These guns… SYW scenario and game

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These guns…
Must be taken by all means!

The Scenario

The following scenario was an idea of mine, trying to include some historical facts concerning the way of fighting between Prussians and Austrians during the SYW.
Mentioning a couple of them: A lot of Prussian casualties were made by enemy canister fire, as Frederick was sending his troops head-on against guns.
On the other hand, the Prussians had the record of captured enemy batteries
The Austrian cavalry in many circumstances was receiving a cavalry charge standing (which -most of the times- costed them dearly).
Whereas Frederick had given strict orders when the Prussian cavalry was charged to always counter charge, or else the cavalry commander would be punished.

The canvas of the scenario: A strong Prussian force appears by surprise at the extremity of a wing of the Austrian front.
The Austrians are not expecting an attack from there, so their forces are feeble.
The best weapon they have are three gun batteries on a hill protected by light cover.
The Prussian army is commanded by Frederick himself, who commands the guns to be taken by all means.
However strong the Prussian force may appear, there is a bone hidden in the spaghetti plate.
The Prussian player must not use simple hillbilly tactics to capture the guns, (Austrian guns are classed as superior), their fire is withering and he has no room for maneuvers.
He must judge the situation at any moment, use his best troops and coordinate a combined attack of infantry and cavalry to fulfill his task.
But he must keep the number of his losses low and reasonable. Or else...
On the other hand, the Austrian player must play as best as he can to use his forces and his defensive position effectively and cause the biggest damage possible to the enemy.

The map

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This was our table setup, when we played the battle, seen from the Austrian side.
The short edge of the table was narrow, so the river Mildefluss is supposed to be running along the long edge of the table, on the right.

These guns (02) by Konstantinos Antoniadis, on Flickr

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This scenario was made to be played with Honours of War rules, but can be very easily modified for a game with any other Horse and Musket ruleset.

Orders of Battle

Austrian
C-in-C Reinhard von Holzenkopf (Dithering)

West Hill, Artillery and Infantry
a 3x Field Artillery Batteries Superior, entrenched, soft cover
b 2x Line Infantry

East Hill, Cavalry Brigade
c
First Line
1xCuirassiers Large, Superior
1xDragoons Large
Second Line
1xDragoons Large

Arrow marked “3”
Entering on the Third Round:
1xDragoons

Arrow marked “5”
Entering on the Fifth Round:
1xGrenadiers Superior

Arrow marked “?”
Bringing 11 or 12 on 2 dice after the 3d Round:
1xCroat Light Infantry

Break Point: 5,5

Prussian

C-in-C Der Alte Fritz himself (Dashing)

1 First Grenadier Brigade
3xGrenadiers (Superior)

2 Second Grenadier Brigade
2xGrenadiers Superior
1xStandinggrenadiers Small

3 Fusilier Brigade
3xFusiliers

4 Cavalry Brigade
Von Zieten (Dashing)

First Line
1xDragoons Large
1xLeibgarde Large Superior
Second Line
1xDragoons Large
Third Line
1xHussars

5 Reserve
III Garde Superior

Break Point: 7,5

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Terrain:

River Mildefluss: Impassable
Farm: No serious obstacle, units when behind the farm will be shot with -1 (obscuring terrain)
Fields around farm: ¾ move for cavalry
Woods to the West: Impassable for any, except light troops
Orchards to the North: Open woods, light cover. Corridors between: easy terrain
Hills: Gentle. Cavalry defending uphill +1
Defenses in front of Austrian batteries: Light cover
Low walls around the Austrian HQ (can hold one battalion): Light cover
Distance between the batteries and the edge of the orchards: Maximum long range for field artillery

Rounds: 12

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Special rules:

Austrian player:
The Austrian C-in-C is Dithering. Practically, he is not able to raise the morale or rally any unit.
Moreover he has no other subordinate general under his command!
The unit commanders are on their own!
The Austrian cavalry has no orders to charge downhill, they may receive a Prussian charge standing, they have only the uphill advantage.
The Austrians will receive reinforcements:
On the 3d Round a Dragoon Regiment.
On the 5th Round a Grenadier Battalion.
On any Round after the 3d, bringing 11 or 12, Grenzer Light Infantry.
Use your superior artillery effectively.
Roundshot may cause hits to the second or third enemy ranks of battalions. (Allow Grazing Fire rules: On 5 or 6 reroll if the unit(s) behind get one hit).
The general orders are to cling on the hills as long as possible.

Prussian player:
The whole army is commanded by Alte Fritz in person and the Cavalry brigade by von Zieten, both Dashing!
This offers elan to move forward quickly for a frontal assault, head-on.
However, some strategy is needed for not many friendly troops to be eliminated before the enemy batteries to be captured ! If the Prussians lose 4 units, Frederick will be outraged, will leave the table and let the general command to a subordinate general (commanding also his own brigade).
All Prussian infantry units have superior fire.
The Standinggrenadiers battalion is small and not Superior.
Committing the Reserve: If Frederick decides to move the III Garde, loses one Prestige Point (counted as 1 Victory Point for the Austrians at the end of the battle)
The general order is: Capture the guns by all means and break the enemy!

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Victory Points:

For every small unit lost: ½ VP
For every average size unit: 1 VP
For every large unit: 1 ½ VP
All three Austrian batteries captured: Extra 1 VP
Austrian Camp captured; ½ VP (One Prussian unbroken unit touches the camp)
Prussian III Garde committed: Counts as -1 VP for the Prussians at the end of the battle.

Victory Conditions:

Prussians:
Break the enemy, losing less than 3 VPs: Large Prussian Victory
Break the enemy losing more than 3 VPs: Prussian Victory
All other results and the Austrians are not broken till the 12th Round: Austrian Victory!

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These guns…

Must be taken by all means!

The game

The game map

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Background story...

Few minutes before dawn, the septuagenarian FML Reinhard von Holzenkopf, sitting on his campaign chair, sipped the last drop of his cabbage soup, prescribed by his attending physician for his advancing gout. He turned his eyes to the hill to his right. He saw the pickets of Zweibücken Birkenfeld Dragoons chilling out in the morning mist at their posts. Further to the right, the wide Mildefluss river was mildly flowing its waters.


Far, to his left, his eye caught a party of Croat Grenzers disappearing in the woods: -“Where are they going again? Loot or what? You can never control this bunch of rascals” he murmured.

He heard the shrill sound of the morning bugle call behind him. The men from the two Hungarian battalions, the only infantry presently under his command, were slowly coming out of their tents. In front of him, the artillerymen were making their preparations for a hasty barricade in front of the three batteries studding the hill and bringing extra ammunition.

-“I’m getting tired and too old for all this. Two years of war, hopefully it won’t last a third (*). Lacy did not let me command more men and sent me to this extreme edge of our right flank, nothing serious might happen here (*).

I’m so lucky we have not to face this dreaded Frederick, he may be leading his troops somewhere against our center, miles away (*)”

(*) As the dear reader will soon notice, all his assumptions went wrong…


He raised his eyes to the early autumn sky: The wind was chasing some clouds like a wolf dispersing a herd of sheep:

-“No rain expected. Another uneventful day to pass…”

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His thoughts were shattered by sound of hooves and, immediately his ADC dismounted, out of breath, eyes wide open!

-“Sire they… they are coming”!

-“Coming? Who is coming?”

The young lieutenant was pointing to the orchards, to the North: -“Sire! The Pruss… The Prussians are in the woods!”

(Author’s note: Phrase stolen)

He looked far, to where the orchards were. His aged eyes did not allow him to see well away. There was also the morning mist in the distance, which had not yet dissipated: -“Bring my spyglass, quickly”!

The young man ran to his tent and brought him his beloved spyglass, which he had had since he was an artillery colonel in the War of the Austrian Succession. It was in a miserable condition, rusty and its components out of place, you could hear clicking clicks as his assistant ran to fetch it: -“Look, sire, there”!

The old general put the spyglass on his left eye. His best one for looking far away, as the right one was not focusing well, nearly hit by a stray bullet, leaving a deep scar on his right temple, a prize since the battle of Lobositz:


-"But I see only one peaceful farm and a few horses grazing quietly in the meadow," he said through his teeth.

These guns (01) by Konstantinos Antoniadis, on Flickr

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(The ready-to-fall-apart spyglass was drooping downwards).

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-“Please, sire! Raise your head a little bit and look further, to the orchards!” The young man exclaimed in despair.

The old general raised wearily his head a few degrees upwards, holding the spyglass firmly stuck in his eye, as he was doing to measure the distance for his guns range in the old times.


And he saw.

These guns (03) by Konstantinos Antoniadis, on Flickr

-“Mein Gott! Half the Prussian army is coming!!!” Sound the alarm! Send for reinforcements!

These guns (05) by Konstantinos Antoniadis, on Flickr

While the alarm was beating, the ADC disappeared, galloping to the South, behind the hills. He had to find and bring to the front a Regiment of Dragoons and a Grenadier Battalion guarding some passages somewhere upstream the Mildefluss river.

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The Austrian general looked more carefully:

In front of this Prussian horde, emerging from the orchards and shaking the battalions in line one by one, he could discern his Heigness, Der Alte Fritz, on horse, waving frantically his cane!

SYW Prussian staff (00) Alte Fritz by Konstantinos Antoniadis, on Flickr

For FML Reinhard von Holzenkopf that would be THE DAY!

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And here the actual game starts...
We played this game with buddy Miltiades a few weeks ago.
Miltiades took the Prussians and I was defending with the Austrians.

Von Holzenkopf reviewed his troops standing on the large hill. He had only two line infantry battalions, which took positions in support behind the three entrenched batteries

These guns (04) by Konstantinos Antoniadis, on Flickr

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The Prussian infantry was debouching from the corridors of the orchards, battalions one by one changing from column to line...

These guns (05) by Konstantinos Antoniadis, on Flickr

These guns (06) by Konstantinos Antoniadis, on Flickr

These guns (07) by Konstantinos Antoniadis, on Flickr

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On the next hill, the three Austrian cavalry Regiments were formed for battle...

These guns (08) by Konstantinos Antoniadis, on Flickr

...coolly watching the Prussian cavalry gallop towards them

These guns (09) by Konstantinos Antoniadis, on Flickr