FPW - New Beginnings

The last time Bob & I played a Franco-Prussian War game was 2006. Last week, Bob brought a portion of his figures over and we tried a game using home rules on my dining table.

Above shows an overview of our game, the Prussian Allies on the left, the French on the right. Each infantry stand of 8-10 figures is a battalion, 3 stands are a regiment. Light infantry battalions are based 2 figures on small bases, 4-5 stands equal to a battalion. For cavalry, each stand is a division of two squadrons, two stands are a regiment. The rules we were using emphasize the longer, more accurate Prussian/Allied breech loading rifled artillery versus French muzzle loading artillery, and the longer ranged French Chasspot rifle versus the shorter ranged Prussian Needle Gun rifle. The sides roll for initiative, make moves or formation changes, and impact enemy units. Units suffer "halts" (hits) which accumulate and increasingly impair a unit's ability to fight. Another feature of our rules is that similar to DBA, a side has a limited number of movement actions determined by a die roll. However in our game, a side doesn't know how many movement impulses they have in any given turn. Each side rolls before moving each unit, if a "1" is rolled, the side's movement phase ends for that turn. A player can move a general to a unit, which exempts the unit from rolling for movement, but exposes the general to potential harm. In the photo above, note that the Prussian Allied player (left hand units) has a division commander (2 figures to a base) and 3 brigade commanders (single figure bases) attached to units, which do not have to roll for movement.

The photo above gives a closer look to the Prussian Allied division, composed of 2 Bavarian regiments and a light infantry battalion, a Hesse-Darmstadt regiment, a Wurttemburg regiment, 4 artillery batteries, and 2 Prussian cavalry regiments (Uhlans & Dragoons). The French have their Chasseur light infantry battalion skirmishing in the woods, above right.

Above shows most of the French division of 4 Infantry regiments and 3 artillery batteries, including a Mitrailleuse battery.

We are still experimenting with these rules. In our test game, the French lost an infantry regiment to Prussian artillery bombardment, while the Prussians lost a cavalry regiment. There was no clear victor.

The figures are 15mm by Rank & File. Many of the figures in the photos above were excellently painted by our friend, the late Charlie Prosek.

I have a division (2 brigades) of 1866 Austrians in this scale that are painted, another division partially painted, which would give me an entire Corps of Austrians. I just have to get around to finish painting & mounting them.

There are other rules I am interested in trying for this period: Volley & Bayonet, HFG (Horse, Foot, & Guns), 19th Century Warfare, and 1866/1870.