Might And Reason

A slight digression here, as I've been asked now and again in comments about the rules I've been using - Might & Reason. I held off for my first try, but now with a second battle completed, I think I can at least list my thoughts about the rules' good and bad points. Here then, in no particular order, are the things that instantly occur:

M&R Positive Things

• Command inertia - the rules are good (especially if you have recurring characters) for modelling individual commanders and their foibles. They also reflect that an army like the Austrians is slow to move and react, while the Prussians are fast and mobile. Each really does have to be handled differently, to avoid disaster.
• The rules thenselves are extremely slick and professional, full of nice touches such as army lists, campaign rules, pictures, and even little quotes to improve the period flavour. I know this is down to personal taste, but I like the fact that the rules are clearly being backed by somebody who actively enjoys the hobby. And of course, thanks to the internet, this means that you'll have a supporting website with updates, scenarios, etc.
  Slick – campaign, lists, etc.
• The rules are, at their heart, simple and straightforward. Distances are in basewidths, combat only requires a few dice rolls without consulting tables for results, and (in perhaps the ultimate test,) somebody like me who has been playing DBA games for ages didn't find it a struggle to suddenly handle extra complexity.
• It fundamentally 'works' in terms of playing out realistically. Infantry lines grind against each other, combats ebb and flow, and cavalry battles see-saw backwards and forwards.
  

M&R Negative Things

• Lots of dice seem to be needed, mostly D6 but also including a D4. I've built up quite a collection over time, but newcomers may find themselves running low.
• Command checks are constantly retaken to see if units become inactive, but rolling 2D6 for each command, each turn, could quickly become wearing in a large battle. The system gets good results, but other games model command breakdowns much more smoothly and with less fuss.
• The flow of play feels strange (perhaps through unfamiliarity at this stage). The usual rhythm of move-fire-combat, move-fire-combat doesn't happen, and is instead fire-move-combat-move-combat, fire move combat, move combat. Firing seems to happen less than combat, which can be frustrating to a 'shooty' army like the Prussians or British. The game uses a variable turn length (which is nice), but is also structured to have pulses within turns, and phases within pulses (or possibly the other way around). I have to use a flow-chart with a marker, just to keep track of who's move it is, and I don't think this'll change with familiarity.
• Organising is required. It's not like DBA, where you think "I'll have a quick battle". You need to roll for sub-commanders, organise commands, and generally put in some time with a bit of paper and a pencil before any clash. Less of an issue once you're set up for a campaign, though.
• Information - units work by strength points, so end up with labels for things like name, unit type, strength points, and possibly also their command in a big game. This means you'd better not want your tabletop covered in miniatures and nothing else - labels, markers, dice-stacks, - they're all appearing.

That's my initial off-the-top-of-the-head thoughts. I'd be interested to hear if anybody else out there has a set of M&R (or some other rules set) they've any thoughts about.

Cheers!

CWT

The further adventures of Gerdt von Krumper

Following his defeat, the Prinzregent von Krumper has been responding like any sensible general - locking himself away in the nearest requisitioned mansion, proclaiming the entire house of Krumper to be doomed, and passing listless days stretched out on a chaise-longue reading over-wrought French poetry. Still, after such necessary self-indulgence, it's time to pull himself together and look at the damage...

How does the campaign map shape up now? Well, there's no denying that the campaign has been (perhaps through inexperience) running at a rather ahistorical intensity (or perhaps not, and I'm just being naive.) Anyway, the fact is that after two months in this of the five-month campaign season, each side has been spectacularly depleted. From attrition, supply losses, desertion and battle casualties, the Aschenbach army has lost about half it's strength while the Luftberg army has lost about a third of it's.

After Vogelhof, the Luftberg army moved back onto the main road to Flussburg, and began closing on the capital. Von Krumper had regained his equilibrium by this point, and marched back to Flussburg, initially intending to fight it out for the city in a defensive battle. The Aschenbach army was a sorry sight for the residents of Flussburg - it had marched out in top condition barely two months earlier, now returned by the same road at half strength and with the enemy hot on it's heels. However, a further look at the army's dwindling strength decided Gerdt von Krumper against a heroic stand and he evaded the Luftberg army, swinging south. The army was too depleted to leave any units behind, so the local militias and garrison troops will have to stand the siege.

Von Krumper pondered letting von Kleintrink ride off with the cavalry to rout the enemy Hussar detatchment under general Van Der Dijk, but decided against it for the time being as they were already operating too far from their depots to last. The Aschenbach army headed southeast, occupying a central-southern position and re-establishing it's supply lines. The Luftberg army may be besieging the capital, but the Aschenbach army was now in striking range of both their supply lines over the river and their raiding detatchment in the west.

It's a clear sign of von Krumper's intention to keep the fight going, and presents the Elector von Luftberg with a few problems for his own response - of which more later...

Thoughts on Vogelhof

The victor, Von Luftberg watches the blue tide ebb away

So, a disastrous defeat for the Aschenbach army, which had seemed so invincible the year before! From the losers’ perspective again, what went wrong? Despite all the advantages in firepower, the main infantry lines proved pretty much equal in terms of damage inflicted. Clearly the cannons made a big difference to this, but I also think a big advantage came from the secure Luftberg position. With no flanks to turn, no units had to manoeuvre around or struggle to come to grips with the enemy. If the Aschenbach infantry had been able to hit a part of the line with their full force, the frequently inert Luftberg generals would have really struggled to respond. As it was, when the generals kept on failing command tests and becoming ‘inert’ it barely mattered as all they had to do was stay immobile and keep firing.

Although it won’t show through in my account, there was a definite improvement in handling the game mechanics (it seems my summary reference sheet does work!) Von Krumper got the initiative for the initial musketry firefights, but he regularly finished turns with handfuls of unused command dice (or CD’s, which commanders can use to re-roll critical tests). Elector von Luftberg however, with fewer command dice, always managed to use them all. It was by liberally spending CD’s that he managed to get his reserve cavalry to so effectively block the flanking moves, plus some excellent wins of the initiative which gave him double-moves to pounce on undeployed rivals. Perhaps it was down to the higher innate quality of the Aschenbach commanders, which made spending CD’s seem unnecessary. Luftberg, by contrast, had no doubts he needed to use his.

One last thing needs to be pointed out regarding Aschenbach’s performance, which is this: what if the two flank attempts had been switched? What if von Kleintrink had been sent to flank over the river, while General Kress and his grenadiers had been deployed in front of Vogelhof? The faster-moving cavalry could have travelled deeper into the rear and crossed the stream in a single move with their better movement rates, so they would have been fighting in the open and properly deployed. Similarly, the village of Vogelhof could plausibly have been stormed by the grenadiers, turning the infantry’s flank. As it was, the cavalry were useless on the flank and had nothing to do but a daring redeployment which would have led to disaster but for von Kleintrink’s personal modifiers.

It’s a sorry force that limps away from this defeat, but soon thoughts will have to turn to the next phase – how does this effect the campaign?

Vogelhof Part 2

Hearing the thunder of cannonfire and musketry from over the stream, General von Kress rushed his detachment onwards into the enemy rear. It soon proved problematic to keep pace with the guns, which were quickly left behind. On approaching the bridge, the dragoons quickly located the Croats of IR6 Karlovic in the woods covering the approach. For the heavy cavalrymen, the woods were too awkward a prospect in the face of the irregulars – only the infantry could turn them out. Von Kress couldn’t take the delay however, as the battle was already well underway and the idea of wasting time using guardsmen and grenadiers to chase off some half-civilised rabble through the woods was clearly not an option. Instead, he ordered his columns to turn east and ford the river in front of the woods, short of the proper crossing point.

Even grenadiers dislike getting water in their shoes, it appears

The dragoons of DR1 von Fleiger successfully crossed over to cover the infantry columns’ transit, but the move brought them too close to the Luftberg cavalry of General Frundsberg. This general, remarkably independent for a Luftberg commander, immediately saw the opportunity and fell on them with his entire force. Through speedy movement, the Aschenbach dragoons were still ordering themselves on the far bank when regiments of enemy cavalry suddenly rode over the hill and swooped down on them. Outflanked and caught unprepared, they were scattered by Colonel Schrodinger’s Cuirassiers KR2. Flushed with success, the cuirassiers tore on into the stream, descending on the astonished Foot guard IR1.

IR1 Foot Guards has it's day totally ruined

Caught in marching column half-way through fording a river, the elite infantry regiment was scattered in confusion. The Hirschburgers managed to stabilise things by holding the far bank, but all hopes of the planned outflanking were at an end.

The Aschenbach line, bent back on it's right around Vogelhof

In the main battle, the firing reached a new intensity as each side blazed away, with regiments charging into each other and steadily losing strength in the storm of musket balls and canister. Von Zaub himself waded in at the head of von Klink’s IR2, but couldn’t decide the issue. Clearly stalemate had been reached. What of the improvised outflanking by von Kleintrink – could he once again work a miracle?

The fighting grinds on

For one ideal moment, it all seemed to be going so well as Kleintrink passed the rough ground

Sadly, it was not to be. The reserve Luftberg cavalry under General Kohl rushed to intercept, and the normally dependable von Kleintrink found himself being caught before he had room to deploy. Caught at a disadvantage, KR2 von Kurbitz was routed, but von Kleintrink himself put in a heroic turn, personally leading KR1 von Schnitzel’s troopers in seeing off the enemy horsemen (and very nearly getting killed into the bargain).

Disaster! Von Kleintrink is caught before he can deploy

However, despite his charmed personal efforts there was no escaping it – the enemy horse had stalled his efforts to turn the flank, and they were both forced to back off and glare at each other. That damnable General Kohl even had the effrontery to cheerfully promenade up and down on the hilltop behind his men, reducing von Kleintrink to fits of impotent sabre-waving fury!

Kleintrink stalemated, and angry

The flanking moves are countered

The battle was rapidly winding down, and von Krumper watched his blue-coated infantry tire and slacken as the fire wore them out. The Pilsen grenadiers still held out in Vogelhof, and von Hentsch even led a charge out of the town to rout the exhausted remainder of Dunkel’s IR7 infantry, threatening the entire line’s flank. Von Zaub had wheeled up some cannons to try and tip the balance, but when the Luftberg infantry sensed the enemy failing and counter-attacked he was rapidly forced to run them back. Von Krumper had to face it – he’d failed to break the Luftberg line and his losses were mounting fast with no prospect of a sudden breakthrough, leaving him with no option but to retreat.

The end of the battle

Vogelhof Part 1

What with the Luftberg army ready and waiting for it, it fell to Aschenbach to deploy it’s army first. Prinz von Krumper knew the battlefield was bordered by a stream, with the Luftberg army most likely to be dead ahead of him on the wider side of the field, using the rough terrain. In fact, it was likely to be entirely on the one side of the river, to prevent it being split. Deciding on a bold stroke, the talented General von Kress was given a mixed force consisting of the army’s elite infantry (the Hirschburgers & Foot Guards), some dragoons and artillery. While von Krumper engaged the enemy frontally, Kress would cross the river and fall on their flank with his elite force. The main army was drawn up in marching columns, with cavalry bulked on the right flank under the impressive von Kleintrink and the left secured against the stream.

The armies deployed, Aschenbach in foreground

General von Kress with his detatchment

In response to this, the Elector Ulrich von Luftberg observed the approaching mass of bluecoats and deployed his own force as per his prepared scheme. His flanks were anchored on his right by the stream, while the left rested on the village of Vogelhof itself. These houses were occupied by the fearsome Pilsen Grenadiers, under the direct command of Conrad von Hentsch himself with orders to hold out to the death.

Vogelhof, with von Hentsch and the grenadiers (yes, I know I need to make some model houses...)

The army’s main line was drawn up in a double-line of infantry, interspersed with artillery batteries and backed by the army’s cavalry in reserve. It was a daunting defence, but as predicted the smaller side of the field over the stream was all but abandoned, save for General Figling’s Croats stationed in a wood to cover the bridge in the army’s right-rear.

The main Luftberg battle line

Map of the battle: Initial moves

As dawn light gathered the Aschenbach army approached the enemy on both sides of the river, the isolated detachment under von Kress functioning perfectly well in isolation. Sweeping on, the Aschenbach infantry on the right of their line under General Grenwitz forged ahead to attack the village of Vogelhof. IR7 von Dunkel’s men rapidly learned that grenadiers might be a tough prospect in the open, but behind stone and timber they were even more dangerous. Even forced by this to refuse a flank, the Aschenbach line swept on, folding smoothly out into line and perfectly timing it’s attack to take the initiative in the ensuing firefight. The Luftberg infantry were outclassed man for man, but with batteries of guns hidden all along their line they managed to hold their own. Everywhere, batteries of guns fired into the oncoming enemy, especially from the small wood bristling with cannon in the centre of the Luftberg line.

The infantry lines clash, as viewed from Vogelhof

General von Kleintrink had moved his cavalry forward, only to realise that with Vogelhof in hostile hands he couldn’t move ahead to turn the enemy flank. To sit tight was possibly the best course, but for Graf Erich von Kleintrink, the man who had demolished the enemy flank at Neukatzberg, such a thing was unthinkable. The only option to get at the enemy was a risky change into column, in order to slip through a narrow passage through the rocky ground east of the village. If he moved fast enough, outpacing the more sluggish enemy commanders, he could fall on the enemy’s flank and rear before they responded and win yet another battle…

von Kleintrink flanks the rocky ground

Initial combat and outflanking moves

First Moves

Aschenbach's army (shown in blue) was initially based in the capital of Flussburg, but an agressive advance was the most likely to be rewarding. Full of enthusiasm after Neukatzberg, Gerdt von Krumper was in no mood for sitting around. He took his full army east, intending to threaten a Luftberg advance on the capital as well as his river crossing supply source.

Elector Ulrich von Luftberg had an answer, however. Clearly, his defeat at Neukatzberg had had a salutary effect and the previous months had not been idled away with operas, gambling and reading scandalous French novels. He moved his main army north off the main approach to Flussburg, and settled into defensive positions around the small village of Vogelhof. At the same time, a detatchment of all the light cavalry under General Van Der Dijk was sent racing westwards to cut the supply route from Krumper's depot at Lauch. Unfolding with such speed that he wasn't able to respond, Krumper suddenly finds himself isolated and with serious problems.

The damnable raiding isn't helping either. No Aschenbach forage party is safe, with every farmhouse stuffed full of Croats, and every shrub concealing a squadron of Hussars. Already, forces have been melting away. Compounding the misery, even Aschenbach's slender resources for irregular warfare have been raiding away on their opponents. Before they'd even met in battle, each army had lost the equivalent of two or three regiments' worth of strength points. While the larger Luftberg army simply disbanded it's less senior regiments (IR's 10 & 11 have simply been drained for manpower and sent home to recruit for next year), Aschenbach has simply spread the pain and reduced it's infantry and cavalry regiments by a point each.

Sitting in his tent, it's clear to von Krumper that this can't go on. The longer the campaign drags by, the worse it will get - a battle is needed, and quickly, to turn things around. Scouts indicate that the Luftberg army has been preparing itself at Vogelhof, but the potential gains outweigh the risks. If the Luftberg army is defeated, it can be pushed back to it's bridgehead over the Rhine and a comprehensive victory can be claimed by Aschenbach.

The subordinate commanders are eagerly anticipating their orders of march, and surely won't be disappointed. Time to get that Cuirass polished up...

Campaign summary

So, we’ve discussed the tools of the trade for each side, now what about the job they have to do? Below is the initial sketch map I made of the Zaub family lands, which we’ll be fighting over. Generally, it’s open land with no remarkable terrain beyond some hilly areas to the south-east. The most important feature is the major river which gives the province it’s east and south boundaries, and will have to be crossed by the Luftberg army to invade. The provinces’ only major settlement is Flussburg, the provincial capital.

So, what issues will concern the armies on campaign? The first will be supply. As is fitting for an 18th Century army, it’s all by fixed depots and supply routes. Each army draws supply from a friendly city or town just over the border, which allows them to operate through most of the province. Flussburg will also be counted as a depot, so to operate fully in the province and go where they wish they’ll need to hold it. Flussburg is also pretty important in itself, as any attempt to claim ownership of the province can hardly be conclusive while it remains in enemy hands.

For the Luftberg side, the river adds another challenge. The crossing point created by the sappers will be a natural bottleneck for their army, and communication back to their home country. As such, holding it and maintaining links home will be a prerequisite of a good victory.

The other matter for each side is of course the enemy army on the loose. Winning a pitched battle against it or driving it out of the province with heavy losses will be a pretty convincing argument in your favour.

As Luftberg are the invaders, I’ll grade things from their point of view. They will get a point for each of the following:
1) Holding a route from Luftberg into the province across the river
2) Defeat the Aschenbach army in a pitched battle which involves at least 50% of it’s units
3) Capture Flussburg and hold it at the end of the campaign year.

It should be pretty easy to quantify if each objective has been met or failed. The battle victory requirement of 50% is to make sure that some skirmish isn’t taken as a decisive victory – the bulk of the enemy have to be grappled with before it counts.

Luftberg will be awarded a decisive victory if it fulfils all three conditions. Meeting two will be a major victory, and only one will be a minor victory. Anything else is a defeat, with Aschenbach winning the campaign.