One of my favorite wargame armies to field is the British army of the Napoleonic Wars. Of the seven major nations involved in this long and bloody conflict, the British army was the smallest, choosing to form coalition armies with allied troops. British Infantry in a two-deep line From Vimeiro in 1808 to Waterloo, seven years later, the British were engaged in no less than eight major engagements against Napoleon's forces. Britain was also the only major power which did not adopt the corps system, choosing instead to remain a divisional army until the very end of the period. Now let's talk about wargaming the British army of this period. First, remember three very important factors. You have some of the best infantry in the world. Your infantry deployed in line will even make the Old Guard a bit nervous. Your artillery, although in short supply, is among the best on the continent. And although you have some of the finest cavalry in the field, don't expect to see them again once you unleash them on the enemy's waverinq infantry briqades. British Heavy Cavalry You must protect your infantry from enemy cavalry and cannon fire! The best way to do this is to deploy in terrain that is difficult for cavalry, and whenever possible, on reverse slopes to protect against the artillery. Also bear in mind that you will almost always have less artillery and cavalry than your enemy, and thus, you must use them wisely. In my opinion, artillery is best used in direct support of the infantry. Find a nice, quiet place for your cavalry to sit and watch the battle, keep them on react (yeah, I use Napoleon's Battles by Avalon Hill), and wait for that golden opportunity to let them make the final coup de grace. Most scenarios/campaigns have the British army fielded as a coalition force with either the Spanish/Portuguese or the Dutch-Belgians. Use them wisely. I have won many a battle by using my "allies" to wear down the enemy while my British line maneuvers into position to launch an all-out assault on the weakened enemy's lines. Do NOT be afraid to counter-attack! The British army is by no means an army for beginning generals, but it is definitely an army which will test you at every turn, and who can bring glorious victory, or shattering defeat. But most importantly, as with all wargame armies of any period, have fun! (Evans is A contributor from HMGS-Great Lakes) Back to Table of Contents The Messenger May 2003 Back to The Messenger List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 2003 by HMGS/PSW. This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles covering military history and related topics are available at http://www.magweb.com