First play test of Waltzing on the Danube

On November 19th I hosted 7 gamers for a run through of my Waltzing on the Danube 1809 game.  Rich (right), Adam (left) and Pierce (center and a newbie) commanded the Austrians against Steve (left), Leo (right) and Rob(center).  The following photos are from the game:

Rich and Adam looking over their commands

 

Austrian dragoons were charged by Berg lancers and sent reeling.

Austrian lancers caught a limbered artillery unit and wiped it out, while French chasseurs in line prevented the other lancer unit from reaching the second French artillery unit who deployed by the windmill.

Austrians moved first in an effort to gain some depth and not be pinned against there entry point.

The Bavarians came up just short in their charge on the guns after being ravaged by canister from the far battery.

 

 

 

 

The following pictures give a sense of the too and fro of the action.  The Bavarian line performed a save yourself maneuver and fled the scene.  They would rally later and return to the action. The Austrian horse withdrew with one unit dispersing after their encounter with the Berg lancers.  On the French right flank the horse forced the Austrians to deploy into battalion mass in order to continue to seek elbow room. They made juicy artillery targets.  In the center the Austrian line retained its line behind the cornfields and bided its time.

 

 

 

On the Austrian right, in the woods, their grenzers and landwher formed open order and slowly pushed back the Bavarian lights.  The prevalence of artillery smoke gave stark evidence of the slugfest underway.  All of the artillery was being well used.  Counter-battery fire was common as the guns often set up within canister range of each other.  (Note the cotton balls indicating artillery being fired.)

 

 

 

The Austrian center advanced through the cornfield and began a shoot out with the French Center.  After a while the combination of French artillery and infantry fire caused the center Austrian brigade to fall back.  On the Austrian right, Adam had stabilized the situation was bringing his horse back into the fray after forcing Leo to pull back a number of his cavalry.  Leo described the action between Adam and himself as Rock'em Sock'em Robots, a real slug fest.  Rich, on the Austrian left was bringing his troops forward to hit the Bavarians when we called the game because of time.  the computer called it an inconclusive action.  There were a ton of troops to push and not all of them got into play.

 

 

 

Lessons learned:  I need to scale this down a bit if I want to reach a conclusion within the standard 4 hour game format used at most conventions.  I've since pruned the Austrian and French OOBs and believe I have a more manageable game which will be a challenge for the Franco-Bavarians.  The Austrians will need to be aggressive in order to win. 

Preparing for Waltzing Along the Danube, 1809 using Carnage and Glory II

I'm preparing for a November 19th war game using Carnage and Glory II computer assisted rules.  The setting is a clash between Marshal Lefebvre and a Franco Bavarian mixed corps and  Austrian General Klenau who is leading an augmented advanced guard corps+ of Austrians in 1809. 

The Order of Battle is as follows:
Franco-Bavarians

107         Lefebvre              1400 paces

                157         1/3^rd guard horse battery  6pdr light

                158         2/3^rd guard horse battery  “  “

106         St Hilaire              950 paces

                161         Horse battery                    6pdr light

                162         Division Foot battery      6pdr medium

                163         Division Foot battery      6pdr medium

108         Marion                 350 paces

                124         1/10^th    Legere  600

                125         2/10       Legere  “

                126         3/10^th    Legere “

                127         1/105^th Line “

                128         2/105^th Line “

                129         3/105^th Line “

109         Lorencez              500 paces

                130         1/3^rd Line             825

                131         2/3^rd Line             825

                132         3/3^rd Line             850

                133         1/57^th Line           650

                134         2/57^th Line           650

                135         3/57^th Line           650

111         Kronprinz Ludwig             650 paces

                153         1/2^nd Foot Artillery   6pdr medium

                154         2/2^nd Foot Artillery           “

                155         3/2^nd Foot Artillery           “

                156         1/2^nd Horse Artillery  6pdr light

                159         Lancers of Berg    450

                160         Lancer of Berg bis 400

112         Baron Rechberg                                450 paces

                142         1 Lieb    600

                143         2/Lieb   602

                144         1/Kronprinz 600

                145         2/Kronprinz        615

                146         1^st Light Infantry               613

105         Pully     450 paces

                120         12eme Chasseurs A  360

                121         12eme Chasseurs B  360

                122         1^st Hussars                           450

                123         28^th Dragoons                    450

               

Austrians:

502         Klenau                  800 paces

503         Hardegg               400 paces

                501         1^st Jager                770 men

                502         1/IR 3                    1120

                503         2/IR 3                    1120

                504         3/IR 3                    1120

                505         10^th Hussars bis 400

                506         10^th Hussars        461

                507         2 Uhlan bis          400

                508         2 Uhlan                 56

                509         1 Cavalerie battery          160 6pdr light

549         Von Clary  400 paces

                672         Baron Knesevich Dragoons Bis   300

                673         Baron Knesevich Dragoons          344

                674         11 Cavalerie Battery                        150 6pdr light

504         Graf Bellegarde                                1200 paces

                538         Battery # 1          150   12 pounder

                539         Battery #2           150         12 pdr

505         Baron Dedovich                800 paces

506         Hennenberg      400 paces

                510         1/IR 17  1120

                511         2/IR 17  1120

                512         3/IR 17 1120

                513         1/IR 36  1062

                514         2/IR 36  1062

                515         3/IR 36  1062

                516         1 brigade battery             300  6pdr medium

507         Wacquant           400 paces

                517         1/ IR 11 1101

                518         2/IR 11  1101

                519         3/IR 11  1101

                520         1/IR 47  1079

                521         2/IR 47  1079

                522         3/IR 47  1079

                523         #2 Brigade Battery           200  6pdr medium

526         Bruck                     400 paces

                600         1/13 Grenz          651

                601         2/13 Grenz          651

                602         2 Mahr Frewingler           993

                603         Carneville Freicorps        208

                604         Carneville Freicorps cav 115

                605         Vincent Chevalegers #4                                746

                606         Erzog Ferdinand Hussars #4         821

                607         #4 Cavalarie Battery        150  6 pdr light

533         Nordman             400 paces

                630         Warasdiner Grenz           544

                631         1^st Vienna Frewillinger   544

                632         2^nd Vienna Frewillinger  610

                633         #16 Brigade Battery        150  3 pdr

509         Clary      400 paces

                524         1/IR 10                  1092

                525         2/IR 10                  1092

                526         1/IR 42                  1157

                527         2/IR 42                  1157

                528         #3 Brigade Battery           200  6 pdr medium

536         D’Aspre                                400 paces

537         Marville                400 paces

                639         Gren Bn Scharbol             706

                640         Gren Bn Scouand             605

                641         Gren Bn Putenai               682

                642         Gren Bn Brezecinsky      610