More Quick Briefings on Kleiner Feldzug

A very fine wargame.

All right, well, this didn't end up being the next day. But here we are to finish off describing Kleiner Feldzug.

I mean this brief precis to be enough of an explanation for players to muddle through our campaign or for readers here to follow along. It is not an attempt to provide all the detail of the rules themselves, which are available as part of Sam Mustafa's Might & Reason tabletop battle rules, and which I highly recommend the discerning wargamer to purchase for a paltry fee on his website.

Raids and Reconnaissance

During the game, at the beginning of each turn, each side's commander in chief (CINC) gets to make the "recon and raid" decisions for the army.

Each CINC gets to choose one enemy force to either raid (possibly attrit) or recon (possibly determine some information on its makeup) with a chance equal to his "raider" value. The defender gets a save against a successful raid but none against a reconnaissance. Normally in Kleiner Feldzug, each side gets only one of these checks per turn: in this scenario, I am giving the Austrians two (2) checks per turn provided at least one is of an enemy force inside the Austrian borders, to represent their historical superiority at ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) in friendly territory.

Movement and Supply

Armies normally move two (2) spaces per turn unless they are 100% cavalry or commanded by a Great general, in which case they can move three (3) spaces. Force-marching is allowed, with capabilities definded by each scenario. In this campaign Austrian troops can force-march one (1) additional space per turn but will suffer (additional) attrition. Prussians can force-march up to two (2) spaces, but will undergo additional attrition in each.

Normally troops only check for attrition if they move(/evade/retreat) along a mountain path, move while out of supply, or spend a turn in a besieged fortress.

Armies must stop on entering a point occupied by an unbesieged enemy fortress.

Commanders may move by themselves. Troops may not move by themselves; they must have an officer capable of army command to lead them. As might be expected, the Prussians tend to have more of these independent-minded and initiative-seizing gentlemen than do the Austrians.

Troops can be left at a point by themselves. They will not be able to move, but they can defend adequately.

Supply extends six (6) spaces from a supply source (Austria's are Pilsen and Bruenn; Prussia's are Dresden, Goerlitz, and Breslau) but do not extend through a point with an enemy corps, enemy-held city, or unbesieged enemy fortress.

Battle and Siege

Armies may attempt to evade enemy armies they do not want to fight. This is easier to do if one's army contains light/irregular cavalry units and/or is lead by a Good or Great general.

Likewise, if armies decide (or are forced) to fight, they have an advantage in pre-battle scouting and post-battle pursuit based on having light/irregular cavalry units and better generals than the opposition.

To besiege fortresses, one needs an army with more units than the total of the fortress value (usually 3) and the enemy infantry and artillery sheltering inside. Sieges may reduce a fortress over time and/or by means of assault.

Armies' Starting Positions

Here is a map of the campaign and the forces deployed at start. I should have an update this weekend with their new positions. Refer to the previous post for a version of the map with no units, so you can see all the place names that are obscured here.