Lützen, 2 May 1813
Following the disasater of 1812 in Russia, Napoleon returned to Paris to raise a
new army to defend against a new coalition.
Raising a new army for the 1813 campaign, Napoleon had envisaged a rapid
sweep through Prussia to relieve Danzig and to link up with remnants of his 1812
Grande Armée to defeat the new alliance before it strengthened. Unfortunately for
him, his new army was sorely deficient in cavalry, and due to poor reconnaisance
he was unaware of a large army under Wittgenstein and Blücher concentrating on his
flank.
Napoleon was visiting the 1632 battlefield, playing tour guide with his staff by
pointing to the sites and describing the events of 1632, in detail from memory,
when he heard the sound of cannons. He immediately cut the tour short and rode
off towards the direction of the artillery fire. Arriving on the scene, he quickly sized
up the situation and decided to set a trap using Ney's corps as bait. He ordered
the Marshal to make a fighting withdrawal towards Lützen. Meanwhile he sent
Ney reinforcements which would take up strong, defensive positions in and
around two villages south of the city. Once these divisions were ready, the rest
of the corps would withdraw towards them, luring the allies to attack, while
Napoleon, leading the main 110,000 strong French force, would come around
the allied flank and counterattack.
Wittgenstein and Blücher took the bait, continuing to press Ney until they ran
into the "hook" Napoleon had prepared. Once their advance had halted, with the
perfect timing of old, he struck. While he had been reinforcing Ney, he had also
concentrated a great mass of artillery (Grande Batterie) that unleashed a
devastating barrage towards Wittgenstein's center. Then Napoleon himself,
along with his Imperial Guard, led the massive counter assault into the allied
flank. Wittgenstein and Blücher were in danger of suffering another defeat on the
scale of Austerlitz, but the green and exhausted French troops, who had been
marching and fighting all day long, could not follow through. Also, a Prussian
counterattack managed to halt the French offensive, and allow enough time
for the main army to retreat. In addition, darkness was closing in. This allowed the
allied force to retreat in good order. The lack of French cavalry meant there would
be no pursuit. Napoleon lost 19,655 men killed and wounded, while the Prussians
lost 8,500 and the Russians 3,500 killed, wounded and missing. But casualties
aside, by nightfall Wittgenstein and Blücher were in retreat while Napoleon
controlled Lützen and the field.
This scenario focuses on the climax of the battle at approximately 5PM with the arrival
of the Guard and the push in the center.
The stage is set. The battle lines are drawn and you are in command. Can you
change history?
Victory: 8 Banners
French: Napoleon 1er - 5 cards (move first)
Allies: Wittgenstein - 5 cards (3 iron will)
Roll 3 dice for Mother Russia roll, ignoring crossed swords.
Special Rules:
The Flossgraben stops movement, but otherwise does not affect battle.
Rahna is a temporary victory objective (turn start) for the French and worth 2 banners.
Kaja is a temporary victory objective (turn start) for the Allies and worth 2 banners.
The central hill marked is an allied temporary victory objective (turn start) worth 2
banners.
French LN infantry are inexperienced and receive one additional die in melee against
infantry only when at strength 3 or 4.
Map:
See orchard chart below.
The Farm is treated as walled gardens.
ORCHARD CHART
MOVE BATTLE INF:CAV:ART LOS SQUARE MORALE
cav/art stop battle into 0/-1* : -2 : -1 blocks YES no effect
cav/art stop battle out 0 : -2 : 0 blocks YES no effect
*only ranged fire effected for infantry
**cavalry treats orchards as if it is a forest (important for cossacks
Reminders:
Russian units may not use Iron Will.
Prussians may not use mother russia results.
Cossacks treat orchard as forest.
Mark McG wrote:
Tile | Move | Battle Effect | INF | CAV | ART | Blocks LOS | May form Square | Defender Morale |
Orchard | CAV & ART Must Stop | Battle Effect Into | 0/-110 | -2 | -1 | Yes | Yes | - |
Orchard | CAV & ART Must Stop | Battle Effect Out | 0 | -2 | 0 | Yes | Yes | - |
10 = Only ranged fire effected