15mm Wurttemberg 1870

 It has been quite some time since I painted up any 15mm Franco Prussian War stuff, I really had done with those two armies though as you dear reader will see the period itself is most certainly ongoing.

The drive for adding the Wurttemberg contingent was that after testing out and loving Bloody Big Battles while gaming the battle of Froeschwiller (Worth) I decided to re-try the battle using Age of Valour rules which require considerably more figures per unit. This is well doable given that I have hundreds of the chaps painted up but not of course Wurttemberg figures, plenty not painted but, hey I've gone this far so why not!

So here is the Wurttemberg Field Division with some of the artillery required, a few more batteries still to do. Outpost infantry and cavalry, Old Glory 15's guns.

Dave.

Bloody Big Battles.

 

Now I don't consider myself to be a dinosaur regarding new developments in the hobby but of course what dinosaur would admit or even maybe realise that a dinosaur is what they are. I, like everyone have their own preferences related to wargaming, I like well painted figures but am not so snobby as to being bothered by what others can manage to paint up (draw the line at unpainted however). I will give most rules a fair go but period feel and ease of play are preferable to adding up columns of plusses and negatives. I do love good looking terrain, having a realistic table top to shove those well painted figures around comes pretty high on my should have list. What floats some peoples boats doesn't necessarily float mine and of course vice versa, priorities in gaming are rightly different for each of us and so it should be. It would be a boring old life if that weren't the case.

For some people the historical feel of the game, the flow of the rules and the end result is everything but the look doesn't matter. For others lining up thousands of 28mm Napoleonic figures from one side of the table to the other has them squealing with delight. It takes them three hours to set it all up, the ten people invited roll dice to no tactical purpose what so ever and they spend the rest of the day packing it all away again. Really?

Now to my point, I have looked at the Bloody Big Battles rules set for a number of years now. I have plenty of 15mm Franco Prussian War figures, more Austrians half painted up and I love the period. I have not really settled on a set of rules that I love. I tried the adapted version of Fire and Fury years ago and still want to try Age of Valour which is Fire and Fury based, I even attempted to adapt General de Armee/Pickets Charge to the FPW period see here and found quickly that rule writing isn't my forte!

So back to Bloody Big Battles. I checked out the internet, forums, blogs and of course the page dedicated to the rules, enthusiasm abounded regarding the playing and feel of the rule set but here is the nub, every photograph of games being played looked crap! bits of felt, rivers and roads that didn't connect. I know, I know Dave you snob I can here you all saying and well maybe yes but only to my own preferences as stated above, the people likely had a great time and good for them.

So I got over my own prejudice, finally bought the rules and boy am I glad that I did. Neal and I have only played them for one scenario Froeschwiller 1870 but they are great. Again based on the Fire and Fury system the rules are historically accurate, flow well and just, well, feel right. I won't go into too much detail but for instance, you look at a potential 12" move for infantry and initially think that's a long way in this scale but terrain slows you, your movement die roll may affect you and then if your opponent decides to fire at you he/she can pick any point during your advance at which to commence fire. If you don't reduce the enemies fire power then there is a high likelihood that your unit will at best be pinned in situ getting the proverbial s***e kicked out of it. Cleaver stuff.

Excellent rules, particularly for large encounters, hence the name!

Here's a few photographs:

Enjoyed this so much that I'm looking seriously at completing the Austrian 1859 army I have.

Dave.

Franco Prussian 15mm.

 You thought it was all over, well it is now, I think!

There hasn't been a post on here for a while and after scrolling down you will probably see why. I'm not one for posting each time I finish a 15mm unit, particularly if I have done a few similar units before and have already posted about them on here. A 28mm unit is a bit different as they take a bit more work but 15mm, na. No disrespect to anyone else but I will get a few units done before I shove them on here.

My FPW collection was started at least 15 years ago based mainly on the Wyre Forest adaptation of the ACW Fire and Fury rule set which was one I liked. The latest 'official' set is Age of Valor adapted from both Fire and Fury and Age of Eagles (the Napoleonic set). I had always assumed that my FPW collection was as complete as I could wish it to be, a foolish assumption I know but there you go! Now the Age of Valor rule set uses a slightly different figure scale to the original and I observed would need a few more figures added to the old collection to make it viable, yeh right, a few more. I have painted up approx 80 foot and 40 cavalry but it's the artillery that's the doozy 20 more models were needed. I then decided in my insanity that each model would have a limber, you will see the results in the photos below.

You guys may legitimately ask why all the gun limbers? Frankly it is of course all down to personal taste. They are not strictly necessary to play the game, though I do believe that a battery of guns was a big investment in both physical material and training, but also of the actual area of ground that it occupied on the battlefield and that this should be shown if possible when gaming. The down side is that limbers are a frick'n pain to assemble and paint and oh boy was I fed up with doing this lot by the time I was finished! I do think it will be worth it though, particularly in this period when the artillery played such a dominant (or not) factor in the outcome.

Anyway, on with the pictures:

French Imperial Guard (with one division from the 1st corps on movement trays)

The rest of MacMahon's 1st corps.

French 5th corps, all French corps had three divisions (other than the 1st corps.). Each division was made up of four brigades seen here with their attached three batteries of guns. The six batteries of the reserve artillery can be seen on the left.

French corp cavalry brigades for both 1st and 5th corps plus 1st corps artillery reserve,

French limbers, see what I mean!

Prussian V Korps, two divisions composed of 4 regiments in two brigades with attached cavalry and reserve artillery. Note that the figures mounted on hexagonal bases are there to portray the heavy skirmish line thrown forward of the formed Prussian infantry.

Prussian XI Korps.

II Bavarian Korps, organised as per their Prussian counterparts though with some Jagers included.

A mix here, French reserve corps cavalry bottom left. Bavarian Korps cavalry top left and Prussian Korps cavalry right top and bottom.

Bavarian grey limbers, and Prussian blue limbers. Some serious numbers here!

The figures are organised so that both Age of Valor and my adaptation of General de Armee rules can be used. I would be open to Bloody Big Battles but looking at photographs of various games on line the units used seem a little small looking for my taste and at twenty odd quid I'm not sure. People say they are a good set of rules so if they could be used with larger units I may give them a go.

Anyhow I'm pig sick of Franco Prussians for the moment so on with something else!

Cheers, Dave.

Position Magnifique, conclusions.

Having had a day or two to contemplate the game and the changes made to the rules to accommodate the later period I thought I'd write up my thoughts.
Firstly the game was fun, reasonably historical and once I concoct a quick play sheet will play through at a sensible pace. The battle pitting two Prussian corps against one large French one in a decent defensive position ended up with a Prussian victory, they suffered hefty casualties getting there but did the business once they got close enough to use the needle gun effectively.
The Prussian Krupp artillery wasn't as dominant as I thought it would be but I know that I still need to paint up one corps reserve artillery so that might have made a difference.
The French artillery was pretty useless as the Prussians rightly targeted them first and forced them to withdraw while the Chassepot seemed to be as effective as it should have been.
To sum up:

1). The table was rather too small for the number of figures on it so it was a frontal attack with little manoeuvring, though in my defence the object was to play test tactical scenarios and how the mechanics of the rule adjustments work or not.

2). Long range artillery fire was pretty useless which frankly is as it should be and usually is in most rules. Both sides need to be at effective range, I'm trying to decide if there should be a longer short range, canister or more accuracy at that distance, particularly for the Krupp guns (it's 20cm at the moment) don't know, we'll see with that one.

3). The Prussian artillery really could have done with spending more time softening up the French. Now in the later stages of the conflict they did this and it could be represented by giving them a bombardment phase at the very start of a scenario, say five attacks from each 'battery' before the game itself begins? You have to be so careful though as this still has to be an enjoyable game for the French player so maybe on a roll of a dice for each division the Prussian divisional commanded ignores whatever orders he has and attacks the French position regardless of orders (say on a 6). This happened surprisingly often!

4). Small arms fire seemed to be ok though I may try out increasing the cost of reinforcing the Prussian firing line. It costs the supporting unit 1 casualty point to replace a stand in the firing line at the moment, I may increase this to 2 casualty points. This will make the Prussian player think harder if it's worth standing in-front of the French infantry and exchanging fire or whether it's better to just charge in asap before their blown away.

5). An absolute must is to look again at the General de Armee melee charts and incorporate more of them into these rules. Thinking about it the Pickett's Charge rules in that conflict rightly assume that other than troop quality both sides are very similar but I think that in the European continent the subtle differences can be brought out slightly better using the Gen de Armee melee rules, certainly many of them. Fighting in built up areas is a very noticeable one were I think the rules in Gen de Armee favour the defender more and make it more difficult to prise a unit out.

6).The main thing I want to avoid is to stray too far from the basic structure of Dave Brown's set of rules and nor do I want to have reams of pluses and negatives for players to add and subtract during the game, This period is more complex than either of the two yet still retains a flavor of both.

I have to put one picture up so here's some extras I needed to have for these rule changes, oh and a random 28mm coach for the French Revolution:

So more play testing but first I need to compose a workable quick play sheet which I can adjust as I go along. Well, I've got nothing else to do - Not!

Dave.

Position Magnifique turns 8 & 9.

The pressure begins to tell.

The chance was there, if only Von Schactmeyer the chief of the 21st division will take it. On the Prussian right his orders were to advance and force the French from the wood to his front, taking advantage of the close terrain he had done just that, now Von Bose his corps commander looking to his right saw that the French division defending this sector had broken and fled, now was the time to exploit the situation and turn the French flank.
Two turns, two hesitations on Von Schactmeyer's die rolls, he held the woods, job done. Wargames, don't you love em!

Elsewhere, all along the French line casualties were beginning to mount up on the infantry regiments, a combination of the incessant artillery bombardment and the Prussian infantry pressing forward.

After its late start 10th division of V corps finally assaulted the village on the French right. taking it and forcing the defenders to retreat. The Prussian infantry rolled well but I have reservations regarding Pickett's Charge rules in assaulting BUA's, this was too easy for the attackers and I may well use many of the melee factors from G de A in the future.

Not a pretty sight for the French, this division is now faltering.

The French left with the reserve cavalry holding the flank.

The French centre, they have been forced off the ridge and are forming a hasty defence in the rear of their main line.

The French left, also under great pressure, the village taken and the right hand brigade detatching a regiment to strengthen the centre.

The view from the Prussian side, if the right had exploited the situation the battle would have been over quicker but even with substantial casualties their centre is pressing the French hard.

I called it a day at this point, the French would have withdrawn if they could using their least damaged right hand division and what was left of their cavalry to cover their retreat.
I will do one more post on this maybe tomorrow and go over what worked with the adaptions and what didn't. I learnt allot and enjoyed myself greatly but writing it all up and posting takes longer than playing the game. Good memories to look back on though!
Dave.

Position Magnifique turns 6 & 7.

Turn 6.
The Prussian 88th regiment deciding to exploit the weakness of the centre left of the French line was ordered to charge forwards using cold steel, but cold steel means nothing when facing both the French chassport and, for this game at least another double six!

Five casualties and again killing the Prussian officer on the serendipity table faltered the Prussian division during the charge. I, as umpire and player of both sides decided that the 88th would go in against the French regardless of the falter (nobody argued against me!).

With a good roll for the Prussians and a mediocre one for the French, the 88th prevailed forcing the French regiment to retreat.

However the remaining French regiment to the right of the gap, even with ten casualties inflicted upon it managed in the firing segment to knock off the one remaining casualty left to the 88th thereby eliminating it completely. The air was thick with lead.

Above, the end of turn 6.

The French left still looked in severe danger in danger of collapse and so it proved, a desultory roll on the Falter table proved to be the end for the French left flank division a withdraw result saw it leave the table having had enough. The Prussians continue to push through the woods while the French reserve cavalry move to their left to try to fill the gap.

Turn 7.
As in history, sometimes, as in wargames, the only immediate force at hand to plug the gap in the left centre was a French curiassier division from the reserve so McMahon turned and ordered it forward.

Prussian divisional light cavalry can just be seen in the distance over the ridge crest, directed by officers on the ridge to the French curiassier, it was too much of a threat, the charge commenced.

Charging downhill the French heavies carried all before it forcing the Prussians to retreat. The curiassiers occupied the position right in the face of a Prussian regiment.
Note: At this point I decided to use the charge procedure for cavalry from the General de Armee ruleset rather than Picket's Charge in the future as I think this encompasses European methods rather than the civil war ones better.

You could have predicted what was going to happen, during the movement phase the Prussians surrounded the exposed French cavalry and simply blew it away inflicting ten casualties on a small unit removing it from the game. You would have got a different result if the Gen de Armee cavalry sequence had been used.

More proof of the power of the chassepot on troops in the open, though this Prussian regiment had suffered some casualties previously as soon as it exited from the village it was destroyed by French fire, rolling a nine on the fire table and three additional CD dice casualties. Unit destroyed, division falter, though it has to be said that this Prussian division had Hesitant marker on it for the past three turns!

Schmidt on the Prussian left finally gets moving, I suspect he saw what was going on to his right!

View from the Prussian centre.

Finally, the Prussian right continuing it's progress through the woods.

Laters guys.
Dave.