Now that the pain of defeat has subsided, I thought that I would add my tuppence worth to Maturin's account.
When I played Maturin, this was, in fact, the second occasion on which I played this scenario within a few weeks, both times as the French player and was well beaten both times.
The Prussian player has the advantage of numbers and position - i.e. the game starts off with the French right already turned - and it is difficult to see how the French player can win this one without a bt of serious luck (ie a big Prussian brigade breaks early on).
Being outflanked is a serious problem for the French player because it prevents him from holding a line with his guns - the only area where he has an advantage over the Prussian. My plan, therefore, was to fire off a couple of rounds and then pull back to a second line. The problem with that strategy, however, is that you concede ground very quickly and your troops are too crap to mount a credible counter attack.
Anyway, as things turned out, I couldn't hold the Prussian steamroller for long enough to establish that second line, with the Landwehr cavalry, in particular doing an awful lot of damage.
Its not a balanced scenario but it is historical and provides a very interesting tactical challenge for the French player. It also gives a real flavour of what the 1813 campaign was all about. Most units are conscripts, your star units are those that are graded line and well positioned artillery becomes paramount. In any event, if you get to be French at Austerlitz, Jena and Auerstadt, you have to take the rough with the smooth and be French in 1813 too!
O