Well it's all over finally. I thought, I'd kick off the arguments(oops I mean discussions) with some stats.
24 x 12 foot table in 4 sections.
13 players
Rule set Republic to Empire
Figures from 13 different collections
Russians, Italians,French,Poles, Portugeuse,Spanish and German troops.
The French used initially : 95 battalions, 5 batteries of guns backed up by 4 rounds of fire from a 100 gun Grand battery. They were reinforced by a further 20 battalions, 4 batteries and 28 regiments of cavalry(including 12 cuirassiers and carabiniers, 4 dragoons, 5 lancers,2 Chasseur and 5 Hussar).
This represented 62,000 Infantry (3,100 models), 6,000 cavalry (300 models), 72 on table guns and 100 off table (36 + 50 models). As the entire Grande Armee was not engaged at Borodino we pretty much had covered what the French committed on the day.
The Russians used initially: 58 battalions with a further 26 on table in reserve (84), 10 batteries of guns, 6 regiments of cavalry and 16 regiments of cossacks. They were reinforced by 8 regiments of Cuirassiers, 2 regiments of Lancers and 2 batteries.
This represented 37,000 infantry (1900 models approx), 6,000 cavalry (300 models) and 144 on table guns ( 72 models).
The Russians held 3 villages: Utitsa, Semenovskoye and Borodino. They had 5 smaller redoubts and the Great Redoubt.
Some highlights for me:
1. The almost 5 hour fight for the Great Redoubt which saw at its height around 18 battalions from both sides involved at the same time! Marshal Ney fell here along with 4 French Brigadiers a General of Division and 7 battalions commanders. Russian officer casaulties were enormous and included Kutiatsov, a Religious party and at least 1 general of division.
2. The capture of a drunken Marshal Kutusov by the 2nd Carabiniers when they over ran the battery he was sheltering in.
3. The wreck of the Holy Icon Talisman of the Russian army as the 9th Cuirassiers pursued the broken Military Order Cuirassiers through the religious parade!
4. The tile of death
5. Predicting Adrian's continual stream of 1s
I am certain there are 100 other memorable moments for everyone but this is my immediate recall. A great game and a very close result...
well I agreed with Napoleon's interpretation. I think tactically the Russians fought a great battle but, we cracked their centre and there was a big - about 900 yards wide between the left and the right.