FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE FIGHTS: NAPOLEONIC GAME

Last Friday, I had the chance to put my Napoleonics on the table. I haven't posted much about this collection, but this game will be the first in a series of Napoleonic familiarization games that I'll be putting on to prepare for our club's big "game day" game in October, which I'll be putting together using my French and Prussians--enough to float 20+ players (more on that as it develops). This was a quickly put together scenario that featured two Prussian brigades (division equivalents of all arms) against a full French division plus a Young Guard brigade and a brigade of light cavalry. As usual, in this report you may clix pix for BIG PIX.

The scenario was a hypothetical meeting engagement for control over a communications network located in a flat, open valley between two regions of forest and hills (which notionally stretch off table at the top and bottom of the picture). The scenario was structured to cause both sides to mix it up in order to exercise the rules and get players familiar with the forces (some of which we hadn't seen on the table in force before, like the Prussians and Young Guard)...

 ...towards these ends, both sides had exhaustion levels represented by a certain number of exhaustion points, represented by chips they had in a cup, one of which would be extracted for the loss of a battalion, battery, or pair of cavalry squadrons.  The aim was to crack the other side. The insidious thing in the scenario that turned it into a cage match were the on-table objectives.  There were two kinds. Situated in the middle of the table were objectives marked by a black and a blue chip. These either side could grab.  The side that had control of one, defined by having the only unit within 6" at the end of a turn, would gain an extra exhaustion chip (blue for French, black for Prussian)--and the other side would lose one. The exception was the town, which had to be occupied and uncontested to gain control (in these rules, both sides can be inside the town template fighting).  The deeper objectives, represented by two chips of the same color, were side-specific. The side that managed to cross the table and gain control of this deep objective gained two extra exhaustion points--and the other side would drop two...

 ...thus the table was set...

...and the players took the field. Playing the French (left) were left to right: AJ of AJ's Wargaming Blog fame (watch for his report on the game), Ralph, he of Hannibal at the Gates, and Charlie, the originator of Napoleon's Rules of War, which we were playing (and will be on game day). Playing the part of the Prussians (above right) were George (left) and Bob...

...green M&M candies found their way onto the table as improvised markers signifying limbered guns. We take our Napoleonics seriously in these parts...

...the sides converge, with AJ pushing the French 1st Brigade on the French right and Charlie pushing the 2nd Brigade on the French left, with Ralph bringing up the Young Guard Brigade in depth. One regiment of the French light cavalry brigade was assigned to each of the flanks. Meanwhile, the larger Prussian Brigades divided the action pretty much down the middle, with Bob's 1st Brigade on the Prussian Left and George's 2nd Brigade on the Prussian right. The image above captures the moment before both sides clashed--with gusto: the objectives were contested for the entire game, with neither side gaining one (I would recommend this scenario structure for anyone who wants to see a nice toe to toe battle).  We'll follow the action on the Prussian right/French left first...

 ...on the Prussian Right (left above) the Prussian 2nd Brigade pushes ahead in two lines, with the Landwehr following.  (Above right). Not being timid, Charlie launches the 70th Ligne and the 6th Chasseurs into the Prussian phalanx...

...with spectacular results (above left). Four Prussian battalions of the first line, including one of the regulars, the 1st Bn of IR 6, 1st West Prussian, are routed back, the 3rd Reserve Bn of the 3rd Reserve Inf. narrowly avoids being ridden down in pursuit by two squadrons of the 6th Chasseurs, who would earn their pay this day. The success of this action (above right), found the 70th Ligne  thrust into the Prussian 2nd Brigade position...

...with the Young Guard coming up behind to support...

...but at the same time, (above left) an ominous line of black, the Prussian Leib Hussars, starts wheeling towards the 70th Ligne. Charlie places the 103rd Ligne in echeloned squares to cover the gap to the 70th Ligne.  Meanwhile, the French put every gun available to the Prussian horsemen. But General Dice was not with the French gunners, and the Leib Hussars arrive (above right) and hit the 70th Ligne along with two battalions of the Silesian Landwehr [mis-labeled as the  Kurmarck Landwehr in the photo: oops. No difference in game terms]. The rest of the Prussian 2nd Brigade can be seen still in square in the wake of the charge of the 6th Chasseurs...

...the situation on the Prussian Right/French left shortly after the Leib Hussar charge (who have recalled for the moment). The French 70th Ligne has fallen back on the Young Guard, who are deploying. The 6th Chasseurs, weakened to their waver points, are moving back to cover the end of the line. The Prussian 2nd Brigade is spread out, with a line of recovering battalions out of the photo to the left and half of the forward units still in square. Neither side can claim control of the objective on this wing (which is near the tree on the hill)...

...eventually, George would reform the Prussian 2nd Brigade (above) and take up the advance again, with Ralph preparing to meet them with the Young Guard and Charlie reforming the elements of the French 2nd Brigade in support. The game ended just before we saw this second collision on this side of the table. You can judge the level of action by the wavering units (yellow markers) and the kill rings...

...a few in-game shots (above) capture the players in action and the look of the table (where you can see the contested objectives clearly)...

...meanwhile, on the Prussian left/French right, Bob and AJ were butting heads in and around the "La Haye Saint" of this battlefield (above, view from behind the Pomeranian National Cavalry Regiment--a unit I formed by converting Prussian Dragoons)...

...(above left) elements of the Prussian 1st Brigade and the French 1st Brigade about to collide. (Above right) the fighting in the orchard and building complex begins, with the French 103rd Regiment gaining the town first. This town template would be the site of continuous fighting for the entire game, with heavy action in the adjoining orchard as well. None of these objectives in this complex would be cleared and claimed by either side...

...the climax of the action on the Prussian left/French right. Bob's Prussians attack down the line, with the Pomeranian National Cavalry wrapping around and being countered by the French 4th Chasseurs. These were both dead even fights that went against the French (again, General Dice was not with AJ this day!). Meanwhile, the Landwehr, wavering, trades shots with the 2nd Bn of the 25th Legere (typo in the picture says 9th Legere: I have this legendary unit, but it's in my French 1st Division--this is the 25th Legere).  The 3rd Bn, IR 9 (veterans) and the 1st Bn of the 9th Reserve close with the 1st Bn, 25th Legere in the open. In the town, the fighting continues to rage, with the 3rd Bn, 25th Legere against the 1st Bn, IR 9--in a rarely seen turn of events, these two battalions would wipe each other out in the ensuing melee phase, leaving the town empty!  At that point, it was getting past 10 pm and we called it a night, with advantage to the Prussians...

 ...both sides played well, and I gained good insights for the upcoming game day, as well as valuable experience running an NRW game (I had only assembled and run a small 1 on 1 game before this).  Most of all,  it was a grand way to end the week, with toy soldiers and splendid company.  Thanks to all the players for their good sportsmanship and input and insights towards the game day event.

Excelsior!