Battle of Novara, June 6, 1513; Scenario for BoB2

    Viewed as the last great victory of the Swiss pikemen, the Battle of Novara was a surprise dawn attack by the Swiss, who were supporting the return of Maximilian Sforza to power as Duke of Milan. Despite the French victory at the battle of Ravena the previous year, the French had lost control of the Duchy in 1512, and had only recently taken control of it once again. The French, under La Tremouille, were aware of the approach of a large Swiss relief force (the Citadel of Milan had only just been recaptured by the French a few weeks prior). They stood to arms in the event of a Swiss attack, but none materialized, and the Swiss were reported to still be some distance off, and doubtless tired from their long forced march form their cantons. The French bedded down in the village of Trecate for the night, figuring the weary Swiss would surely rest overnight before reorganizing for the attack....

This scenario has been adapted for use with my own  Band of Brothers, 2nd edition rules from that of James Roach, James' version is for his own Piquet/FoB inspired rules, "Hell Broke Loose". If you've some how missed his posts about Novara, and the Italian Wars in general, do yourself a favor and check them out. His painting is awesome in both its quality and its volume!

Terrain notes: The buildings of Trecate are class III terrain. The Marsh is Class III terrain for movement, but offers no cover. The woods and French camp are class II terrain.

French Order of Battle:

Use the following Sequence Deck (modified from the "Great Italian Wars" Muster French):
Cavalry Move in Open 2, Cavalry Maneuver 1, Infantry Move in Open 2, Infantry Maneuver 1, Inf-Cav Move in III/IV 2, Engines of War Move 1, Engines of War Reload 1, Missile Reload 2, Elites Reload 1, Deployment 1, Heroic Moment 2, Melee Resolution 4, Leader Check 3, Milling Around 3, Courage 1, Command Indecision 2*

50 Morale Points

UNIT/description	RATING	FIRE	MELEE	MORALE	NOTES
Gendarmes #1	Elite Household EHC; Hvy Lance	N/A	Up 5	Up 2	metal bard; +2 BDV Fearsome!
Gendarmes #2	Elite Household EHC; Hvy Lance	N/A	Up 5	Up 2	metal bard; +2 BDV Fearsome!
Mtd “Archers”  #1	Elite Feudal HC; Light Lance	N/A	Up 4	Up 1	+2 BDV
Mtd “Archers” #2	Elite Feudal HC; Light Lance	N/A	Up 4	Up 1	+2 BDV

COMMANDER	description	LEADERSHIP	RADIUS	Notes
La Tremouille				+2 to Quality roll; Army C-in-C
		Difficulty Die:		Class II/IV D6;  “Other” D6

** La Tremouille was nearly captured in bed by the Swiss assault in Trecate; as such, he cannot be rated any better than Average, regardless of the D20 roll for his quality!

UNIT/description	RATING	FIRE	MELEE	MORALE	NOTES
Gendarmes #3	Elite Household EHC; Hvy Lance	N/A	Up 5	Up 2	metal bard; +2 BDV Fearsome!

COMMANDER	description	LEADERSHIP	RADIUS	Notes
Robert, Duc d’ Bouillon				aka Robert de la Marck; +2 to Quality roll
		Difficulty Die:		Class II/IV D6;  “Other” D6

UNIT/description	RATING	FIRE	MELEE	MORALE	NOTES
Mounted Crossbowmen	Militia LC; X-bow, Imp weapons	Up 1	Dn 1	Dn 1	Skirmish only!
Stradiots	Mercenary MC, Javelin, swd, shld	NC	Up 2	NC

COMMANDER	description	LEADERSHIP	RADIUS	Notes
Sieur de la Bodice				+2 to Quality roll
		Difficulty Die:		Class II/IV D6;  “Other” D6

UNIT/description	RATING	FIRE	MELEE	MORALE	NOTES
Sk. Crossbows #1	Militia LI, X-bow. Imp weapons	Up 2	Dn 1	Dn 1	Skirmish only!
Sk. Crossbows #2	Militia LI, X-bow. Imp weapons	Up 2	Dn 1	Dn 1	Skirmish only!
Sk. Crossbows #3	Militia LI, X-bow. Imp weapons	Up 2	Dn 1	Dn 1	Skirmish only!
Sk. Crossbows #4	Militia LI, X-bow. Imp weapons	Up 2	Dn 1	Dn 1	Skirmish only!
Crossbowmen A	Mercenary MI; X-bow, Imp wpns	Up 3	NC	NC	Formed only
Crossbowmen B	Mercenary MI; X-bow, Imp wpns	Up 3	NC	NC	Formed only

COMMANDER	description	LEADERSHIP	RADIUS	Notes
Sieur de Beaumont				+2 to Quality roll
		Difficulty Die:		Class II/IV D6;  “Other” D6

UNIT/description	RATING	FIRE	MELEE	MORALE	NOTES
Landsknecht Pike #1	Mercenary MI; Pike	NA	Up 2	NC	36 -Pike Block
Land. Arquebusiers A	Mercenary LI; Arquebus, Imp wpn	Up 2	NC	NC	Skirmish only!
Landsknecht Pike #2	Mercenary MI; Pike	NA	Up 2	NC	36 -Pike Block
Land. Arquebusiers B	Mercenary LI; Arquebus, Imp wpn	Up 2	NC	NC	Skirmish only!
Hvy Artillery C	Militia Artillery; Heavy Guns	Up 2	Dn 2	Dn 1
Hvy Artillery D	Militia Artillery; Heavy Guns	Up 2	Dn 2	Dn 1

COMMANDER	description	LEADERSHIP	RADIUS	Notes
Florange				+2 to Quality roll
		Difficulty Die:		Class II/IV D6;  “Other” D6

Swiss/Milanese Order of Battle

Use the following Swiss Sequence Deck (modified from the "Twilight of Chivalry" Muster Swiss): 
2 cavalry Move in Open, 1 Cavalry Maneuver, 3 Infantry Move in Open, 1 Infantry Maneuver, 2 Inf-Cav Move in III/IV, 1 Engines of War Move, 1 Engines of War Reload, 2 Missile Reload, 1 Elites Reload, 1 Deployment, 1 Heroic Moment, 5 Melee Resolution, 3 Leader Check, 2 Milling Around, 1 Courage!, 1 Pillage and Loot!

35 Morale Points

UNIT/description	RATING	FIRE	MELEE	MORALE	NOTES
Milanese Famiglia	Elite Household EHC; Hvy Lance	N/A	Up 5	Up 2	metal bard; +1 BDV Fearsome!
Swiss Pikes	Elite Mecenary HI/MI; Pike	N/A	Up 3	Up 1	24-Pike Block; +2 BDV; Auto-Rally; Fearsome!
Swiss Crossbowmen	Mercenary LI; X-bow. imp wpn	Up 3	NC	NC	Skirmish only! +2 BDV

COMMANDER	description	LEADERSHIP	RADIUS	Notes
Maximilian Sforza				+1 to Quality roll
		Difficulty Die:		Class II/IV D6;  “Other” D10

UNIT/description	RATING	FIRE	MELEE	MORALE	NOTES
Swiss Pikes	Elite Mecenary HI/MI; Pike	N/A	Up 3	Up 1	36-Pike Block; +2 BDV Auto-Rally; Fearsome!
Swiss Arquebusiers	Mercenary LI; Arquebus, Imp wpn	Up 2	NC	NC	Skirmish only! +2 BDV

COMMANDER	description	LEADERSHIP	RADIUS	Notes
Hauptman von Lucerne
		Difficulty Die:		Class II/IV D6;  “Other” D10

UNIT/description	RATING	FIRE	MELEE	MORALE	NOTES
Swiss Pikes	Elite Mecenary HI/MI; Pike	N/A	Up 3	Up 1	52-Pike Block;   +2 BDV Auto-Rally; Fearsome!
Swiss Arquebusiers	Mercenary LI; Arquebus, Imp wpn	Up 2	NC	NC	Skirmish only! +2 BDV
Swiss Pikes	Elite Mecenary HI/MI; Pike	N/A	Up 3	Up 1	52-Pike Block;   +2 BDV Auto-Rally; Fearsome!
Swiss Arquebusiers	Mercenary LI; Arquebus, Imp wpn	Up 2	NC	NC	Skirmish only! +2 BDV
Medium Gun	Militia Artillery; Medium Guns	Up 1	Dn 2	Dn 1

COMMANDER	description	LEADERSHIP	RADIUS	Notes
Hauptman von Zurich				Army C-in-C
		Difficulty Die:		Class II/IV D6;  “Other” D10

Deployment Notes

Commands outlined in Red are Swiss/Milanese, those outlined in Blue are French. The inside colors correspond to those used for that Command in the OOB's above. La Tremouille's command are all billeted in the village's buildings, Out of Command and dismounted. The units of his Command may only leave the village by one or more of the roads. 

Scenario Rules

The Charlotte "Rule of 1/3" will be used for Impetus. The two French Command Indecision cards are each removed after their first appearance. If the French camp is occupied by the enemy, the French lose D6 Morale chips each time a French Leadership card is turned and there are Swiss/Milanese units inside the camp. 

This scenario will be run next week oin Saturday at Historicon.

Battle of Mockern, October 16th, 1813: The Scenario

    The Battle of Mockern was part of the larger series of actions comprising the Battle of Leipzig. Napoleon had ordered Marmont to join him at Libertkolwitz, but the attack by Yorck's Prussian Corps made that impossible. This scenario has been adapted for Field of Battle from the scenario for Napoleon's Battles by Rafael Pardo; I have allowed the French use of all the troops in the area. Poor staff work resulted in Sacken's Russian Corps not playing as large a part in the action as they could have; to reflect this, Sacken and all his sub commanders are rated at LD8 (worst possible) for this action. This game will be played at Historicon Thursday July 18, 2013 at 6PM.

Scale:

1 unit = 1200 I, 800 Cavalry, or 12-16 guns. 1" = roughly 50 yards.

Terrain map for the Battle of Mockern, October 16, 1813

Terrain:

The River Elster is passable only at the bridges. The Pleisse stream is Class II, but Artillery may not cross it except at the bridge. The woods are Class III terrain. The Hills are all class II Terrain. The villages are all Class II terrain. The earthworks redoubt between Wahren and Lindethal is Class II terrain.

Orders of Battle:

VI Corps - Marshal Marmont  LD12 (also acts as C-in-C)

(12 Infantry, 3 Cavalry, 5 Artillery)  Skilled Sequence Deck

20th Division - GD Compans  LD12

2 French Marine Infantry  DD8  CD10

2 French Provisional Light Infantry  DD6  CD10
6# Foot Battery  DD6  CD12

21st Division GD Lagrange  LD10

2 French Legere  DD6  CD12

2 French Marine Infantry  DD8  CD190
6# Foot Battery  DD6  CD12

22nd Division: GD Freidrich  LD10

2 French Ligne  DD6  CD10

2 French Provisional Line  DD4  CD8
6# Foot Battery  DD6  CD12

5th Light Cavalry Division - GD Lorge  LD12

1 French Chasseur a Cheval  DD6  CD10

1 French Hussar  DD8  CD10

25th Light Cavalry Division - GD Norman LD12
1 Wurttemburg Chevau-Leger  DD6  CD10

Corps Artillery:
1 12# Foor Battery  DD6  CD 12+1
1 6$ Horse Battery  DD8  CD 12+1


Independent Divisions (Ney) LD12
(4 infantry, 3 Cavalry, 2 Artillery)

27th Division - GD Dombrowski  LD12+1
4 Polish Line/Vistula Legion Infantry  DD6  CD12
1 Polish Uhlan  DD8  CD12
1 Polish 6# Foot Battery  DD6  CD10

4th Heavy cavalry Division - DeFrance  LD12
2 French Dragoon  DD6  CD12
1 French 6# Horse Artillery Battery  DD8  CD12+1


III Corps - Souham  LD12
(12 Infantry, 4 Cavalry, 5 Artillery)

8th Division - Brayer  LD10
2 Provisional Line  DD4  CD8
2 Provisional Light  DD6  CD10

6# Foot Battery  DD6  CD12

9th Division: Delmas  LD10
4 French Line  DD6  CD10

6# Foot Battery  DD6  CD12

11th Division - Ricard  LD12
4 French line  DD6  CD10

6# Foot Battery  DD6  CD12

23rd Light Cavalry Brigade: Beurmann  LD10
1 Baden Light Dragoon

6th Light Cavalry Division - Fournier  LD10
2 French Chasseur a Cheval  DD6  CD10
1 Chevau-Leger-Lancier  DD6  CD12

Corps Artillery:
1 12# Foot Battery  DD6  CD 12+1
1 6# Horse Battery  DD8  CD12+1


"French" Totals: 28 Infantry, 10 Cavalry, 12 Artillery = 50 units total
74 Morale Points (see terrain objectives below). 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st (Prussian) Corps - Yorck  LD12 (also acts as C-in-C)
(15 Infantry, 5 Cavalry, 7 Artillery)  Average Sequence Deck

Advance Guard - Katzler  LD12
1 Prussian Schutzen  DD8  CD10
2 Prussian Landwehr  DD4  CD10
1 Prussian Hussar  DD8  CD10
1 Prussian Landwehr Cavalry  DD4  CD10

6# Horse Battery  DD6  CD12

1st Brigade - Steinmetz  LD10
1 Prussian Grenadier  DD8  CD12
2 Prussian Landwehr  DD4  CD10
6# Foot Battery  DD6  CD12

2nd Brigade - Mecklenburg  LD10
3 Prussian Line  DD6  CD12
6# Foot Battery  DD6  CD12

7th Brigade - Horn  LD10
1 Prussian Line  DD6  CD12
2 Prussian Landwehr  DD4  Cd10
6# Foot Battery  DD6  CD12

8th Brigade - Huenerbein
3 Prussian Reserve Line  DD6  CD10

6# Foot Battery  DD6  CD12

Reserve Cavalry - Juergas  LD10
2 Prussian Dragoons  DD6  CD12
1 Landwehr Cavalry  DD4  CD10

Artillery Reserve 
1 Prussian 12#  DD6  CD12+1
1 Prussian 6# Horse  DD6  CD12


Army Group Langeron (9th, 10th Corps, Korf's I Cavalry Corps) - Langeron  LD12
(10 Infantry, 3 Cavalry, 6 Artillery)

9th Division - Udom  LD10
1 Russian Line  DD8  CD8
2 Russian Jager  DD8  CD10

15th Division - Kornilov  LD10
2 Russian Line  DD8  CD8

6# Foot Battery  DD6  CD12

8th Division - Ourusov  LD12
2 Russian Line  DD8  CD8

6# Foot Battery  DD6  CD12

22nd Division - Tourchaninov  LD8
2 Russian Line  DD8  CD8
1 Russian Jager  DD8  CD10

Corps Artillery Reserve:  LD8
3 Russian 12lbers  DD6  CD12+1
1 Russian 6# Horse Artillery  DD6  CD12

I Cavalry Corps - Korf  LD10
2 Russian Mounted Jagers  DD6  CD10
1 Russian Hussar  DD8  CD10


11th Corps - Sacken  LD8
(6 Infantry, 5 Cavalry, 5 Artillery)

10th Division - Lieven  LD8
2 Russian Line  DD8  CD8
6# Foot Battery  DD6  CD12

27th Division - Neverovsky  LD8
2 Russian Line  DD8  CD8
6# Foot Battery  DD6  CD12

16th Division - Repminsky  LD8
2 Russian Jager  DD8  CD10

Corps Cavalry - Vassilshikov  LD8
2 Russian Hussars  DD8  CD10

Attached Cossacks - Karpov  LD8
3 Cossacks  DD4  CD8

Corps Artillery -  LD8
2 Russian 12# Foot  DD6  CD12+1
1 Russian 6# Horse   DD6  CD12


8th Corps - St Priest  LD10
(8 Infantry, 2 Cavalry, 3 Artillery)

11th Division - Gourialov  LD10
4 Russian Line    DD8  CD8
6# Foot Battery  DD6  CD12

17th Division - Pillar  LD10
2 Russian Jager  DD8  CD10
2 Russian Line  DD8  CD8

Corps Cavalry - Borozdin LD12
1 Cossack  DD4  CD8
1 Uhlan  DD6  CD12

Corps Artillery -  LD8
1 Russian 12#  DD6  CD 12+1
1 Russian 6# Horse   DD6  CD12

Allied total: 39 Infantry, 15 Cavalry, 21 Artillery = 75 units total
75 Morale Points

Deployment:

French troops are set up as shown below. Allied Troops are set up as shown (the Artillery Reserve for Army Group Langeron sets up with Udom's command, and the 1st and 2nd Prussian Brigades may start up to 6" on the table in the same area as indicated for Katzler's Advanced Guard ).

Deployment map for the Battle of Mockern, October 16, 1813

Reinforcements:

Allied:

The rest of the 1st (Prussian) Corps may enter the table  deployed, along the edge behind Katzler's advanced guard on the first Allied MOVE card

The rest of Army Group Langeron enters deployed, along the table edge behind Udom and Korf's starting positions on the second Allied MOVE card

St Priest's 8th Corps enters in column of March along the allied baseline opposite Podelwitz on the third Allied MOVE card.

Sacken's 11th Corps starts entering the table in March Column down the road in the center of the table that runs by Breintenlee on the fourth Allied MOVE card; The Corps Cavalry enters first, and no more than 1 command of the Corps may enter the table on each subsequent MOVE card. 

French:

Souham's 3rd Corps may enter in March Column along the right edge of the table between Seehausen and the hills starting on the third French MOVE card.

Victory:

The French Morale Point total reflects control of all the objectives on the  table. If they are lost, the following MP's are subtracted form the French Total (the MP's for each objective are subtracted from the French total if/when they are lost; they are not added to the Allied total (unless the French have reached zero MP, in which case the usual rules apply). 

Mockern                                                                 - 6 MP

Long Ridge adjacent to Mockern                            - 6 MP

Bridge at Mockern                                                  - 3 MP

Widderitzsch                                                             3 MP

Cluster of Hills between Podelwitz and Seehausen   - 3 MP

Middle road exiting French side of the table             - 3MP

July 23, 2013 -After running the game at the convention, I'd suggest the following changes to the above:

1) completely omitting Sacken's Russian Corps from the game
Reasoning: too many troops for the table size for optimal game, arriving too late for a three players game, and Sacken took little part historically anyway.

2) allowing 8th and 15th Divisions of Langeron's command to enter on the first Allied MOVE card, with the rest (22nd Division plus Corps Artillery Reserve) entering on the second allied MOVE card
Reasoning: need to reduce overcrowding and speed up the pace of the game in FoB terms

3) allowing St Priest's Corps Cavalry to arrive on the first Allied MOVE card, his 17th Infantry Division on the second allied MOVE card, and the rest of the corps on the third Allied MOVE card.
Reasoning: same as #2 above.

4) only allowing Souham's 8th Infantry Division as French reinforcements, entering on the second French MOVE card. Thus, the French 11th Infantry Division, Beurmann's Light Cavalry Brigade, and Souham's Reserve Artillery will play no part in the battle.

These changes would also reduce the French to 42 units, and their  Morale points to 66; on the allied side their units would drop to 59, and their Morale points to 66.  Finally, the game would play better (faster) with TWO players each for Marmont and York.

Peter

The Wargames Foundry Deal... runs out Sunday!

    In case you may have missed it, The Foundry has a pretty good deal going on for a short while longer.
From the Foundry Website:

(Foundry logo used to publicize their products and offer
 - no trademark infringement intended!)

As of today (June 10, 2013)  we are reintroducing two of our army deals (see below) and bringing in the new postage prices, while continuing with our current £10 pack prices for the next four weeks. This will give you the best of both worlds for a short while! The buy 16 get 6 free deal will be restored when prices return to their previous levels. (This means the deal runs out Sunday July 7th).

1. WHEN YOU BUY THREE IDENTICAL PACKS:
YOU WILL RECEIVE AN EXTRA IDENTICAL PACK FOR FREE.

(Effectively, a 25% discount)

2. WHEN YOU BUY ANY EIGHT PACKS FROM THE SAME RANGE:
YOU WILL RECEIVE TWO EXTRA PACKS OF YOUR CHOICE FROM THAT RANGE FOR FREE.

(Effectively, a 20% discount)

    Although the great majority of my "new" French Napoleonic army figures are Foundry, I purchased them before their prices became insane; I really haven't seriously looked at Foundry figures in at least 10 years now due to their pricing. I am in the process of planning my new British Army for Waterloo and (eventually)  the Peninsula. The bulk of the Infantry and Artillery crew will be Old Glory - I have their Army card, and with that their prices are unbeatable. However, their (Napoleonic) cannons are unacceptably small, and their cavalry are not as good as the infantry. The Foundry Napoleonics are quite close in size to Old Glory (1st edition). Therefore, It would work to use Foundry for artillery pieces and maybe some cavalry , plus some officers, and special units where I don't need a full bag of 30 figures (Perry figures are also certainly in the running for extras for the Prussians and British).   I also need some more guns for my newly raised Prussian batteries; my original 12#  guns were Calpe, lovely models but extremely pricey. Finally, I need the Command figures to complete the two units of Foundry Austrian Hussars purchased in bulk from Freddy Avner at last year's Historicon flea market, and now would be a good time to get that done as well!

    With all the above in mind, I started to plan some possible purchases...

Prussians:

PN7/5  6# Field Gun/Howitzer  3 @ $6 plus 1 free = $18
PN7/5  "              "           "       2 more @ $6          = $12
Prussian Total = $ 30

British:

BGUN3  6lbers 6 @ $6 plus 2 free = $36

BGUN4  9lbers 6 @$6 plus 2 free = $36
BGUN6  5.5" Howitzer 2 @ $6 = $12

B130  Duke of Wellington and Staff  @ $30  (5 Mounted and 5 foot officers!)

British Total = $114

Austrians:  

AN63  Hussars Command  @$15
Austrian Total = $15

Grand Total = $159  (Free shipping on orders over $120 as well - good deal!)

That will allow me to provide the guns for the last three Prussian Batteries, provide all the British artillery I am ever likely to need (at a price even less than that of my favored Sash and Saber artillery pieces, and they don't do British guns anyway, which are rather distinctive), and put those 2 regiments of Austrian Hussars on the table, plus provide the bulk of the command figures I'll need for my British Army.

If you are thinking of getting some Foundry figures, I'd use this (US Independence Day) holiday weekend to get an order out... before the special offer expires.

Think patriotic for this 4th of July - buy red, white, and blue! 
(the British Union Jack, that is)

Peter