Napoleonic Wargame Club (NWC)

Helga, with all the announcements, stickies, polls and other jetsam floating about the Rhine, it's hard to tell whether this is the same old tavern or the aftermath of another one of those shopkeeper's conventions. They always seem to be stirring up trouble, directing their anger at our Empereur for no good reason. Would you be so kind as to send me another cask, yes, on Ensign Browne's tab, and perhaps we could clean up some of the notices and use them to restoke the fire?

Cheers!

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Marechal Jeff Bardon
Duc de Castiglione et Prince de Wagram
Commandant de la Garde Imperiale

The "Prince de this" and "Count de that" hath spoken. All will bow down to his holiness!

Hi Jeff! What's cookin'?

Helga, spoon up some of that hagus that you were saving for Herr Ludwig and place a steaming bowl in front of His Grace, Herr Bardon.

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Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Prinz Peters von Dennewitz

3. Husaren-Regiment, Reserve-Kavallerie, Preußischen Armee-Korps

Honarary CO of Garde-Ulanen Regiment, Garde-Grenadier Kavallerie

NWC Founding Member

For Club Games: I prefer the Single Phase mode of play. I prefer to play with the following options OFF:

MDF, VP4LC, NRO, MTD, CMR, PR, MIM, NDM, OMR (ver 4.07)

His holiness? I did not realize the Pope was here.

Herr Peters, scuff away a few of those papers and have a seat. It may be pushing into Autumn, but I am sure some lemonade can be found about someplace.

You'll need it to cover the "delightful" odor of that Scottish delicacy, at least I am assuming that is the haggis you were referring to.

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Marechal Jeff Bardon
Duc de Castiglione et Prince de Wagram
Commandant de la Garde Imperiale

"A most excellent idea, Marechal Bardon. It does seem to be getting a bit cool in here and I know how averse to the cold you Frenchman have become after your merry, little jaunt in 1812."

The Hanoverian officer walks over to the tavern's bulletin board and carefully inspects the notifications posted there. After a moment, he removes two of the parchments, crumples them, and tosses them into the fire.

"There that should make you somewhat more comfortable. They were both old news anyway. Something about your Emperor's incontinence and a rummage sale of used Marechal's batons I believe."

"Did someone say the Pope was here?"

My dear sir, I have no idea what you are talking about. You see, these things you speak of as historical fact, have not occurred. Perhaps these fictions are coloring your views. For myself, I can only speak to those campaigns that I have been involved in and not this alternate reality in which you dare to dream of l'Empereur's defeat and eventual downfall

After the overwhelming defeat of the Russian army in 1812, they sued for peace and the Grande Armee marched triumphantly home in late Autumn. As there were no significant Russian forces remaining, the march was uncontested and we were allowed to move across a broad front, so as to allow sufficient forage for both men and mounts.

There are rumors of a German problem, but since the Grande Armee is intact and the classes of 1813 have yet to be called up, any German insurrection will be met with the overwhelming force of over 750,000 soldiers and a very much intact and strengthened cavalry arm. The Russians will take years to recover from their losses and after the destruction of the Austrians in 1809 and their reliance on allegiance to and the generosity of France for the continued existence of the Habsburg empire, I seriously doubt that there will be many allies available to support any such action.

With all these extra troops available, I think perhaps we will put an end to the Spanish problem once and for all.

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Marechal Jeff Bardon
Duc de Castiglione et Prince de Wagram
Commandant de la Garde Imperiale

The Hanoverian officer stands stock still, stunned by what he has just heard. He blinks several times before the feeling subsides and he is once again able to speak.

"My dear Marechal Bardon, in all our conversations and exploits in this tavern and upon the field of battle, never have I heard you issue such delusional words. I have long known that GdD Knox was afflicted with this malady of denial, but you sir? I thought you were better versed in your history than that. Your Emperor should really refrain from holding you and your men in reserve so much. He should allow you to get out more, and experience the true happenings occurring in the world which surrounds you. I am not a doctor of any sort, but I think your condition is know as delusion, and was likely brought on by the shock following the destruction of nearly the entire Grand Armee on the vast steppes of Russia. Your mind is obviously unable to cope with the staggering reality of your country's greatest defeat."

"You may still be in luck, sir. It seems that the Pope is rummaging about somewhere in this tavern today. If we can manage to locate him, perhaps he can perform a miracle and exorcise the foul demon that has distorted your memory in such a malicious manner."

Nope, never happened.

In all seriousness, it is probably my biggest complaint with tactical simulations. We affect the outcome of a single battle or a single campaign. In history, these discrete events are part of the larger tapestry that makes up the period. The losses sustained in 1812 directly contributed to the decline in the quality and make-up of the French army in 1813. However, if those losses never happened, to wit, the 1812 campaign did not end so disastrously, the prospects for alternative versions of the subsequent fight in Germany abound.

Now there is a what-if that I would like to see, or some way of stringing all these separate campaigns in to one continuous narrative. How things could change. Similarly from the Allied perspective, what-if Prussia moved in 1805 rather than waiting until 1806. What would that do to the Jena campaign? The fact that Austerlitz has some of these available is intriguing and a welcome addition, but how I wish they would go further. The outcome of 1805 directly impacts the 1806 campaign which in turn would dictate the Polish campaign of the following year through what historically culminated the 1807 campaign at Friedland, changing the outcome along any of the disparate branches holds the tantalizing chance of changing the final outcome (though granted that Allied materiel advantages and adoption of improved training and organization were bound to tell eventually, so perhaps these would have only delayed the outcome).

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Marechal Jeff Bardon
Duc de Castiglione et Prince de Wagram
Commandant de la Garde Imperiale

A Grand Campaign! Yes, I like the idea, but I don't think I would ever live long enough to complete it at the tactical level at which we play. I would certainly have to divest myself of playtesting, training, the club presidency, this forum, the farm, my job and probably even my wife to make a valid attempt at such an undertaking. Nope, not likely to happen for me even if someone does devise a way to make it feasible, but it is a fun idea.

Yes 1812 is yes, hhmmmm well three years from now. I expect the Marechal's speculation is indeed totally correct. I also expect most of the world will be part of the enlightened empire by then.

Now Captain Jones please note I am a General not a GdD these days!
Now where is that pope he owes me a round.

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Marechal Knox

Prince d'Austerlitz et Comte d'Argentan
Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur

"What is history but a fable agreed upon"

Congratulations on your latest promotion, General Knox! Please let me buy you a round. Margaux isn't it? Only one more promotion remains, assuming your politics is right that is.

Oh, and I have not been a Captain for quite some time now either. If you look at the epilettes that you cut from my uniform and placed in your trophy case, I was a Major even then. But then, you knew that. You are just messing with me.

A grand campaign .... hmm ....

Hey Al Amos!!!

Actually linking 1805 to 1806 would not be completely out of bounds. Just would need some org files to be added and some branches that would allow for the Prussians to intervene in 1805. The way I would do it is to have Diplomatic Branches where the French would make threats and gestures through choices, the Allies would make promises to Prussia and the matrix would determine if Prussia comes off the fence. I would make it something like 6 x 6 matrix but the outcome would only produce TWO results. Either they join or they don't. I could even add in more Diplomatic Branches and just have one additional result of VACILLATING ...

Might be kind of fun too. If the Prussians came in in 1805 and the Allies still lost then the 1806 campaign would give way to something like an 1810 campaign.

I just need more maps of Saxony and Brandenberg to allow for it to happen ... some day ...

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Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Prinz Peters von Dennewitz

3. Husaren-Regiment, Reserve-Kavallerie, Preußischen Armee-Korps

Honarary CO of Garde-Ulanen Regiment, Garde-Grenadier Kavallerie

NWC Founding Member

For Club Games: I prefer the Single Phase mode of play. I prefer to play with the following options OFF:

MDF, VP4LC, NRO, MTD, CMR, PR, MIM, NDM, OMR (ver 4.07)

Marechal Bardon, you will be pleased to know that I have removed some more of the papers that I hung on the Tavern's bulletin board and cast them into the fire. My oh my, it is getting downright toasty in here now!