Two Marshals: Napoleonic Liberdy: The raid on Rider au bord de la mer

Owain put on an excellent 28mm Napoleonic skirmish game set in south-western France in 1814. We used Liberdy , our home-grown skirmish rules.

Capt Pickleton and his troops engage the troops of Capt Escargot and Lt Picard

British forces

Captain Pickleton, a Sergeant and 4 Line Privates
Ensign Fotheringay and 5 Line Privates
Sgt Smollett and 5 Line Privates
Sgt Obediah and 4 Riflemen

Objectives
1. Capture the docks intact
2. Capture the town magistrate and the port official
3. Stop any French troops escaping via the docks

Just another day in the sleep port of Rider au bord de la mer

French forces

Capitaine Escargot and 5 Légère
Sgt Chef Grenouille and 5 Légère
Lieutenant Picard and 5 Ligne
Lieutenant Roquefort and 5 dismounted Dragoons

2 Supply wagons

Objectives
1.Get the supplies to the docks
2. Hold up the British as long as possible
3.Take as many boats as possible to hinder the British

French troops under Lt Picard await the arrival of the supply wagons

and the same from a different angle

Capt Escargot sprints his troops into the town

Capt Pickleton and Ens Fotheringay rush to the docks

Capt Pickleton engages Lt Picard in a scrimmage

Capt Escargot takes up a position to aid Lt Picard

The supply wagons arrive escorted by Lt Roquefort's Dragoons

and the same from a different angle

British riflemen take up positions in the churchyard whilst Sgt Smollett's troops engage Sgt Chef Grenouille's Legere in the middle distance.

Ens Fotheringay sees his men fall in a withering hail of bullets from Capt. Escargot's troops

Sgt Obediah's Riflemen advance to help Ens Fotheringay

Sgt Smollett's depleted troops follow up the Riflemen but Lt Roquefort's Dragoons can be seen across the town square

Capt. Pickleton's troops start to lose the firefight

The good townsfolk of Rider are not overly concerned by the action developing

With the help of the Riflemen, Capt Pickleton charges the boat whilst the Dragoons try to intervene

Sgt Smollett and Sgt Obediah push their troops towards the boat

As his men are shot down Capt Pickleton attempts to avenge Ens Fotheringay's death

Capt Escargot backed up by Sgt Grenouille engage the surviving Riflemen

Capt Pickleton forces his way onto the boat closely followed by Sgt Smollett

"The blood fell from the decks, like a river it did run"

Lt Picard deals a mortal wound to Capt Pickleton who falls next to Ens Fotheringay

Sgt Grenouille arrives to seal the fate of the British forces

A cracking game that was in the balance to the last. As with every game of Liberdy there is barely a man standing and bodies litter the streets. Objectives be damned, kill the opposition then sort it out.

And for those thinking of paying Rider au bord de la mer a visit - it is quite a pleasant place