Lützen - 2 May 1813
Historical Background
Following the disaster 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 reconnaissance 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?
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Set-Up Order
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Battle Notes
Allies Army:
General Wittgenstein
5 Command Cards
Optional 4 Tactician Cards
(3 Iron Will)
Roll 3 dice for Mother Russia roll, ignoring crossed swords.
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| 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
French Army
General Napoleon
5 Command Cards
Optional 6 Tactician Cards
(move first) 
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| 7 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Victory
8 Banners
Special Rules
The Flossgraben stops movement, but otherwise does not affect battle.
Orchard tiles use the new official rules now (expansion 5).
Rahna is a temporary victory objective (turn start) for the French and worth 2 banners (Temporary Victory Banner Turn Start)
Kaja is a temporary victory objective (turn start) for the Allies and worth 2 banners (Temporary Victory Banner Turn Start)
The central hill marked is an allied temporary victory objective (turn start) worth 2 banners (Temporary Victory Banner Turn Start)
French Line Infantry receive melee bonus only when stacked with or adjacent to a friendly leader.
The Farm is treated as walled gardens.
Reminders:
Russian units may not use Iron Will.
Prussians may not use Mother Russia results.
