Battle of Oberstein

This week’s wargame is the latest in our PBM 1814 campaign.

The background is that the Russian army is invading France.

Their objective is the city of Luxembourg.

Oberstein is a small town on the main Darmstadt to Luxembourg road

It is held by three French corps.

The Russians attack with four corps

The French deploy to hold the town, and the two valleys leading to it.

They have sufficient artillery to make an attack down either valley very costly

The Russians deploy their heavier artillery to weaken the French infantry

The infantry and cavalry move over the high ground to avoid the enemy artillery

This slows down the Russian advance considerably.

In our rules artillery roll 2D6, and require at least 8, for a hit on infantry

They require a total of 11 when firing on enemy artillery

Because of their longer range, the Russian guns could fire on the French infantry

The French artillery had only gun crews to return fire on

The Russian infantry and cavalry advanced over the four hills.

It was to be one of those games where the Russians could do nothing right.

The Russian guns fired on the French infantry twelve times. 

They hit only twice.  

Both times the French infantry passed their morale test and stood

With only two moves left the Russian infantry and cavalry finally reached the French

The cavalry lead, with the infantry columns behind

The French cavalry were waiting for them

The French cavalry were heavier than the Russian.

Cossacks charged French guard cavalry, with predictable results

Then Russian cuirassiers charged French cuirassiers 

Again the French horse won the melee

With only one move left the Russian commander accepted defeat

He called off the attack and left the French in possession of Oberstein

Opportunity Charge

Our house rules are derived from LFS, the Napoleonic rules from Two Fat Lardies.   We had used the standard rules for about two years, before starting to amend them to suit our order of battle.   Eventually we write a new set of house rules, but based on the principles of LFS.

We fight twelve “moves” to a wargame day, to fit in with the 12 hour day in our PBEM campaign.  Each move is divided into a “turn” for each of the corps commanders, anything from one to six per side.   Each commander has a poker chip, which is drawn from a bag until all commanders on both sides have had their turn.

Our latest wargame is the Battle of Irun.  It is an encounter battle with four corps per side.

The battle opened with two French and one British corps on the table.  This sort of odds would normally slow down the British deployment, and give a big advantage to the French.   However this game was different.

We have a rule called Opportunity Charge.   It allows cavalry to charge “vulnerable” enemy brigades during their turn.   For example an infantry brigade in column of march, limbered artillery, the exposed flank of any brigade or any brigade which has lost its morale and is shaken.  

The poker chip principle makes it impossible to know which side will move first next move.   So it is important not to leave any such vulnerable brigade within charge move of enemy cavalry at the end of each move.

In our latest wargame the game opened with British cavalry within charge move, and on the exposed flank, of two French infantry brigades , plus limbered corps artillery.  The positions were dictated by the campaign map at the end of the previous campaign day.   The French got to move first, but the British hussars declared an Opportunity Charge.   The hussars passed their morale and charged.   The French infantry failed their morale test and could not form square.  One brigade suffered 50% casualties and routed, the other was shaken.   The nearby artillery also failed their morale and joined the rout.

I like the unpredictability of rules such as this.   It allows for the unexpected, particularly if it is due to one side moving twice (due to the poker chip) before the other can react.  It does not happen, but when it does it makes the wargame memorable.

You can read the whole battle report here

http://1814campaigndiary.blogspot.com.es/

Fighting in Built Up Areas

fighting in built up area and woods (buildings and some trees removed)

Our house rules work quite well for this type of combat, particularly if it is one brigade to one brigade.   But we have always had a problem with more than one brigade attacking at the same time.

We had different rules for fighting at the edge, or inside.   Inside is always one brigade on one brigade.  So no problems.   But at the edge there can be multiple brigades attacking a single defending brigade.

There are two options for the attacker, depending on his corps orders.   If he is on “attack” he fights hand to hand.   If he is on “engage” he can only skirmish.

Skirmish is no problem.   The defenders can fire once, and dice for which brigade suffers casualties by rolling a dice.   The attackers can fire once per brigade within 4”.    Each brigade rolls 1D6, and needs a 6 or more to hit. 

Elite skirmishers add 3

Normal skirmishers add 2

Poor skirmishers add 1

Each casualty minus 1

Attackers delete 1 (for firing at hard cover)

Defenders delete 1 (for being spread throughout the building)

Hand to hand is the problem.   We want to give the defenders a good chance of holding for a long time, such as at Hougoumont at Waterloo or the Granary at Essling.   But we also want to give the attackers a chance to win.

We have tried various options, but found them all wanting.   This week I think we found the answer.  

Instead of trying to calculate all brigades as one combat, we have decided to calculate each attacking brigade as one combat.  So if there are five brigades attacking we calculate five combats.  

In hand to hand combat it is the morale, or class, that counts.  

Elite troops plus 1

Poor troops minus 1

Each casualty minus 1

Outnumber enemy two to one plus 1

Garrison plus 2

The interesting part comes next.   Having calculated the plus and minus the higher rolls 2D6.   

2-3       winner routs with 30% casualties

4-5       winner retires shaken with 20% casualties

6-7       draw both disordered with 10% casualties

8-9       loser retired shaken with 20% casualties

10+      loser routs with 30% casualties

So the player attacking a build up area has to decide whether to go for the low risk choice of skirmishing, or the high risk hand to hand fighting.  

We particularly like the risk of the stronger side risking a defeat due to poor dice.   But now that each brigade is a single combat, even if unlucky the attacker will only lose one brigade at a time.

Wargame Building Project

Town buildings for France or Germany

The PBEM campaign has taken up most of my time since Christmas, but we have made a little progress with our building project.

Our scenery, like our wargame rules, are simple and functional.   They are not based on the model railway principle, but rather on the wargame principle.

I bought some felt to outline the terrain, whether woods, broken ground or built up areas.  One square represents a farm (green felt) or village (grey felt).   Two squares a town.   Four squares a city.  

I am now working on the buildings for towns, villages and farms.  There will be one set for France and another for Spain.   The buildings and walls will be designed to fill the felt square, either for open towns or walled ones.   Each farm will be a set with farmhouse, outbuildings and walls.

So far we have been working on the town buildings for France or Germany.    We have completed eight, which is just right for two town sections.   Next we will make some buildings suitable for villages.

Walled town for France or Germany

We have also made some wall sections for walled towns.   We don’t use them much at present, but may introduce them now that I have the walls.   The same buildings are used, and the wall and gate sections have been designed to fit around the felt square, with one building in each corner.

Campaign Update

After the two week Christmas break two of the twelve campaign commanders opted out of the campaign.   Fortunately I have managed to replace them, and the campaign carried on without interruption.

I used to have the same response many years ago when I ran a wargame group.   The group met in our detached garage where I had my wargames set  up.  There was a group of 4-8 of us who met every week for almost 20 years.   The group was constantly changing, particularly the military members from the nearby garrisons.   But the real “danger” times were when we had a break for summer or Christmas holidays.   I guess people get out of the routine and decide that  they no longer want to take part when the group starts up again.

There was the added problem that I changed the supply rules over Christmas.  This was to prevent commanders from keeping their armies concentrated for long periods.   The change in the rules resulted in new campaign phases for all six areas.   This is also a time when players often decide to take a break.  Each phase lasts three or four months, and was so designed to allow players to commit to a reasonably short period.   At the end of the phase I start a new campaign, new map and new order of battle.  So there is minimum disruption if a player leaves the campaign at that point.   At least the new player has a new campaign and does not have to sort out the problems caused by the previous players.

It’s always a worrying time when this happens.   The longer it takes to replace a player the more likely it is that his “partner” (the other commander in the same area) will also lose interest  and leave.   Fortunately there was a reserve player who took on one role.   And I got a second within a week having posted an ad on the wargame forums.

So the campaign is back on track.   It’s been a lot of work preparing six new campaigns all at the same time.   Normally its only one area at a time, and I can make the maps and rewrite the player brief quite easily with the rest of the campaign administration.

We have also wargamed the outstanding battles due to the Christmas break.   There were some really interesting games, including one where three French corps were pinned against a river bend by four Prussian corps.   The French fought hard, but had to surrender at night fall because the bridges were all taken by the Prussians.

Now that al of the administration has been completed I am hoping that I can get back to processing one of the six campaign areas each day.  The aim is to complete one campaign day each week, and providing there is not more than one battle to be wargame I can usually manage it.