Our Test Battle: Verbreitnet
Here are some previews of our test battle for tomorrow, the imaginary 1813 battle of Verbreitnet.
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| Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher in Bautzen, 1813 by Bogdan Willewalde |
First, Terrain
As described in my blog post the other day, terrain can affect movement and line of sight or both. Terrain that affects movement can be in the form of linear obstacles or disruptive terrain.
I don't want to make terrain a big complication in tomorrow's game, so we'll have X types of terrain:
Medium woods: disruptive area terrain that can slows movement by 50%, acts as light cover, and blocks line of sight of more than 150 paces from one unit to another in the woods. Line of sight is not obstructed to/from units on the perimeter of medium woods. Units must be on the perimeter to charge or be charged by units not in the woods. Movement into or through woods must be input as movement in disruptive terrain.
Medium woods: disruptive area terrain that can slows movement by 50%, acts as light cover, and blocks line of sight of more than 150 paces from one unit to another in the woods. Line of sight is not obstructed to/from units on the perimeter of medium woods. Units must be on the perimeter to charge or be charged by units not in the woods. Movement into or through woods must be input as movement in disruptive terrain.
Streams: simple linear obstacles that have no effect on line of sight. Movement to cross streams must be input as movement crossing a linear obstacle.
Gentle hills: simple line of sight obstacles that do not affect movement. We won't worry about crests; units entirely on the other side of a hill (not on the hill) will not be visible to units on the opposite side; if on the hill they will be visible.
Fields: grain fields that do not affect movement but block line of sight to/from units on ground level unless to/from a unit on the perimeter of the field. EXCEPTION: the line of sight to/from units on hills will not be affected by fields. Artillery bouncethrough will not be blocked by fields if the fire is at an otherwise visible target.
Orders of Battle
Below are the orders of battle for the two sides in the battle of Verbreitnet
The French have a division that consists of two brigades of infantry and an attached cavalry brigade. Their total strength is thus ten battalions of light and line infantry, two batteries of artillery, two composite regiments of light cavalry, and a battery of horse artillery).
The Allies have a division that consists of two brigades of infantry and a brigade of cavalry. The infantry brigades each consist of a regiment of line infantry with attachments (in one case a battalion of grenadiers and an artillery battery, in the other a battalion of riflemen, two battalions of poorly trained reserve infantry, and an artillery battery). The cavalry brigade consists of six detachments of light cavalry (three Prussian and three Russian) and a battery of horse artillery.
Each officer and each unit has a three-digit number, a name, and some defining characteristics.
The letter ratings you'll see work just like classroom scores: an A+ is the best and a D- is the worst (it actually goes below D but, like all high school students, we'll hope you don't see any scores like that!)Distances are all measured in paces; for our 15mm battle, we'll be treating each inch as 50 paces.
Officer characteristics are a letter grade that summarizes their leadership and tactical ability and a distance--the officer's zone of influence. When it's time to attach and detach leaders to help boost units' abilities, officers can attach to any unit within their zone of influence (but it's best to attach them to units they or their subordinates command).
Unit characteristics are more complicated.
- First is their total casualties and their starting strength (hopefully every unit's first number is 0, since battle hasn't yet commenced!).
- Then a letter rating summarizing their shooting, close combat, class, and experience. I wish that the OB printouts would show those factors separately, but wishes are not, alas, horses.
- Then a cryptic note indicating their skirmish abilities. This will start with a capital E if the unit can adopt extended order (up to half its strength in a dispersed skirmish line and the remainder in close order providing supports). Then either sk+ or sk-. the first indicates a unit with offensive skirmish ability--usually a company trained to skirmish well in front when the rest of the unit is formed into line or column. The latter means a unit with defensive skirmish ability, usually units able to send their third rank forward to protect the unit's immediate front when deployed, but not fully trained subunits capable of moving well ahead and disrupting the enemy.
- Finally, there's arms information: the unit's primary firearm (cannon for artillery, longarm for infantry and cavalry) and that weapon's ranges (canister and roundshot-effective for artillery, close and maximum for longarms; artillery roundshot-maximum range is a little more than twice effective range in most cases).
French Forces
Division Grise - Attack
[ 101] General de Division Grise - Active D+ [650 paces]
[ 111] 1/3rd Artillerie 0/ 200 [ 8] C+ 6pdr [Medium] [400 750]
[ 112] 2/3rd Artillerie 0/ 200 [ 8] C+ 6pdr [Medium] [400 750]
Brigade Jaune - Attack
[ 102] General de Brigade Jaune - Active C- [300 paces]
[ 101] 1/6th Legere 0/ 600 B- Esk+ SB.Musk.[1st] [ 75 200]
[ 102] 2/6th Legere 0/ 450 B- Esk+ SB.Musk.[1st] [ 75 200]
Regiment Argent - Attack
[ 105] Colonel Argent - Active B+ [250 paces]
[ 103] 1/37th Ligne 0/ 750 C Esk+ SB.Musk.[1st] [ 75 200]
[ 104] 2/37th Ligne 0/ 600 C Esk+ SB.Musk.[1st] [ 75 200]
[ 105] 3/37th Ligne 0/ 600 C Esk+ SB.Musk.[1st] [ 75 200]
Brigade Vert - Attack
[ 103] General de Brigade Vert - Active B- [500 paces]
[ 106] 1/14th Legere 0/ 450 C+ Esk+ SB.Musk.[1st] [ 75 200]
[ 107] 2/14th Legere 0/ 450 C Esk+ SB.Musk.[1st] [ 75 200]
Regiment Lilas - Attack
[ 106] Colonel Lilas - Active C+ [175 paces]
[ 108] 1/49th Ligne 0/ 750 C- Esk+ SB.Musk.[1st] [ 75 200]
[ 109] 2/49th Ligne 0/ 750 C- Esk+ SB.Musk.[1st] [ 75 200]
[ 110] 3/49th Ligne 0/ 600 C- Esk+ SB.Musk.[1st] [ 75 200]
Brigade Cramoisi - Attack
[ 104] General de Brigade Cramoisi - Active B+ [500 paces]
[ 113] 1/1st Artillerie de Cheval 0/ 150 [ 6] C+ 6pdr [Light] [400 550]
Regiment Blanc - Attack
[ 107] Colonel Blanc - Active C [175 paces]
[ 114] 8th Chasseur a Cheval 0/ 300 C- Esk+ SB.Carbine [ 50 100]
[ 115] 12th Chasseur a Cheval 0/ 240 C- Esk+ SB.Carbine [ 50 100]
[ 116] 21st Chasseur a Cheval 0/ 240 C- Esk+ SB.Carbine [ 50 100]
Regiment Noir - Attack
[ 108] Colonel Noir - Active C [225 paces]
[ 117] 2nd Chevau Leger 0/ 240 C- Esk+ SB.Carbine [ 50 100]
[ 118] 4th Chevau Leger 0/ 240 C- Esk+ SB.Carbine [ 50 100]
[ 119] 6th Chevau Leger 0/ 240 C- Esk+ SB.Carbine [ 50 100]
Strengths:
losses/active
0/ 6000 Bayonets
0/ 1500 Sabres
0/ 550 Artillerists
0/ 22 Cannon
0/ 8050 Total of all arms
9 Colors presentAllied Forces
Division von Gruen - Attack
[ 501] Generalleutnant von Gruen - Active C- [650 paces]
Brigade Blau - Attack
[ 502] Oberst Blau - Active C- [300 paces]
[ 501] 1st Silesian Grenadiers 0/ 600 B sk- SB.Musk.[1st] [ 75 200]
[ 505] #2 Foot Artillery 0/ 200 [ 8] C 6pdr [Medium] [400 750]
Regiment Vier - Attack
[ 504] Major Vier - Active C+ [225 paces]
[ 502] 1/1st Silesian Infantry 0/ 600 C sk+ SB.Musk.[1st] [ 75 200]
[ 503] 2/1st Silesian Infantry 0/ 600 C sk+ SB.Musk.[1st] [ 75 200]
[ 504] Fus/1st Silesian Infantry 0/ 600 C+ Esk+ SB.Musk.[1st] [ 75 200]
Brigade Gelb - Attack
[ 503] Oberst Gelb - Active C [350 paces]
[ 506] 1st West Prussian Schuetzen 0/ 600 C Esk+ Rifled Musket [125 300]
[ 510] 1/1st West Prussian Reserve 0/ 600 C- sk- SB.Musk.[2nd] [ 75 200]
[ 511] 2/1st West Prussian Reserve 0/ 600 C- sk- SB.Musk.[2nd] [ 75 200]
[ 512] #4 Foot Artillery 0/ 200 [ 8] C 6pdr [Medium] [400 750]
Regiment Sieven - Attack
[ 505] Major Sieven - Active C [175 paces]
[ 507] 1/1st West Prussian Infantry 0/ 600 C sk+ SB.Musk.[1st] [ 75 200]
[ 508] 2/1st West Prussian Infantry 0/ 600 C sk+ SB.Musk.[1st] [ 75 200]
[ 509] Fus/1st West Prussian Infantry 0/ 600 C+ Esk+ SB.Musk.[1st] [ 75 200]
Brigade Krasny - Attack
[ 506] Generalmajor Krasny - Active C+ [450 paces]
[ 513] #6 Horse Artillery 0/ 200 [ 8] C 6pdr [Light] [400 550]
Brigade Grau - Attack
[ 507] Oberst Grau - Active B [500 paces]
[ 514] 1&2/1st Silesian Hussars 0/ 240 C+ Esk+ SB.Carbine [ 50 100]
[ 515] 1&2/2nd Pomeranian Hussars 0/ 240 C+ Esk+ SB.Carbine [ 50 100]
[ 516] 1&2/2nd Silesian Uhlans 0/ 240 C- Esk+ SB.Carbine [ 50 100]
Brigade Chernit - Attack
[ 508] Colonel Chernit - Active C [300 paces]
[ 517] 1/Tatar Uhlans 0/ 240 C Esk+ SB.Carbine [ 50 100]
[ 518] 1/Grondo Hussars 0/ 240 C Esk+ SB.Carbine [ 50 100]
[ 519] Pskov Dragoons 0/ 240 D+ SB.Musketoon [ 75 200]
Strengths:
losses/active
0/ 6000 Bayonets
0/ 1440 Sabres
0/ 600 Artillerists
0/ 24 Cannon
0/ 8040 Total of all arms 10 Colors present
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