The Battle of Vseslava - Starting Black Powder

[infinite_array]

So, in an effort to start playing Black Powder in the Napoleonic era (6mm, from Baccus), I've written up a scenario that should lead up to a few more, eventually culminating in a massive battle. The scenario is set in the beginning stages of Napoleon's invasion of Russia. I'm looking for C&C - should I change the forces? Perhaps do something else entirely?

French Forces

General in Command
Jean-Louis Garbe

1st Brigade
-Brigade Commander Dimitri Laurent
-4 Battalions of Line Infantry (Medium)
-2 Artillery Piece (Foot)

Cavalry Brigade
-Brigade Commander Silvestre Blanchard
-2 Regiment of Dragoons

Russian Forces

General in Command
Pyotr Savin

1st Brigade
-Brigade Commander Vlad Egorov
-2 Battalion of Line Infantry (Medium)
-2 Battalions of Jaegars (Light Infantry)
-1 Artillery Piece (Foot Artillery)

Cavalry Brigade
-Brigade Commander Konstantin Melnikov
-2 Units of Hussars

The Mission:
Napoleon has finally begun his invasion of Russia. To do so, however, he needs roads – good roads, in order to take the fight to the Russians before the winter sets in.

As such, he has tasked General Jean-Louis Garbe with capturing the town of Vseslava, a small community with one defining feature – a well-made road leading directly to Moscow. Garbe, wishing to make haste, gathers two Brigades – one of foot, the other cavalry – as he does not believe the town is likely to be fortified.

The Russians, however, have already been made aware of the coming French force. General Pyotr Savin has been tasked with the defense of Vseslava, until additional reinforcements can be provided.

Knowing the town to be unprotected, Savin left the main body of his forces behind, taking a force of Jaegers ahead to secure the town. Remarkebly, he discovers an old cannon stored in a farmhouse, which he orders his men to make ready. Now, he must hold Vseslava until the rest of his forces arrive, and then force the French back.

Objectives
French Objective: Either force the advance forces in Vseslava out before reinforcement can arrive, or defeat the entirety of the Russian army.

Russian Objective: Hold Vseslava, and defeat the French Forces.

Special Rules:
Russian Line Infantry have the Steady special rule, as described in the rulebook.

The French Line Infantry have the Steady special rule – after all, they march on an inferior foe, with Napoleon at their head. What chance could the Russian have to defeat them?

The Table:
A single road bisects the 6’x4’ table lengthwise. Vseslava is located approximately 2.5’ from the western table edge. Further west is a couple of small forests. To the east, just behind Sveslava, are a series of hills, with a lake beyond those.

General Pyotr Savin and his Jaegars are located within Vseslava, with the Artillery Piece placed on one of the hilltops. The rest of the Russian forces will enter as Command allows from the eastern table edge.

The French forces will enter from the western table edge, as Command allows it.

[ChrisGinn]

There were only 4 French Dragoon regts. involved in the 1812 campaign: 7th/23rd/28th/30th, all grouped in the 6th Heavy Cavalry Division, part of III Reserve Cav. Corps, at the start of the Campaign. As such it is probably unlikely that they would be in the first wave or available to a mere General de Brigade. The Corps light cavalry would be more likely candidates, either French or allied Poles/Germans or Italians, depending on which corps your infantry is drawn from.

The other problem you will have is that light cavalry such as hussars are pretty much 'dogmeat' to heavy cavalry under the rules.

The Russian Hussars are supposedly armed with lances in 1812 which would balance things out somewhat, but I have found precious little reference to their use, apart from the bald statement that they were issued.

Although graded as light cavalry, Russian hussars were crack cavalry, look at their battle records, and by the end of the Napoleonic wars all units except one had 'Distinction' awards. (I think the one that missed out was watching the Turks). The other point is that they were all volunteers, not conscripts, and provided their own horses etc. They should eat the average French light cavalry for breakfast, and give French dragoons a good run for their money. German and Polish light cavalry, plus the elite French light cavalry regts would stand comparison.

For a more balanced cavalry action, I would use French Light cavalry and Polish lancers, such as you will find in the Corps Cavalry attached to I Corps.
Two units of Russian Hussars should probably be from the same regiment, alternatively use 1 Hussar unit and one Ulan unit. Also, there should probably be some Cossacks skulking somewhere. Ukranian Cossacks are virtually regular cavalry.

However at the end of the day, it is only a game and if your happy with the makeup of the respective forces, carry on.