Napoleonic Battle Campaign Game (Part 6)

The battle continues with Blue's (French) Corps III attacking Red's (Austrian) Corps I. Blue will be able to  bring on additional units from Corps I on their flank and from their reserves. Although, few units will be available from reserves as most of the reserve units were drawn into their previous defensive action (Napoleonic Battle Campaign Game Part 5).

A quick reminder on bringing on units to the table top:

1. There must never be more than 8 units on the tabletop
2. There must be the unit types available (for example, I can only field up to 3 cavalry units per side as that is all I have)
3. Units can only arrive when a "No Event" chance card is drawn (each side has a deck of 15 cards, one for each game turn, and 5 are "No Event" cards)
4. Units must be available in Reserve or an unopposed Corps.

The campaign battle map showing the area of action and strengths of armies.

Red (Austrian) starts the game with a depleted Corps I and a good supply of reserves to feed into the action. Should they lose the action, their Corps I will have to retire one step off the map which will result in a victory for Blue and the end of the battle campaign.

Initial deployments and order of battle...

Red (Austrian) Defenders

• 2 x infantry units
• 1 x artillery unit
• 2 x cavalry units

Blue (French) Attackers

• 4 x infantry units (one of which is deployed as skirmishers)
• 1 x artillery unit
• 2 x cavalry units

Tabletop setup with deployed forces. My new backboard is being used in this game.

Blue (French) deploy their skirmishers in the woods.

Red (Austrian) start with their infantry behind the hill and out of view.

On to the tabletop action...

Blue (French) forces quickly move forward and are able to bring on another cavalry unit on the frank from the unopposed Corps I.

Red (Austrian) bring on a reserve infantry unit, and there is a large cavalry engagement on the flank.

Blue (French) gain the upper hand in the cavalry engagement and Red's (Austrian) position is looking vulnerable.

More Blue (French) units arrive on the flank. The challenge is getting them into the action which is a few moves away.

Blue (French) bring on an additional artillery unit and Red units defending the hill quickly take heavy casualties from Blue's two artillery units. Red (Austrian) has been able to stabilise the far flank and with no infantry units in reserve have thrown in a cavalry unit to help their defence.

Red (Austrian) forces are barely hanging on.

Red (Austrian) forces were in a whisker of losing, but were just hang in there as another reserve cavalry unit arrives at game's end.

I was not expecting Blue (French) to get so close to achieving a victory. Eliminating Red's (Austrian) artillery early on and bringing on a second artillery unit made things very deadly for any unit defending the hill. Also, the chance cards limited Red's ability to get many reserves arriving early in the game when Blue was applying as much pressure as possible with their attacks.

The campaign map of the battle.

The next action will have Red Corps II attacking and hoping to win the tabletop action and battle.

Attaching backboards to the tabletop

In the comments on making the backboard I was asked how I attach them to the wargaming table? With my recently made backboards I have been just propping them up again a book or piece of wood. This works fine as the foam board (from with they are made) is very light and sturdy. However, there is the disadvantage of reducing the tabletop space by a few inches. Not a bit issue, but there must be a better way which would return the lost tabletop space. 

Here is my approach for attaching a backboard....

First up using some wire. I cut a piece of wire and make a 90 degree bend (or thereabouts). Then I bend about 1 inch at each end to make two spikes.

The two spikes are pushed into the foam board base to create a wire loop that comes out at right angles

Using large paper clips the backboard is attached to the edge of the tabletop

The attachment takes up about half an inch of space

All neat and tidy with no hidden books or bits of wood holding up the backboard.

A generic scenic backboard

A few weeks back I made a Japanese themed scenic backboard using water colours and caulk pastels. I had a lot of fun making it. This weekend I decided to make another, a more generic scenic backboard which can be used for other games. Using pastels is dusty job best done outside and it was a nice sunny day for being outside. This time I just used caulk pastels on a light grey foam board.

The newly created backboard

A Napoleonic is game underway with the backboard.

An ACW game with the backboard

The backboard uses two pieces of foam board 9 inches by 24 inches. I use masking tape to hold the two pieces together. 

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." 

Napoleonic Battle Campaign Game (Part 4)

As the battle progresses into late morning. It is Red (Austrian) army's move and they choose to advance the unopposed Corps III on their right flank in preparation for an attack by Corps II. No tabletop action this turn. Blue (French) opted for a similar approach in their campaign turn, pushing forward their Corps I to support any attack by their Corps II.

Both armies move forward their unopposed Corps as support. 

It as now Red (Austrian) army's turn again and they push forward their Corps II. They are hoping to have replacement units arriving on the flank from their unopposed Corps III, while Blue (French) will have to rely on only their reserves. Should Red (Austrian) army win this action, then they will win the battle because they will push Blue Corps III off the map.

Red (Austrians) make an attack pushing forward their Corps II.

The tabletop will reflect the map of the area occupied by both Corps. Both sides are not at full strength (8 units) and replacement units will start arriving in the early turns of the tabletop game.

The map terrain will decide the tabletop. Each square represents 2x2 foot on the tabletop.

Order of battle...

Blue (French)

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

Red (Austrian)

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

Armies deployed on the tabletop.

A view from the Blue (French) side.

An important game and both sides will be relying on reserves, Blue to hold the position and Red to overwhelm Blue and win the action and battle. The rule on reserves allows a reserve unit, or flanking unit from an unopposed Corps, to arrive providing an army does not exceed 8 units on the tabletop. 

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.

Napoleonic Battle Campaign Game (Part 3)

This more of an update on the battle campaign and not an action report as I forgot to take photographs as the action progressed. However, it did clarify a couple of the campaign and tabletop rules, more on that later.

A closer view of the French (Blue) advancing.

The opening battle moves had the Austrians (Red) forcing the French Corps III back. It is now the Blue army's campaign turn and they choose to assault with their Corps II supported by their unopposed Corps I. The action is now transferred to the tabletop.

Blue (French) move and they assault with Corps II.

The campaign map determines the tabletop terrain setup.

Setup tabletop and troops deployed.

My single photo of the action.

Not a successful action for the Austrians (Red) with the French (Blue) quickly gaining the advantage early in the game through some timely chance cards. They were able to maintain the pressure on the Austrians who struggled with a poor deployment and having their forces split by a wood in their line. As soon as the losses started to mount their commander opted to retire.

French (Blue) losses:

• 1 x infantry unit

Austrian (Red) losses:

• 2 x infantry units
• 1 x artillery

The loss of an artillery unit being particularly painful for Red. Neither army reserve has artillery. The elimination of units and any movement from the reserve or an unopposed flanking Corps is tracked in the table below the map. The battle campaign and tracking of the order of battle all fits on one sheet of paper.

Red (Austrian) Corps I retires on the battle campaign map

Out of this turn and tabletop game there are two rule updates/clarifications:

1. On the campaign map a Corps that has just retired cannot move. So in the above map Blue Corps III could not advance as it retired the previous turn.
2. In a tabletop action a Corps is forced to retire when they have less than 4 units and the opposing force has 5 or more units fielded on the tabletop. This approach allows a corps to hold out for 15 turns by feeding in reserve units. However the risk is in committing too many reserve units is they cannot support other areas of the battle in later actions.

Austrians all lined up ready for the game. Little did they know they would be retiring very soon.

Looking ahead to the next battle campaign move by the Austrians (Red) they have a choice of:

1. Continue their advance of Corps II with only support of Reserves which will most like be required by their recently retired Corps I. If they can force Blue Corps III back again by reducing them to just three units on the tabletop within 15 moves they win, but Blue can, and most likely will, slowly replace losses from reserves and deny them.
2. Move Corps III up one step so it can support Corps II and keep their reserves on hand.

Decisions, decisions....

A Napoleonic Battle Campaign Game (Part 2)

The battle began with Red army pushing forward their Corps II. It will be able to get support from both the Army Reserve and flanking units from Corps III to replace eliminated units (see the previous post for rules). This action is now transferred to the tabletop using the map section occupied by the two counters. The troops to be initially involved in the action are noted in the order of battle and will be updated as reserves are used and units eliminated.

Campaign map and order of battle.

The area covered by the counters which will be transferred to a 6x4 foot tabletop.

Tabletop setup.

The troops are setup for the action with the attacking Red Army (Austrian) within 12 inches of their base edge and the Blue Army (French) within 24 inches of their base edge. The defenders have to setup first. 

The units are mainly Spencer-Smith Napoleonic figures with a few SYW figures thrown in to make up numbers (all are the old plastic figures).

Troops are deployed for the action.

The main Red (Austrian) attack is on the left and with cavalry support they make good headway.

As casualties mount and units are eliminated. Red (Austrian) army has some cavalry arrive on the right flank from Corps III.

Blue (French) Army have been flanked in this action. An arriving reserve unit is immediately throw into the crumbing line. 

Blue (French) forces opt to retire making sure they take their artillery.

A short and brief action using One Hour Wargames (OHW) rule from the book. The only changes are:

• Players at the start of the game can change one line infantry unit to light infantry (skirmishers)
• A commander is attacked to a cavalry or line infantry unit which when attacking rolls 2D6 and select the highest value.

A successful action for Red (Austrians) forces. The Blue (French) Corps III was forced to retire with loses. The order of battle was updated during the game with eliminated units and units moved up from reserve or unopposed flanking units.

The campaign map after the first action.

There is one campaign rule change for the unopposed Corps. They are placed at right angles to show they are the unopposed flanking forces. They are allowed to have units arrive on the tabletop edge replacing eliminated units where their counter is adjacent (see black arrow below). A player can move a flanking Corps forward one step (red arrow below) at the cost of a campaign move to support other Corps as they press forward.

Campaign rule modification for unopposed Corps.

The next game is set up on the tabletop...