I haven't been able to get much gaming in: lots of stressful real-life is taking up my time. However, I have managed to squeeze in a couple of games, the first being the Mollwitz scenario from Charles Grant's
The Wargame. I used Neil Thomas' "Simplicity in Practice" rules published in
Battlegames 23, and used
6mm Baccus figures on a 3'x2' table. The buildings come from
Total Battle Miniatures.
I had mixed feelings about the game. It was fun, tense and exciting, but I have growing qualms about the rules. Simply put, I think that the factors for the melee are calibrated poorly: for example, having more friendly units in the vicinity is seen as a bonus in melee equivalent to hitting the opposing unit in the flank and I don't think that is particularly credible. There are other, similar points. I like the way the rules are written and work but disagree with the factors, so I don't know if I will persevere and re-write the stuff I'm not happy with or search for a set I like more. However I'm not sure if there are any better rules in the same "weight class". Anyway, here are a few pictures of the game:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWrKcm-2YQPX26x05y8dtCzTe8sMFgYNajb2QwIQN-9YV-4pwPxlZ3UyWiaPuN-DXoHeQW25IHlYk8G4EYmHILSkxSQZYkXCHLoseoTCu-Ivk65gh1ph-0sqmhjVAt5q9fQiNn3cs7Wv9v/s1600/WP_20150325_001.jpg) |
Initial set-up from behind the "Prussian" lines: actually, they are French Napoleonics but using proxies is totally in the spirit of the original (Grant used French for the Austrians IIRC). |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF3xdXKlB4TojYM77N1qHO3YbQpBlW8jcHgOfozEaK1KtO7TGqEJev52tI6eEg6JHSnJM7YjtxrkuQmWIe9yvndHs7I9LGy5byVWgyAyIhsoguzuEL0QhK2HW9doA1LT6kT-GC-Gdx51Va/s1600/WP_20150325_003.jpg) |
Another picture of the "Prussian" lines |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgefV0wXmODnyUniX74KSR04mXQTg_pE4nfcteOUv4Yr88mJMDOT4fXNVZYG93WHxqvbCxB3zuufohjc8VmhZoQURMNv7p-pz-wHuKbrujmho08oOrpDvGkYuJrpxEiNv0_IBtVwmqqjt-O/s1600/WP_20150325_004.jpg) |
"Prussian Cavalry" boldly boldly run away and try to hide behind their infantry support: in case you were wondering, I tried to play it according to the orders used in the original re-fight. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi33QBFj3aoDUkuGgPfj0ccax7zcyrrEI7GWRl3EHCC3mYiv0lvFnneiYKjqbnToTOASogCoLTSLILjz93lp0EIIwIKBnWbRRkp2wYvcR-297aRQXqI6tDp1DzRboeF_YGmgTscj61n1g_K/s1600/WP_20150325_005.jpg) |
"Prussian" infantry advance whilst the Austrian infantry try to take up defensive positions. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilvJCzxRChELnFUXidmVOX3y6vD_5Z9wTXLmBLyY5YuszLxdI6u3qzFJDCWrPajQAw5s78xNIqFsrdqTzQeD9nFT5W9Yrkdt2vaRfUBeAWnfRpyazuQCWx9H_dXQTqaTv2mBSJw-LPKL9Q/s1600/WP_20150325_006.jpg) |
The "Prussian" cavalry have escaped and the Austrian pursuers have taken some casualties. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9WSuOmpoYT9-R_f5eixQWDk-nXf9YyZEceT1zt9aha2a-TdCbFzBLEPBGMCU2MOOjTXXA8BaVqYpHzA0Y123G2msl6peO-8OmDU86ZQ5BL_W83mB-Iwi_zctVb-bHxWvlvhdfSJLwUwk/s1600/WP_20150325_007.jpg) |
Another shot of the "Prussian" infantry advancing |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfsy-cqU-JXqnalUlh_OQGTLDvljmYoCgBH-GaFcagTnRPujyLmamSRK5epRhtvSfG_WQ2B3fyhxv1KBnsOKhdRSoq8keCmj6HD5DR_-RjYAqS6dcwW9Viem92iJfPQ3I0gUZenbdkvJ5z/s1600/WP_20150325_008.jpg) |
The "Prussian" left in a firm defensive position, whilst their right advances under the cover of the powerful "Prussian" artillery |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrAIBVUc5ZivLGDSZ9_6xCYwSxvCZGlnokzIInfGIweJ2b2MeZqiioTgq9IWPvGlnAODsckp3OYByFtaviIaM_l_5vHiyyCWzAMkhBsBk8hBMJLaLyMIhclp9a7MYIu6Erc60iQ2-0Zgs8/s1600/WP_20150325_009.jpg) |
More of the same |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0k86hCzWSkAgJSzw0toZDJ3mGyB-uLCL-j22FhPhmGmWrfwXa7xrzvxDRwKmP8JJZXIgHY0gN037FWoza10_RYYiHdpiyJVo1mq62wlhqXxUmAs1IK9Qp4hMKa2-RjWLCHj6c_poEdo7t/s1600/WP_20150325_010.jpg) |
The pink and yellow markers show the casualties after the first "Prussian" infantry assault: "Prussian" artillery and the Austrian infantry proving roughly equally deadly. If I'd fought this one according to my own inclinations as opposed to trying to re-enact the Grant re-fight, I don't think the Austrians would have had much of a prayer: they'd have been hammered into the dust by that "Prussian" artillery first. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAio3ffNYtdUw-S2asXwhJsfjNCH9Er_d6CFlzSS3wtJbrlcBQZMt67QropRZEYp8ydEPvq9IwKWY_RJcIyjSlL1X9jD_NKwdSfMk3t_EX2SCHX_AaslwD_m6aI5JMMrL3T9K0vPvZl9cY/s1600/WP_20150325_013.jpg) |
Close up. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZqPTRkN6goLBktHZ5c5hktopUj_l8hs8t6KDE3PUupi2sBUQlTgh7krhx06cM0YYJn4XISMA09mlSr2mIKb9bNBF8TP233dDk0dTsD0Ot5ZG7ubjtnDn-scwmn_ro9T36hvrGhaPtNSeN/s1600/WP_20150326_001.jpg) |
An Austrian counter-attack throws the Prussians off-balance. Units are starting to really weaken now. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6AOSJTSsO_DhryZOAzVyDL-HsArSjxaTVSMCnKQPV7E51nW589MEx95TY40gVcpSWE0EHkzr4AcajLvCukg6NsO1VOLtiGJ4FlJaX3tIRdfDS_FiPWuAliK_d-1h5R1yg6lslb_aUdSBf/s1600/WP_20150326_002.jpg) |
The "Prussian" left is advancing to try and increase the pressure on the Austrian right to make-up for the failure of the main attack. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPXGhEY-J9LeAtd59k0B8q1-PAHENF_vnbS2JCjmU_jyxdPVPwOiiXkrQwhfox_lZnNfVi5lkJ_pfBRNfc9n9AUn8lSfKNqCtvg_Kq88yVRY1qNUTEvyCrl14ENDxkuifAnxPhwysm_tH/s1600/WP_20150326_004.jpg) |
More Austrian counter-attacks delay the Prussians. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNgtpHEg3bF3shF2kDm3EN5TwfhPOqwSh6Ui6nSC8DVoG0SNJjgGmuf4E4ax8NV0IUG8o6mruH2vWqICKYmGhgmMgj21kUDZ5AgM3bjboOs8E7pBLj5ORHMbgs0FV-yC9sQ17hJNM69a7b/s1600/WP_20150326_005.jpg) |
Things looking grim for the Prussians - a last-ditch attempt to break the Austrian line |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgG2Y3QQ62ZpKtaTV5Yx8y_N5RCO0iZcRSqJ2XdFdKynzQ5CqAAQTucqYrz6Arh2tHZ94PqqD7PgIktSUuEHr8E0CqJudib5kRGouob-Hgb6M2p6jZUpWgNPleeD4uKk6DowOELW9cslJ/s1600/WP_20150326_006.jpg) |
The same - the Austrians did in fact win from here, although it was close: the Austrian cavalry was running scared from the carefully husbanded Prussian cavalry by this point, in a curious reversal of the battle's first moves. |
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