Kreigsspiel – a full overview

Map Kriegsspiel

by Paddy Griffith

The following piece that illustrates a straight forward approach toumpiring a free kriegspiel is from Napoleonic Wargaming forFun by Paddy Griffith (Published Ward Lock 1980 ISBN 0-7063-5813-9, 0-7063-6042-7 Paperback), my thanks to Paddy for hispermission to include it and save me a lot of work. Copyright ©2006 Paddy Griffith.

The generalship game is almost a board game, and relies upon a lengthy set of formal rules. It undoubtedly forces the player to concentrate very hard upon what a Napoleonic general would have been doing with his time; but due to its complexity it may not be to everyone's taste. As a counter-balance, therefore, we now turn to a game which has almost no rules at all. This is the free kriegspiel, played on maps.

Origins and advantages of kriegspiel

Early recreational wargames were rather abstract and unrealistic affairs, usually based upon some variant of chess. During the nineteenth century, however, wargames tended to develop a more realistic format, largely as a result of the renewed military interest caused by the Napoleonic Wars themselves. Thinking officers were then starting to experiment with various ways of representing battles in miniature; and in Prussia this developed to a very advanced stage indeed. The military kriegspiel gradually became a recognized means of officer training, and later even evolved into an aid for strategic planning.

The nineteenth-century Prussian game started life with a rigid structure and copious formal rules. The two sides were each placed in a separate room with a model of the terrain or a map. The umpires moved from one room to another collecting orders from the players, and then retired to a third room to consult the rules and find the results of combat. A great deal of their time was consumed in leafing through voluminous sets of rules, consulting tables and giving rulings on fine legal points. By about 1870, however, this rigid system was starting to be thought rather clumsy and time-consuming. Quite apart from the many defects and loopholes in the rules themselves, it reduced the umpires, who were often very senior officers, to the role of mere clerks and office boys. clearly, such a state of affairs was intolerable.

It was General von verdy du Vernois who finally broke with this system, and abolished the rule book altogether. His approach to the wargame was the free kriegspiel, in which the umpire had a totally free hand to decide the result of moves and combats. He did not do this according to any set of written rules,but just on his own military knowledge and experience. He would collect the players' moves in exactly the same way as before; but he would then simply give a considered professional opinion on the outcome. This speeded up the game a very great deal, and ensured that there was always a well thought-out reason for everything that happened. This was a great help in the debrief after the game, and it allowed players to learn by their mistakes very quickly.

The free kriegspiel using maps can offer many advantages for modern wargamers provided that the umpire has a reasonable background in wargaming, and a bit of common sense. If this condition is met,

the game immediately becomes faster and less pedantic than if it had been tied down to a set of rules. The umpire can always think of more factors to incorporate in his decisions than could ever be true in aformal or rigid game. He can therefore spread a greater atmosphere of realism about the game.

What you will need for a Map Kriegspiel

The umpire must be someone who knows as much about the Napoleonic Wars as the other players, so that he will be able to keep a little ahead of their criticisms. In fact this superior knowledge need not amount to a very great deal, and even relative beginners will be surprised at how easy it is to umpire a game of this sort. They should not be put off by the fear that umpiring needs some formidably experienced military brain, like that of General von Verdy du Vernois himself: it doesn't. Almost anyone can do it, with a little practice. Apart from anything else, the umpire always has the advantage that he is the only one who can see the complete picture of what is going on.

It is best to have three rooms, one for each team, and one for the umpire; but at a pinch the umpire can do without his, and simply keep moving from one side to the other, making notes behind the backs of the players. This also economizes on maps, as the umpire will not need one. For very elaborate games, on the other hand, any number of rooms may be used, and the author has participated in some games using six different playing teams, as well as a sizeable team of umpires.

The maps themselves may pose a problem, since they can become rather expensive if bought in bulk. You should therefore choose the particular game you are going to play rather carefully, with this in mind. Clearly it depends a great deal on your financial circumstances; but it is perhaps worth reflecting that a set of three Ordnance Survey maps will cost rather less than the average boxed boardgame. At any event, if all else fails you can always make your own sketch maps of the area to be fought over, with traced copies for all the players. For sieges and some tactical actions, indeed, this method will be the only one possible.

You may wish to mark movements on the map with a set of pins, but it is usually easier, and better for the map, to use a talc overlay and a set of chinagraph pencils. In this way movements can be shown graphically, explanations pencilled in, and the whole thing will be easier to understand.

Players and umpires will require rulers, plus carbons and spare paper for writing reports and notes. The umpire will also require one nugget (a 10 sided dice).

Playing the game

The umpire will select a scenario which fits onto the available maps. One hardy perennial (which uses the British 1:50,000 Ordnance Survey series) is a hypothetical landing by a French corps in some part of the British Isles. The French are allowed to land en masse', whereas the British troops start the game widely scattered. Political aspects may also be incorporated into this game, with Jacobite sympathizers and other adventurers fighting their own guerrilla wars in the back hills.

If you use continental road maps it is perfectly possible to re-fight all the classic operations of Napoleon. Admittedly the maps will be quite small scale (1:500,000 or thereabouts); but then so were the maps Napoleon himself had to use. If one is operating with a number of army corps the large scale details of the terrain will not be important, in any case.

Another alternative is to fight a siege. For this you can either photocopy the plan of a real fortress, and use that for your map; or you can draw your own fortress plan from scratch. One player is the defender,and must move his batteries about inside the fortress, perhaps digging mines under the attackers' trenches, and occasionally making brief sallies. The other player will have to dig trenches up to the

fortress, so he can establish breaching batteries and eventually storm the breach. A free kriegspiel is particularly suitable for playing siege operations, since the tedious repetition of many siege operations can be rushed through by the umpire to fit the available time. They do not have to be played through in minute and boring detail, as they would in a game with rigid formal rules.

Order of battle

When the umpire has selected his map and set a problem for both sides, he must give all players a full list of their forces, and keep a carbon copy for his own reference. Note that the umpire will give information to players only about their own forces, with very few clues about the enemy 5. Players willthen be fed snippets of intelligence about the enemy according to the types of reconnaissance they ask for. They will have to build up a picture of what the enemy is doing for themselves from this information.

The umpire finally states the date, time and weather at the start of the game.

Sequence of turns

The game progresses in a series of turns, in each of which the following sequence is observed:

1. Players write orders and pass them to the umpire.

2. The umpire compares the orders from each side and decides what sightings and contacts have been made, and at what times.

3. The umpire may then wish to ask players for supplementary information; e.g., if there has been a contact between two opposing formations, the umpire may need to know whether players want to withdraw, or to stand and fight.

4. The umpire then decides the result of combats, and the reports to be given to players from combats and other sightings.

5. The umpire reports all this information to players, who start writing orders for their next turn.

Each turn will usually represent twenty-four hours of the campaign, as in the generalship game. This allows a convenient cycle of actions to be completed, and is realistic in the sense that Napoleonic commanders did tend to write their orders at the same time each night. If a particularly large order of battle is being used, however, such as a large number of army corps, then a two- or three-day cycle maybe preferred. If only small units are being used, on the other hand, it may be better to use a three hour or a six hour cycle.

With a little bit of experience umpires may be able to break away from a regular cycle of turns altogether, and start to tailor each turn to the tactical needs of the moment. Thus if not much is happening in the game, for example, during the lengthy digging phases of a siege, several days may be covered in a single turn; whereas if the action is fast and furious, say, at the moment when a breach is stormed, only an hour or two will be covered. The umpire must decide roughly how much time would have elapsed in real life before the players would have had to make each important decision. The turn will then be extended or contracted so that it represents that amount of time. Each turn, in other words, should include one moment of decision for each of the players.

Movements

The umpire, as in all aspects of this game, has the last word on how far or fast units have moved. For the guidance of players, however, a rough sheet of planning figures ought to be provided, something like this:

Kilometres moved during the average day

Type of Troops Km moved CommentsInfantry 21

Artillery 21Must stick to roads, delayed by bad weather

Heavy Cavalry 25 Light Cavalry 28 HQ Group 31 Move any time of day or night

Couriers

6.5 Km perhour

for first 4 hours= 26 Km

4 Km per hour after that, indefinitely

The umpire should also keep certain brief notes for his own guidance, e.g., the couriers may fail to arrive if a nugget comes up 0; or the ratings of rivers and bridges may be decided in advance, so that players who send out scouts to look at such matters may be given a clear answer, and so on. The degreeto which notes of this sort are made will depend a great deal upon the individual umpire. In many casesrulings can be made ad hoc, as and when they are required.

If the game is to be a siege, a similar table of moves and timings may be kept for the actions appropriate to siege warfare:

Digging possible during an average day by each working party

Dig about 70m of sapBuild one third of a batteryBuild half an infantry redoubtDig 5m of mine galleryArm a battery, i.e. put cannons in itArm a mine, i.e. put in a charge of powder

Once again, the umpire will use these figures as a rough guide, and alter them according to the various changing circumstances; in bad weather or under heavy enemy counter-fire, digging would be slowed down.

Combat

The system for finding the results of combat in a free kriegspiel is classically simple. First of all the umpire looks at the position of each side: how many and what type of troops are involved; how their

morale is bearing up; and what orders they have been given. He next considers the ground on which theaction will be fought, and any special tactical problems which either side might encounter; whether there are any obstacles in the way of an attacker; whether a flank attack might be possible, and so on.

When the umpire has all relevant information at his disposal, he ought to be able to give an informed opinion on the probabilities of the result. He will not simply say something like 'The French infantry hassuccessfully stormed the hill', but will quote possibilities, such as: 'The French have a 50% chance of storming the hill successfully; a 30% chance of capturing half of it, while disputing the rest; and a 20% chance of being totally repulsed. High scores favour the French'. It is important that the umpire is as specific as possible with these figures, as this forces him to consider all the factors involved in the combat and to think through the full implications of his decision. He must also be clear whether a high dice roll will be good or bad for the attacker, i.e., whether the top 50% (a die roll of 5-9) or the bottom 50% (a roll of 0-4) will mean the hill has been carried. In this case he has stated that the high score will be good for the attacker.

Outline of a possible kriegspiel siege

Finally, after odds have been quoted the umpire rolls a nugget, to represent chance. This will give a percentage, from which the final result of the combat may be read off. Thus in our example a nugget score of 1 would be under 20%, so the attack would be repulsed. A score of8 would be within the top 50%, so the attack would succeed, and so on. The system works by the umpire giving his opinion on the probabilities, and then rolling anugget to find which of the possible results actually came up.

Let's take another example, from siege warfare. The fortress may be firing at a particular trench with four cannons for twenty-four hours. The umpire will see what size of guns are firing, and what the diggers are up to. He will then assess the terrain, and find whether enfilade fire is possible. He may then give his opinion that there is a 10% chance of digging being halted by the fire with 100 casualties; a 40% chance of digging being slowed down to half-rate with 60 casualties; and a 50% chance of it

going at three-quarter rate with 40 casualties. He announces that high scores will favour the fortress, and rolls a nugget. If it comes up 3 he knows that it falls within the bottom 50%, so digging goes at three quarter rate, with 40 casualties. Had the score been 9 it would have been in the top 10%, so digging would have been halted for that day. Remember that in all this the umpire has to be certain of what each nugget score will mean, before it is thrown.

These are all the rules required for free kriegspiel. It is a remarkably straightforward game; but it can produce some of the best results of all. It allows speedy resolution of combat; yet at the same time screens the players from any unrealistically panoramic views of the battlefield. All it needs is someone who will not be overawed by the responsibilities of umpiring.

What is a nugget? It is simply another name for a ten sided dice.

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Equipment for Kriegsspielby Bill Leeson

The EquipmentThe traditional Kriegsspiel equipment was devised by von Reisswitz for distribution in the Prussian Army in 1824. The map consisted of 36 sheets which were probably three sets of 12 sheets – one set being needed by the umpire and the other two used by the playing teams in separate rooms or areas. The scale of the maps was 1:8000, which is roughly 8 inches to a mile. This scale suited the games it was designed for very well. It could be detailed enough for a player to make tactical decisions at battalion level or below, and it allowed for small units to be comfortably represented by metal blocks that could be to scale with the map without being too tiny to be picked up.

The question of scale is very important to the map game, and it is one of the things which usually marks it out from model soldier games. It was a major breakthrough in war-game design.

The blocks representing the troops would take up the same space on the map that they would take up inactual terrain. They could not take up the same area, but they could have the same frontage – a point weshall return to later. By having a scale map, and having troop symbols to scale with the map, Reisswitz was able to tie together movement, space and time consistently. If I seem to labour this point it is because it is not always evident in some games using models, where instead of a common scale we get march rates, frontages, ranges quoted in individual scales which are not necessarily consistent with each other.

Reisswitz and his friends felt that they had found a way of examining a complex action frame by frame as it were, so that at any given moment they could see which units were marching, which were coming under fire, which had received new orders, and which were retreating in disarray.

ScaleFor modern use the scale of 1:7500 is more convenient. It does not make a lot of difference to how

much detail a map will hold – 1mm will equal 7.5 metres instead of 8 metres, but it does mean that you can do all your measuring using an ordinary centimetre ruler:

• 1 mm = 10 paces

• 1 cm = 100 paces

• 10 cm = 1000 paces (roughly half a mile)

The reason it is simpler and easier to think in terms of paces rather than metres or yards is because paces were used as a military measurement for quite a long time, well into the nineteenth century, and march rates, ranges, and everything else were given in paces in nice round numbers which do not translate into nice round metres or yards. For comparison:

• 1 mm = 10 paces = 7.5m = 8.8 yds (approx.)

• 1 cm = 100 paces =75m = 88 yds (approx.)

• 10 cm = 1000 paces = 750m = 880 yds (approx.)

Troop SymbolsTo be practical and convenient the troop symbols have to meet three main requirements:

• They have to be to scale with the map.

• They must be large enough to be handled and moved about easily.

• They must be easily distinguishable both as regards which side they are on and what troop type they represent.

At first sight the first and second requirements are irreconcilable in the scale used. A battalion in line has a frontage of 250 paces, but only a depth of four or five paces at the most, so we would be thinking of something about the size of a fine pencil lead. Reisswitz resolved this problem by giving the symbols the correct frontage for troops in line. In the case of infantry blocks the depth of the block represents the frontage for Prussian infantry in attack column (75 paces). For cavalry the depth of the block represents the length of a squadron in column of troops with intervals. It is a compromise, but as long as you realise there is a compromise involved it does not present any special difficulty.

Kriegsspiel Blocks

1. 1 squadron Hussars

2. 1 squadron Uhlans

3. 1 squadron Dragoons

4. 1 squadron Cuirassiers

5. An Infantry half-battalion (450 men)

6. A half battery (foot artillery)

7. Wagons for an artillery battery

8. A half-battery (horse artillery)

9. A cavalry troop, small post or patrol etc.

10.A skirmish platoon

11.8 pontoon wagons

12.A battalion of Pioneers

13.Small Exchange Piece

14.Larger Exchange piece

15.An NCO and 10 riders

16.1 officer and 21 riders

17.An NCO and 10 men

18.1 officer and 25 men

19.1 or 2-man cavalry post

20.1 or 2-man infantry post

21.Supply column

Notes to Diagram

Nos. 1 –20 are all copied from Reisswitz original manuscript. No. 21 is a very useful piece found in some later manuscripts. It can also be used for a battalion in line, as at 2.5cm it is the right length.

Irregular Miniatures do metal blocks suitable for nos. 1- 11, and in fact they are all you really need. Youcan use no. 9 for all the small posts, and you can paint symbols on them, but then you have to fiddle about , looking for the right one. I have always used the plain cubes for all small posts, and if you need to you can make a note on the map next to it as to what it represents.

It is better to have a few extra all-purpose blocks to represent pontoons, HQs, field hospitals, etc. ratherthan have too many special pieces ready.

The exchange pieces were used to show significant losses. No. 14 was used to show a loss of 1/6th,

No. 13 showed a loss of 1/3rd.

The sizes shown here will not be exact, as it is very difficult to get the pixels to match centimetres exactly, but they are close. Cavalry blocks are 1cm square. Half battalion blocks are 1.25 x .75 cm. Halfbatteries, wagons etc. are 1 x .75 cm.

MapsThe diagram below shows the area covered by the Metz map sheets. Each of the squares shown is A3 size and the scale is 1:7500, or roughly 8 inches to the mile. An index map of the whole area is often useful both for umpires and players. At 8 inches to a mile the map gives very good detail – individual buildings, footpaths, escarpments etc. are shown, and it is fully contoured.

The umpire needs to have the sheets for the area likely to be covered in the game so that he can set out the troops for both sides. Nowadays it is possible to get hold of A3 clear plastic folders to slip the map sections into. These can then be fixed together with sellotape. I have usually found that about 9 – 12 sheets will cover the area needed, so you do not need 100 A3 folders unless you are into something really big. Using the clear folders is a lot less bother than covering the maps with something like Clearasil, and you can still make notes on them with washable marker pens.

Why mark up the maps?

It is often useful to indicate on the map the proposed route of a marching column, with estimated time of arrival. Other notes may also be useful, such as when a battery opened fire, or when a unit was repulsed or shaken. In Reisswitz’ day all these things had to be recorded separately in a notepad. Being able to make notes directly on the map is a great help to umpiring.

How many maps do you need?

Basically you need at least three sets of maps because you need one for the umpire and one each for thetwo players. Strictly speaking you might need more than this if you have more than one player on each side and they are at a distance from each other, but the easy access to photo-copiers today means that this is not much of a problem. What may be a problem, however, is the amount of space needed to lay out three sets of maps in such a way that players do not see each other’s map or the umpire’s. A smallerscale version of the map is useful here. The Metz maps come with a smaller version, which can be copied and issued to each player. Since you are not likely to have enough troop blocks to supply a set for every player it is usually necessary, and in any case sufficient, for the players to mark their positionswith washable marker pens. I have recently finished working on a smaller version of the Metz map in which each sheet is A5 size (1: 15,000 – 4 inches to a mile). This is a good scale for larger actions, and it could also be useful for players as it contains the same amount of detail as the 1:7500 sheets. (See Kriegsspiel Maps and Manuals)

Scale

The scale for the 1:7500 maps is 10mm = 100 paces, and for the 1:15,000 version 10mm = 50 paces, which is nice and convenient as all the measurements for marches, frontages and gunnery are given in paces in the earlier manuals.

Dice and Tables of ResultsWhether you use dice and tables or not is up to you. They were used quite a lot in the early days and were included in most Kriegsspiel manuals until around the 1880’s. After that they were used less frequently. The person who was most responsible for their abandonment was Verdy du Vernois (Chief of Intelligence on von Moltke's staff in 1870-71). He believed that the umpire should weigh up the situation and give the verdict to the side with the tactical advantage. Reisswitz, on the other hand, believed that a basic rule of the game was that what you could do in reality should be allowed in the game, and whatever contained an element of uncertainty in reality should have a similar uncertain outcome in the game. In the games I have played we have mostly used the dice to get a result, unless it was thought that the outcome was not in doubt, but have then been content to give actual losses in very broad terms like "heavy losses", "slight losses" etc.

Charles Totten's Tables

In his book "Strategoes", An American game of war based upon military principles, 1880, Charles Totten gives a very interesting dice table in which instead of a bare result you are given a description such as, "Skirmishers are driven in. Defence suffers Light Casualties. Morale wavering: while front ranks stand fast and exchange fire, there is a trickle of stragglers from the rear".

Given a result like that in the middle of a game certainly presents a vivid picture.

RulersSince the scale is a convenient 10mm=100 paces, there is no need for special rulers. Any ruler marked off in centimetres will do. What you do need are details of march-rates and ranges for guns, but these are included in any manual.

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Scenarios for Kriegsspielby Bill Leeson

Types of ScenarioScenarios come in many different sorts and sizes, but from the organisers point of view they can be divided into two main categories. There are games which require no more than a quick introduction, and there are those which will usually take fifteen minutes or so of preparation by the player before the game can begin.

The first kind, which for want of a better idea I will call the ‘Instant’ variety, certainly require a good deal of preparation on the part of the organiser, but they are ideal for introducing people to the game, and they are particularly useful for public demonstration/participation games where you are going to ask for volunteers from the public to take part. They get the beginner into the game with the minimum of fuss once a few basic ideas about how a map game works have been explained.

The Instant ScenarioThe ‘Instant’ scenario has to take the player right into the game at a point where action is likely to break out at any moment, and decisions will have to be made.

Your first draft might be: "You are leading a detachment which is bringing essential supplies to Habonville via Amanweiler. At this moment you are at the head of your advance guard which is 500 paces (about ¼ of a mile) south of Amanweiler, and the Main Body of the detachment and the supply column are still climbing up through the Montveau valley (see sketch map). As you look towards Amanweiler you can see one of your outriders galloping towards you."

Not bad so far, but at this point you will realise that there are a lot of unanswered questions to be dealt with, and you will probably need to start again.For instance;

• Are we in friendly country or enemy territory?

• Are there friendly troops at Amanweiler on whom we may be able to call for assistance?

• Do we want the player calling on troops from Habonville in any case?

• How large is the detachment? How long is the supply train to be?

• Would the player have any idea of the likely direction from which an enemy attack might come?

• Is it reasonable to suppose that flank guards or outriders would have been assigned? What are the leader’s actual orders, and what should his priorities be?

Finally, notice how much easier it is to assimilate the situation if you have a primitive sketch map to refer to which shows the approximate position of every place-name mentioned in the scenario. Your second draft might look something like:

Reports for Red

General Idea

The map shows part of Red territory, which is under attack from Blue forces from the west. The main Blue army is still several days’ march away from Metz.

Seperate Report for Red

You have been entrusted with the safe conduct of a supply column from Metz to Habonville. As of yesterday no enemy troops had been seen in the immediate area, but there were reports of enemy cavalry patrols being sighted north of St Privat. The column will depart from the St Martin Barracks, just outside the western exit of the Metz fortress at 6.30am Sunday 18th May, 1814. Note that both Habonville and Verneville can be considered as fairly safe havens in case of need, with good defensive features, also the farms in the area mostly have 4ft high stone wall surrounds. The rivers are fordable but could cause delay to wheeled vehicles if bridges are not used

Red Detachment

• C.O. Lt. Smirnoff.

• 1 sqn. Dragoons (4 troops)

• 1 sqn. Hussars (4 troops)

• 1 comp. Jagers

• 10th Infantry Regt. (3 bns.)

• 1 6pdr foot battery

• 1 supply column (2 miles length)

Order of March

• Advance Guard 2 troops Dragoons

• Interval 1000 paces

• Main Body 2 troops Hussars *

• 6pdr battery

• Jager company

• 2 ½ bns. infantry

• Supply column

• ½ bn. infantry

• Left Flank Guard 2 troops Dragoons

• 2 troops Hussars**

* Lt Smirnoff will be with the Hussars at the head of the main body.

**The flank guards are to travel in the open country to the west of the Montveau woods as the column makes its way up the valley.

Situation at 9.30 am

You have just ridden up to join the advance guard, which is now about 500 paces ( ¼ mile) south of Amanweiler. The rest of the column is still making their way up the Montveau valley. As you look towards Amanweiler you see one of the outriders who were sent on ahead is galloping back towards you.

This leaves Red ready to get straight into the game and begin issuing orders as soon as he receives the message from the outriders. This can be written out in readiness, and as soon as the umpire is satisfied that the players understand how the game works the umpire will hand Red the message, saying, "It is now 9.32 am and the outrider has just handed you this message".

Outriders Report for Red at 9.32 am

Civilians report that enemy cavalry have been seen in St. Privat this morning, but Amanweiler is clear.

Up until this moment the players have been in a kind of "limbo" in which time stands still, at least as far as the game is concerned, so that for both players it has been 9.32 am for maybe some ten minutes or so. But as soon as the umpire hands over the reports times at 9.32 am the clock starts ticking. If Red has no orders to give, the convoy will continue on its course. If he stops the convoy for ten minutes while he considers the situation, and then gives some orders, the orders will start to take effect as if issued at 9.42. This will be covered more thoroughly in the notes on umpiring the Kriegsspiel.

Reports for BlueWhen we start to think about the scenario for Blue it is often necessary to make yet more changes to Red’s scenario. Both sides need to have a reasonable chance of success. Both sides must know what their objective is, but sometimes we can have a hidden objective. In the present case we can say that Blue has been told a supply column is expected to be in this area which he must try to capture or destroy. On the other hand we can have him carrying out a routine reconnaissance when the chance to win a bit of glory for himself is presented. Either will do, but in the latter case we have to drop some very broad hints that there might be something more to it than reconnaissance.

The General Idea

The map shows part of Red territory, which is under attack from Blue forces from the west. The main Blue army is still several days’ march away from Metz.

Seperate Report for Blue

You have been ordered to carry out a reconnaissance of the area between Verneville and the Montveau valley, and seize any opportunity to capture or destroy any enemy supply columns you might encounter. Earlier this morning cavalry patrols penetrated as far south as Verneville. Verneville and Habonville were found to have quite good defensive possibilities. The farms nearby were found to havestone walls round them, about 4ft high. The rivers were found to be fairly easily forded; though likely

to cause delays for wheeled vehicles. One of the scouting parties also noticed a dust cloud hanging overthe lower Montveau valley, which indicated the presence of a moving column. Another patrol was sent to investigate further. Meanwhile the main force of your detachment is making for St Privet from the north.

Blue Detachment

• C.O. Lt. Dannhauer.

• 2 sqns. Dragoons

• 1 sqn Hussars

• 1 comp Jagers

• 2 bns 17th Infantry regt.

• ½ 6pdr horse art. Battery

Order of March

• Hussar sqn*

• 2 sqns Dragoons

• ½ battery

• Jager company

• 2 infantry bns.

*Hussars have been sent on ahead to reconnoitre

Situation at 9.30 am

The head of the main body is just arriving on the high ground just east of St. Privat, where you and the Hussar squadron have already assembled. The two scouts who were sent to reconnoitre the enemy column can be seen galloping towards you from the direction of Amanweiler.

Scouts's Report at 9.32 am

"We managed to go down the eastern side of the Montveau Woods without being seen, and found that the column is a supply train with escort, including a battery of 6 pdrs. We did not see any cavalry with the column except for a few Hussars."

General and Special IdeasI have used the conventional Kriegsspiel terms here. The general idea contains any information known to both sides, and it is therefore the same for both sides. The special idea, or separate report, gives information which is confidential to one side.

It contains:

• Any orders received by the leader.

• Any information he might have about the enemy.

• The units under his command.

• The present position of his troops.

• Any relevant details about terrain, objective, weather etc.

• Umpire’s requirements such as written orders, order of march and route to be taken.

• Whatever else might be needed for a particular game.

Note. In the above example nothing has been required of the player in the scenario except that he read it and give some attention to the situation, which is why it is so quickly got going. The umpire has already worked out the route and order of march, which would normally be left to the player to decide. Sometimes a player will object that he would never have chosen a particular route or disposition for himself. The umpire can usually make minor adjustments without upsetting his game idea, or he can say that the real detachment leader, who issued these ridiculous orders, fell of his horse and broke his neck not five minutes ago and that he, the player, has had to step in at the last minute. He will be free tomake any changes he likes once the game has begun – allowing for whatever time it will take to move troops to new positions.

Normal ScenariosIn more normal scenarios we can allow for a little preparation by the players before the game. This alsocalls for some careful thought on behalf of the organiser, but of a slightly different kind. If we take the "instant" scenario above, for instance, Red would plan his own route from Metz to Habonville, and decide on his own order of march and make his own flank guard arrangements etc. Of course it would need a larger map of the area because he would need to see the ground between Metz and Habonville. In Blue’s case he starts off the map anyway so we would have to say that his starting-off camp is about three hours march from St Privat, or any other entry point along the northern edge of the map. We might have to say he is 2 ½ to 3 hrs from St Privat in case Red finds a much quicker way of getting there. Blue will have to stay with the main body until he gets onto the map, but he can give orders for any cavalry scouts he sends on ahead as they will get there in half the time of the main column.

It is worth remembering that a game which needs some player preparation will also need more umpire preparation on the day before the game can actually begin. If both sides spend ten minutes planning andwriting out the order of march etc. the umpire will have to read both sets of orders and work out the intended troop movements on the map before he can report back to the players, which could take another ten minutes - this is assuming that the players are already familiar with how the game works and do not need to spend time on that aspect. This can seem like a very slow start sometimes, especiallyif you are new to the game. Ideally, of course, the preparation can all be done in advance . The players received their briefings the week before and returned their initial orders to the umpire in good time by post, and the umpire has been able to get everything ready on the day so that the game can begin at once.

Reports

The General Idea would be the same as before. The Separate Report would be slightly different:

You have been entrusted with the safe conduct of a supply column from the St Martin Barracks just outside Metz to Habonville. As of yesterday no enemy troops had been seen in the immediate area, i.e. as far as Habonville, Verneville, or St Privat, but some enemy cavalry patrols had been seen several hours ride north of St Privat. The column will depart from the St Martin Barracks at 6.30am tomorrow.

Being familiar with the area you will know that both Habonville and Verneville offer quite good defences in case of need, also that the farms in that area mostly have stout stone 4ft high walls. The rivers are easily forded in most places at this time of year, but could cause delay to wheeled vehicles if bridges are not used. The escort is being assembled at the St Martin Barracks and will consist of: (samelist as before)

You must provide the umpire with:

• The route you will be following.

• The order of march for your column.

• Details of any advance guards, flank guards etc.

• Your own position in the column.

• Any special orders for units.

Ringing the ChangesThey used to say of the cowboy films that there were only six basic plots. There are probably not many more basic plots for Kriegsspiel scenarios, but you can ring the changes on them, and they quite often look very different on a different part of the map.

Some basic ideas include:

• An encounter battle.

• An advance guard action.

• A rear guard action –delaying tactic.

• An attack on a flank guard.

• The reconnaissance party.

• Forming a bridgehead.

• Recovering from a defeat.

• Attack on a foraging party.

• Attack and defence of a village.

• The convoy escort.

These can be further varied by having more than one player on one or both sides, and these are varied again according to whether the players of one side have separate briefings and independent commands, or whether they share the same scenario. In the latter case one of the players will usually be assigned toa subordinate role. Remember that for more players you need extra umpires or the game becomes too

unwieldy.

•

The Basic Kriegsspiel Ideaby Bill Leeson

Uncertainty

Kriegsspiel, of course, simply means Wargame. But wargames take so many different forms today fromcomputer games to paint ball shooting that I think it is useful to retain the Kriegsspiel description for games which fall into a certain type so that we may know what we are talking about.

Mostly it comes down to the quality of the information which the player receives during the game - both what he is allowed to know, and what he is not allowed to know. This in turn comes down to who is in control of the flow of information and how is it passed on, and this implies the presence of an umpire, or an umpire team. So much that is difficult when trying to devise a satisfactory wargame becomes easy, or at least possible, when there is an umpire directing it.

The Scenario

The umpire works out a scenario. This is in two parts. The first part is information that both sides have at the beginning of the game. In the old Prussian game this was known as the General Idea. The second part is information which confidential to each side. It includes the situation - the strength and position of his forces- any special orders or instructions he may have received - and any knowledge that the umpire judges he may have of the enemy situation.

The Plan

When the player has assimilated all this he comes up with a plan of action, which he passes on to the umpire, who works out the situation as it develops for both sides, and passes information back to the players accordingly. These reports will usually be something like; "Your troops by the river crossing report that they are coming under heavy artillery fire from the woods opposite", or " The patrol north ofthe village report an enemy column of all arms moving towards you", or "At 10.32 you hear the sound of gunfire from the Northwest".

Feedback

In order to make these reports at the appropriate time the umpire has to keep the situation up to date on his map. If he can see that one player should receive a report at a certain time, for instance, he may move everything up to that point, make the report to the player, then see where the next report will be needed, and move everything up to that point. It is an event-driven program, to use a computer term.

Kriegsspiel variants

Having said all that it is worth noting that there have been many games which are not map games, or even army games, which could come in the Kriegsspiel category because of the way they handle the flow of information to the player. Some examples are the German artillery game, the WWII anti-submarine game of Western Approaches, and some civilian exercises, which have been run by police, fire and hospital services and businesses.

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Napoleonic army level Kriegsspiels

by Martin James

"Everything in war is very simple, but even the simplest thing isdifficult" Clausewitz.

Overview

This is a two part article discussing how to run an army level kriegsspiel. In part one we will focus on recreating the tempo of battle, essentially making sure that things happen in a realistic fashion, and in a timely way. In part two we will examine one approach to dealing with combat in the Napoleonic period.

Part one

Summary of part one

We will start with some brief comments on the overall structure of the game, then quote some general principals or guidelines, and attempt to justify them.

We will round of this part with a few comments on how the game flows in practice.

We finish with the following charts:

• Chart 1 - timing of attacks.

• Chart 2 - sample attack from order to completion.

• Chart 3 - umpires’ checklist.

• Chart 4 – players’ guidance notes.

It is important to realise that everything that follows is for the umpires' guidance only. For every general principle, one could quote exceptions

As an example, you will see that our approach focuses on the time required to make things happen, making allowance for orders to flow through the chain of command. If, however, a player joins a brigade to hasten its attack preparations, we may allow things to happen more quickly (the player will not however be able to do anything else while so engaged - e.g. receive messages and reports).

Game structure

The game proceeds in 15-minute increments.

Unless a player is actually with a subordinate formation, orders will take at least 15 minutes (and frequently longer) to arrive. Under normal circumstances, it will take at least a further 15 minutes for them to be assimilated, understood and transmitted through the chain of command at brigade level.

It is crucial to realise that any brigade involved in a planned attack, which is itself attacked in the interim, will react to that attack. It will not therefore take part in the originally planned attack. This willnormally abort the original attack, but in certain circumstances, the umpires may permit it to go ahead with reduced forces.

Principles & guidelines

The basic tactical unit throughout the horse & musket period wasthe infantry or cavalry brigade, and much combat involved onebrigade engaging another.

This is based on a study of detailed battle accounts, and the statements of senior Napoleonic commanders, who commented that they had rarely seen more than half a dozen battalions (or squadrons) engaged at one time. Sometimes where battle accounts mention attacks by a division or corps, it is evident that only one or two brigades were actually involved – the remainder being held in reserve for exploitation (or recovering from previous attacks).

In large battles, brigades were rarely split, due to command inflexibility and the risk of individual battalions being overwhelmed.

Notwithstanding the above, a feature of the later Napoleonic campaigns was the use of larger formations such as divisional columns and squares. This has been ascribed to declining standards of training and motivation and, in the case of the French in 1813, to the Allies’ cavalry superiority, which threatened to ride over weaker formations. The inflexibility and vulnerability of such massed formations to artillery was clearly itself a further contributory factor in the decline of French battlefield superiority. Nevertheless, our rules need to reflect this development.

The most simple infantry brigade attack would take time toorganise – we suggest a minimum of 15 minutes from receipt oforders.

The brigade commander needs to understand and digest the orders, reconnoitre the ground and enemy position, and make decisions on his attack formation, possibly in conjunction with the battalion commanders. Following this, orders are passed down the line to companies, and the troops need to adopt the desired attack formation.

In addition, regimental precedence requirements will need to be met – ie. some battalions may need to change position, and artillery preparation might slow things further (see below).

Without specific orders to the contrary, subordinates wouldorganise artillery preparation before an advance against unshakeninfantry

Attacks against infantry in good order had a much lower probability of success, and artillery preparation of at least 30 minutes was usual. In addition of course there would be the time required to send and assimilate orders, and to manoeuvre the guns into position. The latter could be considerable for the heavier foot batteries.

Even the simplest attack would normally last a minimum of 45minutes; from the commencement of the advance to the time the

losing side ceased its retreat.

Opposing forces typically deployed around 1500 paces distant, and a reasonably speedy advance wouldtherefore take around 15 minutes to approach the defenders. The nature of the ground and the possible need to halt to close or dress ranks would clearly be variables. We assume that final skirmishing, possible deployment from column to line and any subsequent decision with the bayonet would take a minimum of 15 minutes. This would be followed by either the attackers or the defenders falling back for a further 15 minutes to a position again around 1500 paces distant.

I should stress that this represents a minimum. It was possible for an attack to degenerate into an extended firefight, and our rules need to address this. This will be covered in more detail in the next part.

High odds attacks were rare.

Space and deployment restrictions meant the law of swiftly diminishing returns set in for an attacker above 2 v 1. At the outset of a battle, there was rarely a shortage of muskets (or sabres) to man the frontline. Given this, there was little opportunity for most tactical attacks to bring a massive superiority to bear effectively. Some reserves would be useful to fill gaps as casualties were suffered – and in an advance against infantry, the attackers would normally suffer more severely than the defenders, during the advance. It could be argued that a numerical superiority would also give the attackers some morale advantage to offset the power of the defence. But there clearly was a limit, which the maps and accurately scaled troop blocks used in Kriegsspiel bring out nicely.

A large cavalry superiority could likewise be countered for a while, provided that the defender could maintain a second line. This provided both a rallying position, and the opportunity to take attacking squadrons in the flank if they overlapped and attempted to envelop the first line.

This limit on effective odds is something that some hex-based commercially produced board wargamessometimes still get wrong – although they are learning.

Unsupported cavalry can advance with less delay than infantryunder battle conditions, and therefore simple impromptu attacksare sometimes possible.

The individual brigade or divisional commanders may be more aggressive by temperament, and their troops are very responsive to this type of order. Shock attack is after all cavalry's only significant battlefield function (the difficulty may be in holding them back!).

The objectives of a simple cavalry attack are simple - e.g. charge those troops! There are less likely to be complications with terrain objectives (but not always – at one point at Borodino, Napoleon sent cavalry against the Great Redoubt.) There are also fewer decisions on attack formation than for infantry.

If cavalry do make an impromptu attack however, they are assumed to do so without reconoitrering the ground over which they advance. They will suffer the consequences if it is less than ideal.

Attacks involving more than one brigade, will take more time toorganise – we suggest an additional 15 minutes per brigade.

As the attacks increase in scale, other ‘friction’ factors come into play. With a multi-brigade attack, we are introducing an additional level of command (say a divisional commander) into the detailed attack planning, as opposed to merely transmitting orders, as with a single brigade attack. We also have an additional ‘tribe’ - the extra brigade - with its own commander and, possibly, different ways of doing things.

Complex attacks, particularly those involving combined arms maybe more effective, but will take even more time to organise.

Combined arms attacks were potentially devastating, since they typically countered the optimal tactics for the defending arm. E.g. infantry facing a combination of attacking infantry and cavalry would be forced into square, even though this minimised firepower and made them more vulnerable to the attackers’ musketry.

Even if senior commanders fully appreciated the capabilities of the various arms, there were several impediments to implementing this approach. For this reason such attacks seem to have been more rare than we might have expected.

They were even more difficult to organise than other attacks, since one was dealing with different arms of service, with their own ethos, traditions and ways of doing things. Coordination would be more complex because of the differences between the arms, and ground and weather conditions would impact them differently, and perhaps in ways not understood by each other. Cooperation might also be hampered by differences in attitudes and social class of the officers.

Senior commanders rarely involved themselves in detailedplanning of attacks

Custom dictated that subordinate commanders were allowed considerable latitude in how they carried out their orders. The military art was in a state of flux throughout the period, with many new tactical developments. Given this, there was simply no agreed practice in many areas to force commanders to adhere to, even if that approach would have been considered acceptable by the military community.

Drill books were normally privately published and, although they were sometimes endorsed by the highcommand. Napoleon occasionally issued tactical guidelines (e.g. how many ranks a battalion in line should adopt), but in practice even l’Empereur’s pronouncements were often ignored.

For this reason players are not encouraged to give detailed instructions for deployment etc – this being the province of their subordinates.

Impact on a typical game

Much combat will be at the single brigade level, as this is the best that can be achieved in the time available.

Occasionally one side may pull off a choreographed attack and win big. But often (more often??) one side will have seized the initiative through getting their blow in first with a series of simple attacks, anddisrupting their opponents’ preparations.

Individual combats can be quite decisive with villages lost and retaken; cavalry repulsed or even put to flight. At the grand tactical level however, battle will often be attritional due to the numbers of troops, and the availability of reserves. One may see a sequence of attack and then counter-attack, or a succession of blows against a gradually weakening enemy - what Haig would have called the ‘wearing out fight’. Until one army cracks - or maybe neither does.

Chart 1 - Timing for attacks

Time(hrs)

Infantry(1 bgd)

Infantry(2 bgds)

Cavalry(1 bgd)

Cavalry(2 bgds)

CombinedArms

¼ organise organise advance,resolvecombat

organise organise

& retreat

½ advance

advance,resolvecombat

& retreat

¾

resolvecombat

advance

1retreat

resolvecombat

advance

1 ¼retreat

resolvecombat

1 ½retreat

• If artillery bombardment is to precede the attack, this will take ¼ hour to organise (more for a grandbattery), but this can be done concurrently with the above.

• The cavalry advance, combat and retreat lasts ¼ hour if the cavalry fail to break the infantry formation. If they succeed in breaking any of the battalions, then advance, combat and retreat last ½hour.

• Note particularly that the timings for infantry attacks are minimums, and assume that an attack doesnot degenerate into an extended firefight.

Chart 2 - A sample attack, the struggle for Maslowed

Let’s see this in action in an example. At 7.45 am the player sends orders to the 12th Inf. Bgd, some little distance away - having just arrived on the battlefield - to advance 1500 paces to an attack position.It is then to join 15th Inf. Bgd in an attack on the village of Maslowed as soon as possible. The attack will not be preceded by artillery bombardment.

Remember that, under battle conditions, a brigade takes ½ hr to pass a particular point. A typical infantry brigade of 4 or 5 battalions would occupy 4-5,000 paces on a route march. When battle was imminent, attempts were made to close up the column to around 3,000 paces. Around half of this wouldbe occupied by the baggage. To put it another way, the column is ½ hr long.

TimeWhat’s happening? What’s taking the time?

7.45to

8.00Orders carried to 12th Bgd

Understanding orders, in case of questions Riding to 12th Bgd (400 paces pm) Finding commander

8.00to

8.15

Move organised by bgd Orders read by brigade commander Brigade commander studies map, route etc Any questions resolved

Orders passed down the line to battn & co Troops collect their kit and get into march order

8.15to

8.30 12th Bgd moves toattack position

100 paces per minute

8.30to

8.45

Note rear of the column takes a further 15 minutes to arrive

8.45to

9.00Joint attackorganised

Brigade reconnoitres ground and enemy position Discussion & agreement required with 15th Bgd. Decisions on attack formation Discussion with battalion commanders

9.00to

9.15

Orders passed down the line to companies Troops need to adopt attack formation Regimental precedence requirements to be met (ie some battalions may need to change position

9.15to

9.30Advance on Maslowed 100 paces per minute

9.30to

9.45Fighting for the village

A fairly quick result in this case. Village fights frequently take longer.

9.45to

10.00Defenders of Maslowed retreat Troops fall back about 1500 paces.

• The march to its attack position takes the 12th Brigade 30 minutes, although it is only 1500 paces, because the rear of the column is 15 minutes behind the front.

• If 12th Bgd was accompanied by its baggage, this would not arrive until 9.00, although organisation of the attack would not be delayed because of this.

• Had there been artillery with 15th Bgd, artillery bombardment could have been organised and implemented while the 12th Bgd was moving into attack position.

• If the artillery was at the rear of 12th Bgd, its bombardment would have been organised between 8.45 and 9.00. With ½ hour’s bombardment, the advance on the village would have been delayed by ¼ hour.

Chart 3 – umpires’ checklist (at say 10.00 am)

• Announce time now 10.00 am and advance clock

• Collect orders/messages (these will be considered sent at 10.00 am)

• Put messages in card index file for delivery appropriate time

• Deliver messages due to be received at 10.00 am

• Written from other players

• Verbal from umpires (aides, patrols and subordinate brigade commanders)

• Brief players on what they can see/hear at 10.00 am

• Movement

• Changes in formation

• Artillery firing

• Results of combat completed – Advances/Retreats etc.

• Combat in progress

• Remember effect of smoke

• Can they hear firing from other parts of the battlefield?

• Carry out troop movements scheduled for 10.00 am

• Resolve combat scheduled to begin at 10.00 am

Chart 4 – players’ guidance notes

This week we are again trying out a larger scale game. The following should be borne in mind:

The game

• The game will proceed in 15 minute increments.

• Immediately after the clock is moved on, one of the umpires will collect any orders/messages from the tray provided. These will be considered to have been sent at that time.

• Following this, any messages or reports which have arrived will be delivered to the players. Verbal briefings will also be given by the umpires. These will relate to what has happened in the previous 15 minutes and to what the player can currently see and hear.

• Following this, the umpires will return to the map room to implement any movement/combat for the next 15 minutes. When this has been done the clock will be moved on again.

Your role as a player

• The building blocks of your army are infantry and cavalry brigades. You can detach individual battalions/squadrons for specific purposes however.

• Each brigade will occupy about 3000 paces when in road column. Half troops and half brigade baggage. Typically the baggage will be at the rear of the column.

• As you are operating at a higher level in the chain of command than in the usual Kriegsspiel, it will

normally take time for your orders to reach your subordinate brigades.

• The brigadiers will also take time assimilating those orders and organising their men. As an example it will normally take around 15 minutes to organise a one-brigade attack from receipt of orders.

Some points to be aware of

• If you have ordered a multi-brigade set piece attack, it will probably take longer.

• Your brigadiers expect to run their brigades. You may attempt to interfere - say to hasten an attack -but this will take you from your other duties.

• Unless you specify, your brigadiers will probably precede any attack with artillery preparation, if they have the guns available. To be reasonably effective this would need to last at least 30 minutes.

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Part two

Summary of part two

In detachments Kriegsspiel we still occasionally use the Reisswitz rules, albeit with some simplification. With larger forces we find these are unsuitable however, as the detail is too low level, the time increments too short, and the umpiring burden too heavy.

We have therefore developed alternatives. The approach I cover below is one which I typically use for a large scale Napoleonic battle. We do use other approaches however, and Arthur will cover one based on the late 19th Century ‘Strategos’ system, in a future issue.

I would like to stress is that a detailed treatment of combat is not at the heart of our approach. This is partly because combat systems tend to focus on the minutiae of tactics, weaponry and troop quality, andit is our view that the differences between armies in these aspects were seldom decisive (although Wellington in the Peninsular would be at least one special case). The Kriegsspiel approach emphasises rather the friction of war, the difficulties of communication and control, and the fog of war, which miniatures, boardgames and even PC games find so hard to reflect, but which so often decided battles.

Also, the administrative burden of umpiring a game with several players, and briefing them frequently and appropriately, means we do not have the time for convoluted combat routines.

This need for speed is one reason why we do not explicitly track casualties. The other is that this type of information was unlikely to have been available to commanders during a battle. General Duhesme did not know that the 2rd Voltigeurs had suffered 172 casualties in that last attack on Plancenoit. Firstly he may not even have witnessed their engagement. Even if he was reasonably close, how much would he have seen, with the smoke and confusion of battle?

Hopefully you will see that our approach, while relatively quick and simple, is not entirely simplistic. This is not to say it is right! As ever, we are anxious to receive comments and suggested improvements,

particularly when supported by evidence.

Combat process

• Typically a 10-sided dice is thrown and the die roll is modified to take account of special factors, such as troop quality, terrain etc. Adjusted die rolls of less than 0 are treated as 0, and rolls of more than 9 are treated as 9.

• All modifiers are at umpires’ discretion. They are for guidance, and are often expressed as a range. Numbers in brackets are negative modifiers to the force they apply to. Where a range of modifiers is given (e.g. +1 or 2 for elite troops), the actual modifier used will depend on, circumstances. In this example if only 50% of the force was elite, we would allow only +1.

• The adjusted roll is then cross-referenced against a table (see (a) & (d) below), which gives combat results for different odds. This is the sort of approach normally used in board wargames, and has the inestimable advantage that each combat is resolved quickly, by a single die roll.

• In each box in the table the first result applies to the attacker, and the second to the defender. Results are expressed in terms of retreat, and as a period of disorder for the units involved. This is recorded on the brigade status roster (see (j) below).

• As mentioned in the last issue, we regard the brigade as the basic tactical unit, and accordingly we keep track of brigade status using a roster. At the start of a battle, a brigade will normally be fresh, but will then lose cohesion until the point where it is no longer effective. This is not a linear process, may happen quickly or slowly, and may involve periods of partial recovery, particularly if the unit has been generally successful in combat. The roster keeps track of this quite simply.

The tables are as follows:

• Infantry (& combined arms) combat - results

• Infantry (& combined arms) combat - die roll modifiers & explanation of results

• Infantry (& combined arms) combat - feedback to players

• Cavalry combat - results

• Cavalry combat - die roll modifiers & explanation of results

• Cavalry combat - feedback to players

• Cavalry v infantry combat

• Detailed explanation of combat results

• Troop status

• Sample brigade status roster

Infantry (& combined arms) combat - results

As mentioned in the last issue, the law of diminishing returns set in at higher odds. Also it was difficult

to bring very high odds to bear. The table does give some benefit for increased numbers however, up to 3 v 1.

Whilst we assume that infantry combat (once the range has closed) will normally be resolved within 15minutes, the table does allow for the possibility that the attack will bog down in an extended firefight. Struggles for villages were frequently more prolonged, and the table also caters for this.

Oddsadjusteddie roll

less than1 v 1

1 v 1morethan1 v 1

1½ v 1 2 v 13 v 1

or more

02R 0 2R 0 2R 1 2R 1 2R 1 2R 1

12R 1 1R 0 1R 0 1R 0 1R 1 1R 1

21R 0 2R 2 2R 1 2R 2 1R 1 1R 1

31R 1 1R 1 1R 1 1R 1 1R 1 1R 1

41R 1

Village

Skirmish

Village

Skirmish

Village

Skirmish

Village

Skirmish

Village

Skirmish

5

Village

Skirmish

Village

Skirmish

Village

Skirmish

Village

Skirmish

Village

2 2R

Village

1 1R

6

Village

Skirmish

Village

Skirmish

Village

1 2R

Village

0 1R1 2R 0 1R

7

Village

2 1R

Village

2 1R1 1R 1 1R 0 1R 1 2R

81 1R 0 1R 0 1R 1 2R 0 2R 1 2R

90 1R 1 2R 1 2R 0 2R 0 2R 0 2R

Infantry (& combined arms) combat - die roll modifiers & explanation of results

FactorModifier Classification

Elite troops, guards etc. 1 or 2

Troop quality

Poor troops, militia etc. [1 or 2]

Fresh troops 1 or 2

Fatigue

Disordered troops [1 or 2]

Cavalry support 1 to 4

Combined Arms

Artillery superiority 1 to 3 1

Defending hill, behind stream etc.

1 to 3

Terrain

Infantry defending (fortified?) village

2-4

Infantry defending woods

1

Jaeger superiority (if appropriate)

2

Flank/rear attack 4 Position

Notes on combat modifiers

• Cavalry support modifiers are ignored if combat takes place in wood or villages etc.

• Attackers gain no credit for artillery support if attack is made without ½ hour artillery preparation. Defenders always gain credit for artillery support.

• The number after the is an additional modifier available for each additional ½ hour artillery preparation.

• Effect of artillery is doubled against brigade mass or division mass.

Explanation of combat results

• 1, 2 - means force is temporarily disordered for 1 or 2 hours from point combat ceased

• 1R, 2R - means force retreats 1500 paces and suffers a permanent loss of cohesion/morale. It is alsotemporarily disordered for 1 or 2 hours from point combat ceased

• Skirmish - means assault may be bogging down into a firefight. If no further troops are thrown into attack, throw again in 15 mins, and thereafter every hour until result achieved

• Village - means that, if attack is against a village, fighting continues. Throw again in 15 mins, and keep throwing every 15 mins. until result achieved. When this happens, add 1 hour's further disorder to both parties' result to reflect the prolonged and bloody struggle

Infantry (& combined arms) combat - feedback to players

Naturally we don’t wish to burden the players with details of the combat results, or give them more information than their real-life counterparts would have had. This chart provides guidance on the sort of information that would be available in the immediate aftermath of a combat.

Later, as their troops regroup, players can be given some indication of how soon they will be ready for further action.

Result Attacker told Defender told

2R 0Attack repulsed, troops are falling back in some disorder

Attack repulsed, troops can be seen cheering

2R 1Attack repulsed, troops are falling back in some disorder

Attack repulsed, but some of own troops can be seen straggling to rear

2R 2Attack repulsed, own troops are falling back in some disorder

Attack repulsed, but many of own troops can be seen straggling to rear

1R 0Attack repulsed, own troops are falling back in reasonable order

Attack repulsed, troops can be seen cheering

1R 1Attack repulsed, own troops are falling back in reasonable order

Attack repulsed, but some of own troops can be seen straggling to rear

0 1RAttack successful. Enemy are falling back after brief exchange of fire.

Attack successful. Own troops are falling back in reasonable order after brief exchange of fire.

0 2R Attack successful. Enemy are falling back after brief

Attack successful. Own troops are falling back in some

exchange of fire.disorder after brief exchange offire.

1 1RAttack successful. Enemy are falling back.

Attack successful. Own troops are falling back in reasonable order.

1 2RAttack successful. Enemy are falling back.

Attack successful. Own troops are falling back in some disorder.

2 1RAttack successful after prolonged exchange of fire. Enemy are falling back.

Attack successful after prolonged exchange of fire. Own troops are falling back in reasonable order.

2 2RAttack successful after prolonged exchange of fire. Enemy are falling back.

Attack successful after prolonged exchange of fire. Own troops are falling back in some disorder.

VillageYour troops have penetrated the village in places. Heavy fighting continues.

There is heavy fighting for the village. Your troops appear to be holding their own.

Skirmish

An extended firefight is taking place between the rival skirmishers. Your troops appear to be holding their own.

An extended firefight is taking place between the rival skirmishers. Your troops appearto be holding their own.

Cavalry combat – results

We work on the premise that cavalry engagements are more likely to produce a decisive result than infantry fights, and that they also tend to last a much shorter time. Horses have less stamina than men, and combat is at close range, which involves physical more effort from both man and beast.

We assume that advance, resolution and any resulting retreat, takes place within a 15-minute period.

As with infantry combat, increased odds give only a small improvement in the chance of winning an engagement. However the failure to maintain a second line will mean that the consequence of a reverse will be much more severe, as there is no reserve to rally on.

Oddsadjusteddie roll

lessthan1 v 1

1 v 1morethan1 v 1

1½ v1

2 v 13 v 1

ormore

0 2R 0 2R 0 2R 1 2R 2 2R 2 1R 1

1 1R 1 1R 0 1R 0 1R 0 1R 1 1R 1

2 1R 0 1R 1 1R 1 1R 1 1R 1 1R 1

3 1R 1 1R 1 2R 2 1R 1 1 1R 1 1R

4 1R 1 2R 2 2 2R 1 1R 1 1R 1 1R

5 1R 1 2 2R 1 1R 1 1R 1 1R 0 1R

6 1 1R 1 1R 1 1R 0 1R 1 2R 1 2R

7 1 1R 1 1R 1 1R 2 2R 0 1R 0 2R

8 0 1R 0 1R 0 1R 1 2R 0 2R 1 2R

9 1 2R 0 2R 0 2R 0 2R 0 2R 0 2R

Cavalry combat - die roll modifiers & explanation of results

Factor Modifier Classification

Elite troops, heavy cavalry etc 1 or 2

Troop qualityPoor troops, landwehr cavalry etc

[1]

Fresh troops 1 or 2

Fatigue

Disordered troops [1 or 2]

Artillery support 1 or 2

Combined Arms

Infantry support 1

Defending hill, behind stream etc

1 to 3 Terrain

Flank/rear attack 4 Position

Notes on combat modifiers

• Attackers gain no credit for artillery support if attack is made without ½ hour artillery preparation. Defenders always gain credit for artillery support.

Explanation of combat results

• 1,2 - force disordered for 1 or 2 hours from point combat & retreat ceased

• 1R - force falls back 1500 paces (force is totally defeated if no reserve line). Force is disordered for1 or 2 hours from point combat & retreat ceased

• 2R - force totally defeated (note this is much more severe than a 2R result for infantry)

Cavalry combat - Feedback to players

Result Attacker told Defender told

2R 0Attack repulsed. Own troops streaming back in disorder. Enemy are rallying.

Attack repulsed. Own troops are rallying. Enemy appear to be falling back in disorder.

2R 1Attack repulsed. Own troops streaming back in disorder. Enemy are rallying.

Attack repulsed. Own troops are rallying. Enemy appear to be falling back in disorder.

2R 2Attack repulsed. Own troops streaming back in disorder, pursued by enemy.

Attack repulsed. Own troops are pursuing the fleeing enemy.

1R 0Attack repulsed. Own troops falling back in reasonable order. Enemy are rallying.

Attack repulsed. Own troops are rallying. Enemy appear to be falling back in good order.

1R 1Attack repulsed. Own troops falling back in reasonable order. Enemy are rallying.

Attack repulsed. Own troops are rallying. Enemy appear to be falling back in good order.

0 1R Attack successful. Own troops are rallying. Enemy are falling

Attack successful. Own troops falling back in reasonable

back. order. Enemy are rallying.

0 2RAttack successful. Own troops are rallying. Enemy appear to be falling back in disorder.

Attack successful. Own troops streaming back in disorder. Enemy are rallying.

1 1RAttack successful. Own troops are rallying. Enemy are falling back.

Attack successful. Own troops falling back in reasonable order. Enemy are rallying.

1 2RAttack successful. Own troops are rallying. Enemy appear to be falling back in disorder.

Attack successful. Own troops streaming back in disorder. Enemy are rallying.

2 2RAttack successful. Own troops are pursuing the fleeing enemy.

Attack successful. Own troops streaming back in disorder, pursued by enemy.

Cavalry v infantry combat

If cavalry are attacking infantry, we regard the key factors as the distance at which the defending infantry become aware of the threat, and the formation they are in at that point. The combat table is therefore structured on this basis. Other factors are taken into account as die roll modifiers.

As a rule of thumb, we assume that a body of cavalry will only attempt to charge unbroken infantry if there are at least as many squadrons as defending battalions since, otherwise, the volume of fire would itself be prohibitive. Of course, depending on circumstances, such an attack may still not be a good idea.

As infantry casualties mount and the troops become disordered, the chances of a successful charge against even unbroken units increase significantly.

DistanceColumn of

routeAttackcolumn

Line SquareDivision or brigade

mass

0-300 automatic 4 1 7 6

3-600 1 6 3 8 8

6-900 2 8 5 9 9

Factor modifier

Infantry disordered 3

Infantry poorly trained 3

Cavalry have artillery support 3

Squadrons 2 x battalions 1

Cavalry are lancers 1

Infantry have artillery support [1 or 2]

Ground obstacle to charge [1 or 2]

Notes

• The attacker throws one 10-sided die for each battalion attacked, and appropriate modifiers are thenapplied. If the number in the table is equalled or beaten, the battalion is destroyed.

• If the defending infantry is in division or brigade mass, the attacker throws one die only. If formation fails its roll, then the attacker throws one die for each battalion depending on its particular formation.

• Battalions which are not destroyed form (or remain in) square, or remain in division or brigade mass.

• All cavalry ordered to attack will carry out their orders, even if their targets have formed square. Afterwards they are automatically disordered for 1 hour even if victorious.

• The cavalry advance, combat and retreat lasts ¼ hour if the cavalry fail to break the infantry formation. If they succeed in breaking any of the battalions, then advance, combat and retreat last ½hour.

Detailed explanation of combat results

Result Infantry Cavalry

2RFall back 1500 paces. Disordered for 2

Totally defeated

hours.If unit is already disordered, simply add 2 hours to its recovery period.It cannot launch attack for remainder of day. Can still defend at full strength however once it has recovered from disorder.If unit has already accumulated 2R it isconsidered totally defeated.

1R

Fall back 1500 paces. Disordered for 1hour.If unit is already disordered, simply add 1 hour to its recovery period.If unit has already accumulated 1R or 2R, it cannot launch attack for remainder of day. Can still defend at full strength however once it has recovered from disorder.

Fall back 1500 paces. Disordered for 1 hour.Totally defeated if no second line.If unit has already accumulated 2R it isconsidered totally defeated.If unit has already accumulated 1R, it cannot launch attack for remainder of day. Can still defend, but is considered to remain disordered for remainder of day.

1,2

Disordered for 1 or 2 hours.If unit already disordered, simply add 1 or 2 hours to its remaining recovery period.If unit has already accumulated 1R or 2R, there is no additional effect.

Disordered for 1 or 2 hours.If unit already disordered, simply add 1or 2 hours to its remaining recovery period.If unit has already accumulated 1R or 2R, there is no additional effect.

Village

No initial effect other than to extend fighting by 15 mins.At end of that time all attacking and defending units will be disordered for 1 hour in addition to the combat result.

Not applicable

SkirmishNo effect other than to extend skirmishing by (initially) 15 mins.If Skirmish result recurs after 15 mins, the attack degenerates into an extendedfirefight, with additional troops being fed into the skirmish line.

Not applicable

Throw a die every hour thereafter, and if a combat result is achieved, all attacking and defending units will be disordered for 1 hour in addition to thecombat result.

Troop status

Status Explanation Game effect

Fresh

Troops have not yet seen any action, and are raring to go. If they have force marched to battle, we will treat them as 'committed' - see below.

Troops benefit from combat dieroll modifier when first engaged.

CommittedTroops who have been engaged, but are not 'disordered'.

None.

Disordered(1, 2)

Troops temporarily disorganised by combat. They will take time to recover, but will then be reasonably effective. They cannot attack while 'disordered' and if attacked will fight at some disadvantage.

Troops cannot attack and may be slow to respond to move orders. If attacked, they will suffer an adverse combat die roll modifier.

Disordered(1R, 2R) This represents a more

As above, but troops will become increasingly vulnerable

insidious and permanent form of disorganisation, as troops have been bested in combat and forced to retreat. If this happens too often it may ultimately destroy their morale.Infantry (and cavalry with supports) can withstand some of this.

with each R result.

Totally defeated

Troops have suffered severely in combat. Either through casualties or because they havebeen routed, they will be of no further use in the battle, even ifthey can be collected.

Troops have no capability. Remove troop blocks from map.

Sample brigade status roster

As stated earlier, we do not explicitly track casualties. The following roster allows us to keep an administratively simple record for each brigade, largely by merely ticking the appropriate box.

Formation CommittedR1

resultR2

resultDisordered until

Leib Brigade

¤

7th Brigade ¤

8th Brigade ¤

12thBrigade ¤

Sourceshttp://www.kriegsspiel.org.uk/