Grognard Simulations, Inc.

Presents

Rules for

Incredible Courage 100 Days

Waterloo
Copyright © 2015

The Emperor Napoleon vs Wellington and Blucher

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Incredible Courage – Waterloo Supplemental Rules

Incredible Courage 100 Days Waterloo –

Supplemental Rules
Game design by Chris Fasulo Sr
Copyright © 2015

1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 3
1.1 Questions and Comments ....................................................................................................... 3
1.2 Map Construction ................................................................................................................... 3
2 Counters ...................................................................................................................................... 3
3 Command Control ....................................................................................................................... 4
3.1 Losses from Previous Battles .................................................................................................. 4
3.2 Attachments and Detachments to the Task Organization ...................................................... 4
3.3 Old and Middle Guard............................................................................................................. 5
3.4 Unit Scales and Number of Men per Company ...................................................................... 5
3.5 Doctrinal Special Rules ............................................................................................................ 6
4 Special Terrain and Formation Effects......................................................................................... 8
4.1 Terrain ..................................................................................................................................... 8
5 Weather ....................................................................................................................................... 8
6 Options ........................................................................................................................................ 8
6.1 Soggy Ground .......................................................................................................................... 8
6.2 The French 1st Chasseur Regiment of the Imperial Guard ...................................................... 8
6.3 The French 7th Infantry Division .............................................................................................. 9
6.4 The French 21st Infantry Division ............................................................................................ 9
6.5 What Prussians? ...................................................................................................................... 9
6.6 Quatre Bras and Ligny – The French I Corps ........................................................................... 9
7 Tactical Mentoring....................................................................................................................... 9
8 Designers Notes ......................................................................................................................... 11
9 Historical Commentary .............................................................................................................. 11

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1 Introduction
This battle pits the forces of The Emperor Napoleon and Marshall Ney’s forces of the Armee du
Nord against the Anglo-Allied forces under the Duke of Wellington and Prussian forces under
Blucher. The situation is that Napoleon has pursued the Anglo-Allies back from Quatre Bras and
is planning a direct attack up the road to Brussels. Napoleon does not realize that Grouchy fails
in his mission to pursue and pin the Prussians at Wavre. Where these rules conflict with the
standard rules book, these rules take precedence. Optional rules are in red and are meant to
deliver more realism without adding too much overhead to the game.

1.1 Questions and Comments

Contact: Support@grognardsims.com or Grognard Simulations, Inc. Attn: Incredible Courage
100 Days – Waterloo, 3752 Becontree Pl, Oviedo, FL 32765.

1.2 Map Construction

2 Counters
The game pieces show the units that fought the battle, and information markers.
Units are color coded for nationality.
 Light Red background are Anglo-Allied (British, Nassau, Hanoverian, Dutch-Belgian, Kings
German Legion, and Brunswick)
o British
o KGL
o Nassau
o Hanoverian
o Dutch-Belgian
o Brunswick

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 Light Blue background are Imperial French

 Dark Blue background are Prussian
There are several types of marker, and their use is shown in the relevant rules section.

3 Command Control
There are some specific doctrinal differences between the sides that cause some changes to the
basic rules. These rules are in effect for all of the four 100 Days Battles. This section also
highlights command changes based on task organizing specific to this battle only.

3.1 Losses from Previous Battles

All losses shown on the units at game start are NOT available for the straggler checks. Only units
eliminated as part of this battle are counted and available for return during straggler checks.

3.2 Attachments and Detachments to the Task Organization

There were a number of command alterations specific for this battle. These changes are only
applicable to the Battle of Waterloo.
 Anglo-Allied 6th ID units, which include Best’s 4HX and Lambert’s 10X, are attached to,
and take command direct from, Wellington
o 4HX and 10X trace command to the Duke of Wellington
o When Wellington’s Force is activated these brigades are activated
 Anglo-Allied 4X units are attached to and take command direct from Lord Hill, the II
Corps commander
 The Dutch-Belgian Cavalry Division (DBCav) is attached to and takes command direct
from Uxbridge. The Normal Division Commander, Collaert, is not deployed on the map
with his units.
o DBCav traces command to Uxbridge
o When Uxbridge’s Force is activated this division is activated
o As an option the Anglo-Allied player may directly attach the DBCav to The Duke
of Wellington or Lord Uxbridge. It must be stated before the battle starts which
leader commands this cavalry division.
o As another option the Anglo-Allied player may leave this division independent
and therefore is activated when the Division Commander is activated, and
therefore in this case, the division commander is deployed on the map with his
units.
 Marshall Ney has command authority over all French forces except the infantry divisions
of the Imperial Guard which means every unit except the Imperial Guard infantry
 Only Napoleon may issue orders directly to the Imperial Guard Corps Commander or to
any Imperial Guard infantry division
 The French 21st ID of the VI Corps has been detached for duty with Grouchy at Wavre

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 The French 7th ID of the II Corps has been detached for duty and left behind at Ligny
 The French 3rd Cavalry Division (3CD) is assigned to the VI Corps for the Battle of
Waterloo
o This division traces command to the VI Corps commander Lobau
o This division moves when the 3rd Cavalry Division force is activated
 The French 5th Cavalry Division (5CD) is assigned to the VI Corps for the Battle of
Waterloo
o This division traces command to the VI Corps commander Lobau
o This division moves when the 5th Cavalry Division force is activated
 Lallemand and St Maurice each control (2) 12lb Batteries (18 hex range) of the Imperial
Guard Artillery
o These leaders and their guns are always considered in command and may trace
command to Napoleon, Ney, or Drout
o These leaders may be assigned additional batteries at the French players desire
up to a maximum of 5 batteries each
 The 1st Chasseurs of the Old Guard are detached to guard the Emperor’s baggage and
gold. They are not present for the Battle of Waterloo.

3.3 Old and Middle Guard

The two senior divisions of the French Imperial Guard were technically the Divisions of
Chasseurs and Grenadiers. The French player may reorganize the 8 Regiments such that there is
an Old Guard and a Middle Guard division. The Old Guard division consists of the 1 st and 2nd
Grenadiers a Pied and the 1st and 2nd Chasseurs a Pied. The Middle Guard division consists of
the 3rd and 4th Grenadiers a Pied and the 3rd and 4th Chasseurs a Pied. Friant commands the Old
Guard and Morand the Middle Guard division. Historically the Middle Guard got the dirty jobs
first as the Old Guard was Napoleons ultimate reserve.

3.4 Unit Scales and Number of Men per Company

Unless otherwise noted here there are 150 infantry in a company and between 100-150 cavalry
in a squadron.
 British Regular Infantry: 75 infantry
 British Guard Infantry: 100 infantry
 KGL Infantry: 100 infantry
 Brunswick Infantry: 175 infantry
 French Guard Cavalry: 200 cavalry
 French Guard Infantry: 200 infantry

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3.4.1 Stacking Limit Adjustments

Up to 900 infantry may stack in a hex. Up to 600 cavalry may stack in a hex. Only like flagged
units may stack together, although unlike flagged units may retreat or move through each other.
British and KGL are different flags, although they may stack together.
12 British Regular Infantry Companies
9 British Guard Infantry Companies
9 KGL Infantry Companies
6 for all other Anglo-Allied Infantry Companies
5 for all Allied Cavalry Squadrons
4 French Guard Infantry Companies
6 French Regular Infantry Companies
3 French Guard Cavalry Squadrons
5 French Regular Cavalry Squadrons

3.5 Doctrinal Special Rules

The French had their doctrine and the Anglo-Allies had their own varied set of doctrine.
Doctrine impacts some important aspects of the way in which units can fight. These rules are in
effect for all of the four 100 Days Battles.

3.5.1 British Doctrinal and Special Rules

 When British Regular Infantry, which always used 2 rank lines, is in Line formation up to
3 companies may fire
 When British Regular Infantry is in General Order or Square formation up to 3
companies may fire per hexside instead of the normal 2 companies
 British Guard Battalions are made as 2 separate units of half battalions
 British Infantry Battalions have a HQ
 British Regular Infantry start with 6 LoO, British Cavalry start with 5 LoO
 British Regular Infantry units regain LoO even when adjacent to an enemy unit
 British Regular Infantry may stack 4 companies when moving in column on a road
 British Guard Infantry may stack 3 companies when moving in column on a road
 British Cavalry has a chance of Over Charging
o On a separate, made at the end of the charge melee (if the cavalry unit has not
already suffered Disorder) and the advance after melee (if there is one), d6 die
roll of 4-6 for light cavalry and 3-6 for heavy cavalry, the cavalry Over Charge
with a resulting penalty of 1 additional LoO loss and, if there are open front
facing hexes beyond the defenders hex, they must enter them until they have
used up all their movement points, if not already disordered (units moving
forward as a result of Over Charging are subject to defensive fire in every hex
they enter that defensive fire would be eligible for in normal circumstances)

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 British Rifle armed units have a 2 hex range, they fire at half strength when firing at
targets that are 2 hexes away

3.5.2 KGL Doctrinal and Special Rules

 When KGL Infantry, which always used 2 rank lines, is in Line formation up to 2
companies may fire
 KGL Infantry may stack 3 companies when moving in column on a road
 KGL Infantry Battalions have a HQ

3.5.3 Hanover Doctrinal and Special Rules

 When Hanover Infantry, which at this time used 2 rank lines, is in Line formation only 1
company may fire
 If there is no cavalry unit within 5 hexes of a Hanoverian Militia Infantry Brigade HQ,
that is in Clear or Field terrain, they will Disorder when a company reaches LoO 2 or a
battalion reaches LoO 3 (this means that a friendly cavalry unit must be within 5 hexes
of each Hanoverian Militia Infantry Brigade HQ)(this is not meant to say that every unit
in the Hanoverian Militia Infantry Brigade must be within 5 hexes of a cavalry unit, just
the HQ of the Brigade)

3.5.4 Dutch-Belgian Doctrinal and Special Rules

 When Dutch-Belgian Infantry, which at this time used 2 rank lines, is in Line formation
only 1 company may fire
 Dutch-Belgian Cavalry has a chance that it will not charge. When they declare the
charge they must roll a d6 and need a 5 or 6 to succeed and make the charge.
 If there is no cavalry unit within 5 hexes of Dutch-Belgian infantry, that is in Clear or
Field terrain, they will Disorder when a company reaches LoO 2 or a battalion reaches
LoO 3 (this means that a friendly cavalry unit must be within 5 hexes of each Dutch-
Belgian Infantry Brigade HQ)(this is not meant to say that every unit in the Dutch-
Belgian Infantry Brigade must be within 5 hexes of a cavalry unit, just the HQ of the
Brigade)

3.5.5 Brunswick Doctrinal and Special Rules

 When Brunswick Infantry, which at this time used 2 rank lines, is in Line formation only
1 company may fire

3.5.6 Prussian Doctrinal and Special Rules

 Prussian units without a Line formation side may not enter Line formation

3.5.7 French Doctrinal and Special Rules

 French Guard Cavalry Regiments are made as 2 separate units of half regiments
o French Guard Cavalry half regiments add +1 DRM of support for each squadron
of the other half regiment following in a hex behind
 French Young Guard units, those with the Grenadier symbol, use the “Regular” sections
on the variable strength charts

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 French Middle and Old Guard units, those with the Eagle symbol, use the “Guard”
section on the variable strength charts
 All other French units with the Grenadier symbol, use the “Regular” section on the
variable strength charts

4 Special Terrain and Formation Effects

There are some special terrain and formation effects. These are in effect for all four 100 Days
Battles.

4.1 Terrain
 Papelotte, Frischermont, and Smohain provide command to all Anglo-Allied units within
5 hexes of any of those locations
 The Chateau of Hougomont provides command to all Anglo-Allied units within its
walled, and hedged areas
 La Haye Saint provides command to all Anglo-Allied units within its walled, and hedged
areas
 Fields block Line of Sight

5 Weather
The weather for all the Waterloo scenarios is clear.

6 Options
The following option is available to players and must be agreed to before the battle begins. The
options for the additional French infantry divisions will tilt the play balance somewhat more in
the French players favor.

6.1 Soggy Ground

The morning on the battlefield went by without fighting because the ground was too soggy from
a rain storm that happened the previous evening. Napoleon made a conscious decision to wait
until the ground became firmer. For the scenario where the battle starts earlier than 1100
hours, the following additional rules are in effect:
 Infantry spends +1 additional movement point per hex until the 10:30 game turn
 Cavalry spends +2 additional movement points per hex until the 10:30 game turn
 Artillery spends +2 additional movement points per hex until the 10:30 game turn
 All loss results that are generated by artillery fire are reduced by 1 until the 10:30 game
turn. That means a 2LoO loss becomes a 1LoO loss and a 2/X loss becomes a 2LoO loss.

6.2 The French 1st Chasseur Regiment of the Imperial Guard

This option has the 1st Chasseur Regiment of the Chasseur Division, or Old Guard, included in the
Battle. This fine, maybe the best, Regiment was watching the Emperor’s gold. I say it should be

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at the front fighting for the glory of France. Bring this Regiment on when the other Chasseur or
Old Guard units arrive or deploy.

6.3 The French 7th Infantry Division

This option has the French 7th Infantry Division strong enough to stay with the army and rejoin
the II Corps. The 7ID sets up behind the 5ID with a total of 9 company losses. The 7ID starts the
battle with Reserve orders.

6.4 The French 21st Infantry Division

This option has the French 21st Infantry Division stay with the VI Corps. The 21ID sets up directly
behind the other VI Corps Divisions. The 21ID starts the battle with Reserve orders.

6.5 What Prussians?

This option theorizes that the Prussians, for whatever reason, but most likely Grouchy has
success in preventing them from moving to help the Anglo-Allies, do not appear at all on the
battlefield. That means there are no Prussian reinforcements. Can Napoleon use the forces
that were sucked into the battle for Placenoit to his benefit and beat Wellington outright?

6.6 Quatre Bras and Ligny – The French I Corps

This option allows you to do some experimenting. With the forces included in this game you can
now see what could have happened if the French I Corps had been able to enter either of the
two battlefields of Ligny or Quatre Bras.
Option 1 (Quatre Bras): Elements of the French I Corps (1ID, 2ID, and 3ID) enter the map at 1700
at Hex 2353 on Quatre Bras Map B.
Option 2 (Ligny): Elements of the French I Corps (1ID, 2ID, and 3ID) enter the map at 1600 at Hex
1019 on Ligny Map D.
Option 3 (All I Corps to Quatre Bras): The French I Corps (1ID, 2ID, 3ID, 4ID, and 1CD) enters the
map at 1700 at Hex 2353 on Quatre Bras Map B
Option 4 (All I Corps to Ligny): The French I Corps (1ID, 2ID, 3ID, 4ID, and 1CD) enters the map at
1600 at Hex 1019 on Ligny Map D

7 Tactical Mentoring
French:
The French are faced with an incredible amount of flexibility at the start of the battle. Even
knowing that the Prussians will arrive shortly after the battle begins the French player must
decide how to handle that threat and where he should make his main assault on the Anglo-
Allied positions. Napoleon would never had sat back and let the other guys attack him and give
away the initiative and if you should try that you may be surprised at the result. Since you are
going to deploy troops to stop the Prussians, where are you going to deploy them? Are you
going to allow the Prussians to deploy where they did historically? Or are you going to push the
skirmish line further to the north and east in order to make the Prussians fight for more terrain?
There are advantages to both.
Where does that main effort belong? The Allied left looks invitingly weak, yet has many fine
defensive points in its favor with the La Haye Saint and Papelotte positions in his hands at the

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start. The Allied right on the other hand has plenty of back up and is defended in great depth.
With hindsight we see that any attack on the Allied right that goes through Hougomont is going
to be brutally stopped with little trouble. With the French deployment there is almost perfect
balance in the left and right forces. Decide early what you are going to assign to defeat the
Prussians and then see what remains and how well it can be used to beat a hole in the Allied
line.
There are 2 outstanding artillery leaders (St Maurice and Lallemand) that are available for the
French player to setup the Grand Battery if they so choose. Using them for that purpose will
make taking any Allied position a bit easier if the French player can get line of sight to enough
Allied units. This is the key to any French gains. They must establish a position, usually some
heights, where line of sight to a bulk of the Allied units is possible. With this done all is possible.
Next is where to commit the voluminous French Heavy Cavalry. Without their support the Allied
line will bend, but not break. Timing and placement are everything in this regard. They need to
be in the right place at the right time to take advantage of any weakness that appears in the
Allied line. And since cavalry cannot operate with success against squares you must bring along
the horse batteries to lower the Allied LoO to where they can’t make square or to simply shoot
them into destruction.
So your choices for which side of the Allied line to hit are limited to your right and the way the
French tried and failed, or your left and trying to somehow beat in that deep and echeloned
defense where the British Guard and the British II Corps are deployed. Both are valid choices
although striking with the French Right looks like an easier sell and possibility for success.
Should you decide to strike with your left then I will provide a little advice. Don’t try to take
Hougomont by the direct approach and right through the place. Either mask the place with
skirmishers or push around both flanks of the place in order to surround it. The surrounding
option though begs a fight with the British Guard and they are not to be trifled with.
Anglo-Allied:
The Anglo-Allies have a tough job, although they have the benefit of being on the defense and in
good terrain. Some early decision making is in order. Should you be pro-active and send
reinforcements to the area you think is going to be attacked? Or do you sit back and wait for
the French to uncover themselves and see where the main focus of the French attack will be.
Reacting to the enemy is always a risky play as the side with the initiative has the advantage. In
any case the Anglo-Allied player should be more concerned with keeping the terrain and
positions he has at the start of the battle. There are 3 anchor points in the line and all 3 are very
strong, Hougomont, La Haye Saint, and the Frischermont/Papelotte area. Holding these
positions put you on a great spot. Losing any puts you in a precarious spot. Hougomont is by far
the most important and also the strongest. It is large and is garrisoned by a good size amount of
troops. La Haye Saint is a little harder to keep. It is sitting right in front of the middle of the
French positions and extremely vulnerable to storming and artillery fire. But you must keep it as
long as possible. On the Papelotte front there is again a rather large area and this makes it
harder for the French to take. But your problem here is that it is isolated from help by any other
Anglo-Allied help. Only the Prussians are going to be able to provide assistance if it should be
needed.
Since the Anglo-Allied player has so many troops on their right they may want to consider a
shifting of forces to make deployment a bit more balanced. The British 5th Infantry Division and
the other supporting brigades are considerably weaker than the troops to the right of the

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Chausee. If the main French attack is made on the Anglo-Allied left then it will be tough to hold
back if the historical result cannot be made by a grand cavalry charge that routs most of the
French forces in this attack. Consider what brigades can be moved without threatening the
integrity of the right flank. Wellington did choose this position with the fact that the Prussians
would coming to his aid from Wellington’s left and therefore left that side thinner knowing they
would have help from the Prussians.
You are going to have to deal with the issues of doctrine in the individual national elements of
your command. They can be a pain in the neck. The two most significant that must always be
considered are the allied units that can only have a 1 company frontage when in Line formation
and the fact that the allies were a bit shaky and needed some stiffening. This will make the
allies targets more frequently. But the British infantry is extremely steadfast and can do a lot of
damage when they press an attack of any kind, but especially their fire. Having some British
infantry available to back up any line is critically important. Do this and you will not be
disappointed.
Prussian:
The Prussians are meant to attack, and then attack more, and then attack until the French are
driven from the field. Do not hold back with these troops. The French are very good at delaying
so keep them moving back by pushing hard into every formed French unit. When an
opportunity to hit a Disordered unit presents itself, jump on that chance.
Use the few light infantry units you have to cause some French units to make square, then bring
up that artillery and open fire. This is the way it’s supposed to be done. Don’t just charge the
enemy because he’s there and you can do it. There is a healthy portion of artillery and it needs
to be used to the maximum extent possible. The Prussian infantry is numerous, but fragile.
Keep pushing them forward.
As the Prussians exit the forest areas and meet the French head on use an alternating attack
method. There are plenty of Prussian regiments, therefore, have them alternate their attacks
upon the French. This will help them to recover while the French may not. This slow reduction
in LoO will force the French back.

8 Designers Notes
The map in this game had the same kind of last minute adjustment done as did Quatre Bras and
Ligny. After looking at how many hexes were needed Rick thought it best to make 3 maps
instead of 4. I agreed with him and this is the net effect of that decision. This layout provides
you with a few more hex columns along the eastern map edge where the Prussians come in. It
also removes a few hex rows along the bottom or southern edge of the map.

9 Historical Commentary
Positioning
The morning after the Battle of Quatre Bras the British were still in position at the crossroads.
The Duke made his decision to withdraw when he found out that the Prussians had been beaten
at Ligny and had withdrawn themselves toward Wavre. As the morning of 17 June progressed
the Duke gave the necessary orders and the withdrawal began. Guns and infantry followed by
the cavalry. Marshall Ney had been nursing the previous day’s losses and was gun shy about

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starting the battle again right away. But the Emperor rode up and asked why he had not
launched a renewed effort to take the crossroads. And so the French launched a fresh attack up
the Chausee towards Brussels.
Unfortunately for the French the Allies were well on their way out and the attack fell upon
empty air. To make matters worse the afternoon skies opened and a rain fell that made
movement, even along the road, quite difficult. That made a pursuit impossible and the
getaway assured. As Wellington withdrew he already had a position chosen and knew its
natural strength. That position was along and behind the ridge near the town of Mont St Jean.
The Duke made placements for his units with his usual careful planning and had many in
positions on the reverse slope of the ridge where they were mostly hidden from French view.
The Duke made a deeply layered defense on his right and a thinner layered defense on his left.
His cavalry protected his left flank, but not his right. The majority of his cavalry was placed
behind the front line troops to support them with a quick counter-attack capability.
Napoleon’s troops plodded onto the opposite ridge and the Emperor ordered the II Corps to
occupy the left, I Corps to occupy the right, the VI Corps and the Imperial Guard in the center,
and a heavy cavalry corps behind each infantry corps.
The Battle Starts
The morning of 18 June 1815 passed with nothing but some movement adjustments and units
getting into position. At 11:00 am the quiet day sprang to life with the sounds of gunfire on the
French right. The 1st Brigade of the French 6th Infantry Division launched an attack into the
garden area of the Chateau of Hougomont. Their initial assaults made good progress and the
garden area was secured. Then they literally hit the wall and were stopped cold. While these
Legere troops were storming the chateau compound the artillery batteries from the Corps and
the Imperial Guard formed a Grand Battery of 80 guns and at around 1 pm they opened a
barrage of the Anglo-Allied lines where they could see them. These guns had little effect on the
Allied troops since they were mostly behind the ridge. But the poor Dutch troops happened to
be in the line of fire and took heavy casualties. Back on the left, at Hougomont, the French
troops were finding that kicking the Allies out of the chateau was most difficult. Corps
Commander Reille was beginning to have doubts about the 6th Infantry Division’s ability to take
the compound. The 6th Division commander, General Jerome Bonaparte, decided to throw his
other Brigade into the fight. The battle for the chateau was already draining the emperor’s
precious infantry.
First Failure
At 1 pm the I Corps began its movement toward the Allied line. The main attack was beginning
and the divisions of the I Corps looked splendid on the approach to the enemy held ridge. The
1st, 2nd, and 3rd Infantry Divisions, along with at least one heavy cavalry brigade of Cuirassiers in
support, moved straight toward the Allied line in some unusual formations. D’Erlon and his
division commanders had the divisions advance in a line of battalions one behind the other. This
was not the ordinary attack column. As they neared the enemy lines they gained the road in
front of the enemy and were ready to launch their own infantry assaults. Just as they were
ready the Allies stood up and fired a volley and then the Allied heavy cavalry made the most
important charge of the day. This charge hit the French at their moment of most confusion and
they began streaming back in disorder.

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The Allied charging cavalry was completely successful in throwing back the French assault
columns. But they got over zealous and charged beyond the point where they could have made
it back to the friendly lines with any degree of safety. The British cavalry was counter-attacked
by many French light and heavy cavalry and were themselves incapacitated.
Help Arrives!
The Prussians began to enter the battle area around 1 pm. They were led by their kavalry and
made decent time in getting deployed to fight from the march. The leading elements were from
the IVth Korps which had not seen combat yet during the campaign and was therefore fresh.
They were followed by the hurt, but still capable II Korps. By 4:30 pm these Prussians (4 large
Infantry Brigades and some Kavalry Brigades) were ready to make their attacks toward the town
of Placenoit. They were faced by the very capable commander and troops from the French VIth
Corps who were deployed to meet them. Count Lobau, the French VIth Corps commander made
brilliant use of the terrain and troops he had, but the contest was uneven and his forces were
slowly, but inexorably, pushed back.
Those Incredible Charges
After the failure of the French I Corps attack Marshall Ney saw that his right needed help. The
only troops available to him to place in front of this ailing corps were the cavalry reserves. Ney
not being one to stand idly by brought as many of this cavalry as he could find to make a charge
that he thought would crack open the enemy line. Ney thought an opportunity appeared when
he saw some Allied troops moving to the rear, along with some cannon. In reality this was just
some troop and gun shifting by the Duke, not a withdrawal. So in came the most glorious part
of the French army and they attempted to break what were unbreakable squares of Allied
infantry. About 4,500 horsemen, many Cuirassiers, plodded across the low valley and then up
the ridge on the far side. They were met with some cannon fire first, then musket fire from the
squares. But none of these enemy squares was even remotely threated with breaking. With the
initial charges complete Ney saw that the desired effect had not been reached and instead of
thinking of a different solution to try he brought forth the remaining heavy cavalry and tried
again, this time with almost 9,000 horsemen. Well this time was no different from the last and
as the French cavalry swept through the Allied squares they were now counter-attacked by
Allied cavalry. There was great destruction wrought upon the French cavalry during these
charges and the net effect was to remove them as a factor in any success for the remaining time
of the battle.
Holding off Blucher
The Prussians made steady progress and by about 6 pm were beginning to press into Placenoit.
Napoleon could not have his rear threatened and he ordered the Young Guard to deploy into
the town and throw back the Prussians. With zeal they launched a massive counter-attack that
did just what the Emperor wanted. But over the next hour the Prussians again drove the French
back into the town and again Napoleon was concerned for his rear. He ordered 2 of his Old
Guard units to charge into the town and again push the Prussians back. These Grognards were
some of the best that Napoleon had and they did the job again. Throwing the Prussians out of
Placenoit and giving the emperor time to consider his next move, this was to attempt the
breakthrough with his remaining best troops.
The Capture of La Haye Saint

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After the great cavalry charges and their negative result Marshall Ney ordered the continuation
of the assault on La Haye Saint now that I Corps had reformed. The infantry of the 2 nd Infantry
Division made the renewed attack and finally pounded their way into the compound. The main
reason for this success was that the KGL troops who occupied the place finally ran out of
ammunition. With the place taken Ney sent dispatch riders to Napoleon requesting immediate
reinforcement to complete the breakthrough, but the Emperor declared he had none to spare
and any opportunity at that point ended.
The Grand Finale!
Napoleon had been putting off the final attack because he did not like the situation he was in. It
was late in the day and he only had his most precious reserves remaining. He made some quick
calculations about risk and chose to order the Middle Guard to make an assault on the British
line to the east of Hougomont and in the same area as that where his cavalry had come to
naught. So, about 8 Battalions of magnificent infantry went forward with great hopes at
finishing the battle as a success for the Emperor. These troops had never failed him before.
They had clutched victory from defeat in the past. Surely they could do it one last time! They
advanced in a series of squares. So they moved rather slowly. This allowed the Allies plenty of
opportunity to fire artillery and even muskets, when they were closer, at them. By the time the
Guard units reached the enemy line they were hit by heavy musket fire and canister and finally
gave way. The Guard had to retire! Withdraw! It had never happened before and the
consequences would now be awful.
Conclusion
At the time the Guard was being repulsed the Prussian I Korps arrived on the field in the worst
place. That was near the area around Papelotte and that made the French 4th Infantry Division
troops who were there spook. They heard the rumors of the Guard being defeated and they
saw Prussians coming in at their flank and that was they would have in them for this day. The
entire French line began to crumble from that point and then outwards until the rot spread to
the entire army. There were fleeing French troops everywhere. The only troops Napoleon had
left were a few battalions of the Old Guard that he now deployed to try and stem the tide. They
could not and so their job became simply that of covering the retreat, or better stated, rout of
the entire French army. The retreat did not stop and continued for many miles. The army
melted away and what were left at the end were only about 30,000 of the original 72,000 at
Waterloo. When things quieted down and Napoleon could take stock of the problems he
realized that trying to continue on this course would simply start a civil war, and the Emperor
did not want that. This would ultimately lead to his abdication again and this time for good.
Europe was finally rid of the Ogre.

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Credits
Game Design: Chris Fasulo Sr

Map design and Final Art: Richard Barber

Pictures: Portrait of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington – Thomas Lawrence // The Emperor
Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries, Jacques-Louis David // Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher. Artist
unknown, copying Paul Ernst Gebauer

Box Cover Picture: Ludwig Elsholtz, Assaut du village de Plancenoit lors de la bataille de Waterloo le 18
juin 1815. Signé et daté 1843.

Book Sources:

French and Anglo-Allied Orders of Battle: Armies at Waterloo, Scotty Bowden 1998, Emperor’s Press

Anglo-Allied Order of Battle and Scenario Development: The Battle of Quatre Bras 1815, Mike Robinson
2009, The History Press

The Waterloo Companion, Mark Adkin 2001, Stackpole Books

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