Saturday, March 27, 2021

15mm Napoleonic Battle - March Attack Redux rules

 15mm Napoleonic Battle - March Attack Redux rules

On Friday I rolled out my most recent edit of March Attack Redux and it was a game of firsts.

  • First time I had played this as a multi-player game (6).
  • First time I used my rebased and painted 15mm Minifigs armies.
  • First time that one player with 40 years of wargaming experience had played a 15mm game.
  • First time I used my home-made felt roads and tree bases. They looked pretty good!
The scenario is a slight adaption of the sample scenario in the original rules - Advance to Plancenoit, 18 June 1815

The battle involves a Prussian Corps advancing towards Waterloo while a slightly more weary French Corps attempts to hold them back. For this game I made the French-held crossroad the objective. The Prussians had to take it and the French had to hold it as long as possible.

For those that haven't heard of March Attack, they are from Crusader Publishing and are designed for players to control a Corps per side. Units being infantry battalions, cavalry regiments and artillery batteries. 

Being the first game, everyone had 1 or 2 divisions each.

Opening moves. Prussians pushing cavalry on the flanks and the infantry intending to punch the left of centre. Room was left in the centre for the artillery reserve to deploy once they arrive.
The French anchored their left flank on the town with the 20th division. Guns in the centre to deter a direct attack and the 19th division slightly held back to react to the direction of attack. The 2 light cavalry divisions were placed back on their centre-right.
Landwehr cavalry approaching the town defended by a French infantry division.
The Prussian Corps artillery arrives with an escort of Prussian grenadiers.
The 2 Prussian infantry divisions advancing to the designated focal point - one division supporting the other. Lots of landwehr infantry amongst the formations.
Prussian regular cavalry division anchoring and threatening the French flank.
French batteries cover the crossroad and assess target options; ready to deliver first blood.
Contact along the battlefield as the units become engaged.
The French 19th infantry division checks the Prussian 15th brigade as heavy skirmishing breaks out. The Prussian 16th brigade changes facing and the angle of attack to the crossroad.
Prussian regulars soak up the damage of the French skirmishing.
The French position is resolute to this point.
The French orders get confused/lost and a light cavalry division gets committed to attacking the landwehr cavalry. 
Situation at the end of game.
Fast forward several turns and we can see the Prussians have turned the French right flank. Cavalry in the rear is not good.
The Prussian light cavalry defeated a French light cavalry division and are now free to harass the rear of the position.
The French infantry division has broken after charges by the Prussian infantry. They exchanged musketry for a couple of turns which weakened both lines.
The French batteries have suffered badly from the Prussian Corps artillery and now break as the Prussian infantry hit them. Crossroads secured and a rare Prussian victory!
Remnants of a French cavalry division that could not be rallied.
The second French cavalry division took heavy casualties and retired to the reform area. They can now at least cover the infantry retreat.
French 20th infantry division hold their position, virtually unscathed. However the position is now untenable and they withdraw in good order.
French artillery are battered and limber up to save the guns.
The landwehr cavalry division has taken damage, but can't do much except watch the French pull back.
The Prussian Corps artillery enjoyed their dominant position and suffered little.

The rules played well and they have a great Napoleonic feel. Really interesting decisions have to be made and timing was an important component. It might take 2 turns to react to an event and commanders have to decide whether to kick on with the plan or make significant adjustments.

The game itself took a lot longer to complete being the first time we had played them as a group. Lots of good questions and they wanted to have an understanding of options before going too far ahead. Players were generally cautious before really committing to a fight.

The points that held up the play were, order selection (and what can/can't be done), artillery unlimbering and firing, the difference between strategic and tactical movement and what can happen in those phases, and the charge sequence.
Those points were all eventually resolved and we progressed well as each were clarified. Towards the end we were getting through the turns more efficiently. Everyone looks forward to trying them out again. The rules give a really good mix of playability and period feel.

Main concepts:
  • These are Corps/Army level scale - Each player will usually have a corps. However, we started with a division or two each.
  • Each unit is a battalion/battery/cavalry regiment but are organised into 'Major Formations', known as MF (brigades to divisions).
  • Each unit has a Combat Value (CV). The combat value determines how much punishment a unit will take before breaking. High CV is better than low CV.
  • CVs get eroded through firing, melee and skirmishing. They break once they reach 0.
  • If the Major Formations lose too many units, they too will break. So managing your weaker units is important.
  • There are two levels of Disorder. D1 and D2
  • There are two main phases: 
    • Strategic - stuff happens at the macro scale (outside 9" of the enemy)
    • Tactical - stuff happens at Engagement range (within 9" of the enemy)
  • Each MF has a set of orders they have to follow. Change of orders is required to do different actions.
  • Skirmish ability is rated by nation and date. Post 1808, most nations have improved their skirmish doctrines

Summary of main changes to original rules:
  • Turn sequence updated to reflect newer rules.
  • Skirmishing - this was originally an abstracted phase that involves maths and was boring and did not, in my opinion, reflect the point of skirmishing. Now the skirmishing can be seen and each commander must make decisions on how many skirmishers to commit and for how long. This can be a wasteful drain on resources and achieve nothing (as quoted by an Austrian General) or be a real PITA if left unchecked.
  • Infantry base sizes have been halved to allow for more realistic formations and skirmishing options.
  • Cavalry and artillery bases have been doubled to better reflect actual frontages - and it looks great...
  • Added rally points for retiring units. Broken units have predetermined areas to rally where officers run around reorganising units at the rally point.
  • Using historical formations and benefits from using those formations. They were used for a reason, but many rules ignore this and allow "wandering battalions" that all flit around doing their own thing.
Some things I may have borrowed from other rules.

Cheers,
Mick

33 comments:

  1. Sounds interesting, I take it these are your house rules to March attack? Do you have a copy of them I could have a look at please?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I can send you the house rules. Please drop your email here and I will send them.

      Delete
    2. Hey Mick, sorry I totally forgot to check back to see if you'd replied! My email is jonathan_808@hotmail.com

      I've ticked the "notify me" box this time so will see if you reply :)

      Delete
  2. Interested write up Mick - enjoyed it, thanks. I have a copy of the rules but never played them. Interested in your house rules modifications?
    Joe

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Joe. Drop your email and I'll send you a copy of the house rules.

      Delete
    2. Hi Mick not sure if my earlier reply with email got through? I pressed the Preview button and then my reply seemed to vanish 😳

      Delete
    3. Hi Joe - sorry I didn't see an earlier reply. Try again and I will send it through.

      Delete
    4. Thanks Mick - can you send to dbt@alphalink.com.au please?

      Delete
  3. Very nice, I was tempted by these rules when they came out as I thought they sounded interesting. I've written my own set now though.

    Also, lovely collection of figures. 2nd Gen Minifigs were my first wargames figures and they are lovely ,and I had a Prussian army so great to see some of the Landwehr cavalry again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Appreciated Iain. Respect for writing your own rules. Finding your sweet spot is rewarding.
      Collecting the 2nd hand armies is a hobby in itself. The 2nd Gen Minifigs are just classic wargaming models.

      Delete
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  5. Mick-

    Saw you are willing to send your house rules. I like MA and agree that these have the right framework, just need some refinement. Could you send me your modifications?

    rollandlahaie@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
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  7. Hi
    As you directed I’m leaving my email here so you can send me your rule mods. Thanks

    Tindictator@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Fantastic set up Mick!
    Ive sent you a couple of emails mate just following up on some previous discussions

    ReplyDelete
  9. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Lovely looking game! I would a copy of your house rules if it's not too much trouble. noss.calavera@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hello, I am getting into the Napoleonic period and would be very interested in your house rule. Thank you.

    My mail is lucas_callura07@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. Love March Attack and have just found your Blog, excellent.

    Would love to see your house rules, especially the skirmishing.

    My email is nsolomon99@yahoo.com

    Merry Christmas, Nick

    ReplyDelete
  13. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi. I am trying to play March Attack but there are some incoherent stuff, so I would like to read your house rules, is it possible? Thanks in advance. All the best, Ricardo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No problem Ricardo. I need your email address to send them.

      Delete
  15. Hi Mick, thanks a lot, my email us: rm.goncalves@hotmail.com. All the best and have a great 2022.

    Best wishes for 2022 for you all.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi there,

    I'm always open to ideas that can improve the system - any game designer that says their rules are perfect is kidding themselves - so if you get time and don't mind emailing me your changes I'll try to give some of them a go in our next game.

    Mark@crusaderpublishing.com

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi there,
    I have just cm across your blog after searching or March Attack house rules.
    I like the sound of your house rules and agree that those are the areas that would benefit from amendments.
    Is there any chance that you could send them to me also and I will give them a try in the next few weeks.
    Thank you.
    Joe
    Joe.harrison.uk@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
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  20. Hi Mick, would you be so kind as to drop me your house rules? Sounds very interesting. Cheers Steve Many Thanks!
    email is Gilobass@gmail.com

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  21. Thank you for the after action report. Could you please share your house rules? My email is matsz09@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  22. Niece write-up. Interested in your house rules. Thanks! min.imax@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  23. Jup, I would also be interrested in your rules variant. Especially the skirmishers. If you could send me your house rules: helmut-fritz at gmx.de

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hi. Please could you send us your rules variant. To pq66u at yahoo.co.UK .A bit late reading this. Thanks. Ps are you still playing the rules ?

    ReplyDelete