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Figure 1
  
Figure 2
  
Figure 3
  
Figure 4
 
    Begin French Defensive Fire Phase (Figure 1) 
    This action took place between LaHaye Saint (on the left not shown in figure) and Papolette Farm (on the right not shown in figure) at Waterloo. The Allied player has moved a stack of  ~600 SP Dutch light cavalry (circled) threatening the French grand artillery battery on the hill.  Don't be misled by the facing of the topmost cavalry squadron; it is a ruse.  The remaining squadrons in the stack point to the lower left hexside. Should the French player limber these units?  Note the stacks of French cavalry and infantry behind the hill where the grand battery is situated.  These units are hidden to all Allied units in the scenario. 
     
    End Allied Melee Phase  (Figure 2) 
    The French player did not limber his guns and the Allied player made good on his threat to charge.  Was this a reckless charge?  The Allied player meleed and destroyed four batteries of "A" class artillery, each of 8 SP for a total French point loss of  4 [pts/SP] x 32 [SP] = 128 pts.  Ouch! 

    Had the cavalry been closer and could overrun the batteries, the decision to limber or unlimber is automatic.  The French batteries are automatically destroyed if overrun when limbered, so it is better to let artillery be overrun when unlimbered and become uncrewed then to be wiped out while limbered.  In this example, had the French player limbered his second artillery, the cavalry would have gotten it by overrun and then swept up four additional batteries during melee.  Perhaps the best defense would be to unlimber the four batteries just to the left of the two rightmost batteries and keep the two rightmost batteries unlimbered.  Losing melee to a cavalry unit while limbered allows artillery to retreat from a lost melee. 
     

    End French Movement Phase  (Figure 3) 
    The French player has moved two infantry battalions up to surround the Allied cavalry. The battalion at the bottom of the stack has a facing left.  The French cavalry is heavy, which adds an additional 25% to the attack.  Note that after the French cavalry completes its charge, the Allied cavalry will have no avenues for retreat if it loses the melee. 
     
    End French Melee Phase  (Figure 4) 
    The French player has succeeded in destroying the entire stack of 24 SP in the next melee phase for a total point loss of 
    8 [pts/SP] x 24 [SP] = 192 pts.  Note the route taken which gives a +2 flank modifier during the melee.  Ouch, too! 
     
 
    Calculating the Odds 
    What are the odds of winning an atack against limbered artillery four times in a row given the cavalry units in Figure 2.  Calculating the odds of winning a melee between 600 SP charging cavalry against 8 SP artillery is 6:1 with a +1 for the cavalry leader which gives 100 %.
 
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