Cosseria 1796 videos

WR video’d this special scenario game for the assault at Cosseria 1796. The scenario had three independent assault attempts, each of three normal game turn length. These three assault segments represent the French attempt to seize control of the castle ruins. Being limited to almost all infantry, WR was able to remove the tabletop influence of charging cavalry and artillery.

The complete scenario was posted on WR at: Cosseria 1796

Since the video covered in some detail the Sequence of Play (SOP), basic firepower for infantry (small arms), and the Shock phase, WR has separately posted the You Tube links to this scenario game below.

There are eight 8-10 minute videos in all. That is a lot of video material to watch so WR’s apology is given to all and feel free to skip and poke about.

Part I,    Part II,    Part III,    Part IV,

Part V,    Part VI,    Part VII,    Part VIII

1st Assault segment set up. Cosseria castle April 1796 storming scenario.

Battle of Montenotte 1796 AAR

At the latest HMGS-PSW October Surprise historical miniatures convention, I featured my recently posted French republican Battle of Montenotte April 1796 scenario and utilized some of my recently painted 1790’s period Austrian army. The game was fast paced and close with the winners determined on the final turn. WR couldn’t have play balanced the scenario any better considering the difficult situation the Austrians find themselves.

Earlier this month I posted the Montenotte scenario notes, terrain and set up information: Montenotte 1796 scenario. Included in the Montenotte scenario write-up is a mini-scenario for Monte Negino. At the end of this after action report (AAR) there is a slide show of the all the game photographs.

Battle of Montenotte scenario map.

Opening scene Turn 0700 (1): With the mountainous fog swirling around the cold soldiers, the morning starts with the French republican army posed to launch their attacks on the Austrian positions. Yesterday, these same Austrians spent the late afternoon assaulting the French defenders on Monte Negino (see mini-scenario in Montenotte notes above). During the rainy night, General Bonaparte ordered French reinforcement to arrive at Monte Negino (GD La Harpe). General Bonaparte also ordered GD Massena with GD Meynier’s division to Altare, then march against the exposed Austrian right flank at Montenotte Superiore during the early morning. As the Austrians prepared to renew the assault on Monte Negino, they spied the French reinforcements and cannon. Wisely they called off their morning assault and repositioned themselves to receive the French reinforced attack from Monte Negino and covered the Altare road with a weak detachment.

The weather is foggy with 12″ visibility till 0800, cold and damp. Light patchy snow on ground but has no tabletop effect. Movement on the mountain ridge flat ground is normal but movement on the higher peaks is reduced for close order formations. Light woods (textured felt under trees) and lower medium wooded steep slopes degrade close order movement. Austrians stayed to the clear ground while the French, with their open order formation capability, passed quickly the terrain (open order formations normally have no movement reduction). Details found in scenario notes and tabletop map legend.

Opening French division La Harpe on Monte Negino looking northward. Movement off the actual ridge level is difficult for close order formations. Morning starts with fog till 8am turn (12″ visibility).

Battle of Voltri April 1796 AAR

Last Friday WR and Daniel (son) traveled to FND* to play the Voltri 1796 scenario and an evening of French revolutionary warfare. Voltri was a small Ligurian coastal engagement, just before General Bonaparte marched on Montenotte, it was a French rearguard action caused by the Austrian advance. This report covers the actual miniature tabletop action between the Austrian advancing columns and the scrappy French republicans. For the scenario set up information and notes see my previous post on this battle: Voltri 1796

Scenario starts at 1400 hours and weather is cloudy. No optional special event scenario cards were used for this game but are available in the scenario notes. There is a slide show at the end of this post for quick viewing of the scenario game photographs.

Turn 1400: Game starts with the Austrian eastern column under GM Philipp Pittoni von Dannenfeld facing the French Chef of Brigade Laubespin at Pegli. GM Pittoni and his column have been marching since early morning light across the Ligurian mountains to the Genoese coast then turning west to met French at Pegli. Colonel Vukassovich’s Austrian column has an hour more arrive on the northern “road” entrance. The two French “demi-brigade” command groups are widely separated. One at Pegli under Laubespin facing GM Pittoni and the other under Chef of Battalion Jean Lannes at the village of Mele on the northern road. French senior command GB Jean-Baptiste Cervoni starts at Voltri behind the starting French lines no doubt tasting the local wine. Three photos below to show the starting positions as described.

Some quick data points: Miniature scale ratio is 85:1 for this scenario, 50 yds to the ground inch. Typical musketry range is 0″ to 4″ while the positional mixed artillery battery can engage out to 24″. Infantry basically has 8″ column, 6″ linear and 10″ open formation movements. The sole cavalry regiment in the scenario has a base movement of 14″. The suite of posted game mechanics videos, charts, table etc can be located at: Napoleonic rules & videos of play

Battle of Voltri 1796 tabletop terrain looking west. Austrian eastern column starts near French defenders at Pegli in foreground. Table length is 10 feet to Voltri and 7 feet on the northern road section.

Scenario tabletop view from Voltri eastwards towards Pegli in distance. Daniel is studying the scenario notes while French HQ and train (wine?) is in Voltri.

Scenario tabletop view from Voltri northwards to Mele to complete the starting views.

Battle of Gaza 1799 Bonaparte vs. Ahmed Jezzar

Something different from the normal Napoleonic game. Dan and WR elected to play a French expedition Syria vs. the forces of Ahmed Jezzar (Levant Ottomans) game featuring the Battle of Gaza 1799.

Game map, order of battle and notes: Gaza 1799 Scenario Notes (updated)

Initial deployment: Lannes’ Division with Murat’s cavalry crossing the Gaza wadi. Levant Ottomans deployed behind hills or in Gaza.

Game start set up. French in foreground (Gaza wadi), Levant Ottomans in background near Gaza town and behind low hill.

Gaza 1799 Game map. Black arrow shows French entrance point to table.