Game Night Light 24

Monday was a solitary game night. I pondered working on miniatures. But instead I hauled out an old game, Waterloo!

I've had this game since high school. Lost it somehow. And bought another long ago.

Identifying the small print of unit commanders for the French and Prussian-Anglo-Allied armies plus the PAA reinforcements was a challenge to my aging eyes. I passed. But Lord. 

I mostly remembered the strategies. I made a basic strategy error on the PAA side by giving up ground too early. 

As the French my left flank attack did no more than force the PAA to divert troops there. 

In the center the French reached Quatre Bras fairly quickly and the French had a pretty good kill ratio. By then the British were trading space for time a bit better. The French did not achieve a breakthrough before the British reached their final main line of resistance south of Mont. St. Jean. The British had to do or die, risking death if forced to retreat through forests.

The French right flank attack had promise and forced the PAA to divert forces there. Napoleon was close to exiting troops off the north to induce defections. But no cigar. Then the Prussians arrived.

This was the end game after the PAA turn and a successful counter-attack. As the British I judged a risk exposing a couple divisions to a flanking attack was worth it given how much the French would have to thin their lines to take advantage. I decided France had no shot at winning:

At this point, the British had been able to slug it out at the main line of resistance at the left end--away from the final Prussian corps--for several turns without breaking. And the late-arriving Prussian corps was finally moving into the main battle area after ending the French right flank threat.

So I built a fire and sang a couple songs. Which was nice.

It was certainly fun to play this old game. Oh, and after it was too late I noticed that I had helpfully written starting placements on the backs of the counters as well as the order of reinforcements.

Well, I'll have another weekly game night this coming week.