We played the 1800 battle of Montebello again. There were no changes to the game rules but the scenario has been tweaked since last time. I played the Austrian commander Ott, backed by Bill as O'Reilly. Tom was French commander Lannes backed by Ken as Victor. Streams slowed movement but had no effect on combat. Light infantry was introduced since the last time we played this. Last, I decided that reserve movement (very fast moves) was out of place in games of meeting engagements.
The French began with the initiative but didn't do much since they only had a couple of battalions at start. Then we rolled a measly two pips which Bill used to bombard the French and missed. I foolishly forgot to start marching our off-table reinforcements onto the table. This would have serious consequences.
On the second turn, with an even worse single pip, I started moving Vogelsang's column onto the field. On the third turn Lannes got some reinforcements and sprang forward. A couple battalions got into Casteggio village first, using ‘on the double' cards.
The French have more than a few of these in their deck. At the same time, a general assault was made against O'Reilly's advanced guard. A ‘surprise' card was played against the village of Rivalta but the garrison kept their heads and repulsed the attack. An attack on nearby vineyards caused loss but the Grenzers threw the attack back.
Our pip rolls were pretty miserable and the main column slowly moved onto the table. By game's end we still had one infantry battalion and a cavalry battalion off the table. Victor continued to put pressure on O'Reilly. At first the French attacks were repulsed but the French began to get around O'Reilly's left, threatening to cut him off from the main Austrian force. We were spending most of our meager pips moving the main column up. As a result, O'Reilly didn't start to fall back until things had gotten very hairy.
Two battalions of Grenzers were left behind in the foothills of the Alps. They were left behind by the main French attack and reduced to spectators, observed by a couple French battalions. O'Reilly's troops were thrown out of Casa Giardana.
They were attacked again and driven back exhausted. One French battalion wandered off, the victim of a ‘blunder' card. The head of Ott's column came up and fell on this battalion, soon reducing it to exhaustion. This exhausted battalion then cut off the retreat of the Austrian cavalry. I do have to clearly specify in the rules what offensive action exhausted troops can take – none. A look at the current rule as written is rather hazy.
Anyway, the cavalry regiment was scattered to the winds and the infantry battalion and artillery battery behind them soon followed. O'Reilly then took command of the 4 battalions that Ott had brought forward.
Late in the game Vogelsang manage to launch an attack against Casteggio. It was driven off easily by the French.
On the last turn of the game Vogelsang threw an attack at the woods north of Casteggio which was repulsed. O'Reilly also managed an attack near Casa Fertile, south of Casteggio. It too failed.
The French managed to scatter two Austrian infantry battalions, a cavalry regiment and a battery of position guns. While there were some beat-up French battalions hanging behind the lines, none had been routed. This gave the French 4 – 0, a decisive victory.
My critical error was wasting the first turn forgetting to move the main column onto the table. We would most likely have got into Casteggio first and made the French fight for it. I also have to tone down the Austrian pip penalty in this scenario. It is near impossible to get them moving. But the French moved well and the game was closer than before.
We played 15 turns in 2 hours and 50 minutes (170 minutes), not counting time out for sausage, red beans and rice dinner.
looks at a multi-period building.
