Today’s big game was an 1809 battle with one French corps and one Rhine Confederation corps facing off against two Austrian corps, (50 points per corps) on an 8ft by 4 ft table. The French won the initiative, the Austrians deployed their movement bases on table and the French moved onto the table in their first move.

Both sides were conservative in their initial moves, the Austrians deploying their movement bases across the board occupying all three possible terrain objectives on their side of the table. The French corps moved onto the table on the right and occupied the two objectives on their flank. The Rhine Confederation corps advanced both their infantry divisions over the objective hill on their area of the table.

Over the next few moves both sides position themselves on their initial objectives while trying to locate the opposition force dispositions. The Rhine Confederation infantry divisions move forward slowly as the woods and the steep hill in the centre of the table limit the room they have to deploy, meaning their two divisions of cavalry are unable to deploy. The second division moves into contact with the Austrian light division and get into a long term fight as the two sets of skirmishers clash. The Rifles of the Austrian light infantry and their line deployment in terrain (plus their light artillery) allow them to win the clash against the denser columns of their opponents.

On the French side of the battlefield, the French and Austrian infantry divisions are each occupying their respective hills out of range. The French C-in-C decides that this will be a stand off and moves to his supporting light cavalry division and leads it to the left to threaten the flank of the Austrian light division fighting the Rhine Confederation. However, the Austrians form squares in the fields on their flank and the impassable and steep hills force the French cavalry to operate on a one unit frontage. The Austrian First Corps commander sees the French cavalry move away and spends his next three moves changing the orders of his two infantry divisions and the reserve Grenadiers, getting them to attack the French infantry division holding the hill and their line of supply.

On the Austrian far left, their heavy cavalry division crashes into the second French infantry division before they can form square. Over the next few moves the French get cut to pieces, loosing three infantry regiments and their artillery and end up forming squares on their objective. The Austrian heavy cavalry sweep round behind them and ride over their line of supply and threaten the rear of the other French infantry position.

On the other flank the Rhine Confederation forces continue to batter themselves against the Austrians. A charge from the Austrian hussars routs two regiments of German infantry before being forced back by a counter charge from the German cavalry. The French C-in-C realises their problem and dashes over to his light cavalry division to bring them back to threaten the flank of the Austrians who were now attacking their beleaguered infantry.

At the end of the game the Austrians get a victory as they have taken the French line of supply and have inflicted heavy casualties on their opponents.