Initital report from FOGN battle vs Dave's heavy artillery Russian army

I played my first game of FOGN 3rd (Feb draft) battle. David predictable won again, but I did win one wing of the battle before the battle fell apart.

Anglo-Portuguese 1811 (with lots of Rifle skirmishers) vs Russian Infantry Corps 1812 (with max 10(!!) artillery). He made some mistakes (which lengthened the battle and DID allow me to destroy one of his divisions, so it was not a complete disaster) and my rolling was very bad right when I needed it (8 shots at an infantry square...which all miss) but my mistakes were worse and my reserves ran out before his did (otherwise known as the classic way to lose a Napoleonic battle).

 

I did learn to appreciate how good skirmishes are now, but I don't think there was much I could do once I placed my light division on the flank and then had my reserve division slog through a marsh towards a enemy heavy artillery line - re-fighting the Battle of New Orleans was a stupid idea, and I failed for the same reason- my left wing flanking attack across the stream came too late for my main attack to get close enough to the enemy gun line, and my right wing could not hold them off for long enough. Also, my last reserve unit should have forced march to be in a position to be rear support for my right flank, instead of trying to get past it to hold fill the gap in my far right flank. 

 

My men of the match are the Spanish Guerrillas, who held off 3 brigades (by holding the southern end of the swap) until the right wing collapsed.

 

I do miss being able to use an extended line of infantry to withstand an enemy artillery gun line (as if there is no handy hill to hide behind, there does not seem to be anything you can do about it), but I should have put my light infantry into the difficult swamp terrain and my reserve division on the right wing to hold the town and LOC. 

 

Also, I think Dave forgot or ignored that he'd taken my LOC so I made a lot of morale roles in the last 2 turn I probably should not off (which should have ended the battle a turn before I was to accomplish anything at all). I need to remember- when on the defence, get a 2nd road to use as my LOC behind my main body. Don't put my infantry to be flanked by heavy artillery, put my light troops into the hard to move through terrain and the large line infantry unit into the town next time. 

 

I very much like the new bombard and skirmish phases. I still think the Light infantry brigade should be an option (like the Guard brigade is) and Spanish Guerillas should be allowed to be bought as irregular poor light cavalry as well as infantry. 

 

I really need to finish painting the army, and paint the rear of the units to match which division they are in, or something.

 

I should do a proper battle report later as my mistakes were many and far reaching, and the rules changes of 3rd edition FOGN are very large and impactful. 

 

Pictures without comments after the break.