Napoleonics using Sharp Practice

A party of French couriers have been attacked by Spanish guerrillas. Word has got back to French and British that these couriers were carrying pledges from Spanish nobles, signed under duress, to Napoleon as the rightful ruler of Spain. The guerrillas took everything shiny, but being illiterate, left the papers behind.

Big men from either side must search each body, retrieve the papers and get them safely off their table edge. A d6 will then be rolled for each of the four documents (one one each of the four dead couriers) to calculate it's importance. The side with the highest value documents will win.

Both sides have 5 groups led by 1 big man of level 4, 1 level 3, 1 level 2 and two level 1.

The village of San Miguel (seen from the French starting positions) where the dead couriers lie in the baking heat.

Both sides start on Blinds. Through some good spotting rolls, the British and Portuguese force the French to give away their positions. The first volley is from the Cacadores.

French Fusiliers hurry forward on the French right. The French Blinds card came up with irritating (for me the unbiased British player) frequency usually just before the Tiffin card! The French were almost on top of the couriers before the British got going.

The notorious Capt LeVert (he comes from a long vaguely illustrious line of LeVerts who die regularly in our games) leads his men into the Church of the Magnificent Miracle of the Holy Sheep.

On the British Right, the Rifles and Light Infantry head towards the stream.

More French fusiliers in the centre under command of Lt Le Chapeau.

The Portuguese lose the first of two Big Men in the battle. Fortunately replacements are found.

Miraculous sheep get in the way of the British after being startled by the gun fire.

Fierce exchanges of fire as a fusilier Big Man retrieves two of the documents.

Le Chapeau bravely (?) leaves his men behind and makes off with one document. His group are promptly charged and broken by the rampant Rifles who have broken through and are in hot pursuit.

Another Le Vert bites the dust as he is killed outright after his visit to the church. the French begin to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

The Rifles (probably led by Sharp as they are doing well) catch the purple pom poms and dispatch their Big Man.

Through great fortune, the Rifles hold there position deep in French territory, but tragedy strikes as the Rifles Big Man grasps the documents but is gunned down (probably not Sharp now!).

The game came to a conclusion as the remaining French units were forced back. The British ended up victors as they had more valuable documents. Close run game as usual though which could and did swing easily either way thanks to the randomness of the card driven turn sequence.