Hosted another Black Powder Napoleonic game today – this time using the Russians and Austrians I painted up earlier this year – and still needing to get them bloodied. This battle was during the Russian Campaign and one of few times Austrians and Russians traded blows in the Napoleonic era. The battle included Saxons, but since I don’t have any at the time, used some French, Polish and Neuchatel as proxies.

Prior to the battle – Russians on the left and Austro-Saxons one the right. Austrian artillery yet to arrive as they were provided from my buddy’s collection.

Russian left – a cavalry brigade of lancers, hussars (armed with lances) and skirmishing jaegers; an infantry brigade with 3 regiments to their left. I did use a unit of French hussars and Polish lancers as proxies here as well.

Russian center – the high ground with 3 gun batteries in earthworks; a brigade of 3 grenadier regiments and army general. The victory conditions were for the Russians to hold onto the hill with more unshaken Russian units than the enemy. The Austro-Saxons would win if they captured the hill with more unshaken Austro-Saxon units than the Russians. Alternative victory would be destroying over half of the enemy forces.

Russian left – a brigade of 4 infantry regiments.

Austrian left and center (prior to arrival of artillery batteries) – a cavalry brigade with Austrian dragoons and cuirassiers, and Saxon Garde du Corps and chevau-leger (the last two actually Spanish dragoons and French chasseurs respectively, as proxies). On their right two brigades of Austrian infantry with 3 regiments each.

Saxon infantry brigade with 4 regiments on the right flank – again using proxies. Maybe someday I’ll use some Perry French and paint them up as Saxons…maybe.

As for the game itself; well, it didn’t go down historically – the Austro-Saxon army failed to dislodge the Russians from their high ground. In fact, due to brash tactics the Austrian dragoons and two Saxon infantry brigades were destroyed by turn 3. The Austrian cavalry made the mistake of charging the Russian right without infantry or artillery support. They were stopped by not only the Russian lancers and hussars, but also from the Russian jaegers taking shots at them from the marsh around the river. Cavalry could not enter the marsh area.

The Saxons were decimated in hand to hand fighting on their own right. More from unlucky die rolls than tactical errors.

Artillery on both sides were not shooting very well and didn’t play too much of an actual factor in the game, but the Austrians were ever-conscious of their presence atop the high ground.

We only played 4 turns, but felt the Austro-Saxon army would continue to get mauled as the Russians still have most of their army intact – including the 3 gun batteries supported by the brigade of grenadier regiments. As the taking of the high ground was the victory condition – or destroying over half of the enemy army, this seemed like an uphill battle (pun intended).