PWG AoE part trois

Had a quick go at the PWG C18 rules I mentioned last time. Starting at the beginning of Prof Duffy's maps I had a go at a version of Mollwitz, with various levels of success.

The first quandary was whether to add in some national characteristics. In the end I did as I thought it was the essence of Mollwitz and I made all Austrian cavalry elite and their infantry poor.

The armies were almost equal in  numbers of bases, Austrian 18 to Prussian 19. However the Austrians had eight cavalry brigades to the Prussians four, whilst the Prussians had the only battery.

I really need to create some suitable terrain!

Action started, as in the battle, with an Austrian cavalry charge and due to the national trait weighting their cuirassiers immediately routed a Prussian dragoon brigade.

The other dragoon base held it's own and all brigades fell back. The Prussian move had advanced the first line of foot and swung round the second to protect the flanks.

On the other flank the Austrian horse formed one long line outflanking the enemy.

The second rank of Austrian horse assault the infantry.

While the first rank follow up on the Prussian dragoons.

The second rank dragoons lose a unit to infantry fire whilst the brave dragoons live to fight another round.

On the Prussian left the Austrians charge in.

Again the infantry destroy the assaulting cavalry but both Prussian cavalry units are routed. An Austrian dragoon unit extricates from the melee and charges into the exposed flank of the Prussian foot.

Inexorably the Prussian foot advance into contact with the Austrian foot. The artillery has bounded forward with the infantry but have not been able to fire and move as they actually did. Now they have contacted the enemy they may fire in close combat ie cannister range. On the flank the cavalry fail to break the flank.

In a couple of moves the Prussian infantry over power the Austrians and the game is over as the Austrians fall to half strength.

It didn't take long to set up and from move one to the end it took about half an hour to play. Quicker than I wanted. I think I can add a little more than Okay/Disordered/Destroyed ie some sort of unit points strength to give a bit more "flavour" to stretch the game to an hour.

The "national characteristics" effectively made the result a foregone conclusion ie a refight of Mollwitz and I don't think I shall be that blatant again.

The artillery wasn't given a real test as there was only one battery. One point is that Prof Duffy describes the artillery as bounding forward with the Prussian infantry. These rules don't allow a battery to fire and move. What Duffy doesn't say is how effective the artillery was whilst it moved forward. If the effect was negligible then the rules are correct ie the guns may be firing but not effectively enough to merit a dice.Something to consider.