"Battle of Reinhausen: A Polemos Napoleonic AAR" Topic
10 Posts
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Whirlwind | 06 Sep 2019 11:39 p.m. PST |
Please see link for an AAR of the Battle of Reinhausen, with French and Austrians fighting for control over a bridgehead over the River Regen. The scenario is from Michael Hopper's Eagles Over Bavaria scenario book.
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Erzherzog Johann | 07 Sep 2019 3:09 a.m. PST |
I can see the point you make about the rules not really reflecting the reality of combat in this game. I think it is less its "DBx" nature than the ability to "stack", as you put it, like in a board game. I have never played a DBx style Napoleonic game, only Ancient/Dark Ages DBA, DBM and DBMM but I think the real issue here was that the scenario it seems required the French to sit and watch while the Austrians accumulated their "stack", without responding. The stacking does not seem especially DBxish in style. I can't see an actual DBx game delivering such a huge disparity as the +4 you mention. |
Whirlwind | 07 Sep 2019 8:03 a.m. PST |
It was an interesting one. I didn't have a problem with the "stack" so much – although I may have used a misleading word to describe it, in which case I am very sorry – since specifically optimizing your units is something all rules encourage. It is broadly equivalent to using a general's pike unit with rear support in DBA or somesuch and is in fact not that different from other Napoleonic rules (if I have a battalion of infantry, a regiment of cavalry and an artillery batttery and you have a battalion of infantry in the open, you should lose). IMO it is a combination of the pecularities of the rules (shock is much more important than attrition) with the pecularities of the scenario (only one French unit can cross the bridge per turn) which sets up some very crucial early dice rolls which potentially – not certainly – will make life difficult (or impossible!) for the French. |
Whirlwind | 07 Sep 2019 9:31 a.m. PST |
Later on I had another go at the same battle, please see link for details:
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Just Jack | 08 Sep 2019 5:13 p.m. PST |
John, I'm so happy seeing you playing again, love your batreps. But… How can you play a game where the French have no cavalry!!!??? ;) Sure looked like a tough one for the French. Another one!!?? Definitely more exciting this time, but I still don't see how the French can hold the Austrians off. And a pretty dubious maneuver, having the Dragoons 'screen' the French arty, across the river! ;) V/R, Jack |
Whirlwind | 08 Sep 2019 10:01 p.m. PST |
And a pretty dubious maneuver, having the Dragoons 'screen' the French arty, across the river! ;) Always good to see a proud unit (the Austrian Uhlans) distinguish itself by maintaining themselves with a proud and manly bearing under the fire of the enemy's guns…actually, the French artillery had been awesome early on against the Austrian infantry and then couldn't put a ball near the horsemen later on – go figure! The Uhlans definitely had the bragging rights amongst the Austrian horseman that day, since two regiments of Dragoons were routed by one shaken unit of French infantry…sigh… Sure looked like a tough one for the French. Yes, it was. I am now quite fascinated by this scenario, since on the day the French were successful but it seems hard to replicate using these rules. Of course, it might just be that by rating the Austrian infantry the same as the French, then that by itself makes it impossible. I probably need to try it again with the French infantry a bit tougher than their Austrian counterparts. On the other hand, I may have come to the end of the development of this ruleset in its current form (I have been playing Polemos Napoleonics for 12 years now) and I need to see how the French get on with another set. |
Just Jack | 09 Sep 2019 2:31 p.m. PST |
John, Quite a showing from the Dragoons, then? ;) It's hard to believe the French actually carried the day in that situation. So, what did it in real life? Were they just packed into the town and the Austrians, for all their strength of numbers, just couldn't bring enough troops to bear and thus couldn't budge the French, or what? Pretty impressive to be able to say you've been playing a single set of rules for 12 years now. I haven't even been wargaming that long yet! So, if you're looking for another set(s) to try, what are you thinking? I'm guessing if you want to stay at that command echelon, it's got to be Blucher, Grand Armee, or Snappy Nappy? V/R, Jack |
Whirlwind | 09 Sep 2019 3:10 p.m. PST |
It's hard to believe the French actually carried the day in that situation. So, what did it in real life? Were they just packed into the town and the Austrians, for all their strength of numbers, just couldn't bring enough troops to bear and thus couldn't budge the French, or what? Much less glamorous than any of that. The Austrian commander just made some half-hearted attacks with a couple of battalions (one Jager, one line), a horse artillery battery and some cavalry not towards the main French defences but towards the villages to the right as you look at it on my board, which the French beat off pretty easily. So if Napoleonic reality is like the Polemos ruleset, then Klenau (the Austrian commander) really missed his chance to crush the French detachment! That said, there are writers who feel that just about sums up the performance of the Austrian Army in the opening parts of the 1809 campaign… |
Whirlwind | 09 Sep 2019 3:13 p.m. PST |
Pretty impressive to be able to say you've been playing a single set of rules for 12 years now. I haven't even been wargaming that long yet! So, if you're looking for another set(s) to try, what are you thinking? I'm guessing if you want to stay at that command echelon, it's got to be Blucher, Grand Armee, or Snappy Nappy? Those rules are kind of the next command level up. At the moment I use Polemos and Horse, Foot and Guns for that, although Grande Armee has had the odd run out too. It is a good game, but you need to be a bit organized pre-game to make it work. I am a bit unusual in a Napoleonic gamer for using single bases as battalions for games featuring a division or so per side. So I am not sure yet. Stay tuned! |
Just Jack | 09 Sep 2019 4:48 p.m. PST |
That's true! I wasn't thinking in terms of you using one base per battalion, just the fact it was one unit per stand. I could recommend you some battalion rules (Drums and Shakos Large Battles is my favorite), but they all require 4 base (or more) units. Whatever you decide, I'm looking forward to them! V/R, Jack |
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