Command and Colors - Plancenoit - Father's Day treat

What better way to celebrate Father's Day weekend then a good game of Command and Colors Napoleonics with your son.  This is actually the first time We've played with the Prussians and it was a great game.  Fighting for Plancenoit during Waterloo week was a treat.  

The French got tons of cards for the Center and had a good hold on the village hexes but the Prussians managed to pry them out late in the game as French forces on the Right and Center just melted away.

Game over for the French

3mm Battle of Quatre Bras - Action at 2:00 pm

Around 2pm the French begin their attack towards the crossroads in earnest.  French columns advance toward Gemioncourt and Pierrepont.  Allied reinforcements are on the way while Dutch and Belgian troops try to maintain a line anchored on the Gemioncourt farm.

French columns advance toward Gemioncourt and Pierrepont.

The French assault on Gemioncourt commences.

The French begin to take casualties and have not breached the farm yet.

Marshall Ney makes an trip forward to assess the situation.

The attack on Pierrepont begins. 

The attack on Pierrepont turns into a firefight. 

3mm Battle of Quatre Bras - Opening Moves

The morning arrives with the allies in possession of the crossroads and arrayed for battle. Looking south towards Gemioncourt.  I've gotten a little busier than I expected this week so a proper AAR may take a bit to deliver.

The crossroads looking south.

The crossroads looking south

Gemioncourt looking south at the French forming up for the attack.

Gemioncourt looking southwest at the French build up 

The fields around Pierrepont at the edge of the Bossu wood.

3mm Battle of Quatre Bras - The Quiet before the Storm

The peaceful fields of Belgium await the coming storm.

Quatre Bras looking south toward Gemincourt Farm

3mm Battle of Quatre Bras - French Imperial Guard Light Cavalry Division

Imperial Guard Light Cavalry Division commanded by Gen Charles Lefebvre-Desnouettes.  Red Lancer Regt and Guard Chasseur Regt.  The Lancer Regt. also contained the Polish Lancer squadron from Elba.  Mamelukes were attached to the Guard Chasseurs.

Imperial Guard Light Cavalry

3mm Battle of Quatre Bras - French Artillery

French Foot Artillery deployed for action and limbered up.

3mm Battle of Quatre Bras - French Light and Heavy Cavalry

III Cavalry Corps commanded by Gen de Corps d'Armee François Étienne de Kellermann, Comte de Valmy. 

11th Cavalry Division - Gen de Division Baron L'Heritier.

11th Cavalry Division

II Corps - 2nd Cavalry Division commanded by Gen de Division Hippolyte Piré

2nd Cavalry Division

3mm Battle of Quatre Bras - French Infantry

Here are some typical French infantry formations that make up the bulk of the L'Armée du Nord. Light infantry units are on the front corners.

French Infantry

3mm Battle of Quatre Bras - British Royal Horse Artillery

When I decided to paint the British Artillery I went with the Royal Horse Artillery first since they are a little more distinctive than all the foot artillery I've painted. 

 

British Royal Horse Artillery

 

3mm Battle of Quatre Bras - British Guards Division

Major-General George Cooke's British I Corps, First Division consisting of both Guards Brigades.  Two battalions of the First Foot Guards, the second battalion of the Third Foot Guards, and a battalion of Coldstream Guards. Also have some British line battalions in the back.  To the far back right is an attempt at 3mm Highlanders using the Pico Armor Grenadiers with bearskins pack.

I decided to go against the documentation and paint the Guards pants white instead of Grey so they would stand out better in the field.  Found some pretty good sources that say they weren't equipped with white trousers until after the battle, contradicting what I had previously believed. 

British Guards Division

3mm Battle of Quatre Bras - Brunswick Corps

The Brunswick Corps in it's entirety.  Three line and three light battalions.  The Advance Guard and Leib battalions with supporting cavalry and artillery.  

The group of horsemen is Frederick William, Duke of Brunswick and staff.

3mm Battle of Quatre Bras - 1st Hanoverian Brigade

The 1st Hanoverian Brigade was one of the first units I painted.  It consists of the Field or Light Battalions of Bremen, Osnabrück, Grubenhagen, Lüneburg, Verden (not in that order)

A shot of a part of the Allied Line

3mm Battle of Quatre Bras - 2nd Netherlands Division

After many failed attempts I've finally gotten all the 3mm troops painted and ready to play the Battle of Quatre Bras on the actual anniversary of the battle.  I'll be posting previews of the major formations leading up to the big weekend.  All figs are Pico Armor 3mm.  Terrain is homemade and will look more like Quatre Bras as the the battle approaches. 

Nassauers in the front left. Dutch militia and Belgians behind them.  Orange-Nassau and Jaegers on the right.  The group of horsemen is the Prince of Orange and staff.