After looking around a bit we decided to try out Might & Reason, an older Sam Mustafa game that looked like it might adapt to a 'battalion on a base' playing and allow us to use realistic OBs in largish sized games (40-50 battalions and squadrons per side) with 2 to 3 players per side.
This post records a solo effort at working through the game mechanics using the Warburg scenario included in the rules as a test case. After reading the rules the actual combat mechanism seemed clear (you shoot and need high dice to cause hits and then you fight and need to double the opponents score to win, otherwise someone bounces back).
Our only changes were to adopt the policy that one stand was a basic unit, not two, and that brigades would contain several basic units. By effectively doubling the infantry firing power over one base frontage we added that artillery would fire with 2 dice instead of one, thereby evening up the rate between infantry and guns. Since we also doubled the cavalry strength by going to single stands as well we thought we should be okay in that regard as well.
Here are the forces from the scenario - the SP is the strength factor assigned per stand:
French Army:
Du Muy (Poor)
Left Wing: Ségur (-2)
2x Swiss Inf (6SP)
1x French Inf (6SP)
1x French Inf (5SP)
Center: Luetzelbourg (-1)
2x Cuirassiers (6SP)
1x Dragoon (4SP)
Right Wing: Meaupeou (-1)
1x French Inf (6SP)
2x French Inf (5SP)
Reserve: Fischer (+1)
1x Irregular Inf (3SP)
2x French Inf (5SP)
Anglo-Allied Army
Erbprinz von Hessen-Kassel (Average)
Right Wing: Brunswick * (+1)
2x Grenadiers (8SP)
1x Hanoverian Inf (7SP)
1x Hessian Dragoons (5SP)
Left Wing: Zastrow (0)
1x Brunswick Inf (7SP)
1x Hessian Guards (7SP)
1x Hessian Inf (6SP)
1x Hanoverian Dragoons (6SP)
Cavalry: Granby (+1) V
1x Guard Dragoons (8SP)
2x Dragoons (6SP)
So on to the trial. Here are the troops deployed in the noted deployment areas with the French having four commands.
Deployed in 2 lines of infantry with the reserve in columns behind the hills. The cavalry is the center command in this scenario and I was curious how that was going to work out as we went forward.
And the Allies deployment opposite:
Again infantry commands separated by a cavalry command. Must have been the villages on both wings that lead to this?
So before anything you determine how many Command Dice (CD) - a big factor in this game - each side starts with. Du Muy being an unimaginative dullard is rated Poor so gets one D6 but manages to roll a 6, while the Erbprinz being Average with 2 dice rolls that total to a 6 also. These 6 dice are placed behind the respective command figures for the turn coming up.
Next you roll to see who has the Initiative for the coming turn. Both commanders roll two D6 for this and one also rolls an Average die to determine the starting number of the turn (so a 2, 3, 3, 4 , 4 or 5). The average die is important since each 'Pulse' you roll the AVG die and if you get the same or a lower number the turn ends at that point. Apparently some of the tension in the game revolves around how many pulses you will possibly have and how you manage your Command Dice across that number. Without going into the statistics of it it would seem that most turns would have 2 or maybe 3 impulses and if you roll a 4 on the first roll you aren't likely to have a second impulse, but let's see how it goes...
Du Muy rolls 4, 3 = 7; Erbprinz rolls 6, 2 = 8 plus the Average Die with a 2
The Allies decide to take the first movement segment. But before that happens both sides fire muskets and then artillery. The initiative player gets first shot in musket fire and the opponent takes hits before replying. This we guess is to simulate the gaining of some advantage in firing but since it occurs each pulse it doesn't have anything to do with better fire discipline or tactics as far as we can see, just a game development issue but we can live with it.
No one is in musket range this pulse so we go to simultaneous artillery fire and here no hits are obtained by either side.
Before the Erbprinz can begin to execute his flawless tactical plan he can assign 1 or 2 Command Dice to his subordinate commanders to use when taking their activity check. So he assigns Brunswick 2 dice out of his trove of 8 and Brunswick with 4 dice rolls 6, 4, 3, 2 and selects the 6 and 4 to give his command a total of 10 which makes it Active for the pulse. He promptly advances the lot as a single line 1BW (some of his infantry are in the town and can only move this fast) and breaks off his Dragoons to go for the Heinburg slopes on the French flank.
Granby gets no extra dice and rolls a 3, 2 = 5 so is Inactive this turn and stands pat.
Zastrow with one CD granted rolls his 3 dice and gets 6, 5, 1 takes the 6 and 5 to get 11 and is Active so advances 1 BW (some of his infantry are in the town and can only move this fast).
No combats occur so the Erbprinz pulse is done.
Du Muy Gives his reserve commander Fischer 2 extra dice and Fischer rolls 6, 6, 5, 5 and takes the 6 and 5 to = 11 and is Active (had he taken 12 he would have had to attack instead of maneuver). He moves the reserve towards the Heinburg reacting to the Erbprinz's detachment there.
Segur gets 1 extra die and rolls 4, 1, 1 = 6 which makes him Inactive for the pulse.
The other 2 commands get no extra dice and roll Active but do not move forward off their hill slope defensive position.
Next posting - 2nd Impulse of Turn 1 where certain themes develop.........
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