I cannot recommend this set of rules highly enough. Just play Scharnhorst - it's great.
For our return match we did a 200 point game - which seems the best point value to us for an evening of games (weekday that is.)
My friend, Panther, wanted to put his painted Austrians on the table and so we formed an alliance with my Prussians. I lent my French to Nicko to play the good guys.
The battle swung around the central town. The Austrians hurled themselves courageously at this strong point held by the French.
My small force of Prussians marched down the left wing. Movement points would be spent elsewhere throughout the evening which held back their advance.
Allied guns played against the weaker French right flank. These would effectively engage in counter battery fire and wound other units before running out of ammunition.
The French right flank. A little thin perhaps ... ?
Massed Austrians prepare for an attack .. but without artillery or cavalry support. Could they overcome the French advantage in skirmishing ... NO!
The battle for the town erupts.
Austrians hurl themselves forward.
The Allied cavalry reserve springs to life (perhaps too late?) and rushes to help the right flank. This was whittled down with effective skirmish fire and was now threatened with cuirassiers.
The Austrians surge forward - but steadily take losses.
Ride to Gondor! Hang on a minute ... wrong game.
The French bring their heavy cavalry around their left. Very threatening.
The Prussians try to get forward in time.
Yellow dice show Austrian casualties. They are mounting up.
Crap ... a French reserve of cavalry burst through the centre and start riding down the weakened Austrian infantry. The Allies hope for darkness.
A cavalry stalemate erupted on the Allied right. The Allies had more cavalry but the French had better quality cavalry.
We decided to call the game a French victory. Just about all Austrian infantry had taken multiple hits and a few were on their last legs. Thus the Allied centre would collapse. But the French had taken losses too - especially in artillery who had been shot away or stormed over.
It was a really fun game. All liked the Blucher rules - especially for their simplicity as the commander can just get on with choosing what they want to do. Movement is very easy. The masses spectacle of Napoleonic games is an ongoing thrill to all. (But, it wasn't easy to play against my beloved French - my heart is torn between my two armies.)
My advice ... get Blucher, play Blucher and try Scharnhorst. You won't look back to all those overly complex Napoleonic rule sets.
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