A Follow Up Napoleonic Test Game

The last Napoleonic game gave us some points to ponder and Steve wanted a game to work through the solutions.

In this game I have 3 Divisions of Russian foot and one of Prussians along with two cavalry brigades all supported by a plate of Jamaica cake!

Steve meanwhile had 3 cavalry brigades with two French and one Italian infantry division holding 3 villages.

A key element to review was the change to activation. Previously players spent chips to activate divisions of their choice and rolled to see if the actions could be completed, players could activate the same unit more than once but each subsequent activation was harder and once failed activation passed to the opponent before passing back until all chips are played. This has been replaced with a simple card activation system with a card per division and activation based on a dice role modified by the Generals quality deciding if the Division get 3,2,1 or 0 actions. Firing and reloading are free. 

Three chance cards are mixed in this deck, Poor commander when drawn gives the next poor commander activating a minus one on his role, Cin C can be held and played to give a plus one to an activation on a given unit and Strategic can allow a unit that has already gone to an extra move or a unit yet to go to take its turn early.

All of these adding an interesting element to the game. Some specific national cards are also planned for the future.

Lastly was a change to artillery firing. Previously guns a had limited ammo and could fire every time any unit in effective range activated or when their own unit activated. This has changed to a more familiar firing system, they fire when their division is activated, extra dice can be used for "concentrated fire" but every 1 or 2 sees a round of ammo used. Interested to see how that works.

 

As usual Steve's fabulous terrain and figures are a joy to play with. My foot pushes forward with the left most division only making one move, their commander is poor so a -1 to my dice roll.

It does however allow me to unlimber and fire into the exposed first village causing the first casualties of the day.

Steve's right flank cavalry brigade pushes forward cautiously.

My second division gets a slightly better move, however 3 shots at the village sees only one hit and a double 2 reduce my ammo from 8 to 6.

In the centre the Prussians close with the French and the artillery unlimbers and fires, a 5 and two trees gives one casualty with no ammo expended.

On the left one regiment steps forward and forms square against the light cavalry whilst two more charge the village. The French hold but having only beaten me by 1 the melee continues with the full weight of the supporting regiment in the second round. The French are now soundly beaten and break.

The Russians now occupy the first of the three villages.

A divisional test is now required and the result is that each remaining unit must take two casualty tests, this drops a casualty on to all but one of the units remaining in the division but nothing else.

In the centre my C class Prussian line exchanges volleys with B class French, an uneven battle as the French have 4 firing dice and I have 3.

On the right I get 3 actions as my light cavalry activate, I use my C IN C card to add one to make sure I get a good roll and get three movement actions. This allows me to belt forward and my horse artillery can unlimber for free at short range of the Italian gun. I decide to use concentrated fire with 5 dice and get 4 sixes! No one or two means this has cost me no ammo and decimated the opposing gun.

By luck the Strategic advantage card comes out and I give the same unit another move, allowing a further shot at the gun and the light cavalry to charge and over run it.

Huzzzah! Its the small things in life......... the Cavalry really didnt need 4 6's to destroy the gun.

Here comes the pay back, Steve's light cavalry brigade charge one regiment of Russians which mirraculously holds them, I can however pull back from the fight before the supporting unit gets its full dice in the second round and decide discretion is the better part of valour and retire the unit. Through all of this the Russian Dragoons with the Poor commander have been unable to achieve anything at all.

The Italian foot which has already taken a hammering from foot artillery now forms square in the face of Russian cavalry and the French Currassier Division belts forward to inflict some payback.

Taking advantage of the foot in square my Russians put another concentrated fire into them (4 2's and 1's reduce their ammo but I do get another hit) and my lead infantry charges them, not surprisingly they break and rout.

All well and good until I realise they were all that was between my foot and the currassier.

The French light cavalry comes out before I can pull my own lights back,  Its not quite a flank attack but a brigade vs a regiment that is unformed from a  previous charge yields predictable results and my lights are destroyed.

Next out the French heavies and no surprise the charge straight over my foot and destroy them..

We have yet to add anything for charge reactions for victorious cavalry, there should be a chance that they bounce onto the next target in a mob, but as we have not designed anything yet they occupy the ground of the destroyed Russians.

On the left my foot have come out of square and advanced so Steve's light cavalry charge them, he does marginally better than me but not enough to break them and the cavalry are forced to retire.

In the centre my Prussian storm the second farm and after two bloody rounds take it. The unit routs and a second divisional test forced on the Italians who have to take additional casualties on the remaining units.

At this point we call a halt. The updated rules have stood up well and we have found a few more things we want to tidy up but overall really enjoyable game.

On the left I have two reasonably strong divisions to try capture the remaining farm from the weakened French division but int he centre the Prussians have take a hammering and despite the Italians being in bad shape on the right the French cavalry are in control so I think a marginal win for the French.

Shhh dont tell Steve!

Thanks for stopping by, more on the rules to follow.