28mm Napoleonics: 2nd game with 1 page rules.

Westphalians v Bavarians – part zwei

I decided to do a rematch using more or less the same troops as last time but with an extended table. Some crossroads and a village are the main features, plus a few hills and wooded areas. Main idea was to take and control the crossroad. Each side had 2 infantry and 2 cavalry brigades. The Bavarians (with completed basing this time) had a heavy battery as their main advantage. The Westphalians had a brigade of heavy cavalry as their main advantage. The heavies ended up being the difference. Very powerful against poor old light cavalry.

Brett came along and he controlled half the Bavarians. Richard placed his heavy cavalry brigade directly in front of the Bavarian light cavalry as soon as he saw the opportunity. The combat ended up being mostly one-sided and Richard opened up a flank by turn 5 so another clear win to the Westphalians. Horse artillery (1 per cavalry brigade) was effective and used aggressively on both sides.

We discovered a few more clarifications were needed regarding the countercharge sequence and evade distances but overall it was a smooth game. Once the fighting starts, a lot can happen in a turn when morale starts taking effect. The importance of having rear support and secure flanks kicks in. The Reserve move phase is also important as it allows each side to move any units that haven’t moved that turn to push into gaps or even exploit them. Brett and Richard started to appreciate the skirmish rules a bit more and used them quite well.

A couple of times we thought of adding a few interesting rules but then decided it defeats the point of having a simple set of rules to play a complex period. They may, one day, even get to 2 pages long. But I think, at least for now, keeping it easy and fudging the tricky stuff is good enough.

 

Cheers,

Mick

 Westphalians lined up

 Bavarians lined up

 Table view

 First turn movement

 Advancing on the village

2^nd turn movements

 Westphalian Light Cavalry

 Cheeky bugger Horse Artillery

Westphalians forming a battle line

 

Fighting starts for the village

Westphalian Heavy Cavalry push back the Bavarian Light Horse

 The gap created by the heavies 

Firefight starting 

Heavies pushing around the Lights again



 

 
 

 Mirror image on this side of the village

Westphalian guns send a Bavarian line unit packing

Heavies dispatch one cavalry unit with ease – one to go

Refusing the line, just as the Bavarian village defenders run away

  No more Bavarian cavalry on this flank as the Westphalians smell victory

Close up of imminent defeat

One Westphalian unit routs – albeit temporarily

 

Reserves push into the stalemate fight for the village as the game is called in favour of the Westphalians

 Notes on rules

The rules in their current form