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Friends,

The game ended at 8 p.m. when it was too dark to read the unit cards. Next time we’ll wear headlamps.

After the game Grover contacted Sam for clarifications: (1) artillery on a ridge don’t shoot over friendly units at the base of the ridge, and (2) the bombardment hit zone is only one base width initially but a straight line for “bounce”.

The “player of the game” award must have been the Saxon Heavy Cavalry brigade. We all learned the power of heavies (beware a unit with a horse head icon on their unit card). They clearly dominated the center of the field killing 2 hussar regiments and a grenadier battalion. The hussars sacrificed themselves to good purpose. They prevented the cavalry wheeling in either direction to take the Austrian infantry and/or guns on an open flank plus they reduced the Saxon strength and fixed them in position.

Two of three of Bri’s batteries limbered and moved to the extreme left of his line where they combined their fire with the three batteries on the ridge for a total of five batteries (shades of Charge of the Light Brigade; where is Errol Flynn when you need him). The brave Saxons took bombardment after bombardment standing first where they had attacked the hussars, then standing where they annihilated the grenadiers and finally as they maneuvered to attack the 3 remaining grenadier battalions coming down from the ridge. Under relentless bombardment the Saxon brigade broke.

The Saxon infantry advanced on line to exchange volley fire with the grenadiers, but ultimately retired to avoid the Austrian batteries now looking for fresh targets. Bri’s brigade lost its far left battery to converging Bavarian volley fire. All Bri’s infantry advanced to the rear, including the squares which managed to escape the fate of the battery. The Bavarians reduced one of the Vienna Freiwilliger (landwehr) battalions to shaken status with volleys (and I think bombardment), then executed a game winning bayonet charge. The successful charge would break the landwher and cut Bri’s brigade in half. Lady luck intervened. The Bavarians had a lackluster die roll and the coffee sippers of the Vienna boulevards rolled a six. The Bavarians recoiled. (echoes of “la garde recuil”)

The Viennese battalion immediately scurried to the rear and a musketeer battalion moved to stand between the shaken landwehr and the inevitable next attack, which attack would surely have resulted in a pick up. Bri’s brigade now stood 6 battalions across on a straight line facing 5 Bavarians similarly disposed. The Bavarians still had their battery and cavalry regiment. The Austrians had their hussars and two batteries. A classic standoff. The lines were more than 4 base widths apart. The line that moved forward to take position to fire would first sustain volleys from the other side and risk having a unit break, thus ending the game. As Dirty Harry said, “Do you feel lucky punk, well, do you?”

At the ridge, 3 grenadier battalions and three batteries faced as many Saxons infantry and 4 Saxon and Bavarian batteries.

As I recall, ultimately each side lost six units (loss of 7 would be game over) and no one disputed Grover’s analysis that the game would probably devolve into an exchange of bombardments until a seventh unit was broken.

With the wind howling, rain threatening and pond frogs drowning out the gunfire of both sides, the commanders, exhausted by incessant ribbing which inevitably accompanies the fellowship of a good game, withdrew to the comforting arms of a good woman.

your obedient servant,
papa joe

Love this batrep! Thanks for taking the time to post it.

Very nice. I am very interested in these rules, but have back-burned Nappies for a future effort.

Thanks for reading E. My Napoleonic rules knowledge is limited. I do very much like Lasalle.

1. Lasalle 2nd Ed (division level)
2. Snappy Nappy 1st Ed (mult corp level)
3. Personal 1 pager (division level)
4. Black Powder 1st Ed (Brigade level)
5. Empire 5th Ed (division)

Still havent played but own General d'Brigade, General d'Armee, and Blücher.

Of the five I have played, I cannot stress enough that Empire 5th is the biggest pile of steaming manure I have ever had the misfortune of spending time on. Avoid.

I have Blucher and really enjoy it. The few games I played were really enjoyable!

I also want to give Est Sans Resultan! a try besides LaSalle 2nd edition. I have 1st edition but never played.

I waited to buy lasalle 2nd and cant say how they are different.

Did you play Blücher with cards only? I really like the hidden aspects of that game. And a card for every unit. Not crazy about the running out of ammo with the artillery though. Still havent played it though so maybe it works. I like Mustafa's games simplicity. I am also impressed that he's probably better known as a historian than game maker.

I played cards only, which was part of the draw. I could start playing without painting two huge armies.