Napoleon's last look at Borodino

The Xmas game was finally wrapped up. Below assorted Russian heavy cavalry units (top) faced off the battered French left wing (bottom), now a huddled mass of humanity rather than a rampaging legion. The only thing that deterred their slaughter was the fact they had been pushed so far back that they had inadvertently fallen upon French artillery support from the centre.

Rather humiliatingly the French "finish" positions were further back fro their "start" positions. The "big cheese" gives it his once over (see below)

Napoleon orders some of his "big cannon" to be used against the Russian Right if they advance any further. The Moscow City Militia are quite happy to stay in their newly liberated wood seeing as directly behind Napoleon is the start of his rather large Guard Column: Young, Middle and Old, plus various Cavalry formations. With no strategic incentive to "release the Guard" (other than to just to show off their factors),  Napoleon showed great strategic sense and self-control and stood them down for the night.

Summary:

A very grand spectacle, given as a Russian defensive tactical victory, having done better than history, without changing the course of history. A verdict on the rules was that although once learned they could play fast like their F&F precedents, the effect of artillery seemed out of proportion to historical simulation. In F&F ACW rules the more artillery you put into an attack the law of diminishing returns came into play (which was sensible and made players spread their fire - realistically), whereas the Fire Point factors made the effectiveness of Napoleonic artillery mathematically increase under Age of Eagle. Some modifications/review needs to be done here to reduce its effectiveness IMHO (or we had missed some important caveats in the rules).

Next:

ACW 1861/62 with perhaps Regimental F&F