"Luckau, June 1813: a photo AAR" Topic
10 Posts
All members in good standing are free to post here. Opinions expressed here are solely those of the posters, and have not been cleared with nor are they endorsed by The Miniatures Page.
For more information, see the TMP FAQ.
Back to the Napoleonic Battle Reports Message Board Back to the Napoleonic Gallery Message Board
Areas of InterestNapoleonic
Featured Hobby News Article
Featured Link
Featured Ruleset
Featured Book Review
|
War Artisan | 18 May 2018 7:37 p.m. PST |
The Gentlemen Wargamers gathered once again for a Napoleonic bash based (very loosely) on Oudinot's pursuit of von Bulow following the near disaster at Bautzen, done in our usual ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) style. Rules were Napoleonic Command, 2nd Edition. 10mm Miniatures from Old Glory, AIM and Pendraken, (54 battalions, 26 squadrons, 7 batteries) painted by Yours Truly. Terrain and scenario by Yours Truly.
More pictures, with explanatory captions, here: link Enjoy, Jeff |
bobspruster | 19 May 2018 3:31 a.m. PST |
Great looking game, nice job! The quartermaster did a fine job gathering spirits to medicate the wounded. Funny that the Prussians really didn't persist after first contact. Was Lucknau occupied? |
War Artisan | 19 May 2018 6:18 a.m. PST |
Some of the Prince of Hesse-Homburg's infantry had moved into Luckau as they arrived, but Oudinot declined to attack the town, saying, in effect, that it made no sense to initiate a long, slow bloodbath in Luckau when he could just go around. Since the Prussians had lost their initial advantage in cavalry (20 squadrons to 14 French/Wurttemburger, down to just 4 by late in the game) their remaining infantry, although better quality than the forces facing them, lacked the means to prevent a double envelopment. |
Stew art | 19 May 2018 7:31 p.m. PST |
Really great report and pictures! I'm very impressed 😀 |
DaleWill | 21 May 2018 9:40 a.m. PST |
As usual, an excellent report. |
marshalGreg | 21 May 2018 2:09 p.m. PST |
Most Excellent Game and report! What do you see that was critical and done differently perhaps would have changed the outcome? |
Lets party with Cossacks | 21 May 2018 5:01 p.m. PST |
They are superb reports and clearly played in a way that marries objectives of realism, aesthetics and enjoyment. Got me into 10mm. |
War Artisan | 22 May 2018 2:32 a.m. PST |
What do you see that was critical and done differently perhaps would have changed the outcome? So many things . . . where to start? Rather than one critical thing compromising the Prussians' chance of success, it was the cumulative effect of several decisions that proved their undoing. The pre-battle decisions about entry points and timing were critical for both sides . . . the French were somewhat better coordinated. Leaving a kilometer gap between Borstell's brigade and the cavalry reserve gave the French an opportunity which they exploited nicely. Arentschildt choosing to reinforce the center around Luckau where there was little room for his cavalry to deploy instead of marching straight south forfeited the opportunity to bottle up an entire enemy division in the rough terrain around Cahnsdorf. Bringing Hesse-Homburg's forces in at a flanking entry point instead of behind Luckau would have thrown the French attack into serious disarray. While an unlucky die roll could be blamed for the demise of von Bulow (which would never have happened had he not recklessly placed himself in the front line), luck only played a small part in the outcome. The action in these games is largely driven by the players' decisions . . . as it should be. |
Lets party with Cossacks | 23 May 2018 1:45 a.m. PST |
Surely "the cumulative effect of several decisions" rather than a single critical element determining success means the game is well nuanced. What make are the Wurttemberg cavalry – AIM? If so what line/figs? |
War Artisan | 23 May 2018 3:02 a.m. PST |
What make are the Wurttemberg cavalry – AIM? If so what line/figs? Yes, AIM. They were converted from British household cavalry, if I recall correctly, because of the similarity of the headgear. Conversions in 10mm are quite easy, sometimes requiring a little knife-and-file work, but most of the time achievable with just paint. Headgear is the hardest part of the figure to convert, as well as being the most visible portion, so I like to start with a figure that is pretty much correct as-is, from the neck up. My Wurttemburg infantry are Old Glory Bavarians. . . . played in a way that marries objectives of realism, aesthetics and enjoyment. Exactly. Many wargamers see the various aspects of the game as trade-offs with each other as though they were mutually exclusive, but I prefer to maximize the effect of all aspects together as much as possible . . . what I think of as my "Four A's" of effective game-mastering which, like the four legs of a table, should be equally long and equally strong in order for the whole thing to work the way it's supposed to: 1. Authenticity. What happens in the game, and the reasons why those things happen, must bear an appreciable resemblance to the historical record. 2. Approachability. The rules should not be so long that they are difficult to learn. The mechanics should not be so convoluted that they are difficult to master. The modifiers should not be so numerous that they are difficult to remember. 3. Aesthetics. All components of the game (figures, terrain, charts, markers) should be crafted to the highest standard achievable with the available time and resources. If it's not about the aesthetics, then you might as well play boardgames. 4. Amicability. Wargaming is a fundamentally social hobby. The entire experience is greatly enhanced by being held in a comfortable setting, with all the accoutrements of civilization (in the case of the ATF, a decent meal, a good cigar, and a fine whiskey.) Likewise, I prefer the game to be less about dominating an opponent and more like an adventure in shared story-telling . . . victory without aggrandizement, defeat without rancor. Emphasize some of these aspects over the others, or neglect any of them, and the result will be a greatly diminished player experience. |
|