Battle of Castelnuovo del Garda - 6mm MDF Napoleonics

Over the weekend the Rejects gathered for another game hosted by Richard using his incredible 6mm MDF armies. This was a “What If” engagement set in Bonaparte's campaign in Italy in 1797. The Austrians have launched an attack to break the French siege of Mantua. Once achieved and reinforced by the large number of troops there, they were to push the French westward towards Piedmont. Hoping to hold Alvinczy’s Austrian forces at Rivoli, General Bonaparte and his divisions, nonetheless, failed to move quickly enough to reinforce Joubert who was guarding the approaches down the river Adige. Consequently, Joubert was compelled to withdraw his troops south and rendezvous with the forces of Generals Massena and Rey.

In this alternate history, Alvinczy was able to complete the junction of his three columns on the Rivoli plateau. After a day’s rest, he set the Austrian army in motion south to defeat Bonaparte’s revolutionary Army of Italy. As he approached Castelnuovo del Garda, Alvinczy got news of the French beginning to deploy. Bonaparte, now certain that the approaching Austrians represent the main strike towards Mantua – not the feint that Augereau is holding back around Verona - and he is determined to strike a blow against Alvinczy at Castelnuovo del Garda.

After deployment but before battle commenced

An example of the army list showing Joubert's
Corps and the Army Assets directly under
Bonaparte's command. 

Richard had sent us our army lists in advance and started the game with some map-making. One player from each side was allowed to go out to the shed-o-war and reconnoitre the battlefield. They then had 10 minutes to sketch the battlefield; observe the enemy forces and ask questions about the terrain. Returning to their fellow generals each side then had a further 15 minutes to come up with a strategy and write down on the map where their divisions were to be deployed. Only then were we allowed into the shed and given just 10 minutes to place our divisions according to our earlier sketch map. 

Richard was using the Volley & Bayonet rules for this game in what can best be described as a "Grand Tactical" scale. So each 3" square base represented a whole Brigade with each commander controlling a Corps of two or three divisions each. Each turn represents a whole hour, with movement distances up to 16" for an infantry division and up to 24" for cavalry. However, with each inch representing 100 Yards ranges are short. Artillery can fire about 10" while musketry is just a couple of inches. The effect of this is a very different game to that where the player is controlling companies or regiments. Combined with Richards's use of reconnoitre and deployment this game really does feel very different to other games. 

I won't go into too much detail - my brain is still hurting after this cerebral punch-up - but let's just say that Bonaparte wasn't endowed with much luck. We shifted our line to the right as we crossed the last couple of miles towards the Austrians. Our cavalry managed to secure a position on the Austrian flank after they had formed a static line and we immediately pressed that advantage. In the centre, Joubert's Corp kept the Austrian's attention firmly forward while our extreme left, over a mile away, kept them occupied and unable to get around our flank. But having gained the best possible advantage, and doubling up on every attack so we were always throwing more dice in melee than our opponents, we just couldn't land a killer punch. 

By the end of the game, both sides had fought themselves to exhaustion but the Austrians were able to claim a minor victory with their army in marginally better shape than ours. Frankly, our dice rolling was so poor I was surprised the end was as close as it was. 

Richard has posted his own take on running the game for us here and its worth reading for a different perspective of the game from the umpires position. Like Richard I didn't take nearly enough pictures to make a coherent storyboard of the game...I was too busy concentrating and enjoying the puzzle that was this battle.