204 Mohrungen (25 January 1807)

204 Mohrungen (25 January 1807)

Nice fight, thought I was in trouble when I lost my french artillery & french heavy cavalry to the russian light cavalry (first a cavalry charge which made 3 hits on the artillery, then a first strike which killed 3 heavy cavalry blocks). However, I just abandoned the centre afterwards and made progress on the flanks. Eventually, when it was 5-5 in banners, I suddenly remembered the victory rules for the town hexes, and noticed I was in possession of the French Left Flank towns, for 7-5 victory.

Played the game twice against Mark and the French won both games again, without any chance of the Russian.
Aside from the fact that the scenario setup is one of the most outbalanced ones,
i would try it next with a small housrule.

Similar like Memoir 44, all units which enters a Frozen Lake/River hex, indifferent of the reason (also on retreats),
roll 2 dice. And for each XSW (Saber), the unit loose one block.
And i would try this houserule for all frozen lakes/rivers

Played this one solo and enjoyed it. Russians lost by gambling that a combined LI & Art would illiminate or force a French LI from a town hex. It didn't.

Played yesterday at our club :
1st round : 7/6 for the Russians who were very lucky (destroying 7 french units) and so without flanking force arriving at Mohrungen...
2nd round : 7/5 for the French in a more balanced scenario

Markov won with no help from the flanking force 7-5. Russian musket fire was uncannily accurate and cannister blew away the French heavy cavalry which attempted to assault the central Russian battery. A little less Russian luck on the dice and the French would certainly have won, but Markov put the wind up Bernadotte when Dupont was unhorsed and his attack stalled. The Russians were very aggressive on the counterattack.

This is a great scenario and has pressure for both sides to deal with. I large cluster of potential VPs in the town for the French, and a running clock to help the Russians.

I had no scout cards. This meant I did not have the dilemma of playing and advancing the clock, or holding and clogging my hand.

I had a bayonet charge right off the mark, and used it to push into the center. Getting his ART off the hill was important. He retreated into a city hex and was a royal pain the whole game. He also had a GR unit on the hill in the middle. It was like a fortified city right in my path. So, I had to use some cards to bring up my flanks as well. With only four cards in our hands, we were limited to some degree anyway.

I wanted to bring in my CAV, but decided to hold them for the late game if I could find some weak units. The attack on the French right to secure a line on the city was a critical battle. Surviving and then destroying his GR and its leader was the backbreaker for the Russians.

Judd played a great game falling back as needed, but he just did not have the cards he needed. Think about a game where the French have two scout cards. Play and you push the clock have way. Don’t play and you are down to just two playable cards.

I did have some breaks with bad rolls by Judd, but I also played a patient game as well. Certainly, a scenario worth playing again.

Good game Judd!

As Evert had the French, I started as the Russians, so my first job was the Mother Russia roll. It was not a great success: four dice gave me only two full-strength units: a Line infantry (with Gen Markov) and a Light infantry (in the woods top left).

The battle began with the customary exchange of artillery fire, softening up some units on both sides, while further troops moved into the front line: French on the right (that's right as you look at the pictures and I'll stick with this view) and Russians in the centre. {The green flag moved two spaces - halfway to its goal.}

First blood went to the French as skirmishing by Light infantry in the woods centre right killed off the Russian unit. {The score is 0:1 to the French.}

Gen Tilley led French Light cavalry into the attack centre left, forcing a damaged Russian Line infantry into square, but then being obliterated by their Russian counterparts (with an unnamed Russian general). Gen Tilley fell with his troops. {Taking the score to 2:1.}

The French artillery evened the score by taking out the infantry in square. {Some lucky dice for Evert makes it 2:2.}

The French infantry in the centre-right and right fixed bayonets and charged to devastating effect. On the right, French Line eliminated the Russian Lights hiding in the woods. In the centre, two Light infantry and one Line smashed into Russian Grenadiers and the full-strength Line unit under Gen Markov. The Grenadiers fell to a man, while the Line infantry were hit hard and retired with the General. {The dice are strong with Evert - after he plays a "Bayonet Charge" - to go to 2:4.}

Massed fire from the battered unit plus the infantry and artillery on the hills in the centre did some damage to the advanced French units, one Light infantry being finished off by the Russians' Light cavalry. {3:4}

The French infantry pressed their attack, pushing Markov back into the town with the remnants of his infantry and getting on to the hills. However, the damaged French line fell to the Russian artillery. {Evert had a second "Bayonet Charge", but this one wasn't as effective: 4:4.}

The Russians fell back further, leaving their artillery alone in the middle of the battlefield. The French attacked into the town, finishing off two Russian Line infantry, Gen Markov fleeing the field. {And now an "Elan" card to take the score to 4:6 and potentially another banner for the French unit now in Pfarrersfeldchen.}

Fire from the remaining Russian infantry and artillery forced the French troops out of the town. {And moved that green star just one space away from scoring its three banners.}

However, the French Heavy cavalry now arrived in the centre of the battlefield and rode down the Russian artillerymen. {4:7}

Phew! Another close finish, but only because of that flanking cavalry mechanism. Without it, the Russians are definitely in for a hiding. I'd also like to blame Evert's fine selection of cards and excellent die-rolling.

The return match at the Battle of Mohrungen was my turn to play the French. The first thing for Evert to do was make his Mother Russia roll. He did rather better than me, adding a block to two Line infantry (one in the centre, with Gen Markov, one left of centre), one Light (in the woods centre-right) and the Foot artillery (centre).

Initial skirmishing in the woods centre right was followed by the Russian Light cavalry, under an unnamed General, attacking the French artillery centre left and demolishing it. {Some lucky dice for Evert takes the score to 0:1 in his favour.}

However, this cavalry was isolated and both horsemen and General fell when the French Heavy cavalry counter-attacked. {Now it's 2:1 in my favour.}

Then Russian infantry, led by Gen Markov, assaulted in the centre, wiping out one Light infantry and damaging other French units. {2:2 with a "Bayonet Charge" from Evert.}

French Light cavalry with Gen Tilley joined the Heavies in the centre with infantry support to remove two Russian Line infantry (including the full-strength unit under Markov, who retreated to the Grenadiers at the back). {4:2}

The continued skirmishing in the woods centre right continued with the removal of a French Line unit. {4:3}

The Russian artillery in the centre obliterated the French Heavy cavalry. {4:4}

Then the French cleared the woods centre right by eliminating the Russian Lights therein. {5:4}

A French advance on the left removed the Russian Line infantry being kept in square by Gen Tilley's cavalry. {6:4}

And then French troops scampered through the Russian lines to occupy most of Pfarrersfeldchen. {Using "La Grande Manoeuvre".} Desperate attempts by the Russians to throw them out again came to nothing. {And that's a win: 7:4.}

You'll notice that that green star didn't move at all this time, so this time the French position wasn't in jeopardy. Some lucky cards there saw me through to the win, but the Russians remain tough opponents. And the aggregate result ia 11:11, so a dead heat.