The Best TW Battle I've Fought

**Zenith Darksea** · October 23, 2006, 05:42 AM

I've just succeeded in crushing the Russians at Borodino (and not without some difficulty!). As the title suggests, that was indeed the best TW battle experience I can remember. I was tensed up with excitement and exhilaration the whole time. Well done!

This is how I fought it:

1. I moved my Grenadiers around (not across) the river in front of Borodino village, distracting the Russian Jaegars (who couldn't hit me anyway) while my Chasseurs got in position. Borodino fell in a pincer movement, and I only lost 4 Chasseurs.
2. At the fletches, I sent my Fusiliers up to support the other French line infantry as they moved to attack the Musketeers on top. Meanwhile my 6 pounders bombarded them. I sent my Voltigeurs around the left hand side to snipe at the Cuirassiers. The Cuirassiers foolishly charged my Grenadiers - they didn't last long though!
3. With the fletches taken, I deployed my 6 pounders inside (behind the cover), whence I bombarded the Russian infantry beneath me (who couldn't even hit my gunners!). I sent my Fusiliers and Grenadiers around to the right, along with my Voltigeurs, to skirmish on the right hand side of Semenovskoi.
4. Russian cavalry reserves came to attack me across the bridge at Borodino, but my Grenadiers held their ground and shot the Ruskies to pieces, not losing a single one of their own men.
5. My main Fusiliers and cavalry I sent up the middle towards the Great Redoubt. I sent my cavalry to the right to deal with some Jaegars while my infantry supported the main assault, taking the Redoubt with a fierce struggle at the top, having to fight off supporting units of Cuirassiers. Meanwhile I moved my 12 pounders a little closer to the action.
6. The fighting at Semenovskoi was fierce, but soon the combination of infantry fire and close range artillery bombardment saw off the Pavlovsk Grenadiers and their cavalry reserves. Now the Russians were desperate; they threw their Life Guards and Chevalier and Cossack Guards into action at the Redoubt. Thanks to allied French cavalry charges we were still just about holding it, but it was now very touch and go. My own Carabiniers and Polish Lancers were doing a good job though.
7. More Russians were coming up to recapture Semenovskoi. Fortunately though, the French Old and Young Guards came up in my support, and together we saw them off.
8. I suddenly noticed that extra reserves of Musketeers were moving up to the Redoubt as well. I brought up my Grenadiers and Chasseurs from Borodino in the Russian rear. As my artillery pounded away at the Russian Life Guards, my French allies sent in a wave of cavalry charges from the front whilst my own Grenadiers and Chasseurs shot away from the rear, finishing up with a brave bayonet charge. The Russian Life Guards were broken! Now the whole Russian army was in flight.

And so Marechal Marmont won a great victory for France against almost overwhelming odds. That was fantastic!

**Ludens** · October 23, 2006, 09:50 AM

Yes, the battle of Borodino is great. I can't say my battles were as spectacular as yours, but the great melee that develops when you storm redoubt is still a fantastic sight.

One thing I have been wondering about is whether there is any benefit to trying to save the Allied troops that help you take the village of Borodino. They are always annihilated by the Russian cavalry. I guess I could move my troops to support them, but would that be usefull? They never seem to do anything after the village is captured, and it's far less risky to see of the Russian cavalry at the bridge.