Sunday, 23 February 2014

The first coffee table campaign moves

The dice determined that Great Brtain would be given the honour of the first move in the coffee table "Napoleonic" campaign. 

Perfidious as ever they refused to do so. So, in a clockwise way, the next move fell to Prussia. Without hesitation the bluecoated army swooped and captured the central city of the campaign map - Dresden.

What would the incompetent Czar do in response. Without hesitation the Russkies are ordered to march to free the poor Saxons from the Prusian yoke. Battle it is to be.



A quick set up of dice determined terrain (looks a bit sparse) and the two armies face off across the table.


The Cossacks are quickly sent out to harry the flank and rear of the Prussians, and a general advance ensues with the heavy cavalry on the Russian right.


Soon the batteries open up


... and the heavy cavalry clash


The Prussian reliagn on the village and send the Uhlans back to deter the roaming cossacks


Taking advantage of the gap the Russians advane on a broad front


But lose the first unit


To the rear of the Prussian the Cossacks cannot avoid the charge of the Uhlans and are well beaten (in these rules they are scattered like hordes to reappear later)


Emboldened Prussians advance on their right flank to assault the village, but even at 2:1 are beaten back.


Excellent Prussian dice in the centre see off another Russian base


... and even better dice destroy a Russian battery


On the Prussian left the heavy cavalry battle that had gone back and forth sees the Prussian get their break through and the Russians lose their fourth base and the battle.

Dresden remains in Prussian hands and the Russians limp back in defeat. It seems a long way to winter when reinforcements can be called up. 

Not unexpectedly the incompetent Russian leader probably "chose" the wrong action by attacking an enemy so early in the campaign, failed to request for allies and and the -1 "pip" modifier was the final straw. It does make for a fairly interesting solo campaign however. (By the way the Prussians did ask for allies but were refused by all).


2 comments:

  1. Great stuff!, what a brilliant project. I'll follow this closely.

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  2. Nice report!
    The small figures in blocks work well in this type of game. Reminiscent of old battle maps/panoramas.

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