Sunday 6 February 2022

Napoleonic Battle Campaign Game (Part 5)

This is the third action of the battle which I am running as a campaign. Its has Red's (Austrian) Corps II attacking with support from reserves and their flanking Corps III. Corps II starts the action with:

  • 4 x Infantry (one unit is being used as skirmishers in the central fields)
  • 2 x Artillery
  • 1 x Cavalry

Units are deployed.

The defending Blue (French) Corps III has support from reserves starts the action with:

  • 4 x Infantry (one unit is being used as skirmishers in the central woods)
  • 2 x Artillery
The battle positions with Red (Austrian) Corps II attacking.

This is an important action. If Red Corps II can defeat Blue Corps III they will force them off the map and can claim victory.  The actions use One Hour Wargames (OHW) rules and run for 15 turns. OHW games often don't run to 15 turns, so the feeding in of reserves will be important for Blue to hold off Red attacks before turn 15.

Both forces start the action being under strength (8 units) and quickly bring up reserve units for the upcoming engagement. 

The Red (Austrians) launch their attack in the right flank with their cavalry arriving from Corps III.

Blue (French) forces start feeding in reserves.

Blue (French) decide to advance on their right flank.

Blue (French) forces retire against ongoing cavalry attacks.

Blues (French) attack caused Red (Austrian) to draw upon their reserves to shore up their left flank against Blue's cavalry. 

Red (Austrian) cavalry continue to attack as Blue (French) desperately hang on.

Additional Blue reserves arrive in the nick of time (turn 15) and the position is held.

The battle positions. Red Corps II has retired one step.

Having help off Red (Austrian) attack attention will now focus on Blue's (French) attack with their Corps II. The reserves rule mentioned in the previous post worked well. 

"Reserves did not always arrive in a timely manner. So to create some uncertainty reserves can only arrive when a "no effect" chance card is drawn. I use the 15 chance cards described in One Hour Wargames chapter on solo wargaming when playing these actions. There are 5 "no effect" cards in the chance deck which will allow 5 reserves to arrive providing the 8 unit rule is met.


10 comments:

  1. A well held French position, the next battle is a mirror image of the same situation.

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    1. Yes, the next action will be similar to this with reversed roles. I wonder if it will be as close as this game..

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  2. The French hold on, but will their luck hold?

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    1. If they don't get a knockout blow in the next game. I suspect their luck will have run out.

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  3. A nice action and glad that the reserves rule worked well with the chance cards. It will be interesting to compare the French attack as as Norm has said, it is very much a mirror image action to this one.

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    1. Yes, I am looking forward to the next action.

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  4. Interesting situation having an infantry Corps with artillery attacked by a combined arms Corps. How important was the artillery advantage (2 to 1) in forcing Red's repulse?

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    1. Having artillery certainly helps with softening up the opposition in OHW rules. It was less effective on the Blue (French) left flank as the Red (Austrians) were immediately on the attack and provided little time for any softening up. On the other flank it certainly did help having had the time to do its job of softening up.

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  5. Seems like "A near run thing" for the French in this outing!

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    1. It certainly was. I thought at one point the action and battle may have been over.

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