EC-BC Playtest 3: Big Russia Battle

Seize that hill over there...you have ONE HOUR to do it!

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This is from a game of EC-BC ending a period of intense playtesting last November.  Several rules issues came to light and the mechanics were worked and commented upon and modified during some in-depth discussions. Among the key issues were:

1. a shortened Fire range for Infantry, 
2. restricting charges against stronger opponents, and 
3. keeping orders on Units until they were used. 

Scenario #4 "Take the High Ground" is one of the two classic take the hill scenarios in One-Hour Wargames. At the Grand Tactical level, it's not so much the hill as the pacing of reinforcements that make the scenario a challenging and realistic fight.  This level of action is what Eagles Cheaper than Brain Cells is about, along with the classic Volley and Bayonet. 

In his notes on those rules, V&B designer Frank Chadwick correctly stresses that timing is the critical issue of battle results at the grand tactical level. The arrival of a division or corps on the right road, at the right time, could change the course of a battle completely, as at Marengo. Marching to the sound of guns - thinking of YOU, Grouchy and Blucher! - or picking the right route to arrive in the right battlefield location at the right time are all decided at the Corps or Division level, so it is important to include it when wargaming at that level.

Scenario #4 has an aggressive and well-timed frontal assault at 3-1 odds going in against the hill. On Turn 2, the attacker should have Fire on the defenders, and be ready to charge the weakened defense with cavalry NLT Turn 3 or 4. Meanwhile, the other 2/3 of the defending force is racing to the rescue from the road entry point starting on Turn 2. Any cavalry must get out ahead at max speed, provoking some interesting situations as they attempt to prevent the defense from being encircled.

Below shows Turn 2 and my take on the correct plan for the Attacker - push hard with the left in an attempt to align the battle DOWN the ridge line from the left, not AGAINST it from the front. This forces the Defender to leave the hill, at least in part, reducing their advantage. The valley, in my experience, is something of a trap but French skirmishers were aggressively moved to secure it and then block it with most of the available cavalry. The cavalry can quickly threaten the Russians if too many rush to save the Russian right, so exert pressure without even being committed. Eight French Infantry Brigades are moving on the hill, over half flanking the Russian right, while the frontal pinning force is working to catch up. In ECBC, you have a limited number of orders each turn, like in the popular ancient rules DBA, so may not always be able to maneuver your force the way you want.

Below, the battle lines developed almost according to the French intent. They are using their grenadiers to push hard at the hinge of the Russian position, but are taking plenty of casualties along the way. The strong Russian advance to the hill is being reacted to by the French cavalry and light infantry, who are now free to pressure the Russian left. The frontal attack also is going well, with the Russian battery destroyed and one Infantry in bad shape.

Turn 7 end - the Russian infantry atop the hill has been destroyed in what can only be stated as a series of amazing French Fire rolls, and poor Russian ones. It happens... The Russian cavalry behind the hill make a desperate series of charges, but to no avail.

Turn 8, the Russians have been annihilated, with the help of supporting battery and cavalry. The tactical situation was shaped by a combination of lucky dice rolling, like any game, and the availability of orders, but most importantly by how the orders got used to rally and reposition units. ECBC has enough friction that altho the decisions are the most important part, the battle is occasionally decided by dice if all player factors are equal. Here, I played both sides well enough that the decisions didn't matter as much as my fortune for the French did - and I'm OK with that.

Well, that was a bit lop-sided. Altho the French had 3 units over the Russians, I thought that the hill position would help them last longer. I also made a few poor decisions for the Russians in the first few turns, largely due to unexpected opportunities the French took. Personally, I find that each turn I can get so into the head of the side I'm playing when I'm playing solo, that I usually make a few genuine errors or just miss a few possibilities! Overall, a solid French victory that was in doubt for a few turns but the Russians fell apart quickly when they fell apart.

In terms of rules mechanics:

1.  the charge restrictions make a lot of sense for Infantry, just not so much for Cavalry. 
2. Keeping the orders on a Unit until spent didn't make a lot of difference in combat, but it made Units a lot more responsive to sudden opportunities to maneuver than in real life - didn't like that. 
3. The shortened range for an Infantry unit is fine.

This concluded last year's development of the rules, thanks to some help from experienced wargamers who volunteered their time to try them out. Soon, I plan to post on the recent return to these rules, my interest being spurred on by the generous donation of Scruby N-scale Naps that my old wargaming club donated.