The Russians Are Here

The Russian Army expansion for Command & Colors: Napoleonic arrived, and Josh and I got in two playings of the first scenario--the Battle of Czarnowo, 23 December 1806.

In the first game, the French were fortunate in their card draw and, with several cards for their right sector, were able to maintain an attack. They pushed the Russians out of Czarnowo before the Tsar's troops could respond; then the French hussars launched a cavalry charge which forced the grenadiers into square, which only made them a better target for the French tirailleurs. The Russians shifted troops from the center to shore up their battered left; but then the French in the center sent two assault columns in a bayonet charge which carried the revetments. The VP requirement was 7 banners, but with the score at Russians 0 French 6 (4 for unit kills, 1 for control of a revetment, 1 for control of the town), the Russians conceded.

On the replay, the French attacked the left and center while refusing the right. After a close contest, a Russian counterattack failed to quite dislodge the French on the left, and the counter-counter attack barely finished off the last unit needed to claim victory. Final score 7:4 but if the Russians had had slightly better dice, it could easily have gone the other way. Highlights of this game included the Russian heavy cuirassiers charging into the French rear--all the way to the map edge--and overrunning an artillery battery; not enough to eke out victory, but a famous moment.

Given that most Russian units are three blocks instead of four, that the Russians get four cards instead of six (particularly damaging when you have to form square), we're wondering whether the Russians need to be beefed up a little.