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Post by bruce on Feb 26, 2019 2:27:59 GMT
My rules for this one include elements of Volley & Bayonet mixed in with my expanded Neil Thomas rules. Very simple, a number of factors are abstracted. The figs are H&R, all stands and bases are magnetic and sized for V&B, Blucher, ESR, but really work for anything, any formation or combination - very flexible. Warning: some images show miniatures lying on their sides! Look away if you must – it is as if a small child is playing, but that’s the way I want it! Its winter, 1807, and the French have been drawn into Eastern Europe after beating up on Prussia. The Russians, with little food or provisions, bad communications and weather, take up defensive positions near the town of Eylau. The French soon arrive, and everyone notices that neither side is carrying the correct flags, nor are they wearing greatcoats in the middle of winter. Hats, facings, also wrong. Order of battle is approximate. And the Russians have borrowed some Prussian batteries.
Bennigsen, the Russian commander and actually a Prussian, is not nearly as mediocre as he is rated in several rule sets. Not all the French troops have arrived - neither Ney’s nor Davout’s corps are around to start. Bennigsen awaits a force of leftover Prussians for reinforcement, but he starts off with all his troops in place. Weather is cold and movement is reduced due to snowfall. Sudden snow squalls are determined by a special Weather of Doom Chart and movement template. (Special thanks to Rafael Pardo). The French have more cavalry, the Russians more artillery. Opening the battle (above), Soult attacks Tuchkov on the French left in a pinning move, but Tuchkov, also resenting his bad commander rating, is not having it and pushes back hard as in real life, enjoying some great dice results. Basically, Soult slowly collapses under this pressure over several turns. But Tuchkov runs out of steam and the battle on the French left fizzles out with both sides more or less pinned.
Napoleon (watching, above) has ordered Augereau to attack in the center, even though Davout’s corps is just arriving on the right and is not in position. Each turn begins with a weather die roll, but no bad weather results – just like in real life, you can’t predict the weather. If only my Hero, Archduke Charles, were here to explain to the Emperor that he should forget the whole thing. Alas, he is in Vienna having a strudel, dreaming of 1809. The Russian position is strong, Napoleon does not have Davout in position, nor has Ney even arrived yet. And if the objective is destruction of the Russian army, why fight here? This will not be a good chapter for Chandler.
As Augereau crosses the plain towards the waiting Russian center (above), Russian artillery begins to take a toll. The weather remains clear by luck of die rolls. Augereau delays his advance to give Davout time to get in position on his right, but he is taking hits. Napoleon orders the cavalry reserve to move up and be ready, and rushes part of the Guard to help Augereau.
By the time Augereau actually attacks, Davout (above, at last) is still late and he faces the massed guns and main strength of the Russian line. From the French point of view, the whole battle has felt like a mistake from the start, like Lee at Gettysburg sending Pickett on a hopeless frontal assault. The Russians get another run of great dice, and a number of French units are disordered/collapsed. A third of the French are now destroyed or disordered. The Russians still have all their reserves. Bennigsen holds. The Russians finally lose a couple of batteries and take casualties in the center, but Augereau has no real chance to break the Russian line.
Sending the French cavalry reserves (above) would be gamey fun, but makes no sense at this point. Davout’s attack on the right is not gaining ground against Ostermann. Soult is beaten on the left. Even with Ney now arriving (above), it does not make real life historical sense for Napoleon to continue this battle. Heavy losses and not much hope of success. Why not try to outmaneuver the Russians, and concentrate elsewhere? Better yet, how about a trip to Florida? Come back and beat these guys in June!
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Post by tim on Feb 26, 2019 6:23:18 GMT
Brilliant Bruce!
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Post by john124 on Feb 26, 2019 15:32:47 GMT
Wonderful Bruce. Envious, as I am still plugging away trying to paint enough for a decent game. John.
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Post by bruce on Feb 26, 2019 16:38:17 GMT
Thank you guys! I am ready for Florida myself after looking at this wintry table for a week, which looks just like the outside here in the Berkshire hills (USA). Bruce
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Post by john124 on Feb 26, 2019 21:18:51 GMT
What a cracking battle Eylau was. Here is the grand armee on top form having just smashed the Prussians getting a bloody nose. I wonder what the outcome of Friedland would have been if the Tsars advisor had not intervened. It may not have been fought at all. Cant understand way Bennigsen fought with the Alle to his back!
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Post by bruce on Feb 27, 2019 0:47:36 GMT
Yes, he was a decent tactician up to that point. Such a fundamental mistake!
I think in general the Russians do not get enough credit. They were tough, disciplined soldiers, had some good leaders, lots of artillery, Cossacks, and were generally good at strategic planning. But they had their flaws, and Napoleon was too good for everyone in the beginning. Bruce
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Post by twr on Mar 7, 2019 4:18:54 GMT
Well done Bruce. Glad to see the pictures and report.
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Post by bruce on Mar 7, 2019 22:52:35 GMT
Thanks Keith. Still painting away re Russians and hoping to get in a proper V&B version of Eylau. I am going to use V&B as my ACW rules for big battles as well. While I still fiddle with things like figure removal, as in the Eylau fight, I have been getting more accustomed to rosters. In any case V&B, of the many rules I have tried, has become the most comfortable and sensible for me, and its insights have given me lots to think about.
Using V&B for the ACW is also attractive for me because regiments were so small and it seems like brigades could form on a single base in some cases. I want to find a comfortable number of bases to manage for a solo player. Bruce
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Post by twr on Mar 7, 2019 23:34:42 GMT
Hi Bruce,
In almost all cases an ACW infantry brigade is represented by a single stand in V&B. Most brigades comprise 1300 to 2500 men which is one brigade with a roster strength of 3 to 5 strength points. It is the same in Napoleonic period though complicated as sometimes the 3-5 strength points represent a regiment or a brigade depending on the armies involved.
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Post by bruce on Mar 8, 2019 1:58:27 GMT
Yes, this has confused me at various times. I grew up with the ACW. As a kid during the centennial, I began gaming. I read tons, visited most of the eastern battlefields and understood the army components of both sides, which were relatively simple to get.
There are so many Napoleonic armies, periods, and the types of units do not always mean the same thing depending on the era, the country, the circumstances. As you say, as many as 2000 men - 4 strength points - may be only a regiment. Another time and nation and the same number is a brigade. Then there are battalions. Demi-brigades. V&B lets you see the numbers via the strength points whatever the units are called. This is really the only way to make sense of things for me. Bruce
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Post by jon1066 on Mar 13, 2019 10:38:37 GMT
The "problem" is the disconnect between the rule systems and the period. In the Napoleonic wars the basic element of manoeuvre was the battalion but to fight a large battle you can't have every battalion as a separate command element. So they have to be clumped together to give give a reasonable game.
A regiment was an administrative unit that didn't necessarily deploy all together operationally. Different battalions from the same regiment could be in different brigades, corps, armies or even on different continents.
So I would stick with Brigade as the next command level up from the Battalion. In a brigade there are a number of battalions that may or may not be from the same regiments. eg an Austrian Brigade may be made up of two regiments each with 3 battalions. The fourth battalions from those same regiments may be in different Brigades in a different Corps or still back in the depots.
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Post by bruce on Mar 14, 2019 0:17:48 GMT
You are right about rules, Jon. There are many compromises in any set of rules, and historical games may be difficult. No one wants to be the French in 1814. And setting up the OObs explains why.
Volley & Bayonet allots 1 strength point per 500 men. In The V&B Eylau scenario, a Russian division may have 6-7 regiments, not brigades, each worth 3-4 strength points (1500-2000) men and each on their own base. In fact, my online research showed there were Russian brigades, but I decided not to mess with the VB order of battle, which used regiments as the basic unit for infantry at Eylau. Questions of scale, unit frontage, base size, etc. In the end I approximated the relative strength point values and enjoyed a smaller game with reasonable outcomes.
I think rules are guidelines, especially for solo players. I often combine sets of rules or adjust some elements, as I am learning both Volley and Bayonet and Age of Eagles, a brigade game.
Also, if this game had been against another player, I might have ordered the cavalry charge. But, as a solo player pretending to consider the real life campaign, it was not realistic to order such a move deep in enemy territory unless it had a reasonable chance.
And thanks for your insights on regiments, very good to understand. In the ACW, Union regiments did not get replacement troops as the war dragged on and many became quite small, as few as 200 or so men. Eventually they would be sent home and a new regiment raised. Bruce
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Post by twr on Mar 14, 2019 2:39:40 GMT
I often use French in 1814!
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Post by bruce on Mar 14, 2019 2:51:50 GMT
You are a brave commander indeed, sir! Bruce
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Post by profjohn on Mar 17, 2019 23:41:31 GMT
You're right about the Russians Bruce. For doggedness you couldn't beat their infantry, they had brave cavalry and their artillery - especially after it was reformed - was good enough. I like playing Russians - in a recent game my infantry won the day after soaking up massive punishment (which would have broken French units - in our rules Russians get various morale bonuses and can take higher casualties before they are shaken but it can take a bit of time to get them moving) and then simply pushed the French off the table.
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