14 DAY TRIAL // After Austerlitz, it was time to head to the endless expanses of the Russian Empire and face the campaign, which undid much of the conquests of Napoleon Bonaparte. More than half a million men were involved in the battle and more than a quarter of them were casualties. The trouble was that deep in Russia, Napoleon could hardly replace his losses, especially those in the officer core and amongst his generals while the Russian Mikhail Kutuzov preserved a significant part of his force as he retreated and put the French Empire on the defensive.
The biggest challenge in the Napoleon: Total War version of Borodino is taking over the Raevsky redoubt that stood at the center of the Russian defensive line. A full frontal assault is impossible because of the small river in front of it and the steep heights. There's also the problem of well placed artillery that can quickly disorganize lines and drop the morale of the advancing infantry lines. The historical battle was a confused matter in itself, with both Kutuzov and Napoleon failing to exploit the obvious weaknesses of the other line.
In the game, it's easy to see the strength of the Russian center and the relative frailty of their right wing. I moved the two cavalry units across the river and the skirmishers on the left of my line into a snipping position while pushing the Swiss legion out to represent a clear threat. It's easy to take out the Russian force and then entrench for the inevitable counterattack. I took most of the forces on my center and right and went for the trenches on the Russian right, letting some of my infantry take the brunt of the enemy fire while maneuvering with the cavalry and the light infantry to encircle and annihilate individual positions.
Unfortunately, the Russians are capable of also managing their center and with my forces separated, I took quite a beating until I could also bring my other flank to an advance on the center and finally wound their general and force a retreat. The Napoleon: Total War Borodino was a little less bloody for the French and much more so for the Russians. Of course, having a clear and full view of the battlefield helped immensely.