Gaming - Napoleonics - Dresden 1813 - part 2

 The last two days of gaming saw the lead count increase significantly. The French army had its reinforcements arrive with the Young Guard arriving first followed by the cavalry and The Old Guard. In addition a further 3 line corps turned up too. Napoleon issued the orders to attack . 

So,etching like 12,000 28mm figures on the table - that’s epic 

My division of Vandamme’s  Corps was supported by a Young Guard division and the Empress Dragoons - time to throw the Kaiserlickes back across the battlefield . Though they did have fair few guns lined up against us . The Guard cavalry would deal with most of those.

 

The Allies had captured the Palace at the centre of the Great Garden , the French would fight to get it back .

 

My chassuers ride through an Austrian battery , and then a Cossack battery that was setting up behind them . Payback ! 

It was then a matter of pinning the Austrians in square while firing artillery and musketry at them - but those damn 48’s take some shooting. 

As ever with these very large multiplayer games you only really know what’s happening near you - the other end of the table is another world sometimes - occasionally interrupted by shouts of joy or groans of agony. 

By the end of the fighting the result ended up somewhat historical- the allies though had done better in some areas , and their reserve was uncommitted. 

Overall a cracking week of gaming was had . I left Vienna with new friends and great memories . 

Coffee and Sachertorte at the Cafe Schwarzenburg while waiting for the car back to the airport - very nice !

Gaming - Napoleonics Dresden 1813 part 1

 The last week has been spent at the invite of Wargamers Vienna playing in their home city in the Wargamers Paradise permanent games room . The game was the 1813 battle of Dresden with the allied armies attempting to take the city before Napoleon could arrive with his reinforcements. 

The guys had created a whole load of new terrain item for the city walls and the Grosser Garten  with itswalls and it’s palace. 

The game was played out over 3 phases :-

Phase 1 - 7 turns - initial allied arrival against the line French Corps - so taking the outer villages . 

Phase 2 - 17 turns , the massive allied army outnumbers the French by about 6 to 1 - there were special rules to toughen the French units but it would still be a challenge to hold the allies away from the city 

Phase 3 - the arrival of Napoleon with the various Guard formations and 3 more line Corps - which would go on the counterattack. 

I was playing French with a division of St Cyr corp to try and hold the approach to the right hand side of the city - it would get desperate. 

The view from my end of the table - as ever with these large multi player battles you end up absorbed in your own area and frequently have no idea what is going on at the other end . The rules are In The Grand Manner with a number of local amendments- we had 15 players.

The view from my end of the table 

 

The view from the far end 

The 3D printed city walls 

The 3D printed Grosser Garten.

The allied army starts to arrive and the fighting commences .

My division pushes out (bottom left) to try and slow the Austrian corps as far away from Dresden as possible 

The defence of the Grosser Garten 

The allies approach the city defences 

More next time ±