Snappy Nappy Campaign in a Day at Historicon: Russia, 1812 - The Northern Theater

On Thursday at Historicon last month, GM Mark T., with assist from James S., and myself, ran a 14 table, 20 player Campaign in a Day event. The set up took place over about 3 hours the night before, with James, Mark and myself setting up the tables, with James cajoling his wife and brother into performing additional vital supporting activities (making table labels, badges, and much more). I started setting up the troops around 9 AM Thursday morning, and by a little after 10 we discovered that every last one of the 20 available slots for the event was taken. Talking to the events staff, this was a feature of Historicon 2023; almost all the slots for all of the games were taken! 

The event was held in the Tournament area (the other half of the space that holds the Dealer's Hall (?Haul). The Tournament schedule for Thursday is light, meaning that there were plenty of available tables for our use. 

French Order of Battle

French Marshall Oudinot (+2) ... Mike D.

1 Lt. Cav(vet), 1 Engineer unit(seasoned), and 1 spy

1. General Legrand (+2), 6th Division … Chris

5 Infantry ... 2 Line (seasoned), 1 Light (seasoned), 1 Hanseatic(conscript), 1 Portuguese(conscript), 2 Foot batteries (seasoned)

2. General Verdier (+1), 8th Division …  Robert

4 Infantry ... 2 Line (seasoned), 1 Light (seasoned), 1 Dutch (conscript), 1 Foot battery (seasoned)

General Castex (+1), 5th Lt Cav Brigade …  Tyson

1 Horse battery(seasoned), 2 Chasseurs (seasoned), 1 Lancer (seasoned)

3. General Merle (+1), 9th Division of Swiss … Frank
 6 Infantry ... 4 Swiss Line (4 vet), 1 Croatian (conscript), 1 Dutch (conscript), 1 Foot battery (conscript)

General Corbineau (+1), 6th Lt Cav Brigade ... Harmon
1 Horse battery (seasoned), 2 Chasseurs (seasoned), 1 Lancer (seasoned)

4. General Doumerc (+1), 3rd Cuirassiers …  Nate
3 Cuirassiers (vet), 2 Light cavalry(seasoned), 1 Horse artillery (seasoned)

5. General Von Deroy (+3), 19th Division of Bavarian 6th Corp … Byron
6 Infantry ... 5 Line (2 seasoned, 3 conscript), 1 Light (conscript), 1 Foot battery (conscript), 1 Heavy battery (conscript)

6. General Von Wrede (+1), 20th Division of Bavarian 6th Corp … Joe
7 Infantry ... 6 Line( 2 seasoned, 4 conscript), 1 Light (conscript), 2 Foot batteries (conscript), 1 Heavy battery (conscript)

7. General St. Cyr (+2), of the Bavarian 6th Corp … Terry
1 Light Cav (vet), 1 Light Infantry (seasoned), 1 Reserve Foot battery (seasoned)

Russian Order of Battle

Russian General Wittgenstein (+2) ... Jake S.

1 Lt. Cav (vet), 1 Engineer unit (seasoned), and 1 spy

A. General Kulnieff (+3) Vanguard … Matt M

Grodno Hussars(vet), 1 Combined Depot Guard Cav (vet), 1 Jager (seasoned), 1 Conv Grens (seasoned), 1 Foot battery (conscript)

General Rudiger (+1) … Mason
1 Horse battery (seasoned), 1 Lancer (seasoned), 1 Cossack Cav (seasoned), 1 Jager (seasoned)

B. General Kazatchkowsky (+2), 1st Line of 5th Division … Ian G
 2 Jagers (seasoned), 4 Infantry (2 seasoned, 2 conscript), 3 Position/heavy batteries (conscript)

C. General Kakhoffski (+1), 2nd Line of 5th Division ... Dave S.

1 Converged Grens (vet), 2 Depot Gren groups (seasoned), 2 Light batteries (conscript)

General Balk (+1), Cavalry Brigade … Malachi

1 Horse battery (seasoned), 2 Dragoons (seasoned), 1 Lancer (seasoned)

D. General Sazonov (+1), Reserves … Ryan L.

4 Infantry (4 seasoned), 1 Depot Jagers (conscript), 2 Opolochenie (conscript), 1 Position/heavy battery (conscript), 1 Light battery (conscript)

E. Prince Repnin (+1), Cavalry Reserve … Matthew M.

1 Converged Cuirassiers (vet), 2 Light cavalry (seasoned), 1 Depot Dragoons (conscript), 2 Horse batteries (seasoned)

F. Count Steinheil (+1), Russian reinforcements … Scot A.

2 Jagers (seasoned), 6 Inf (2 seasoned, 4 conscript), 1 Position/heavy battery (conscript), 1 Light battery (conscript), 1 Engineer unit (seasoned), 1 Conv. Hussars (seasoned)

G. General Berg (+1) 5^th Division, … Mark J.

1 Light Cav (vet), 1 Line (seasoned), 1 Jager (seasoned), 1 Foot battery (seasoned)

Campaigns/player map for reference

Table O - Oboiarschina, terrain done by Mark, as well as all others not otherwise noted. 

Table S - Swolna, terrain done by James

Table G - Golovichista

Table K - Katerinovo, done by James

Table SP - Sebej... which leads  to St. Petersburg!

Table W - Wolinizi; one of mine

Table J - Jakubowo

Table GA - Gamzelov; one of mine

Table B - Borovka, done by James

Table BB - Bononia

Table P - Polotsk

Table Di -  Disna

Table DA - Danowiczy; If I recall correctly, in the Fall 2022 game, this was the town everyone tried to march to... but couldn't!

Table DR - Drissa; one of mine. 

Player Theater Map

One of several younger players in the game; Mark largely assigned them to cavalry brigades, which proved to be a wise choice, as a few quick turns were played with these commands scouting while the other formations stayed in camp!

Bavarian troops waiting to begin their marches. 

A long column of Russian troops marching along a single road on the Drissa Table. Playing a Snappy Nappy campaign definitely helps one appreciate why parallel lines of march were the order of the day, especially for the French! 

Smaller forces on the move

"French" troops on the Danowiczy table - the place you couldn't go in the Fall 2022 version of this event. 

Doumerc's Cuirassiers at Polotsk.

Legrand and his Division on Table B (Borovka). 

Russian Cavalry Brigade moving through and scouting in the area of Wolonizi.

Bavarian reinforcements waiting to move out. 

A battle develops on Table S  (Swolna)with Legrand French Division facing off against 2 Russian commands. These players got the hang of the rules very quickly, and needed little assistance in their extended combat. 

A Russian Cavalry Brigade scouting through Golochivista. 

A HUGE battle has developed on table W (Wolonizi), there are already nine (!) commands involved, with troops converging down every road!

Two French commands entering and leaving the Disna Table.

Russian Cavalry scouting the routes from Table O. 

Help is on the Way at Swolna... for the Russians!

The battle develops at Wolzonizi. 

Marching through Disna. 

Russian troops marching at Drissa. No duel occurred in this version of the campaign!

"There's no one here, Boss!"

Bavarians (and Bavarians disguised as Badeners) on the march through Disna. 

The fighting keeps intensifying at Wolonizi...

A Russian cavalry brigade appears in Legrand's rear! Uh-oh! Legrand, out numbered, had been holding his own against superior numbers. but with his Division engaged, countering this threat from another direction will be most difficult!

Pine suppositories are administered by the Cossacks!

But where are the Bavarians?

Here they are, at Disna!

and now Danowiczy...

March, march, march!

A Russian Division moving through the Drissa area. 

Battle rages on near Wolonizi.

View of another sector of the Battle of Wolonizi. 

Bavarians arrive to succor Legrand!

GM James helps with the heavy fighting at Wolonizi. 

T

The Bavarians maneuver into combat range, but attack from 2 directions and outnumbered 3:1, Legrand is crumbling fast after a valiant resistance.

The Bavarians have deployed and advance of the rear of the Russians at Swolna!

Some fugitives from Wolonizi; Swiss, heavily disguised as Danes!

Russian garrison at Drissa. 

Troops, troops, everywhere! 

View from the other side of the field. 

With Legrand all but finished, the bulk of the Russians at Swolna turn to face the approaching Bavarians!

And then, simultaneously, both sides decide to withdraw their own separate ways. 
"Orders are orders!"

Meanwhile, back at Wlzonizi, losses are heavy on both sides, but from a distance, it seemed to me that the Russians had the edge. I could be wrong. James would probably be best equipped to judge the long combat there. 

The Russians and Bavarians departing Swolna after the conclusion of that battle.

A Russian force finds the Bavarians have already arrived at Danowiczy, and are established in a position defending the river crossing. 

Meanwhile, back at Wolonizi...

the epic battle  continues...

At Danowiczy, The Russians withdrew after seeing the Bavarian position. Not to be left out, the Bavarians pick up shop and depart as well! 

And where do they all wind up?

You guessed it,

At Wolonizi!  Indeed, almost every force wound up on this table by the end of the campaign, a first for a Snappy Nappy campaign in a Day event!

Wrap up at the end of the event, with GM Mark at the master board and yours truly sitting on the other side of the table. In summary, the French never even tried to march much towards St. Petersburgh, but neither did the Russians make any real attempt to cut the French line of communications through Polotsk. We judged it a "winning draw" with the Russians having the edge.

 

GM Master Map Key (scribbled out links were from version 1, not active in version 2. 

Thanks to my fellow GM's, Russ Lockwood, and all 20 players. It was a great time! 

It took less than an hour for me to pack it all up, with much appreciated help from many of the players. We already have the next event planned for Saturday October 7 at The Portal in Manchester, CT. There will be a post on that shortly.