Monday, May 16, 2011

Siege of Mantua, 1796-97: Vauban's Wars playtest

Vauban's Wars is a set of rules by Eric Burgess, now in final playtesting and development,  for conducting sieges on the tabletop. There is a fairly detailed description/discussion of the rules concepts on Eric's blog. While it is designed for the 18th century, it is hardly a stretch to use them for the Napoleonic era, and with modifications by the gamer they could easily be used for as far back as about 1500 AD. If you're like me, you've probably already got a castle, fort, or similar in you collection. If not, there are some great, inexpensive ones available from the folks at Paper Terrain, as well as more expensive (and much heavier) resin and plaster alternatives available elsewhere. Those with more talent and time than I might even have scratch built one. Regardless, if you're like me yet again, that lovely model has mostly sat around looking good on a shelf, but gathering dust from lack of use. 

Be prepared for these rules to change all of that! First, if you've ever fought any kind of campaign in the gunpowder era, sooner or later a siege scenario is going to come up.  These rules would fit perfectly for that situation, but they are really designed to allow you to set up a siege game in isolation, and test your skill against those of Vauban, Coehorn, and the other master military engineers, and produce a fun game that will reach a definite conclusion within a single gaming session, or two at most.

While we don't tend to think much about sieges in the Napoleonic era, in fact there were quite a few important ones, including Genoa in 1800, Danzig in 1807, Stralsund in 1809, and Hamburg in 1813-14. The campaigns in the Peninsula in particular were full of notable sieges including Valencia, Saragossa, Gerona, Astorga, Almeida, Cuidad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Tarragona, Sagunto, Cadiz and Pamplona.

Perhaps the most famous siege of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, however, was the siege of the immensely strong fortress of Mantua during General Bonaparte's first Italian campaign. After kicking (or scaring) the Austrians out of Lombardy, Mantua was first invested on June 3, 1796. Limited siege supplies, limited availability of troops, the marshy environs, and repetitive Austrian offensives over the alps lead to both slow progress and out right abandonment of the siege on no less than two occasions; the Fortress did not finally fall until more than 8 months after the siege commenced. This was our second siege using these rules, and the scenario was loosely based upon this situation. We started our game with but 2 weeks of summer left, in mid August of 1796. Each siege turn in VW represents a week.



The Austrian Fortess has 3 bastions and three ravelins, and is surrounded by a water-filled moat. The high water table precludes any mining (something we did do in out first playtest game several months ago). The garrison consisted of the Commander, 3 Fortress batteries, 4 Line Infantry, One Grenadier, and one Elite Light Infantry unit, plus an additional 2 medium and one light battery, augmented by a spy! That is my 20+ year old Gallia castle serving as the Fortress!



The siege commences just after the French have completed the 1st parallel of the lines of cirumvallation. The French have two siege guns, 2 heavy guns, 2 Light guns, and a heavy Mortar, plus an awful lot infantry and grenadiers. (The items behinds the long trench lines are supplies for trench and gun emplacement construction).




Close up of the Austrian defenders, lead by none than General Andreas Petrosic (yours truly). Although the General is depicted upon the ramparts, he evidently spent most of the siege in his favorite tavern, the Prancing Pony. Perhaps that explains the relatively passive conduct of the defense by the Austrians?




French sappers have started the saps that will enable them to construct the Second parallel (usually at medium range for artillery).




A French spy was captured in the city, and hung on the walls as a lesson to others. French morale declined, and when the body was cut down, evidently the Commissioner of Public Safety attached to the army determined that decapitating the body after the fact would some how prove motivating. Uh-huh.



The second parallel is largely completed, and saps towards the fortress are in progress to start the 1st parallel at Close range for artillery. The risk to the sappers in particular increases as they approach, and the sap head is empty because I finally managed to kill one of them with a heavy barrage of fire from multiple batteries. Ultimately, this liberal use of powder consumed a fair percentage of my reserves. A captured  Austrian spy this time can be seen, ready to test out the Veg-o-matic. The gun emplacements are allowing the French to pound the front bastion severely - the die indicates it has been reduced from level 5 to level 4, and the rocks indicate several hits towards dropping it still another level. The defenders sappers are not yet in position to attempt to repair some of the damage. I should have made use of the opportunity to conduct some surprise trench raids at this point, but kept forgetting to use that option!




Distant view of the Fortress, showing the Third parallel under construction. The French have shifted their targeting to the Ravelin (the triangular outworks in front of the Bastion), and in response the Austrians have sent a sapper into the Ravelin to try to keep up with repairs. Meanwhile, as the siege drags on and the food supply gets lower and lower, the populace have become increasing restless; by the end of the siege, I have had to put down at least 2 popular rebellions, and have twice had my units on the walls attacked by angry mobs! Being the Governor of a besieged city isn't all fun and games, after all. Being the officer in charge of a siege isn't a life of luxury, either; by the end of the siege, Barry (playing the sans-culottes) will have had both his Commander and subordinate killed, as well as their first replacements! General Petrosic decides to head for another stein at the Prancing Pony. By this point in the siege, though, the beer is definitely strongly resembling Horse p***... if it isn't largely composed of it in actual fact, which it may well be!




The Ravelin has been reduced to rubble, and the Austrian sapper is feeling very naked! In the event, despite being shot at by multiple French guns, he is ultimately able to scramble back inside the Fortress to relative safety. At this point, I really should have stationed my medium guns and an infantry unit in the two remaining Ravelins where they would have threatened to enfilade any attackers closing on the wall. But no, having given up on the beer, the good General was evidently sampling the now rather undernourished barmaids!



Well into Autumn by now, some heavy rains halt further action this week, but the French have now dug a final parallel right up to the edge of the Moat!




Gun emplacements almost at the foot of the walls; the Bastion is now down to level 3; when it reaches level 1 there will be a breach! A heavy downpour floods one segment of  French trenches, but it is too late to have any real impact upon the siege. The Austrian defenders step up their shooting as their food is running very low and a breach in the walls appears imminent; they do manage to knock out several gun sections, but it is too little, too late!  Where is Wurmser and that relief army, damn his eyes!



Week 14 of the siege; it will be Winter next turn, and the defenders are down to zero food. The Governor passes a test and the populace remains quelled, but it is now just a matter of time before they rise up and turn the city over to the enemy. With the walls breached and French Grenadiers massed for the assault, Petrovic asks the second replacement French Commander, one Francois Barras by name, for terms. Otherwise, should the coming French assault succeed, a bloody sack of the city by the enraged besiegers is likely, with all the horrors that entails - the usual rape, pillage, and murder.


Say, does anyone know where a thirsty ex-General can find a decent cask of Brandy?

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We had a great time with this one. It was quite different being inside the Fortress instead of besieging it as I was last time. We identified a few rules points and questions, but the game went by quickly, and generally smoothly. Espionage was mostly suicidal this time out, but the French did score one key intelligence success. The French Heavy Mortar actually managed to have some impact on the Morale of the defenders, but as it turned out they were so generously supplied that it had no real impact upon the outcome. In different circumstances, though, the impact might have been significant. The game played out well, with a number of unique and dramatic events.  Highly recommended!

Till next time,

Peter

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Die Fighting, Part 4: Die Schlact von Raubersfluss - Turn 2.

We return to the adventures of General Count Von Karrion of Austria and Prince Sorbet of France. Having indulged in a snack and a glass of wine apiece while they reviewed the rules during the intermission between Turn One and Turn Two, Sorbet and Von Karrion discovered a minor point about the procedure for testing to see if Leadership Dice can be passed to units. All officers can re-roll their lowest multiple, and the C-in-C (only) can re-roll his lowest die as well. They note that this extends the average command radius of better leaders (those with 3, 4, or even 5 Leadership dice) even more than just the linear increase in the number of dice would suggest.


Turn Two, Phases 1 and 2
To start turn 2, a Green (free) die was rolled and came up a “1”. Phase 1 is specializes actions. The only relevant one would be skirmishers reload; at present there are no units in either army deployed as skirmishers, and thus the Generals moved on to phase 2, Officer Actions. Von Karrion won the roll off with his four dice to Sorbet's three, and chose to go first. Neither he nor Sorbet in his turn encountered any difficulty repositioning their commanders, four free dice providing more than enough movement in each case.

Turn Two, Phase 3: Austrian Initiative
Phase 3 is Cavalry Actions, and Von Karrion won the Leadership die roll off. Being rather Headstrong, he opted to act first. Graf Allegro experienced little difficulty in getting his Light Cavalry brigade (and attached Horse Battery) to move the 4” to the edge of the Rauberfluss, and doesn’t even bother to allocate any of his Leadership dice. With an extra green die for column, and 2 more for being Light Cavalry (or three dice in Column of Route (limbered) in the case of the Horse Artillery), it seemed a shame to allocate any resource dice at all, but without at least one Resource die expended, no free dice or Leadership Dice my be used for movement. “Don't forget they must halt at the edge of the river, and can't move again until next turn” Sorbet chastised, his voice grating on Von Karrion's nerves like Parmesan being shaved onto a Caesar salad. “Yes, I know, Sorbet”, he groused. Meanwhile, Graf Forte's Cuirassiers also choose to move, using only a single resource die. Although both the Graf and Von Karrion were Headstrong, but a single green die was added for that, but along with the extra green die for being Heavy Cavalry, and another for being in Column, they wound up rolling up16 “and 19 “ respectively, and due to their Headstrong leadership, were obligated to move the full amount This took them beyond the shelter of the Raubersgrube hill.




Turn Two, Phase 3: French Initiative
Sorbet had but the single Light Cavalry Brigade of the very reliable Count Haricot; by adding his Leadership dice judiciously he was able to declare a change in facing (costing 6” off their move) and advance all three units to the banks of the Raubersfluss. “Stop there, and not an inch further, my good Sorbet” grunted Von Carrion. Sorbet merely nodded his head. He had used but a single red die for each unit. The phase being completed, Sorbet won the roll off this time 15 to 14, and chose to act first, feeling quite pleased with himself..


Resource Dice Used: 5 Austrian (37 total) , 3 French (29 total)



Turn Two, Phase 4: French Initiative
Phase 4 is infantry actions, and Sorbet has no less than six infantry commands. “I shall start with my right flank and proceed towards the right, if that's all right with you, my dear fellow” Sorbet pronounces in dulcet tones. “Suit yourself” Von Karrion grunted in reply, in actual fact having no say whatsoever in the matter. The Compte de Champagne's 6th Brigade, deployed in Mass Column, has all thee of his Leadership dice added to enhance its movement, as he announces his intent to make a facing change in the course of the move. Crossing the soft ground of the Heath, any die with a score of “1” are lost, plus another 6” for the facing change; the result is only 8” of forward movement, the brigade finding itself still upon the Heath at the end of its move. The Compte de Chambertin's 5th Brigade is next, and using all three of his Leadership dice to enhance the movement of his troops, each unit rolls but a single red die plus a green die, and in all but once case, a yellow one. One of the regiments enters Raubersdorf (costs 6' of movement to deploy into the building), while the other three regiments move up to the right of the village in support of the 2nd Brigade.

Next, The Baron of Burgundy, again using all of his Leadership dice, has three of the regiments of his 3rd Brigade deploy into line and move forward slightly to support the Artillery; the 4th unit is well placed and does not need to move. The Baron of Bordeaux, whose 2nd Brigade is in Mass column, announces his intent to change facing, and with the support of his three Leadership dice, it turns to the left and advances upon the Raubersfluss. That leaves the 2 Light Infantry Brigades of the far flank.


General Boursin's 1st brigade is well clear of the river, and, if it can move far enough, looks to be able to get on the flank of the Austrian Cuirassiers. They roll a “6” with their red die, and with his 3 yellow Leadership dice and two green (the LegereCuirasier unit. General Camembert, who studied the tactics of Fabius, directs his 4th Brigade to complete their crossing of the Rauberfluss; Sorbet rolls a red die and scores a six, then adds 2 green and 5 yellow dice. Sorbet's smug look melts off his visage as not a single one of these is higher than a “3” “Mon dieu!” he exclaims, as Von Karrion dryly observes “Must have stopped after they cross to dry their precious feet, eh old boy?”

His will solidifying like a perfectly prepared gelatin, Sorbet declares, “Well, my other Legere brigade looks to have a flank shot on your Cuirassiers; rough luck that. Shall we check to see if they are within range?” he asks facetiously, the light infantry having moved to within less than an inch of the Austrian Cavalry. “I think we can bloody well call that close range without need of a ruler, Sorbet; do your wurst!”



The first unit, the 15th Leger fires, and will receive three green “free” dice; one for being Elite troops and two for the flank shot; as it is close range and the unit's first fire they will have TWO opportunities to re-roll their lowest die. Therefore Sorbet chooses to roll only a single red resource die. Baron Forte attempts to bolster his troopers to better withstand the coming firestorm by transferring 2 Leadership die cot them, but the trooper shave moved too far ahead – he rolls a 14 on 4 dice – close, but the distance measures out to be 16'', so the attempt fails and the dice are lost. Von Karrion declares his intent to roll 2 red resource dice; no free dice are awarded. Sorbet rolls 4,1,1,1! Fortunately, as Boursin is an Average commander, he can re-roll the lowest multiple. Sorbet shows no hesitation in re-rolling those three 1's (the lowest multiple) – he gets another1 and – two 6's! As he also has two re-rolls of lowest die, he re-rolls the 1 for a 5, and now with a 4,5,6,6 opts not to re-roll the lowest, now the 4, so his final total is 21, a fair sight better than the score of 7 on the initial roll! Von Karrion winces, and glumly tosses 2 red dice; a 4... and a 1, total of only 5! The difference is 16! Being Headstrong, had he been beaten by six or less, the Cuirassiers would have been obligated to pay resource dice equal to the score they lost by and stand in good order in lieu of retreating in disorder (ordinarily it is the player's choice), BUT as the Cuirassiers were outscored by more than six, they MUST retreat that distance in inches, becoming disordered, AND pay the difference in scores in resource dice, here 16! “I imagine their Cuirasses are more useful as strainers than armor after that, eh what?” Von Karrion simply glowers, as he moves the Cuirassiers back 16” and marking them as Disordered. “Put a Fire Marker on those Frogs,” he directs, and Sorbet complies without complaint.

Sorbet opts to fire at the second unit of Cuirassiers with the other unit, the 24th Leger. The range is measured to be just under 6”, so long range. He again chooses to roll only one resource die, plus 3 green dice; he will have one re-roll of lowest for First fire. Sorbet rolls – 6,3,6,6! He could choose to re-roll the 3, but opts not to. “What are your Leger armed with today; repeating rifles” protests Von Carrion, as he glumly rolls 2 more red dice, getting a 5 and a 1. Not even an average score again. This time the difference is 15, so the second Cuirassier unit retreats back 15” in Disorder, winding up right next to it fellow. Sorbet lightly tosses a Fired marker onto the 24th, as he listened to the delightful music of 15 more Austrian red resource die as they clatter into the discard bin. The butcher's bill for the overly zealous advance of the Austrian Heavies has been high!

 


“Oh, I say, Von Karrion” sings out Sorbet, “I'll trouble you for another 10 resource dice, if you please?” “Whatever for” snaps back the rather frustrated Austrian General. “Well, my lads have seized control of one of the buildings of Raubersdorf, and each one is worth ten resource dice!” Von Karrion counts out 10 more precious red resource dice and prepares to toss them in the bucket. “I do believe that dice for captured terrain are paid directly to the capturing player” observes Sorbet, his voice as silky as a chocolate Mousse, “now be a good chap and hand them over!” Von Karrion is now beyond annoyed. “Bother and befusticate; that really dampens my powder, I'll tell you that!”

Resource Dice Used: 21 French (but 10 claimed from the Austrians for net 40 total), 45 Austrian (82 total)


Turn 2, Phase 4: Austrian Initiative
Von Karrion opts to start with the infantry of the Advanced Guard in Column Mass, who have crossed the Raub already. Their commander is inept and has but a single Leadership die; he is too far away to be able to transfer it. Von Karrion announces his intent to change facing, and manages only a high of 3 on 4 red die rolls, which added to a 5 on the green die results in a score of 8; deducting 6” for the facing change, results in little more than a readjustment of their orientation. The 2 Landwehr units of the Brigade appear well positioned and thus do not attempt to move. Similarly, the central column Mass of the Infantry Division appears well placed, and any attempt to move them with the Headstrong C-in-C rules will doubtless result in them over-running their own guns. The Grenadiers also appear well placed at present, and feeling the loss of resource dice, Von Karrion opts to stand pat with them as well. A defensive posture is starting to look like a wise plan. The far right Column Mass of Line infantry is in contact with the Raubersgrube; seizing the lower level is worth 10 desperately needed resource dice. The Hill is class II, and thus any dice showing 1 or 2 will be ignored. Being both nearby and having little else to use hi4 Leadership dice for this turn, the Division Commander, Baron Subito adds his 4 yellow dice to the move; they will also add 2 green dice (one each for Column Mass and a Headstrong C-in-C). Von Karrion rolls 1,2,2,2,3,4,6. Dropping the 1's and 2's still gives a move of 13”, but the advance is halted after about 6” when the Mass encounters the second tier of the hill. “I'll trouble you for my 10 dice back, Prince”, he demands, gesticulating somewhat wildly at the now occupied Raubersgrube. “Easy come, easy go!” remarks Sorbet as he takes 10 red dice from his stockpile and adds them to the Austrian supply. As there are no more actions he wishes to take, they roll for initiative for the next phase, and Von Karrion wins easily, choosing to go first.



Resource Dice Used: 10 French (50 total), 8 Austrian ( but 10 claimed from the French, net 80 total)


 Turn 2, Phase 5: Austrian Initiative
This is Artillery Actions, so Von Karrrion removes the smoke from the battery which had fired lat turn. He is tempted to shoot at the enemy artillery near the bridge, but judges they are probably more than 16” away, and thus at Extreme range. His Horse Battery can act on this card, so he decides to commit 1 red die; they get 2 green dice for being Limbered (counts as Column of Route), and he decides to throw in all three of the Brigade commander's yellow Leadership dice. He rolls 4,3,2,3,4,3. “Since the river is Class III terrain, I have to ignore any 1's, 2's, or 3's. That leaves me 8” of movement.” Sorbet furrows his brow “I'm afraid it's not just so, my good man; remember that when artillery is traversing difficult terrain, it counts it as one class higher; thus you must ignore the 4's too! It seems your gunners must be searching for a ford. Bad luck, that!”

Resource Dice Used: 0 French (50 total), 1Austrian ( 81 total)


Turn two, Phase 5: French initiative
Sorbet also judges the range to be too far to be worth shooting with his light guns. However, he has a heavy 12 lber battery and decides to chance a shot with it. He measures and the enemy battery is within 24” (long range) of his 12 pounders, as is the Landwehr unit in line behind it. Sorbet rolls 2 red dice, and because it is their first shot, he my re-roll the lowest. He rolls a pair of 4's and, as this is slightly above average, decides not to do any re-rolls. Von Karion's battery will get a free die for it being the first time they are fired upon by artillery from long range, and he opts to add 2 red dice for reasonable assurance; the score of his three dice easily beats Sorbet's total of 8. “Your Landwehr has to roll for the Bounce through fire”, Sorbet declares. Opposing the same roll (8), the Landwehr get two green dice, one for being the first bounce through, and another for their first time under long range artillery fire. Therefore, Von Karrion rolls only a single red die, which along with the two green again beats Sorbet's roll, while Sorbet thoughtfully marks the battery with a puff of smoke.

Resource Dice Used: 2 French (52 total), 3 Austrian (84 total)



Turn Two, Phase 6: Austrian and French Initiatives
This is the Rally, Restore, an Reload phase, and Von Karrion again rolls higher and chooses to go first. He sees no shots worth taking, and thus removes any smoke puffs on hi units now. Only the Cuirassiers of Baron Forte's brigade need rallying, and the baron has already used all his leadership dice. Von Karrion thus replenishes the supply of Leadership dice for all his commanders, and then tries to rally the 2 units of Disordered Cuirassiers, allocating 2 red resource dice and two leadership dice to each unit. They also get two green dice, one because any leadership dice are being used, and another as it is the unit's first rally attempt of the game. The Cuirassiers are regulars, and thus require a double of 4 or more to rally. For the first unit, he tosses 1,3,5,6,6,6. This rallies the unit to Good Order, and what us more, any triple of a number sufficient to rally awards a free die to the unit, which may be used immediately for any action, or saved. For the second unit he rolls 1,1,2,2,4,6. “That was close, Old Bean” quips Sorbet. “You do realize that had you rolled three or more 1's, your unit would have immediately routed off the table, don't you?” “Well, there are only two, and as they are the lowest multiple, I shall re-roll them.” A 3 and a 5 come up. The second unit has failed its attempt to Rally.

Sorbet has no units to rally, and decides against taking another shot with his 12lber battery now and thus leaving it vulnerable thereafter. Thus he simply restores the full quota of Leadership dice to all of his officers, reloads his Leger Brigade, and the Second turn concludes.

Resource Dice Used: 0 French (52 total), 4 Austrian (88 total)



Commentary: We welcome back Herr I. Q. von Brenner for his thoughts on Turn Two.

 “Well, first let me say that it wasn’t jolly sporting of them to eat all the snacks before I had a chance at them, now was it? Just because I was a teeny bit critical of both of their actions in Turn One, my poor stomach left to growl was! Ah, the sacrifices one must make in pursuit of improvement in the Military Art! In any event, clearly Von Karrion made a serious error of judgment in even attempting to move the Cuirassiers further  forward while under such Headstrong Leadership. He is falling behind Sorbet in Resource dice. It seems this may be causing him to shift to a more defensive posture. While that may be prudent, I suspect it won’t mesh with his command style for long. Sorbet’s bold move with his Léger Brigade seems to have paid off for now, but their position could be seriously compromised if the dice go against him next turn. Personally,  I can’t wait to see how it will all turn out!”

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I hope you are enjoying the adventures of Von Karrion and Sorbet as they explore the new Die Fighting rules by Bob Jones. I hope to post another installment within a week or so.

Peter



Friday, May 6, 2011

The "To Do" List

My friend Eric Burgess posted his (very ambitious/impressive) Projects list for 2011 to his Blog, which is what prompted this post on my part.

First, some Goals for 2011 that are already done:

A) Start this Blog and post with some regularity!
B) Plan and run the Gorodetschna,1812 scenario at HAVOC in April 2011(with Bary, Greg, and Thomas of the Hartford (CT) Area Historical Wargames Society or "HAHGS")  -  Report  here on Barry's Blog
C) Finish the 1809: Blunders on the Danube scenario book - done as of the end of March. Awaiting final layout and publication, probably at least several months in the future. BTW, here's the tentative back cover text delineating the scenarios covered:

  
This book contains 23 scenarios for use with Brent Oman's Horse and Musket era rules, Field of Battle, by Piquet

1) Sacile: April 16. Prince Eugene's first battle, where he was defeated by Archduke John.
2) Raszyn: April 19 Poniatowski's Polish troops, with Saxon allies, try to delay Archduke Ferdinand's advance on Warsaw.
3) Teugen Hausen: April 19 Davout's 3rd Corps advancing from Ratisbon must defeat Hohenzollern's Austrian III Corps to reunite with the main army and avoid destruction by Archduke Charles
4) Abensberg: April 20. The Emperor Napoleon arrives in Bavaria, and the momentum shifts decisively to the French and their allies!
5) Eggmuhl: April 22 Napoleon attempts to trap the retreating Austrians against the Danube. The Austrian rearguard must delay the French , and then make good their own escape.
6) Neumarkt; April 24 Austrian general Hiller turns at bay and chastises the pursuing French and Bavarians under Marshal Bessieres.
7) Grochow: April 25 Prince Poniatowski leads his Poles on a raid across the Vistula upon the Advanced Guard Division of Austrian General von Mohr.
8) Ebelsberg: May 3 Massena's troops attempts to destroy the Austrians of Hiller's command before they can retreat across the River Traun.
9) Battle on the Piave: May 8 Prince Eugene surprises Archduke John by making a bold crossing of the rapidly rising River Piave.
           10) Tarvis: May 17 Prince Eugene and the Army of Italy come across the weak Austrian VII corps under Albert Gyulai. Despite their strong position, the Austrians are swept from the field.
11) Aspern-Essling Day 1: May 21 Overconfidence and reliance upon a rickety bridge leave the French fighting for their lives along the Danbube.
12) Aspern-Essling Day 2: May 22 Unable to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, Napoleon is ultimately forced to retreat back across the Danube.
13) Gospic: May 21-22 Marshal Marmont attempts to chase the Austrians out of Croatia.
14) St. Michael: May 25 Johann Jellacic's Division is under orders to withdraw from Styria, but Eugene catches up with him and goes immediately to the attack!
15) 2nd Battle of Bergisel: May 29 Tyrolean Rebels, including Andreas Hoffer, harass Deroy's Bavarian Division near Innsbruck.
16) Klagenfurt: June 6 Chasteler's command must withdraw from the Tyrol. They and their baggage must pass by the walled town of Klagenfurt. French GD Rusca isn't planning to make it easy for them!
17) Raab: June 14 Prince Eugene faces Archduke John for the third time. With his army filled with large numbers of the untested Hungarian Insurrectio, John holds a strong defensive position.
18) Graz: June 26 Une contra Dix”; Ignaz Gyulai attempts to destroy the isolated 84e Ligne; the result is one of the most celebrated feats of arms by the French Infantry.
19) Wagram: July 6 Napoleon and the Archduke Charles square off in what is the largest battle in the history of Europe to that point.
20)Wagram: Davout’s Attack The action on the French Right Flank.
21) Wagram: Rumble on the Russbach The central portion of the battle along the Russbacj stream.
22) Wagram: Crisis on the French Left Massena and Bernadotte attempt to stem the initial Austrian attack... without using up too many of the French reserves!
23) Znaim: July 11 The French catch up with the retreating Austrians, and battle is joined while peace negotiations proceed apace even as brave men on both sides fight and die.
                                                                                                             
                        

Next are the Items in Progress:

D) With Joe and Barry, run  2-3 Vauban's Wars playtest games (Eric's forthcoming 18th Century Siege rules). One done in February, second coming up in about 10 days.
E) Plan and run/assist slate of Piquet/Field of Battle games at Historicon 2011:

* Znaim 1809 Thursday night (Field of Battle)
* Assist Eric with Punic Wars game Friday AM (Archon, 2nd ed.)
* Assist Tim with ACW game Friday Afternoon (Field of Battle)
* Assist Barry with Neverenufsky Friday evening (Field of Battle, fictional Napoleonic)
* Renaissance Trilogy (Band of Brothers, 2nd edition: Sudomer - Hussite Wars, Cerignola - Great Italian Wars, Ceressole, Late Great Italian Wars) - with Dave Maupin; Saturday afternoon

F) Continue painting for our Borodino, et all project for Historicon 2012 (and for our 1813 Dresden et al project for 2012):

Peter's To Do List for Borodino, July 2012:

French/Allied:
Paint 4 (6) more French Line [done] and posted to this blog
4 units Vistula Legion [have]
Paint one more French Chevau-Leger (Lanciers) [doneand posted to this blog
1 unit Polish Hussars [doneand posted to this blog
1 Unit Polish Chasseurs a Cheval [doneand posted to this blog
Paint 3 units French Horse Artillery [done]
Paint 2 units French 6/8# Foot Artillery [have]
(Paint 1 more unit French 12# Foot Artillery [have/extra] )
(Paint 1 more unit French Guard Horse Artillery [have/extra] )


Russian:
Paint 2 (3) Russian Guards (Seminovsky, Litovsky) Done  to be posted
Paint 2 more Guard Jager (use new S&S Jager Regts) [in progress]
4 Moscow Militia ( 4 stands of 3 each) [need to order, paint]
2 more Russian Hussars [have, need to paint]
1 Guard Hussar [have, need to paint]
1 Chevalier Guard [have, need to paint]
2 more Cossacks [have need to paint]
Paint 3 more Russian Horse Artillery [done] to be posted
Paint 2 more Russian 12# Foot [ have ]
Paint 3 more Russian 6# Foot ( 3 extra, one will represent Guard?) [ have]
Paint Russian Officers [have]


G) Paint 32 Roman Velites and command figures for new Roman Legions for Eric's A2 game at Historicon
H) Consider finishing painting that New Kingdom Egyptian Army I started in 2007, LOL!
I) Paint additional Renaissance/Italian Wars troops as motivated (have lots)
J) Purchase more Perry HYW figures gradually
K) With Barry, Greg, Thomas, Joe, et al - run big test game of Borodino ?? at EllisCon in October
L) In our fictional Naopleonic campaign using Warplan 5/5, La République du Bénéfice  (my country, based loosely on Revolutionary France, and led by Premier Contrôleur Rob S. Pierre) will continue its thus far inept attempts to defeat Ratlandia (Joe's contry, sort of a Brittain/Brunswick cross, lead by none other than the Big Cheese himself, King Rat).
M) start planning for the 2013/1813 project!  :-)




Sample map cards from Warplan 5/5, a system from back circa 1970, but used for a total of six campaigns now with various players since then ; my Capitol city is in card 9A.













Not as impressive as Eric's list, but still fairly formidable!

Good gaming,

-Peter

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Die Fighting, Part III - Die Schlact (von Raubersfluss), Turn 1

The Emperor and the Kaiser were at war. As this circumstance was more the rule than the exception, it hardly requires explanation. Suffice it to say that the Emperor's attempt to seize the crown of Spain for his brother was viewed by the Kaiser as both outrageous and offering the opportunity to invade the territory of the Emperor's ally while he was still distracted in Spain. In the course of said invasion of Bavaria, General Count Herbert von Carrion was ordered by the Kaiser to seize the bridge over the Raubersfluss and destroy it, whilst General Prince Sorbet, was ordered to seize the bridge without delay, as the Emperor was racing to the Front in his carriage, and he and his entourage needed to pass over the bridge swiftly to commence his chastisement of the forces of the Kaiser for their acts of aggression.

Turn 1 - Start
To start the turn, a green ("free") D6 is rolled - a 5. This indicates the turn will start with phase 5, which is the Artillery actions phase. The opposing C-in-C's then roll their leadership dice. Von Carrion, being Headstrong, starts with 4, while Sorbet, having a cooler disposition (Average), has but three. Sorbet rolls his three yellow "leadership" dice, a 3, 3, and a 6  for a total of 12, while Von Carrion rolls a 2,5,2, and a 1   for a total of  10. Sorbet has won the initiative, and chooses to act first, as his guns are well positioned to advance and are well lead.

Turn One, Phase 5 - French Initiative.
First, the light foot battery attached to the 6th Infantry brigade is chosen. The Brigade commander is the Compte de Champagne, who is Average (3 Leadership Dice). As phase 6  (Rally and Restore) will follow this one, Sorbet knows any Leadership dice expended in this phase will be restored in the next, so he may as well make use of his sub commander's Leadership dice! In order to pass leadership dice to a unit under his command, the Leader in question must roll their Leadership dice and roll equal or less than the distance to the unit. Champagne rolls his thee yellow Leadership dice, and scores an 11. Von Carrion measures the distance to the French battery: just under 11". Drat! The test is successful, and Champagne passes all three of his Leadership dice to the battery. Now Sorbet must decide whether to roll one or two red "resource" dice. He must roll at least one, and no more than 2. Resource dice, once used, are gone forever, and as the battery is unlimbered, which counts as Column of Route formation, it will get two additional green "free" dice to roll. However, it takes 6" of movement for the battery to unlimber, and it will not be able to fire until the next Rally and Reload phase comes up. The attempt to unlimber must be declared before any dice are rolled. As it happens, that is the very next phase, and by rolling a single resource die, the battery will be rolling six dice for movement. As it is a crack battery, it will also be able to re-roll its lowest die, as well as the lowest multiple. One resource die seems adequate here. Champagne rolls: 1,2,3,3, 5,5. As a Crack unit the 1 is re-rolled - a 2! All but poor units can re-roll their lowest multiple, now the two 2's, which he does, and gets a 3 and a 4. The battery's final total movement roll is thus 3+3+3+4+5+5, or 23"! Von Carrion scowls and comments "don't forget to deduct the 6" for unlimbering!" "Quite alright", replies Sorbet coldly; "I didn't want to move them that far anyway".  Indeed, the 17" move ends with the battery even with the village of Raubersdorf, unlimbered, and looking to make Von Carryon's attempt to ford the Raub river quite hazardous. "Remember to chuck out one resource die for that, Sorbet" grouses Von Carrion. Sorbet tosses a red resource die airily into his previously empty discard bin. "Rather well spent, eh?" he observes.

Moving on to his remaining batteries, another light foot battery is attached to the 3rd Infantry Brigade, commanded by the Baron of Burgundy. An Average Leader and thus having 3 Leadership dice, he is within 2" of the battery, and thus no roll is necessary to transfer dice, as it is impossible to roll less than 3 on 3 dice! Burgundy decides to use 1 Resource die only, and pass only two of his three yellow dice. He rolls a 1,2,3,6,6. This battery is average, and thus cannot re-roll the lowest die, and he certainly doesn't want to re-roll the only multiple (the pair of sixes), so the roll stands. Having declared his intent to unlimber, 6" is deducted resulting in a move of 12", and the battery once again , marked with a puff of "smoke". Another red resource die is tossed into the French Discard bin.

There remains a Heavy 12 lber battery and a Horse Artillery Battery under the command of Sorbet's Artillery chief, Colonel Amusez-BoucheBouche elects to re-roll the three "3's", the lowest multiple. He scores a 2, 3, and a 6; added to the two 5's that makes 21". He deducts 6" for the turn and 6" for the unlimbering for a final move of 9". The battery is once again marked with smoke, and 2 red resource dice are discarded (one for each of the 2 batteries). "I could fire my Horse battery at your chaps, von Carrion, but it doesn't seem quite prudent, now does it?" Sorbet observes airily. "Then that ends your part of the phase, and it is it time for my lads to act" rumbles von Carrion in his low baritone.

Resource dice used: 4 French


 Results of the actions of Phase 5, French initiative;
the card is illustrative, and merely summarizes the options available


Turn One, Phase 5: Austrian Initiative
Von Carrion is none too pleased; Sorbet has managed to position his artillery most favorably. Perhaps he can orchestrate an effective counterpoint!

Herzog Andante's Advanced Guard command has a light Foot battery in position to advance upon the critical bridge. Andante is Inept, which means he has but a single Leadership die, and can only roll ONE resource die when advancing upon the enemy. Von Carrion, the C-in-C is Headstrong, which means his troops add a free die when moving, must re-roll the lowest die, and must move the full distance rolled!  As the Rally and Restore phase is next, Andante decides to add his lone LD. He is 2" away and rolls a "1", so the attempt is unsuccessful. The battery declares its intent to unlimber, and rolls 1 red, and 3 green (two for being in Column of Route/Limbered formation, and one for a headstrong C-in-C) dice 3,5,5,5!  Re-rolling the "3" results in another 3. Andante is afraid this will bring the battery too far forward, and chose to re-roll a pair of 5's; he gets a 1 and a 4. The final total is thus 15", and deducting the 6" to unlimber, the battery moves forward 9" and is marked with smoke. This is a good position, so Von Carrion smiles blandly and comments "Looks like your guns aren't the only ones to be well sited, eh?". Prince Sorbet contemplates wiping the smile off his opponent's face by firing at the newly advanced battery with his Horse battery, but decides not to... at least for now.

Von Carrion turns to his large Infantry Division, commanded by the Very Dependable Baron Subito, which has 2 Light Foot batteries attached. He decides not to bother adding any Leadership dice, and rolls 1 red and three green dice, totaling 13; deducting 6" gives him a 7" move which allows the battery to move up even with the first one. For the second battery, he rolls 2,2,3,6. Looking at the situation, he decides that it might be better to move this battery (rated "average") farther and up against the Raubersgrube hill, so he rolls the pair of 2's  (lowest multiple) and scores a 3 and a 5! Total is now 17, so deducting the 6" for limbering leaves 11" which puts the battery in pretty much the position Von Carrion had in mind. This leaves the Light Foot Battery attached to the Reserve Division, leading the column on the road. This Division is lead by the Foolhardy Graf Largo; foolhardy leaders ALWAYS must roll 2 resource dice whenever possible, so he takes a test and adds one of his 3 leadership dice. The battery, which is again average,  declares his intent to both maneuver and unlimber, and rolls 2 red, 1 yellow, and 3 green dice: 2,3,5,5,6,6. Von Carrion could choose to re-roll the pair of 5's, but this looks to be about the right score for what he has in mind (having a headstrong C-in-C, he MUST take the whole movement available), so the battery is advanced into position. The final battery, a horse gun attached to the Light cavalry, is blocked by a massed column of infantry in front of it and so chooses not to move. A total of 5 resource dice have been thrown into the Austrian discard bin for this phase. Pleased with his maneuvers, Von Carrion hears a sweep of strings in the sound track accompanying the battle. It appears that only he can hear the music, but what of it?

Resource Dice used: 5 Austrian



Results of the actions of Phase 5, Austrian Initiative


This  phase concluded, the game moves on to Phase 6, "Rally, Restore, Reload". Neither Sorbet nor Von Carrion have used used any of their Leadership dice, so Von Carrion tosses 4 dice - 1,2,3,5 = 11 in total. Sorbet gives a flick of his somewhat limp wrist and his three dice come up 2,4,6! The French have won the toss again, and Sorbet opts to act first.

Turn One, Phase 6 - French Initiative

This phase allows the following, in any order:
A) Attempt to rally units in disorder or Rout. As he has none, Sorbet need not waste his limited intellectual prowess on considering this option!
B) Eliminated Officers are replaced. While Sorbet can definitely think of some leaders he's like to eliminate, he has not lost any so he passes over this option as well.
C) Leadership dice are restored. His army has certainly used a few, knowing this phase was next.
D) All units, except Cavalry and Skirmishers, remove fire marker puffs and my fire again.

The Prince realizes that his Horse Artillery Battery does not have a Fire marker on it; thus he may as well fire it now, or the chance for an extra shot will be lost. In addition, as Leadership dice are due to be replenished, he may as well try to augment the battery's fire with Leadership dice now. Colonel Bouche has already used but one of all his leadership dice and the battery appears to be well over 6" away from him. He prefers not to use dice from his new allotment and have few left for the rest of the turn. Only a unit's commanding officer, or the C-in-C, may transfer Leadership dice, and as Sorbet has used none, he has his full quota yet available. A scheme starts to coalesce within his cortex.

"Say there, Von Carrion, I rather fancy a shot by my horse battery, which as you will note is fully loaded already. As I shall replenish my Leadership Dice regardless, I'm going to use them to support the fire of the battery. All right by you, my good fellow?"*

* (Sorbet has conveniently forgotten that adding Leadership Dice to offensive fire is not allowed, although he manges to remember it when Van Carrion attempts it later in the battle)

"Check to see if you pass first", Von Carrion replies in rapid staccato .

"Oh yes, bother, there is that. Well, here goes!" He rolls three yellow dice - a 1... and another 1. Curses! The final die comes up a glorious 5. They measure the distance from Sorbet to the battery - just over 6", so the dice are passed successfully. He chooses his target - the closest unlimbered Austrian battery. He chooses to roll 2 red resource dice, plus his three yellow leadership dice. He also gets a green free die because the battery is elite. He then measures the distance to the target - almost 21, extreme range! As it is the battery's first fire, he will be able to re-roll his lowest die.

As Sorbet prepares to select his dice, Von Carrion remarks "Well, two can play at THAT game, Old Bean. I have four Leadership dice of my own to add to the defense roll by my battery.

"Roll your check, then" Sorbet responded, more than a bit tartly. Von Carrion rolls - 3, 2, 1... Blast it all - and then a 5! The battery turns out to be just over 10" away, so Von Carrion has succeeded as well. The Austrian battery, with the odds in its favor, chooses to roll only one red die, plus 4 yellow ones, plus a green (free) die for being fired at at extreme range, plus another because the battery is deployed, plus yet another because it is the first fire by that battery at a target at long or extreme range. Because the Austrian battery has a fire marker still on it, it will also be able to re-roll its lowest die.

Sorbet rolls - 1,1,2,3,5,6. He re rolls his lowest multiple, the two 1's, getting a 1 and a 6. He the re-rolls his lowest die, the lone 1, and gets a 4. His final total is 26.

Von Carrion rolls -  2,2,2,2,5,6,6,6. Total of 29. He could re- roll some or all of the 2's, as well as his lowest die, but there is no need as he has already bested Sorbet's. As this was long range fire, had he failed to beat Sorbet's score, he could have done another complete re-roll, although that would cost fresh Resource dice. "Imagine your gunners are bit whipped from their gallop forwards, eh Sorbet?"

"Well, I have no more units that can fire, so I'll reload all my guns and take their fire markers off. I don't think I'll try any more long range fire just now, so that leaves me nothing more to do than to replenish all my leadership dice", which he does. Sorbet discards two red dice and Von Carrion one.

Resource Dice used: 2 French (6 total), 1 Austrian (6 total)


Turn One, Phase 6 - Austrian Initiative

Having the same options, and no units than can fire before they remove their fire markers, Von Carrion silently removes the fire markers and replenishes his Leadership Dice.

Both eminent generals roll their freshly replenished Leadership Dice for initiative for Phase 1. Sorbet rolls 2,4,6; Von Carrion 1,1,2,5. Sorbet has outscored him for the third time in a row despite rolling fewer dice.

Turn One, Phase 1 - French and Austrian Initiatives

"Specialized Actions", which allows skirmishers and cavalry to reload, Engineering actions, and ships, balloons, trains etc to take action. In later periods, repeating rifles and Machine guns may also reload on this card. As it is, neither side has any actions they can take in this phase at present, so Sorbet graciously allows the Austrians to "act" first this time out. Von Carrion's stomach rumbles and he belches in response to the jab by Sorbet. Maybe those chili cheese fries he had for lunch at the pub before the battle weren't the best idea, after all.


Turn One, Phase 2 - French and Austrian Initiatives

"Officer Actions" which basically allows all leaders to use 4 Free dice for movement. On the initiative roll, Sorbet rolls a 9, and Von Carrion an 11; as a counterpoint to Sorbet's equally meaningless  earlier courtesy, Von Carrion declares, "Gentlemen of France, you may act first!". Both generals adjust the positions of their generals using 4 free dice for each general moved; none needed to move further than their rolls allowed. Initiative for the next phase was diced for; Sorbet scored 15 and Von Carrion 20. He chooses to go first.

Turn One, Phase 3 - French and Austrian Initiatives

Phase three is Cavalry Actions. Von Carrion's Light cavalry is still blocked by the infantry in front of them, but his Heavy cavalry brigade is free to move on the far right Austrian flank. Graf Forte, their commander, is every bit as Headstrong as Von Carrion himself. He is 5" from one Cuirassier unit and 6" from the other; he easily passes the test to pass along one Leadership die to each unit. As they are Heavy Cavalry, they get a free die and re roll the lowest. As their commander is Headstrong, they get another free die and another re-roll of the lowest. Each unit rolls 1 red, 1 yellow, and two green dice; they will have to move the entire distance. The right hand unit rolls - 1,1,2,3! As the unit is average, it can re- roll the lowest multiple, and scores a 4 and a 6! The 2 is now the lowest die so that is re-rolled for a 3, and the next lowest a 3 is re-rolled for a 5. Final move distance -18", quite different form 7". The second unit rolls 3,4,6,6. Re rolling the 3 becomes a 6, and re-rolling the 4 becomes a 2 - final move distance is 20" Two resource dice are discarded.


The results of Phase 3, Austrian Initiative


The initiative passes to Sorbet. His Light cavalry are blocked by the infantry to their front, and he debates facing them to their left so that they can cross the Raub, but as they still won't be able to move, he decides the resource dice are better saved for a time when the Cavalry can make better use of their mobility. Besides, this way he can keep Von Carrion guessing about his plans. "I think I'll pass on this phase, Von Carrion!' he remarks.

The two generals roll their Leadership Dice again, and this time Von Carrion easily outscores Sorbet, and chooses to go first.

Resource Dice used: 0 French (6 total), 2 Austrian (8 total)


Turn One, Phase 4 - Austrian Initiative

This is the Infantry Actions Phase. "Ah-hah" trumpets Von Carrion; "At last we come to the meat of the turn, my dear Sorbet!" He chooses his left flank Advanced Guard Infantry Brigade to move first. This has 4 units in a massed column poised to cross the Raub. General Andante is Inept, but he is within 1" of the formation and thus may pass his lone Leadership Die without needing to test. Each of the 4 units in the Massed Column will roll one red resource die, and the highest roll only will count; to that will be added a green die (for Massed Column formation) a second green die (for a Headstrong C-in-C) and the Leadership Die. Von Carrion rolls a 5, then a 6!  There is no need to roll the remaining two red dice, but they still echo as the four dice are tossed into the Austrian Discard bin. He rolls a 3, a 4 and a 4 on the additional dice, a total of 17. The stream is Class III, however, and thus any dice scores of 1, 2, or 3 are ignored.  As the C-in-C is Headstrong, they must still move the maximum possible distance. Because they are entering difficult terrain, 6" (the rule of six) is deducted from their move. This leaves them with 8", enough to cross with room to spare. Andante has two units of Landwehr under his command as well. One is in line, and rolls a "3" on its single red die (he has no more Leadership Dice to pass), and another "3" on the green die (for a Headstrong C-in-C). Being an Inept commander, Andante cannot re roll dice of 3 or less, so they move forward 6". The second unit is in Attack column and thus will get an extra free die for that and another (Headstrong). Von Carrion announces his intent to change formation, and rolls a 3, 5 and a 6!  He could re-roll the 3 (lowest die, because of being in attack column), but it seems unwise. Deducting 6" for deploying into line, the second Landwehr unit moves up behind the artillery line. Two more red dice are gone.


Phase 4, Austrian Initiative; the Advanced Guard Infantry cross the Rauber


Next, Von Carrion turns to his large Line Infantry Division. Its commander is Very Dependable, and he is within 6" of two separate, 4 unit strong Column masses. The one closest to the guns doesn't need any more dice, but he hopes to seize the Raubersgrube with the Mass to his right. He easily passes the test with his 4 Leadership dice, and passes 2 dice to that mass. Both masses will get the best of four Resource die rolls, plus 2 green dice (Mass and Headstrong C-in-C), and the right mass will get the 2 yellow dice as well. The left Mass, not surprisingly, rolls a 6 as its best of 4 red dice, and then another 6 and a 5! Egads, at this rate the Mass will overrun the Artillery line, disordering both. Von Carrion re-rolls the lowest die, the 5, and get a lower score as he had hoped, a 3. Desperate, he re- rolls the lowest multiple (pair of 6's) as well, scoring a 2 and a 4. The resulting 9" move is enough to move up in support of the guns without going right through them. "Rather against the spirit of the thing, don't you think, old boy" grouses Sorbet. The right hand mass gets a 5 as its best of 4 red die rolls, and then rolls only 1,2,2,3 with the remaining dice. He re-rolls the lowest die (Mass), and the one becomes a 2. He re-rolls the lowest multiple (three 2's) and gets 5,5,6. The final total is 24! The mass moves forwards obliquely a little over 12", whereupon it encounters the Raubersgrube and must halt. 8 red dice are removed from play.

Finally, Von Carrion examines his Reserve Brigade, commanded by the Foolhardy Graf Largo. Each of the 4 Grenadier units is in column of Route, strung out along the road. Each will get 2 free dice for being in Column of Route, another for having a Headstrong C-in-C, and yet another for having a foolhardy sub-commander, PLUS they MUST roll 2 red resource dice (never one), AND move the FULL distance. The Austrian Grenadiers are rated as Guards, and thus do not get yet another free die as Elites do, but as they all rolled up Crack, they may re-roll their lowest die. Feeling his heart pound a bit like a tympani, Von Carrion resolves to act rather than await events. He declares the intent to change formation with all 4 units, and decides there is clearly no need to add Leadership dice to the equation! Taking a breath deep as though he were about to sing an aria, he rolls for the Grenadiers, from closest to farthest:  1,1,2,3,4,5 = 16, 10" after deducting 6" (the rule of six) for deploying into line, then 1,1,2,3,6,6 = 20", 14" after allowing for the formation change to line. The next rolls 1,2,2,6,6,6 for 23", less 6" for changing into Attack Column is 17", and the final unit rolls 2,3,4,4,5,5 - here he chooses to reroll the lowest, so the 2 becomes a 4; 20" after deducting for changing into Attack Column. Miraculously, this stacks the now deployed Grenadiers one behind the other almost perfectly! Eight more red resource dice are expended. "I say, are you about DONE there, Vee-Kay?" whines Sorbet. "Why yes, I do believe I am. Your go, Prince."

Resource Dice Used: 0 French (6 total), 22 Austrian (30 total)



Phase 4, Austrian Initiative;
situation in the center after all actions are completed.


Turn One, Phase 4 - French Initiative

Sorbet starts with the 6th Infantry Brigade on his far right, lead by the boringly Average Compte de Champagne. The Brigade is in Column mass, and he decides to throw all of Champagnes Leadership Dice into the mix, easily passing the test as he is just over 4" in advance of them. The highest of 4 red die rolls is a 5, and that plus 1 green die (for Mass) and 3 yellow dice, plus a re-roll of a 2 yields a total score of 27"! The Mass moves forwards a little over 23" and then halts when it hits the edge of the plowed fields outside Raubersdorf (Class I terrain). Four red dice are discarded.


Phase 5, French Initiative, after the advance of the 6th Brigade


Next to them is the 5th Brigade, lead by the equally Bland Compte de Chambertin. These units are in separate attack columns, and once again Sorbet chooses to allocate all of the Compte's 3 Leadership dice, two  and one respectively to the lead units, again passing his test to do so. When all is said and done, this results in the lead two units reaching Raubersdorf, while the rearward two units trailed behind considerably. Four more resource dice are discarded.

Following in turn is the Baron of Burgundy's 3rd Brigade, yet another officer of undistinguished vintage. Sorbet has him successfully pass all three of his Leadership dice to the unit closest to the river, declaring his intent that they should change formation. With five dice plus a re-roll of the lowest, the unit easily moves forward and deploys into line between the gun line and the river. The other 3 units move forward variable distances in a generally satisfactory manner. Another 4 red dice are gone forever.

The second Brigade is lead by the Baron of Bordeaux, evidently of more formidable stock as he is quite Headstrong in character. His Brigade is in column mass and will thus roll an extra green die for that and another for having a Headstrong sub-commander. "Say there, Sorbet, care to use any of your Leadership dice for them?" asks Von Carrion in an almost sing-song like voice.  It seems both unwise and unnecessary to Sorbet, however, so he does not. After a re-roll of a low die, the Mass moves forward 12", directly behind the French gun line. Four more red dice are lost, tossed like a salad into the French discard bin.


Phase 4, French Initiative;
situation in the center after moves by the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th Brigades


That leaves the two small Light Infantry Brigades, poised to cross over the river Raub. Baron Boursin's 1st Brigade is in a 2 unit column mass. Both units are Elite Light Infantry. The Baron, needing a touch more seasoning, is only average, but he contributes one of his three Leadership Dice to the move. The Brigade gets a free die for Mass, a free die for being Light Infantry, and yet another for being Elite. The best of the two red die rolls is a 5, and with the three green and one yellow die added in, the total comes to 19! Von Carrion breaks into Sorbet's reverie, saying "Don't forget to deduct 6" for crossing the river; rule of six and all that, you know!" Although the subtraction leaves a bad taste in his mouth, he complies, and the Brigade moves 13" across the Raub. But Von Carrion is not finished; returning like variation on a theme in a Mozart Bassoon concerto, he chortles. "Duuu-uuude!  Do I have a flank shot I have on your Lights?" (In the heat of the moment, he has quite forgotten the sophisticated affectation he so carefully cultivates. He swiftly recovers his composure.)  "By the Kaiser's hare lip, I believe it is!"
"Looks to be extreme range" sniffs Sorbet petulantly.
 "And what of it? My battery will take the shot! Let's see, that's two free dice for a flank shot, and as it's my first shot, I'll get to re roll the lowest die. Hullo, my own figure is within 7"; I shall pass 2 Leadership Dice to support the fire of the battery!" 
Sorbet replies snipily "Oh no you don't, Vee Kay; Leaders can only add to Defense in Fire, and Attack in Melee…  right there on page 24."
"Oh, bother!", ejaculates Von Carrion, who incidentally loathes being called Vee Kay, as Sorbet is well aware.
Now cool as a late summer cucumber, Sorbet asks in his sauciest tone, "Well, are you taking the shot or not?"
"Can't pass up the chance - I'll roll 2 resource dice plus the two free dice; how about you, Sorbet?"
"Patience, my bold friend. I think we should measure the range first." Tape measure in hand, Sorbet determines it is just a half an inch over 24" from the battery to the nearest Light Infantry. "Tough luck that, my man... out of range! I'll trouble you to give up those two resource dice, though, if you please!"  Von Carrion does so with notable bad grace, as he also marks the Austrian Battery with smoke.

That leaves only the 3rd brigade, also of two Elite Light Infantry units. Its commander, the Compte de Camembert is a sharp one, emulating the tactics of the great Fabius Maximus of antiquity. This has no effect when his troops are advancing, only when retreating, and he has five Leadership dice. He opts to commit three of them, and as he is less than an inch from his troops, there is no chance he will fail to pass the dice. The best of his two red die rolls is a 4, and then he rolls three green and three yellow dice: 1,1,1,2,3,5. As he is crossing a Class III stream, any 1's, 2's, or 3's and their multiples are ignored, and he must also subtract 6" in addition. The net move is just 3". Three inches with SEVEN dice? Sorbet's mood deflates like a soufflé taken out of the oven prematurely. "Seems your Léger don't like getting their feet wet, Prince!" observes Von Carrion sharply. Sorbet scowls as he tosses 4 red dice in to the French discard bin.

Resource Dice Used: 20 French (26 total), 2 Austrian (32 total)


Phase 5, French Initiative;
situation after the Leger Brigades have crossed the Raub

"Well, that would seem to about finish the first turn, eh Von Carrion? What say we adjourn upstairs while we take a glass, and then return for turn two?"



At this point, we must introduce our critic, Herr Ignatius Quintilius von Brenner, epicure and musicologist late of the court of His Majesty, the King of Saxony, and a friend of the two esteemed military gentlemen. Herr von Brenner?

"They both didn't do too badly in the first turn. Artillery fire at extreme range seldom accomplishes much except consuming resource dice, and Von Carrion really should have remembered that pre-measurement is never, ever, allowed, and been more cautious about taking a dicey shot like that in the first place. Those Headstrong commanders can move forwards rapidly, but they're almost like loose cannon, ha-ha, once they start in motion! Now you'll have to excuse me; that glass is sounding mighty good to me as well!"


Till next time when we pick up the tale of Sorbet and Von Carrion... 

Good gaming!

Peter