G/burg game Tuesday 4th June

Any interest in a game this coming Tuesday at 19.30 or 20.00 BST?

Happy to play ACW or Nappy.

Martin (J)

I don't believe I have any appointments that afternoon. Tenatively, yes, I'll be there, the usual 1300 on our TS server.

I can be there I think.

Splendid chaps. We can get Ike to host if necessary.

Any preference for what you would like to play?

Martin (J)

I should be most happy to host again, assuming that I am able to do so after the changes from downloading and installing the newest versions of the various mod and non-mod files. If that has not become a problem, I would be most pleased.

That's 3 of us for definite then. Any more takers for tomorrow's game?

Ike & Digby - what would you like to play chaps? I'm thinking if it's just the 3 of us we can use Stefan's scenario generator to set-up a game against a stronger AI force?

Martin (J)

I don't have Microsoft Office - only Open Office - so the macros in Stefan's scenario generator won't work on my computer; sorry. Perfectly happy to host, though. If there's an Open Office-compatible version, let me at it, otherwise I'm unable to use it.

Three of us versus the AI sounds okay to me .. in fact, sounds like a good time.

I'm up for it gentlemen - and Open Office, again.

I'm searching for a "compatibility pack" from Microsoft that's supposed to solve the macros issue; we'll see.

(P.S.) - Sorry, that pack is only to open the files (xls) in O-O, but doesn't support the macro use because of some problem/differences in the macro languages used. After that, the explanation disappeared into words in the English language - I think - but which are not in my vocabulary. As I say, I cannot use the Scenario Generator because of an apparently irreparable conflict between my Open Office spreadsheet gizmo and the Excel spreadsheet gizmo in which the Generator is originally - and wonderfully, but uselessly for me - written.

Welcome Justin, that makes 4.

You don't need the scenario generator Ike. Diggers or myself can use it to produce the scenario, and then just email the files to you. That ok?

Martin (J)

If not, I can host under the same terms - I can't make the scenarios, but very happy to host.

More Napoleonics is my preference - I need the practice.

Oh, yes, Martin(J), I'd be happy to do that, if you can accompany the scenario file with a brief block on instruction on where to place the file and how to implement it as a game. One-syllable words, if you would, as my IQ seems to still be lower than my body temperature these days.

And I agree with Mr. Digby: more Napoleonics, please, sir. And, with four of us, we could play a 2 vs. 2; yes? Please. The AI isn't as strong as a human opponent ... or perhaps not as crafty or sneaky or inventive ... yes, inventive is the right word.

Hopefully +1 tonight. Nap prefered

Edit: Confirmed

Splendid Mike. That makes at least 5, so we can have 2 sides, which is just as well as we appear to be playing Nappy.

I haven't played MP for a few weeks. Can some kind soul direct me to any updates I need re mods (eg Kevin's?).

Martin (J)

Here's a link to what I believe are the current requirements: https://kriegsspiel.forumotion.net/t759-set-up-for-sow-napoleon-games-for-kriegspiel-style . I'm on our TS server, waiting patiently and reviewing my settings so I may host properly.

I think the only thing you may need is to download the newest 1.600 version of the "Couriers" mod - the name's been changed to include the entirety of the modifications it contains, you'll see when you follow the link.

Oh and whoever is making the scenario, please don't forget to email it to me.

Have just produced a scenario for 5 players to be played on the Random 2 maps. Does everyone have those?

Martin (J)

A noble French victory despite my brilliant generalship

...luckily none of the division under my direct command survived to dispute this...

History is written by the survivors victors!

It sounds very much like another "battle of two halves" (to paraphrase a silly football manager saying). While it sounds like the parts of the battle I could not see down in the north-west area by the main highway due to all the trees were chaotic and violent and the French got the worst of it over there, this combat allowed me to strike from the north-east down to the objective (which was in a shallow valley at the far end of a nice wide open ploughed field lined with useful stone walls) pretty much uncontested. I was met in the open field by a cavalry squadron which my squares easily saw off, then I captured a battery that was unsupported and faced off against about 4 enemy infantry regiments who didn't seem to have their heart in the job. Maybe they'd been pulled back from the main slaughterfest to the west?

I kept my battery and one brigade under close reins and took the objective and let my other brigade attack west into what I can only guess was Grog's and Ike's right flank but I didn't see any of its fighting at all until the end when I recalled it.

I still can't seem to get my troops to behave as I want without micro-managing them but at least I had the open terrain in this battle to do that.

The different stories you hear from different areas of the battlefield are what make HITS play so fascinating.

I think Justin should take comfort from the Austrian post-game comment that his aggressive plan seized the initiative for the French, which they never lost. That he valiantly sacrificed his own division as the anvil, with the two French flanking divisions as the hammers, is further testament to his nobility.

The Austrians had somewhat more men and the French somewhat better quality. I suspect the real French advantage was in having one extra player. But it was still a hard fight, and both armies were badly battered by the end of it.

The scenario literally took 5 minutes to prepare, with the aid of Stefan's marvellous Scenario Generator. Bravo!

Martin (J)

Teased by a glimpse of the objective flashing Austrian at the game start, I was under the illusion that they were already there and we had the freedom to form fairly close to them - and made my plans accordingly.

Moving off fairly quickly I soon caught up with the Austrian train moving down the road ahead of me, and sent a courier asking Martin to bring a brigade up to harry them. All in all we moved fairly quickly after them, and when my men started forming to the NW of the objective I saw across a (very) low rise a lone squadron of Austrian cavalry escorting what looked like the entire Austrian grand battery, all limbered up and facing the other way. Seizing the moment I sent a note to Martin asking him to bring up the rest of his horse and operate to my right, formed my brigades up and sent them in against the unprepared and outnumbered Austrians.

Except...

As we went over the (TINY) rise, the rest of the massive Austrian division materialized, turning in unison to face us.

Turns out my line of sight was drawn from somewhere on the horse's chest

With twenty twenty hindsight, my brave division did a sterling job of focusing a frightening amount of Austrian infantry on our left... and centre... and right.... Fortunately a good bit of micro-managing meant the Austrian horse only caught one of my regiments out of square, the rest forming in time to give them a bloody nose. UNfortunately this meant by the time I took another look at their infantry we were seriously engulfed.

Martin did outstanding cavalry work in relatively poor ground, pounding in and out of the trees and racking up a dizzying toll of damage on the Austrian left, as they continued to focus on my dwindling command. Near the end there was only a sole regiment... and then another, standing five feet before me on the stone wall under fire from four Austrian regiments with more in support. Happily I could see Digby in action across the clearing, but while his infantry was occasionally glimpsed between the trees to my left we never united until after my command's destruction freed me to ride over there myself.

You see, we had this little problem with our mail...

Right, Ike?

Yes, I agree Khryses. As my division and the Austrian Corps HQ were between the two French flanks - which I didn't realize for nearly 30 minutes, by the way - I was getting intercepted copies of French courier traffic nearly the entire battle. I dutifully forwarded the ones addressed to Digby on to him, but forgot about the others ... joking of course. But it was interesting reading. For my part, once again, the beginning of the battle was a mix-up of major proportions. The Austrians found themselves separated with Grog's division roughly on the objective while 2nd Division and Corps HQ were further north and a bit east. Our plan, such as it was, was to have Grog set up near or on the objective - holding good terrain is more important than holding the objective IMHO, as we can occupy the objective after we've defeated the enemy - while my part moved south/southwest toward the objective with the intention of catching the French between us. Well, the French - enemy rats that they are! - didn't cooperate and I arrived in the vicinity of the objective without seeing them. As I was milling about trying to find some higher ground to the NW so that I might see what was what and choose some decent ground, up comes what I believe was the entire French Corps nearly in my lap before I could see it. The word of the day for that battle was "Desperation". My artillery O/C (AI) set up and began firing toward the approaching French, the infantry brigades did a nice about face and I launched the cavalry in a series of two-squadron (battalion?) strength charges at the French infantry, attempting to delay them long enough for my infantry to deploy. Just as I was thinking that this wasn't too awful bad, on the right rear - sort of from the NE, as I recall, up come more French troops, horse, foot and guns who proceeded to make mince-meat of my division. By the 50-minute mark, I had no cavalry responding to orders and only two regiments of foot remaining. The guns? They were captured by the French. Grog fought well, considering he was facing nearly the entire French force without support or any tactical info from me. I was literally in a dell, between three low hills, unable to see much past the front of my infantry and had no troops not committed within the first ten minutes of the battle. For all that, the Austrians fought well, Grog used his position well and did his best, but he was fatally flanked by the French coming from the NE onto the objective as well as being outnumbered, as near as I could tell, once my division was listed as "lost" on the roster around 52-minutes in. The French fought well and coordinated their forces, despite their perceptions that we were coming in far greater strength than we had. We did make them work for it, though. Overall, the Nappy mods are all working to my satisfaction and the program, etc is better than before when I was first in the game. All the changes seem to have been for the better. I learned some valuable lessons about higher command as well as ideas of how to handle cavalry tactically. Perhaps next time I might lead one of the cavalry divisions. Good gaming, good playing, good fun.

Ike would make a good secretary to pass on your letters, Justin, since he takes such good care of them, wiping the blood off, repairing the sword cuts and so on. You should employ him full-time.

Leading a cavalry division is really fun, Ike, you must try it and you can easily see why cavalry commanders were like they were (empty-headed lunatics) because you have no tactical ability to hold ground... only to go kill things by galloping at them and screaming which tends to drive all rational thought from one's head. 'Tis a great stress reliever.