Our Mexican adventure of 1861-1867 campaign game is run on a fictional map, and with fictional forces.
More info in earlier posts.
This was a confrontation with one side having less then 5 units, and as written in the campain rules, resulting in a solo game played by the game master.
Descending from the hills of the Pico Perico 3 units of irregular Mexican forces stumbled on 5 French Zuave units looking for them with the aim to destroy the insurgents.
Each French unit is veteran with each company having an officer. But lacking an high ranged officer present, the command dice our not centralized.
The Mexican force cosisted of 2 irregular skirmish units and one unit of poorly armed peasants, and only one lower ranged officer.
The French officers were all attached to their unit, resulted in no need for throwing for orders on the French side.
The singel command die for the Mexicans was a problem.
In the 6 turns played, only 2 orders (I or Flag) were thrown.
The skirmish units were deployed on the hill facing the 2 units closest and in front of them. The peasant units was facing the 3 units threathening the left flank. 2 Of these 3 units, 2 had skirmish capacity. But it took 3 turns before these flanking units came somewhat close to the rebels.
With one unit closing in to their front, a second Zouave unit tried to turned their right flank.
One order from the Mexicans made them pull back about 20cm.
Once within charging distance, the Zuaves went for it, but the skimishes did evade.
One of the zouave skirmish units closed in on the peasants. The Mexcan officer did throw a second order and urged the peasants to charge. With surprising success. The Zouaves were thrown back with two losses without inflicting one.
The folowing turns, no command was thrown for the Mexicans, while the zouave skirmish units started to target the peasant unit, and having no cover took losses, but less than one might fear.
However, the losses kept comming and at a certain point, their unit was halved and the peasant unit had to fall back.
On the Mexican right, the pulled back skirmish maxicans had inflicted one loss firing on the flanking zouaves. A new charge by this zouave unit resulted in a fight, the Mexicans not evading this time. A bloody result, with 4 Mexican losses and a retreat.
The other unit, not having received an yother were now threatend in the flank.
The volley of the zouaves was also deadly with 3 losses.
As with he 6th turn, was played, according to the campaign rule, the Mexicans were allowed to retrat and end the battle. The Mexican force had survived the French attack, mainly thanks to the peasants attack, slowing down the veteran zouave skirmish units. The Mexicans falling back to D5 away from de pursuing French.
Thank you for posting. So far I have only tried a mini version of Camerone with my 54mm Mexican Adventure collection. You have inspired me to try one of the hundreds of potential skirmish scenarios involving the French and Juaristas. Just curious, are you painting up Belgian Legion figures?
ReplyDeleteHi Nick. It is indeed a conflict with many skirmish battles, with some exotic uniforms sometimes but also many troops dressed in uniforms surplus from the American Civil War. If you check the internet for images, you'll see ACW figures can be used for both sides Mexican forces, with some paiting conversions inwhite uniforms or red/white/green. For our group member Peter, I have converted some British Napoleonics into early Juaristas uniforms, Also converted Weston Mexican cavalry into imperial anti-guerrilla lancers for him and dragoons and cuirassiers(not sure they were still arroud in that period, but it makes it still even more exotic) . We are using Iron Brigade figures as Austrian Jägers. For Belgians : group member Patrick has painted some French legionair figures as Belgians (see post of battle in L6) but hasn't finished in detail the uniforms yet. I have added also in the first post about our campaign a picture of a painting of Belgian troops on the march in Mexico. In our campaign game, we have 6 players : 2 with a Mexican irregular force (using the Weston figures and also Reisler, Cresent), one Federales commander, 2 French commanders and one Belgian with also Austrians and Mexicans in has command.
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