1 Lancer and 1 Chasseur) on my right tried to sweep around behind Utitsa mound but were confronted by an Infantry division but in the end I destroyed a unit of Cossacks before seeing my Lancers destroyed in turn. This led to a morale test for my Brigade which of course I rolled 1 for and the Chasseurs fled the field.

On my left my reserves were contesting matters with the Russian Jager division in the large wood and their own reserve formations, these sort of cancelled each other out although I was reducing the Jager.

A struggle around the mound then ensued between Infantry divisions. I suffered from Russian heavy artillery cannister fire despite eventually destroying both batteries.

A key match up saw 3 French columns manage to contact a single Russian unit in Line but this unit rolled a crushing volley which staggered and forced back my units. I then lost a couple of units in adjacent melees and had to test Divisional morale which of course I failed removing the Division directly attacking the Mound.

We called it at that point as French lacking sufficient strength to take the Mound

We struggled again with some of the rules around attack orders/formation changes which are frankly somewhat contradictory, and wondered how we never seemed to have these problems in past games !? old age in action ??

Table prior to set up from Russian edge

French initial advance

Russian artillery causes Stagger (yellow puff)

Jagers defending wooded area (Russian reserves waiting to arrive in distance)

The Mound defended by stout Grenadiers and heavy Artillery

Up close and personal around the Mound

French reserves arrive on left and engage the Jagers as Russian reserves also arrive

French formation attacking the Mound would soon flee

A tiny bit of Shako II

Tried a 'pick up' game of Shako II today at Stephens with his Russians against my French circa 1812. We last played these rules in Feburary 2020 (Quatre Bras scenario) but both kind of struggled to deploy our Divisions today. I think this partly down to the 'pick up' style game orders of battle, its generic terrain generation and rather odd table size (64" x 40" in 15mm).

We both placed a Cavalry division in reserve and I had a light cavalry division on a Flank March.

My Flank March arrived on turn 3 but really had no place to go on arrival (likely needed a much better plan). We were also unsure what happens if the flanking units are 'blocked' by enemy units up close to arriving table edge as not really defined other than one can charge into contact from off-table, but what if units have to fall back or recall ? are the destroyed ? do they rally off-table ? we have not encountered this before.

Stephen brought on an off-table reserve of 4 Cavalry with a horse gun which was literally crammed up behind a defending Infantry Division and I had my heavy Cavalry as an on table Reserve from start. 

We realised that the interpenetration (or actually lack of interpenetration) rules meant these mounted units were very unlikely to get used as essentially badly blocked (especially the Russian Division) and requiring a lot of 'work' to move elsewhere. 

The rules allow Mixed Divisions (something not usually seen in the scenarios we have played) which would be a much more flexible use of cavalry (ie in direct support of Infantry Division) but neither of had considered this historically justifiable. However I think the use of the term Division in Shako is a tad more flexible in what it represents.

We sort of gave up on the game (and plunged into waffling session) once we realised we had less than optimal deployments but plan is to re-try next week with Utitsa scenario.

French left with Cavalry in Reserve position. Note clogged deployment of Russians at top left as Cavalry 'stuck' in behind stationary Infantry division. French outflank due to arrive following turn into flank of own Infantry !

Lasalle 2 - French vs British 1811

Game of Lasalle 2 today with Stephen playing the third scenario with larger 300pt forces.

Stephen wanted to try out British circa 1811 so I used French.

We both had 18 units (5 Brigades each) in an encounter type match up with a fair amount of woods and a town area (we both forgot we could have added one terrain piece each)

We both thought Lasalle might struggle to reflect British 'style' but this proved to be unfounded.

Being a Linear Army the British General has an additional Linear Volley intervention by default which coupled with slightly better Skirmishing ability (we both put a unit into Sharpshooter mode so 39 Brit vs 36 French dice) and their unique Superior Shooting ability (8 dice in Line) made the British foot very potent especially their three Elite units.

This combo meant that against French foot in columns the British could deliver 2-3 devastating volleys and vs mounted two such volleys and still be able to change into square.

Since British won every skirmish phase they had optimal tactical flexibility in this regard (including on one turn generating six Voltigeur markers).

A French infantry Brigade of 4 veteran units in attack columns was shot to bits in this fashion, and then when I brought up Cavalry they too suffered hits and watched as British then formed square which of course can still shoot often with two dice.

My artillery (3 Batteries) was fairly decent with some lucky rolling destroying a British battery in short order.

But the tough British Infantry with their 'machine gun fire' was just too hard to deal with and I conceded despite having slight edge in Skirmishing with 4 British units adopting square as I had 1 foot Brigade done for and my 4 Cavalry (2 Dragoons and 2 Chasseurs) effectively blown as well.

British much better on table than they seemed at first blush.

Another quick playing game with Lasalle, what it lacks in period chrome it makes up for in playability in spades.

Armies at start (French on left)

British deployment (Portugese Brigade on right of image)

French centre with Cavalry supporting Infantry columns

Central clash after my Foot Brigade had been decimated (2 units disengaged to rear) and Cavalry advancing to fill gap.

French left in stand off with British right but with British Light Cavalry threatening

On French right a Brigade of Conscripts opposite the Portugese (neither Brigade used)

Remnants of central foot Brigade rallies behind guns (but with several permanent losses)

French guns continue to bombard as British infantry forms squares

French Cavalry taking some knocks after a couple of do or die charges and British shooting

Lots of damage inflicted on French center

Overview 

Chasseur Brigade battered as French General intervened (Valiant trait) to no avail

Dragoons to their left also battered

British Cavalry readying for a charge, note the British 'Voltigeur' stands hampering French foot

Lasalle 2 - French vs Russian 1812

Another game of Lasalle with Stephen today, using the second scenario with Russians (Stephen) in defence against my attacking French.

Scenario pits (in small version) 250pts of attackers vs 200pts of defenders with 2 objectives and no auto breaking of armies. 

Interesting set up and deployment areas makes for a varied scenario despite basic terrain.

Another enjoyable game that we managed to play to completion (8 turns) with 1 objective held each but Russians won by inflicting greater ‘Carnage’ on French.

Again we found game slick and quick but with overall decent period feel when Infantry forced into squares by mounted then shot to bits by enemy and run over by Cavalry.

Russian foot have Resilient trait which allows them to Rally better (French rallying was woeful) but French superiority (at least until squares and losses dwindle total) in Skirmishers means they will win Initiative and get some Voltigeur stands to place (4 was max) which are a real annoyance for units effected.

Stephen used Artillerist option for Generals Intervention which was pretty powerful as it allows re-rolls of all bombardment misses. I chose Charismatic which aids rallies but only used once as needed General to form squares or to boost Momentum.

System is very much Napoleonic-lite with lots of abstraction and really does pare unit interactions down to basic Column, Line and Square, but it most certainly works for a game you can play to completion in a few hours with reasonably balanced forces.

Only a couple of pics from early stages (before Cavalry reserves arrived) as phone died.