As one of the games included in the Doncon "Grognardcon", this finely balanced classic attracted 18 dedicated players who pushed pieces from Ligny to Mont St. Jean. Four past regulars were unable to attend but the field included four "resurrected" grognards who hadn't played in many years. Like last year, many aggressive players chose the French to capitalize on the ten-sided combat results table and reduce play time. The free play format and Grognardcon were hailed by all players as ideally suited for this and the other classic games. Hats off to Bruno for his stellar work! Rob Beyma, Pat Mirk, John Clarke, and Bruno Sinigaglio amassed enough points to qualify as the semi-finalists.

In the first semi-final game Rob's French launched the traditional three-pronged assault toward Wavre, Nivelles, and Quatre Bras on Pat's Prussian/Anglo-Allies (PAA) who massed his forces South of Quartre Bras. Rob's French pushed hard toward Wavre but endured a series of DR results in the center while Pat's counterattacks enjoyed D Elim results. By mid-day on 17 June, Rob's French had closed to Wavre and this flank threat forced Pat's PAA to slowly fall back in the center and west to doubled positions in the center of the board. On the morning of 18 June, Rob broke through in the center while it looked like Pat's approaching Prussian IV Corps had trapped the French between Wavre and the Dyle River. However, Rob's French skillfully crossed the lower Lalasne River while a gallant French cavalry unit gave its final measure to delay the IV Corps. By late 18 June, The French had achieved superiority near Mont St. Jean and in a final massive general assault, cleared the road to Brussels for a French victory. Rob was again in the Final.

In the second semi-final game, Bruno's Frogs took the field against Clarkey's PAA. Bruno had been harping on John all week about throwing away too many of his one-factor PAA units as delayers, so John decided to play Bruno's game and fall back immediately to the Quartre Bras heights and gap. Bruno's frogs obliged with a 2-1 surround vs Steinmetz on the heights and two simultaneous 1-1's vs 15 factor stacks in the gap. Steinmetz died on a DR and the 1-1's yielded an exchange and a DR. Clarkey's PAA reciprocated with counterattacks that yielded an exchange and a DElim. The slugfest at Quatre Bras lasted three more turns with similar carnage and finally ended with a French surrender when Bruno rolled two AElim's costing 30 factors plus another four in soak-offs. The losses at the end of the first day were French 84 vs PAA 51. Bruno's goal of crushing all of the Clarke-Smirk Floridian entourage was not realized (this time). John prevailed and got another opportunity to face his old nemesis Rob in the final.

The two finalists were familiar protagonists who had met in previous championship games. Rob once again commanded the French conscripts and Old Guard, while John directed the combined PAA armies. Rob opened in three attacking columns, but John's forward deployment signaled early attacks from the British out of Quatre Bras as the Prussians advanced from Ligny. Rob immediately counterattacked with almost his entire right wing. The blood bath at Ligny continued and it was obvious that John had inherited General Blucher's renowned aggressiveness as he ordered another major assault into the French and again sortied from the Quatre Bras heights seeking to kill Rob's 8-4 Old Guard artillery. While John's attack was successful, in the heat of battle he overlooked two French units lurking to the west. Rob's French ferociously counterattacked and used his positional advantage to surround a number of PAA divisions. At the end of just five turns, Rob had lost 55 factors but John's PAA were down 100 factors, so staring defeat in the face John conceded to "Napoleon" Beyma who claimed his six crown in the event.

Join us in 2007 to enjoy this true classic of maneuver, attack and counterattack whether to re-live past glories of youth or dethrone some old geezers. Waterloo lives!