AARs - post here all after battle comments and replay files

Good game on the Lynchburg / Murcia map yesterday. Thanks for the scenario Kevin. The old 'look behiiiind you' trick is getting a little easy to spot though!

I think that was a resounding Russian victory as we did as ordered (slaughtered lots of Frenchmen) plus we held the city secure, and kept our supply road open.

Let's look at the evidence.

The Briefing:
With Murcia under our occupation, the French will find it extremely difficult to cross to the east side of the river. To remedy that situation the enemy has sent a sizable force to reclaim the town. Prince Constantine's 5th Corps has been ordered to attack this force and drive them away from Murcia, making the region safe for all potato eaters.

Intelligence:
Our cavalry patrols have determined that a large French force has moved to the vicinity of the village of Mula.  Enemy cavalry and well sited artillery have prevented our scouts from getting too close, but judging by the intensity of this opposition, it is estimated that the French strength is that of a corps.

Their goal is unknown.  It may be that they intend to invest the Murcia.  It may also be that they intend to cut the town's line of communication which is over Pase Corbero in the south.

This force has not shown any of the obvious signs of preparing to move, so their plans are unknown.  Perhaps they are waiting for reinforcements from their main army, which according to our Cossacks, is some miles to the west.

Objective:
The Prince has decided to take the initiative and eject the enemy before the enemy can carry out its plans.  He has ordered his corps out of Murcia and attack the French troops.

Destroy the French forces to the NW.  The town of Mula is unimportant.  Your goal is the French corps.

The main force of the French army was closer than the Cossacks said.  A division from Ney's corps was hurriedly sent forward to make a demonstration and hopefully slow up the Russian attack.  At the very least, it would force the Russian CinC into a difficult choice.  It succeeded beyond any reasonable hope as we shall see.  


Martin and Phil await the inevitable attack from the rear with an entire division.  This makes a Russian victory much more difficult.  Now two divisions are facing a superior defending force on ground of their choosing.


Davout sees elements from von Wurrtemberg's division and launches a probing attack.  Meanwhile, Mike's division prepares to support Martin.


Taking the bait, like a big stinky bass, Mike joins the fray against the diverting French force.  One hour into the battle, it is lost.  Davout is very comfortable in his position.


Two hours into the battle, Ney's division has been defeated, but still the Russians chase after broken forces leaving Davout comfortably sipping wine and eating soft cheeses.


The end of a sad day.  Most of the Russian corps finally begins to assemble to attack the real target, but much too late.  Facing four batteries and completely fresh troops, the Russians have virtually no chance of success.

It was a good old fun (aka beating Mike in the corner)
Link to fixed replay file https://www.dropbox.com/s/563ebiz3yy19kyi/NetServ-04022517%20173106%20-%20fixed.zip?dl=0

Thanks for the fixed file Miko.

For me this was a very fun game; much like a mini-campaign with scouting, manovering, withdrawal and some good combat. The Allies just clung onto the second depot and held it at nightfall.

On the more serious note - Hats off to the Allies... I was totally confused whole the battle - I was convinced that the other depot must be somewhere in the west as Phil reported meeting some resistance - he failed to inform me that it was only Allied cavalry screening force.
So I thought that force coming from east was actually the same that fired a salvo on me earlier... - wrong... both Allied divisions were on my left??... when we finally pushed Mike's division back I thought that the day was ours... and joyfully conducted what I thought was a "pursue"... more so after Kevin's report of burning the northern Depot... then I smashed into the fresh Iberalc's division )) Lucky me I was able to overwhelm the brigade and the battery that was in the centre... but the same time Mike counterattacked Phil's division and thrown him back... if I only had more time to bring my guard 12pdrs forward....

That was an awesome fight!

My concerns with our mission was that we would get to spread out when trying to defend 2 OBJ's that were just out of the reach of 2 DIV's. ( I can see kevin with a ruler measuring the distance between the 2 OBJ's to make sure t was that on purpose. LOL) Then the added stipulation that it could not be held by the enemy uncontended for 15 minutes which would have meant the Depot at that OBJ was destroyed.

Digby went out to recon the NW rd that would give you an avenue of attack from the west and it was not long before he found a DIV.

Pepe had some contact not long after Digby. We had good intel and were in a good position under the circumstances. It looked like you were going to attack both positions and I felt comfortable with that since defending is always easier and we had the high ground. Pepe then reported that 1 BDE had moved to his west in what he thought may have been a flanking move. I soon after saw the Standards of the Fr BDE that was making that move. I am sure they saw that making a flanking move on Pepe's Army at Salmon was a bad idea.

I was getting good intel from Digby as he himself was delaying a whole DIV with his H CAV. Then the shift began from Salmon to the west and what looked to be an all out attack that would make us decide to defend on OBJ and leave a token resistance in the other. I wanted Pepe to leave his weakest BDE in Salmon but somehow that did not happen but that is was and all to realistic as to the problems with messages instead of having radios. LOL

Then as you attacked from the east and we were already to receive you our demise was slow in coming. Digby was full of good news for the first half of the battle then it all went to bad and very bad.

A lot of what ifs for us but in anycase a great fight and good jobs to the Evil Empire of the early 1800's.

Thanks for the replay MIKO. I am going to watch it now.

This battle was quite different from our normal fare.  The first half was all about cat and mouse maneuvering, while the usual slugging match didn't happen until more than half the game had been played.

The background for this fight was that the British had two depots, located in Salmor and Molini.  The French had made an unexpected move south and would capture and destroy them if found.  The specific locations of the depots were unknown, (delayed objectives), but French agents were working hard to uncover this information.  In the meantime, the French would have to take as many towns as possible, (there are 7 on the map), on the oft chance they would stumble upon the storehouses.

The battle begins with the French preparing to cross the Perosa River.  The French plan was to capture the three towns along the Strada Susa.  It was expected that the British would be encountered at some point, and any strong resistance would likely indicate that a depot was nearby.


French and Allied cavalry met very quickly, north of San Marcello.  Quite possibly, the depots were located along the Strada Susa.


A brief cavalry fight occurred and the Allied cavalry, commanded by Martin, slowly pulled back.  Their constant presence, just out of reach, slowed the advance of Phil's French division.  This was all very standard rear guard action.  Miko decided to bring his division west to join Phil, as it seemed the British infantry would be found defending along the main road south.  In the meantime, Mike was hurrying the infantry and guns east to protect Molina.  Pepe's Belgians were busy eating chocolate and cheese without a care in the world.


Slowly pushing the Allied heavy cavalry south, the French almost had the opportunity to snare them in a two prong attack.  Fortunately for the carabiniers, Martin saw the trap just in time to extricate them.  Meanwhile, Phil is methodically searching the towns he enters.  Pepe's men are still enjoying their chocolates and cheese.


Following the British cavalry, they lead the French forces to to the region around Molini, where Mike's has positioned his division on some high ground.  Now the battle can begin.  Pepe begins to move part of his division south to reinforce the Allied right.


Phil and Miko attack the Allied extreme left.  This position is wooded so the going will be slow.  The Belgian brigade which was protecting Salmor has run out of chocolate at their depot, so they leave and head to Molini in search of more.


The Allies are thrown out of the woods and scamper back to Molini to make a last stand.  In the meantime, my cavalry was ordered to Salmor which I was surprised to find unoccupied.  Except for a lack of chocolate and cheese, this depot was well stocked.  A few torches made quick work of it.


Night descends with the French nearly in Molini.  The Allies have managed to just barely hold on to one of their depots.  Another half hour of daylight would have made all the difference.

An excellent game Kevin. I had no idea the French needed to check every town south of the river. Had I known that, from Scarnafigi I would have tried to slip away westwards to distract Phil.

When I saw Miko sending an infantry brigade towards me in the low ground to my NE and a short while later saw his light cavalry brigade moving around my right I realised I was facing the majority if a corps with my 3 (now tired) regiments.

That made things very interesting.

Several times I suggested to Mike that Pepe might attack the weaker force facing him (I was not sure where the rest of Miko's division was and had assumed it was still N of Pepe). A counter attack by both Pepe and Mike against the flank of Mikos advancing and very spread out division might have won us the day. A kind of Salamanca move.

Miko decided that since we didn't know how long it would take for the French agents to positively identify the depot locations, we had no choice but to systematically visit all the towns while waiting. I don't think anyone seriously considered the British were capable of devising a devious plot that would lead us in the wrong direction. Only the French and Russians are cut from such cloth.

A French vs Russian battle, so of course it was a bloodbath.  The premise of the battle was, the French having conquered a large fraction of territory, have decided to spread their civilized cuisine to this benighted country.  They have set up a frog breeding center at Zuera in order to populate the Rio Jalon with the amphibians and thereby create a stable source of a favorite delicacy.  Of course the Russians are having none of it and have rushed a corps north to put an end to the treachery.


The Russian plan was to have Stroganov's division march north and attack from the west.  Vasil'chikov was to also move north and attack from the SW.  As the march progressed, French chasseurs appeared.  The column had to be halted and Russian cavalry called up to deal with the threat.


With the threat dispatched, the Russian advance continued.  However, it took some time to get things moving again and untangle the brigades.  Meanwhile, German allies moved forward into some woods to slow the attack.  In the south, Kniaziewicz, calmly awaits Vasil'chikov's pleasure.


The Germans are ejected from the woods fairly quickly so Stroganov's division advances.  In the south Vasil'chikov just as quickly loses his artillery in a duel with the French.  Very un-Russian.


The battle in the north was becoming a bloody stalemate. Stroganov judged the French troops were weakened sufficiently so Russian cavalry was forward to break the line.
In the south, a gentlemanly stare-off  develops.


With the French line broken, the Russian infantry surge forward into the gap.  In the south, Kniaziewicz and Vasil'chikov ride forward and exchange snuff and pleasantries.  There is no apparent need to initiate hostilities.


Stroganov begins the final advance to Zuera.  This forces Kniaziewicz to fall back, reorient and attack to the north.  Meanwhile faux-Russian Vasil'chikov wishes the French well and follows them at a discrete distance.


By nightfall, the Russians are just yards away from Zuera but Kniaziewicz with his Guard units gamely fights on and manages to keep the frogs safe and secure.

It was a very tough fight but we enjoyed a well-deserved dinner of freshly cooked frogs legs on toast to celebrate the successful establishment of the first frog ponds in this barbaric region.

Just to revive the topic - I wonder if tweaking some commanders' attributes would help with AI being more aggressive and to commit all their forces?
Otherwise, thanks Kevin for a relaxing scenario

As far as I've been able to determine, the battle plan the AI decides upon is random. It is not influenced by the commander stats. I tested yesterday's battle a few times before we played it. The AI used 4 different plans. The one it chose in the actual game was a 5th. On three occasions, the AI would wait before committing the center division. THat wait varied between 30 min. to 1 hr. This was the first time it chose not to use them at all.

I think an AI force should outnumber a player force by a bigger margin. Its quite usual for the AI to keep a strong reserve while the players tend not to for obvious reasons.

I think an AI force should outnumber a player force by a bigger margin. Its quite usual for the AI to keep a strong reserve while the players tend not to for obvious reasons.

Indeed, I think you'd be the best CinC for this kind of scenario please Kevin, let us know when you apply Martin's wishes

Phil told me that I dodged a bullet yesterday
So you've made some changes that makes AI more likely to use all his forces or was it just pure "luck"?

You have your chance today to take that bullet like a man.

I finally got the replay viewer to work. I was 2 versions behind.....LOL

That was quite a battle we had there. I am sure glad that Kevin held his flags up straight and high other wise he would have gotten my flank coming over the ridge to my west.


Good game.

You have your chance today to take that bullet like a man.

Thanks for delegating me to the right side - even with terrible mistakes I've made, Mike + Panzer Cossacks saved the day for mother Russia (or Tzar Drumphkin)

! regiment of Cossacks were just BEAST yesterday and they saved the day. I was able to use them in several area to help quell an advance. That let me keep a reserve DIV the whole game.

Fortunately it went our way but it could have been the other if we had not caught some breaks.

Digby missed Albuera yesterday

Ah, you mean some lancers wiped out a British brigade? I'd like to see the replay and hear what happened.

Ah, you mean some lancers wiped out a British brigade? I'd like to see the replay and hear what happened.

to be exact, not lancers and it happened to both sides... however Brunswickers acted much more ungentlemanly than their French counterparts and massacred happily marching lost French Brigade... Carabiniers and Chasseurs were more fair - just charging British line in their backs
I'm sure Kevin will be happy to provide the replay, if not I'll do it later...
and yes... "French" lancers were also present on battlefield... but not Vistula, just Guard

Those lancers were unstoppable. In defense of the Brunswickers, I think the entire story needs to be told. You see, there was this brigade of Frenchies marching past my left flank. The Brunswicker's commander asked them where they were headed. The Frogs responded, "Anywhere we like.", and then made a number of rude hand gestures. His men, of course, found such behavior offensive and were not shy in showing their displeasure. The French have no one to blame but themselves, really.

Here is the replay: Replay

It looks like Kevin hammered Phil and Miko hammered Mike.