Marengo

 

 A little Pub Battles Marengo from CommandPost Games this week.

The Marengo Map spreads out large and beautiful. The year is 1800. France is at war with Austria. Bonaparte deftly handled the Austrians in Italy a few years before. Now he has risen to the position of First Consul of the French. With part of his army across the Bormida River from Alessandria, where General Melas has massed an Austrian army nearly double the size of Bonaparte's force, Napoleon has blocked Melas' supply lines. Melas must attack or maneuver away. A double agent man, for whom I know neither the name nor number, provided false information that Melas would maneuver. Based on that information, Bonaparte sent part of his forces away to monitor other possible avenues for Melas.

Instead of Maneuvering away, Melas attacks the divided French force.

 I've never been disappointed with any game I've played that is a re-fight of Marengo. I've played with Napoleon's Battles and a few other miniature rules, including my own homebrew sets. However, Pub Battles Marengo has the advantage of being playable in an hour or so. The game sets up quick and it plays quick. As you can see in the picture below--the final positions of the game I played last week--the game uses wooden blocks. They're much easier and quicker to use than the chits or counters or miniatures used in other games I've played.

What makes this battle such a ripping good time to play? The Austrians cross the river in overwhelming force against the French advance forces under Vandamme and Lannes. These generals have have to delay the Austrians so that Napoleon, who's back at the other end of the long battlefield, can bring the reserve to the fight. The reserve is also a small force but includes the idominatable Consular Guard. Additionally, Murat and some French cavalry, including Kellerman's formidable cuirassiers, are on hand to lend assistance. Even with the reserve and the cavalry, the French are outnumbered. 

Napoleon may have an ace, or at least a face card up his sleeve. He has sent for Desaix's division to return at the double time with no dawdling along the way. Can Lannes and Vandamme delay the Austrians without being crushed and dooming the French army to defeat? Can Napoleon prevent Melas from reopening his supply line? Will Desaix arrive in time to save the French from the Austrian war machine?

Below is scene from midway through this week's game. I randomly altered the Austrian order of battle for greater uncertainty for the French. The lone white block just to the right of the upper center is an Austrian baggage train. That blue line extending toward it is an attempt by the French to get to that baggage train. If successful, the French will win the game. If unsuccessful, they may at least force Melas to divert troops from the French baggage train that he is threatening. Because of the nature of the game, neither can be certain that the units they're threatening are in fact baggage trains. It's a gamble.

What's so special about baggage trains? First, if you lose one, you lose the battle. If you have a line of supply, you can unpack the train and use it to rally troops, so they can live on and fight another round. However, once they're unpacked, the trains can't move. If you have to pack one of them up after you've unpacked it, you lose. I find this adds even great urgency and uncertainty to the battle.

Below is a picture from later in the battle. As you can see, the French didn't get to Melas' baggage train, but they did force him to defend it, relieving the threat to one of their own baggage trains. Bonaparte is blocking the left hook by the Austrians shown on the lower right of the map, and Desaix has arrived and advanced at the far left edge.

However, Bonaparte's baggage train is under threat. The French unpacked the trains earlier, so they can't move. They're committed to the battle and can't retreat without devastating losses.

The picture below shows the end of the battle.

Thanks to the daring charges by the French cavalry and the valiant efforts of the infantry, the Austrian losses exceeded their will to fight. They broke with 50% casualties to their infantry. Although Bonaparte's and an Austrian baggage train were seriously threatened, the Austrian army broke before either could be taken.