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Command & Colors: Napoleonics 1 SCENARIOS Game Design by Richard Borg 2nd Edition GMT Games, LLC P.O. Box 1308, Hanford,© CA2010 93232-1308 GMT Games, LLC • www.GMTGames.com 2 Command & Colors: Napoleonics Rolica (French First Position) - 17 August 1808 Historical Background Battle Notes After landing unopposed at Mondego Bay, Sir Arthur Welles- British Army ley led a Portuguese/British army of some 15,000 men south • Commander: Wellesley towards Lisbon. Opposing him was General Henri Delaborde, • 6 Command Cards with a force consisting only of some 5000 infantry, 500 cavalry • Move First and 5 field pieces. Delaborde resolved to fight a delaying action against Wellesley’s advance while awaiting reinforcements from French Army Generals Junot and Loison. • Commander: Delaborde • 5 Command Cards Delaborde chose his first defensive position in the hills just northwest of the village of Rolica. Wellesley advanced in three Victory columns against the French, ordering the Portuguese troops under 5 Victory Banners Colonel Trant on the right and Fergusson’s column on the left to turn the enemy’s flanks, while the artillery and infantry in his Special Rules center were to engage the enemy in the front and hold them in • The two hill hexes on the French baseline are Victory position. Banner objective hexes for the British player. If a British The British attack was underway by seven o’clock in the morning unit occupies an objective hex at the start of the British on the 17th. Although the French were hotly engaged all morning, player’s turn, the British player gains a Victory Banner. As Delaborde’s outnumbered force still held onto the hill position. long as the unit remains on the objective hex it will count However, by early afternoon, the wary Delaborde could see that as a British Victory Banner (the French position has been his position was being outflanked and quickly moved his forces outflanked). If it moves off or is eliminated, it no longer back to a second defensive position to the south. counts. • The entire river is fordable. The stage is set. The battle lines are drawn and you are in com- mand. Can you change history? © 2010 GMT Games, LLC Command & Colors: Napoleonics 3 Rolica (French Second Position) - 17 August 1808 Historical Background Battle Notes Delaborde expertly withdrew his force near Rolica to a second British Army defensive position before the British flanking columns could • Commander: Wellesley encircle him. The new position was extremely strong and could • 6 Command Cards only be reached frontally by four rugged gullies. • Move First Wellesley quickly repositioned his forces to repeat his double French Army envelopment for his afternoon attack, but his plan was preempted • Commander: De Laborde when the Lieutenant-Colonel Lake of the 29th Worcestershire • 5 Command Cards Regiment prematurely forced his way up one of the central gullies. Wellesley chose to support Lake’s effort and the entire Victory British army surged forward. The French battalions advanced 5 Victory Banners to meet the British before they could emerge from the gullies, but were repulsed. De Laborde once again drew off his troops Special Rules in good order. None Ultimately Rolica was an indecisive action. Although Delaborde did slow the British advance, Wellesley forced him to retreat before he was reinforced. The stage is set. The battle lines are drawn and you are in com- mand. Can you change history? © 2010 GMT Games, LLC 4 Command & Colors: Napoleonics Vimiero - 21 August 1808 Historical Background Battle Notes Four days after Wellesley’s initial clash at Rolica, General Jean- British Army Andoche Junot, with an army of 14,000, attacked the Anglo- • Commander: Wellesley Portuguese army of 17,000 troops. Junot wanted to defeat the • 6 Command Cards invaders before reinforcements could arrive by sea. French Army The battle of Vimiero began with three brigades of French ad- • Commander: Junot vancing to take Vimiero hill and the town, while a fourth brigade • 5 Command Cards had swung right to turn the British left flank. Unfortunately for • Move First Junot, his frontal attacks were uncoordinated, and failed to pin the British troops in the center. Wellesley was able to redeploy Victory his army to face the threat on his left. 6 Victory Banners The French column attacks in the center were finally forced back by sustained British volleys and soon afterwards the flank attack Special Rules was also beaten back. Covered by his cavalry, Junot retreated • The two town hexes of Vimiero are Victory Banner towards Torres Vedras and the British did not pursue. objective hexes for the French player. If French units occupy both objective hexes at the start of the French player’s turn, Following the battle, the British senior commanders Generals the French player gains two Victory Banners. So long as Dalrymple and Burrard worked out a deal allowing Junot’s the both hexes are French occupied the French player will army to leave for France on British ships, taking all their guns retain the two Victory Banners. If one or both hexes are not and equipment. This deal, not surprisingly, caused a massive occupied, the two Victory Banners are immediately lost. outcry in Britain. • The Maceiro River is fordable. The stage is set. The battle lines are drawn and you are in com- mand. Can you change history? © 2010 GMT Games, LLC Command & Colors: Napoleonics 5 Corunna - 16 January 1809 Historical Background Battle Notes Though Sir John Moore had orders to assist the Spanish army in British Army 1808, he soon realized that the Spanish were beaten and ordered • Commander: Sir John Moore a retreat to evacuate his forces. He managed to keep ahead of the • 5 Command Cards pursuing French, but was forced to turn and give battle at the port of Corunna when his transport vessels were late in arriving. French Army As day broke on 16 January, Moore had formed a series of defen- • Commander: Soult sive lines with the key position being the small village of Elvina. • 5 Command Cards The French were in position on the opposite heights. Napoleon • Move First had returned to France when it was clear that he would not trap Victory Moore and Soult was now in command. His plan was to move 6 Victory Banners against the British infantry on the left and center with most of his army, while the infantry division of Mermet attacked Elvina. Special Rules Mermet’s infantry fought tenaciously for Elvina. The village • All streams are fordable. changed hands several times in fierce fighting before the French infantry were thrown back. Moore remained in the area to di- rect the battle and was struck by a cannonball, falling mortally wounded. Further to the west, the French cavalry were hampered by the rough terrain and were eventually driven back. Night brought an end to the fighting and the British finished successfully evacuat- ing their troops. The stage is set. The battle lines are drawn and you are in com- mand. Can you change history? © 2010 GMT Games, LLC 6 Command & Colors: Napoleonics Talavera (French attack on British) - 28 July 1809 Historical Background Battle Notes Sir Arthur Wellesley crossed into Spain and on July 20th joined with General Cuesta’s beaten Spanish Army to oppose two French armies British Army under Soult and Victor. Hearing of the allied advance, Soult proposed that • Commander: Wellesley Victor attack to hold the British and Spanish armies while he marched • 6 Command Cards south and placed his army between Wellesley and his base in Portugal. French Army On the evening of 27th July, the British and Spanish were deployed around Talavera with the Spanish holding the strongest defensive terrain. • Commander: King Joseph Bonaparte, Marshal Jourdan, A line of high ground, the Cerro de Medellin, formed the main position Marshal Victor and General Sebastiani for the British troops. • 5 Command Cards Victor’s approaching army had been reinforced by a corps under Sebas- • Move First tiani and a large body of cavalry under King Jerome Bonaparte. Victor decided to assault the Cerro de Medellin without delay and ordered Victory Ruffin’s Division to make a night attack. The French broke through the 7 Victory Banners surprised British troops and one gallant regiment actually reached the crest before being driven off by reserves. Next morning, Ruffin’s division Special Rules attacked again. As the infantry reached the crest of the hill, volleys from • The Portina Brook will stop movement, but does not cause the waiting British caused fearful execution in Ruffin’s columns. The any battle restrictions. British then charged and drove the French back across Portina brook. There was a pause as the French leadership decided its next move. Jo- seph ordered Sebastiani to attack along with Ruffin’s depleted division. Meanwhile, Victor’s remaining infantry attempted to outflank the British line. Sebastiani and Ruffin were driven back while Wellesley countered the flanking move with cavalry. The French infantry formed square and drove the cavalry off with heavy loss. Joseph did not commit his last reserves. During the night he ordered the French army to retreat. The stage is set. The battle lines are drawn and you are in command. Change you change history? © 2010 GMT Games, LLC Command & Colors: Napoleonics 7 River Coa - 24 July 1810 Historical Background Battle Notes After eliminating the garrison at Ciudad Rodrigo, Marshal André British Army French Army Masséna ordered Marshal Ney’s 6th Corps to advance on the • Commander: Crauford • Commander: Marshal Ney fortress of Almeida. Rather than retreat and cross the river as • 4 Command Cards • 4 Command Cards ordered by Wellington, Crauford courted disaster and chose to • Move First hold his bridgehead.

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