Saturday, March 5, 2016

Snappy Nappy 1807 Campaign in a Day: May 1st

Yes, we're at it again! This time James is the lead GM and will be using 15mm troops. The game will cover the Winter 1807 Eylau campaign, with each player commanding a Corps. Russ Lockwood's "Snappy Nappy" rules will once again be used (and it looks like Russ himself will once again be a player). James has developed some simple, quick supply and attrition rules to reflect the effects of bitter winter weather. As was the case historically, the French will be caught with their proverbial pantalons down, spread in winter cantonments, being caught very much by surprise by the sudden Russian winter offensive. This is a really unique kind of event, and well worth the trip to participate. Seev the Snappy Nappy label on the side bar for accounts of our previous events - Waterloo 1815, Dresden 1813, and Bavaria 1809.


Sunday, May 1st, 2016, 10am — 5pm
The Portal  gaming space across the street from
the Time Machine hobby store 
60 Hilliard St, Manchester, CT

A one-day re-fight of Napoleon’s 1807 Winter Campaign (Battle of Eylau)
using 1000’s of historical miniatures


OK, so this is Friedland, 1807; it is a much more inspiring picture than the dreary ones of Eylau! 
I actually have a large, framed print of this painting hanging in my study that my late father obtained and framed for me (complete with a light) some 45 years ago. 

Using simple and ultrafast rules, each player commands an independent corps of troops maneuvering across multiple gaming tables in a giant multiplayer one-day re-fight of the entire Napoleonic multi-week campaign. All troops provided!
Re-fight Napoleon’s 1807 Winter Campaign No experience necessary (ages 15 and up)

For more information and to participate (free!), contact:
Peter Anderson (Gonsalvo@aol.com) or 
James Sulzen (epsy240@psdsoln.com)


Sponsored by:
the Hartford Area Historical Gaming Society (Yahoo Group: HAHGS) 

22 comments:

  1. Sounds great - don't forget to take your scarf and hat!

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    1. Hopefully we won't need them on the 1st of May in real life - but in New England, you never snow. We have gotten snow in May more than a few times, even if it doesn't last once the sun hits it!

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  2. Sounds amazing, I'm in a different continent so can't attend, have loads of fun and report back please,
    Jeremy

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    1. Thanks, Jeremy. A pity about all that Ocean between us!

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  3. Looks like another epic struggle in May for you. As always, I look forward to an AAR of the campaign.

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    1. It should be a good one; we already have a number of return players signed up.

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  4. You do like these big scale encounters !

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    1. Yes indeed! The maneuvering of Corps over the theater of war is really the most distinguishing aspect of Napoleonic warfare, I'd say. The way players face uncertainty, provide intel and respond to orders really does make it an exercise in higher command!

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    2. I cannot agree more. I recently held a similar event and the players completely changed their attitudes and styles of play. Aggressive players get very defensive when they don't have a clue where and when the enemy are. In our game a single Bavarian division managed to delay 2 Austrian corps for a full day and a half because the Austrians determined to destroy them rather than bypass the position and leave a covering force

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    3. Indeed, it moves us beyond the tactical into the big picture - where a Corps commander really had to function most of the time, as compared to a very few days of pitched battle.

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  5. Looking good Peter - very much interesting in following these exploits mate.

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  6. Looks great, "but in New England you never snow "Freudian slip? Hope it goes well looking forward to the write up
    Best Iain

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    1. LOL, Freudian typo! Gad, but I type, mouse click, and computer troubleshoot so much on the job that I hardly feel like a physician some days now. Seriously misguided government programs. Sigh.

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  7. Eylau is one of my favourite campaigns and battles, ever since I played an SPI boardgame on it thirty-plus years ago. I'll be looking forward to this one.

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    1. It should be interesting with the French caught by surprise, but having a numerical advantage overall.

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  8. Such an interesting campaign. The Russians gave them a bit of a moment or two. Look forward to the replay!

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    1. This cam[paign was of course notable as the first where Napoleon failed to decisively defeat the enemy!

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  9. Oh my, I really am quite jealous but as an ocean and part of a continent separate me from the venue , jealousy is all I can share. As you know I recently held a smaller but very similar event here in Spain using an amended "Blucher" and loved every minute of it despite being shattered at close of play. I would so love to be a player in an event like this.

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    1. Yes I enjoyed your own project with Blucher. I have an unconfirmed whim to maybe do a really big Snappy Nappy event based upon Spring 1809 at Historicon in 2019... we will see if that hold up, the logistics are doable, etc!

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  10. sounds great Peter!!! Ill look frward to the pics and write up afterwards a wee bit far for myself unfortunately.

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    1. Thanks, Paul. A bit more than a day trip, I'n afraid! :-)

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