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Background

It's definitely the Alma! The reason why it's the 2nd Alma is because of the ladder campaign. Let's just say the British were beaten back once but have made a plucky return!

Setup

The terrain is pretty much historical. The river bisects the board with a bridge in the centre and the Russians have ready access to the heights on their side. The built up areas are probably larger than they should be and the fords are much closer together as well, but we both felt this layout was fairer.

The British deployed heavily to the right. Having lost the first battle of the Alma by not having enough numbers anywhere along my line I chose to sacrifice one flank in favour of some superiority on the other. This would have worked as well if not for...

The Russians deployed similarly. While infantry was evenly spaced across the battlefield, all the Russian cavalry and most of their artillery deployed on their left flank. Personally I suspect espionage, but it is hidden deployment.

The Battle

My plan was simple. Hold the centre, while refusing the battalion on my left flank and attack in force across the ford on my right. This would have been a good plan if, at the critical moment of crossing the ford, all my Brigade Commander on my right flank hadn't fluffed their initiative rolls! A traffic jam quickly ensued and the Russians had time to deploy their artillery on the nearby hill and move up their cavalry and infantry. Meanwhile in the centre the Russian 1st Brigade was gamely making for the bridge, while the British 1st Brigade deployed into line and started to make short work of them (and their officers, we killed 3 for this brigade alone).

The battle on the right flank was rapidly turning into a debacle. The British managed to get the whole 2nd Brigade across eventually but started taking VERY heavy casualties from standing in front of the Russian guns. Both the British cavalry attacks were poorly co-ordinated and both Brigades were swiftly seen off with a whiff of canister. The 4th Brigade deployed into line on their own side of the river to provide covering volleys for the 2nd and I suspect the damage they were doing was the only thing stopping the Russian 2nd Brigade from decimating the British taking a pounding on the Russian side of the ford. Thankfully, the Russian cavalry were as disjointed as the British and never really made an impact.

Back in the centre the 1st Regiment of the Russian 1st Brigade had been mauled by accurate musketry and in the dying moments of the battle the 3rd Battalion of the British 1st Brigade tried to force a bridgehead. Although winning the melee, the battalion was isolated and couldn't advance in the face of overwhelmingly superior numbers.

Debriefing

"A damned close run thing". It finished 46-43 in favour of the British, with nobody holding any objectives (two disputed, one untaken). There was, for my money nothing wrong with the plan. Its execution, with a whole turn of poor officer initiative, was atrocious. The Russian deployment was either suspicious or inspired, I still can't decide which. Overall a well fought game, with the British managing to kill a record 8 Russian Brigadiers (including the C-in-C) which helped blunt the Russian advance. Next game's the Tchernaya, which the British can't lose so hopefully we'll never come back to the Alma again.

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