Training game

Today I had the opportunity to play a game of General de Brigade with my good friend Tobbe. He is a avid miniature gamer and has a mild interest for historicals. He finally caved in to my whining and complaining about not playing enough with my collection, I guess ;)
We had a small run through the rules the other day. I feel that the turn sequence and the brigade orders different requirements and restrictions is something you really want to know by heart playing General de Brigade.
I played the French with 8x24 infantry battalions, 2x18 Hussars, a battery of 6 pdr's and a few skirmishers. Tobbe commanded the Prussians, one Fusilier (veteran), two Musketeer and three Landwehr (2nd class) battalions, all 32 figs strong. Also two Hussar regiments, one 12 and one 18 figs strong, 12 Jeagers and a battery of 6 pdr's.
We first sketched out our deployment and battle plans (starting brigade orders) on paper before putting minis on the table. This is a rally rewarding method and well worth the few extra minutes needed setting up.

Prussians lined up with Jaegers ahead. This is a house rule we have, we allow skirmishers to deploy 6" ahead of your normal deployment zone. The story behind this is simply that we always forgot to make room for skirmishers in our deployment zone so we said "just put them ahead a bit", and we have played so since :P

French line spread out across the field in checkerboard fashion. Hussars far right.

We decided to try using rosters instead of casualty counters, these little numbered counters serves as identification. However we found it cumbersome. Not the actual bookkeeping, but for example; when firing you point and look at a unit on the table and declare its shooting, then you have to look up the units strength on the roster, then go to the QRC, instead of just seeing the units strength on the table immediately.
It might not sound like that much more work but in the long run we were convinced that casualty counters works best for us.

Battle is commencing. The Prussian Landwehr regiment moves to take the road with hedgerow cover, and so does the French brigade!

This firefight lasted almost the entire battle, the Landwehr both out gunned and outnumbered held up stalwartly!

French artillery poured cannister shot into the Prussian line. They later found themselves running low on ammo.

On the other flank Prussian musketeer battalions anchored their flanks to a small woods on the left and and the hamlet to the right with the artillery in the middle.

Jaegers took the hamlet and help breaking the poor French battalion also taking fire from both artillery and musketeers. French Hussars are regrouping after a furious calvary meleé in which they were victorious and drove off the Prussian cavalry.

At this point I forgot to take pictures, the gaming was simply so intense. We played a total of four hours, and some where around 12-16 turns.
In the end Tobbe won with me failing a second Brigade Morale Test, leaving me with only one infantry brigade on the field. It could have been the other way around, basically a single die roll determined the outcome of the battle, a sure sign that it was a great fight.