Game: Prussia's Glory

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Xookliba — 2008-06-09T18:53:36+00:00

Thierry Aradan's excellent CB gamebox

Thread: Re: Bloodpact #2: Zorndorf (battle scenario)

Natus — 2008-02-24T16:24:56+00:00

Well, I screwed the pooch right off by not verifying the victory conditions at the outset. For the Russians, it's simple: they must not be defeated. That's all. Just don't allow the army to be demoralized. Of course, while the Russians have more units, the Prussians have better unit quality and better initial deployment. What the Russian commander needs to do, methinks, is conduct a fighting retreat across rivers, ponds, swamps and hills, with the weak Russian cavalry screening them all the way. To assault the Prussian prepoderance is silly.

Which is exactly what I did. Too often in wargames, I am so concerned with the (usually new) rules set that I don't think outside the box. In this particular game, against all common sense, I tried to out-bombard the better-positioned Prussian howitzers and let my cavalry get mauled. I'm actually surprised my defensive hedgehog position isn't totally fatally compromised. Maybe it is. And to no one's suprise, my artillery rolls have been abysmal. Had I rolled at least competently, Scott would be in a very sticky position right now. As it is, with both arms of cavalry and his shot up infantry, he can probably make the final assault that will break the Russians. But maybe not.

I really like the game system, but it's more fiddly than it needs to be. That means it's longer, more arcane, and less accessible. But I can't wait to get back to this battle and others in the PG system. After all, I have my wargame mentat Scott to do all the number crunching for me. I have but to lose.

Thread: Bloodpact #2: Zorndorf (battle scenario)

sdiberar — 2008-02-24T02:35:37+00:00

Nate and I agreed at the start of the year to make the time to play twelve wargames, one per month. The second in this series, entitled Bloodpact 2008 (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/27539), is the Zorndorf battle scenario from Prussia's Glory.

This system, portraying battles in the age of Frederick the Great, has as its basis the old-school SPI quad style games. However, the designer has layered on thick belts of chrome, particularly in the combat resolution and stacking rules. The mechanics can be a bit impenetrable, and the fiddly procedural nature of the system can make the learning curve rather steep.

One of the strengths of the system is that each battle can be played from the historical commencement of fighting (as here) or from the approach, which allows some pre-battle maneuver, showing Frederick's strength in assessing the lay of the land and using it to his advantage. As newbies to the system (I've played half a game, and Nate none at all) we dispensed with the extra rules baggage and got down straight to the fighting.

Zorndorf portrays Frederick the Great of Prussia's first major battle against the Russians, who had crossed Poland to besiege the Prussian fortress at Küstrin. Frederick has positioned himself between the Russian army and their line of communication, but it was the Prussians who needed a decisive victory and pressed the attack.

Taking place in the middle of August, the unbearable heat of the day played a major part in the battle. A special fatigue rules costs an army that moves/fight precious army morale. Neither army can afford to fight for the entire day, so timing the necessary rest breaks may be crucial.

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(start of battle / Prussians in blue, Russians in green)

My original plan was to follow Frederick's strategy of the oblique attack, landing my strongest blows on the Russian right while refusing my own right flank. My first moves were to move my infantry in line with my guns and start some long-distance bombardment.

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(Prussian 0900 turn)

The Russians moved their center forward, presumably with the intention of bringing his artillery into range. On his left flank, the cossacks and other light cavalry moved into charge range [no picture]. My response was to countercharge with my right cavalry wing. The superior Prussian training and numbers put most of the Russian cavalry wing to flight immediately.

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(Prussian 1000 turn)

The remaining Russian cavalry attempts to fight its way out of the encircling Prussian cuirassiers, but they are all either captured or routed. First blood to the Prussian cavalry!

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(Russian 1000 turn)

With the Russian left flank exposed, Dohna's infantry (under the King's direction) advances into an aggressive position. Apparently Frederick has reversed his original plan and is moving to an oblique right maneuver. The dragoons move into reserve in the center, while Seydlitz holds his cavalry back on the left flank. Desultory long-range cannon fire continues in the center. Most of the Russian front line has taken some casualties at this point.

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(Prussian 1100 turn)

The Russians merely consolidate their positions while the routed cavalry slowly reforms far to the left. There is not much incentive for them to go over on the offensive, and some of their guns occupy the Steinbusch woods in front of the Prussian line.

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(Russian 1100 turn)

After some relatively ineffective bombardment, the order comes in - Dohna's infantry are to attack the Russians from their left flank, with the right cavalry wing moving along the Langer-grund to outflank. The dragoons move right to cover in case the Russian cavalry returns. The massed Russian guns wreak terrible havoc on the advancing Prussian infantry, but the double line of troops strikes home with enough force to cause significant losses on both sides. The stalwart Russians hold their position, but are wavering. Fully half the Prussian artillery has moved up for close support and is ready to shred the remaining Russian line.

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(Prussian 1200 turn)

As the Russian guns continue to pound Dohna's troops at close range, Frederick falls back to ready the next hammer blow. Fermor feeds more Russian troops into the line, as Browne's Observation Corps begins to crack, abandoning some of their guns to Prussian capture. The line of battle begins to widen. One of the Russian cavalry units moves onto a small hill, threatening the Prussian rear.

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(Russian 1200 turn)

Frederick orders more infantry into the attack, continuing the echelon approach. Artillery fire is murderous on both sides, and no formed units remain for close combat. Contact is broken for the moment between the armies. A few Russian regiments have thrown down their weapons and fled, but a tenacious bloodthirst grips the remaining troops on both sides. Dohna's wing is nearly spent and will have its hands full guarding the advanced Prussian artillery. The Prussian dragoons drive the Russian cavalry off the hill and hold the flank against the remainder of the reformed Russian left cavalry wing, bloodied but not quite beaten. The Prussian right cavalry wing has difficulty finding its way across the ponds and streams on the Russian left, and has not yet completed its encirclement of the position. Seydlitz remains in reserve.

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(Prussian 1300 turn)

A lull falls over the battlefield, punctuated only by occasional cannonfire. The Russians slowly pull back from their forwarded positions, screened by the Steinbusch woods, dragging their guns slowly out of close range. The Russian right cavalry wing gets orders to redeploy into reserve for eventual use against the threatening Prussian cavalry, but it is slow going through the traffic of the light baggage train and the crisscrossing streams and slopes behind the Russian positions.

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(Russian 1300 turn)

The sun continues to beat down mercilessly as Frederick rides up and down the line, surveying his bruised and battered men. They can't take this kind of punishment all day and expect to maintain their morale. The decision is made to dress the lines and regroup for the final push against the tightening Russian positions. The Russians take the opportunity to continue to pull back, out of the range of the brutal Prussian guns.

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(Russian 1400 turn)

The lines are once again set, and Frederick gives the order to close with the enemy once more...

***

Nate and I had to leave off here, at the start of 1500, but we have left the game set up and hope to finish it off in the next couple weeks.

Thread: Re: Rossbach Scenario: Frederick CEM

markluta — 2008-01-21T06:39:12+00:00

As a general comment, it really is useful to have the series rules from Prussia's Glory II to play this game!

Thread: Re: Rossbach Scenario: Frederick CEM

Silverscythe — 2007-06-09T13:35:20+00:00

Oh, i just found the French Cavalry only wing, so that question is no more

Thread: Re: Rossbach Scenario: Frederick CEM

Silverscythe — 2007-06-09T13:28:11+00:00

Just set up the Rossbach scenario aswell, and also having trouble with the activation system. Do i roll for all the groups in the prussian army? So do i roll for both Moritz and the Infantry Group? Because on my first roll i rolled effective for the infantry but degraded for Moritz. If i have understood correctly though i wouldn't even need to roll for Moritz, since the infantry in his wing are already activated by rolling for the infantry?
Also the French/Empire army has a cavalry group marker, but there are no wings with only cavalry in them?

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Kubilai — 2007-05-28T09:27:16+00:00

French and Prussian lines at Rossbach

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Kubilai — 2007-05-28T09:25:06+00:00

The Prussians deployed behind the marshes at Rossbach

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Kubilai — 2007-05-28T09:23:35+00:00

The French set-up at the Rossbach main scenario

Thread: Re: Rossbach Scenario: Frederick CEM

nickp — 2007-05-13T17:32:44+00:00

I must admit i've never really grasped the command system in this game - it seems murky at the best of times. Do the commanders plus numbers add to a unit's combat points too. i think it is suggested in PG but PGII says not.

Thread: Re: Rossbach Scenario: Frederick CEM

Kubilai — 2007-04-23T08:09:59+00:00

Thanks a lot, I see you're right. Looking again into the scenario description for Rossbach, it turns out that the Prussians do not have a specific group at all there. I was obviously confused by the CEM's for the special leaders which are not mentioned in the rules (PG-1, 1st and 2nd ed.) and simply took every CEM as indicator for a specific group. -- Clearly a mistake.

The reminder CEMs for the special leaders are quite useful, only that the rules are worded in a way that suggests that there would be no such thing.

However, seems to be a nice and not too complicated game. Looking forward to give it a few more tries.

Thread: Re: Rossbach Scenario: Frederick CEM

sdiberar — 2007-04-22T04:39:27+00:00

I am now at home with my own copy of the rules (actually the "reorganized" rules from PG2). It is clear to me that Fred's CEM is in fact meant to represent the use of his Initiative to fully activate one degraded wing. All the CEMs are useful only as reminders of the current state of a particular group.
As for using Seydlitz in Rossbach; yes, basically he gives you two chances to activate the cavalry. You'll find that makes the Prussian cavalry especially effective in this scenario...

Thread: Re: Rossbach Scenario: Frederick CEM

Kubilai — 2007-04-20T15:54:47+00:00

Thanks for your fast reply, Silent Dibs. I had a look into the rules and I think, the CEM of Frederik is not used in this way. The rule you mean is basically, that when a group gets a degraded CE, a special leader is able to try to promote one wing of this group to effective CE, if it is his own wing or if he is stacked with the wing's leader. However, in order to save the day for the respective wing, the special leader has to roll against his Initiative value. For Frederick, the Initiative is 5 which coincides with the number on his CEM, so maybe you are right and this CEM is somehow meant to represent the state of of the one saved wing. on the other hand, the rules state that if a wing's CE is improved this way, it should be moved first in order to avoid confusion over the different movement allowance for this wing. This does not sound like there would be a special marker to, well, mark which wing gets an effective CE due to a special leader. I am still puzzled.

Thinking more about it, I am even a bit more puzzled: In Rossbach, Seydlitz is a special leader for cavalry. The only Prussian cavalry wing is his own which is also a special group on its own. Does this mean that Seydlitz simply gets two CE-rolls for his wing/group?

I wished the rules would be a bit clearer on this points...

Thread: Re: Rossbach Scenario: Frederick CEM

sdiberar — 2007-04-20T14:59:59+00:00

Martin,
The rules do cover the overall commander's CEM, but essentially if Fred is stacked with a leader who fails his CE roll, you can subtitute Fred's roll to activate the command. Or something like that. Without the rules on me, I'm afraid my answer is vague and probably missing something. But at least you know where to look now, right?
-Scott

Thread: Rossbach Scenario: Frederick CEM

Kubilai — 2007-04-20T08:33:59+00:00

Hi all,

I just started to make my first solitaire steps in PG. For this I set up the Rossbach battle scenario. In doing so, I was a bit puzzled by the Prussian Combat Effectiveness Markers:

There are CEM's for Basic Inf and Basic Cav group, as well as for the Seydlitz and Moritz special groups. But then there is also a Frederick CEM. What is this for? Which wings would be affected by this CE value?

Many thanks,

Martin

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Desaix — 2006-07-04T11:54:32+00:00

Game cover

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Desaix — 2006-05-09T07:03:53+00:00

Torgau map extract

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Desaix — 2006-05-09T06:52:05+00:00

Rules cover

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Desaix — 2006-05-09T06:51:47+00:00

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Desaix — 2006-05-09T06:51:36+00:00

Game tables 3

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Desaix — 2006-05-09T06:50:52+00:00

Game tables 2