Napoleonic Wargame Club (NWC)

Brothers in Arms,

I have just started the Jena campaign called "Here Come The Russians!" I am playing as the Prussians and in our first scenario of the campaign we have a 524 turns scenario in which I probably need to perform a REARGUARD tactic. I'm defending 4000 VP Hexes worth, but the french need at least 10,000 points to even get a minor victory.
Ultimately, I guess my question is how does one properly integrate a tactical maneuver of rearguarding; as I've never done this before?

Thanks Gentlemen!!!

Your objective with a Rearguard is to slow your opponent's advance. To do this, you need to study the terrain and locate the choke points. If you can force your pursuers to abandon the road and travel through more costly terrain, such as fields, you can buy yourself some time. You should also employ feints and stunts to force him to deploy more than he would like. Cavalry is good for this as they are a definite threat to infantry that is not in square. The general principles of maneuver apply here as well. Keep your enemy’s movements under constant observation while minimizing his vision of your units. If he is not sure exactly what is in front of him, he will be more cautious (i.e. slower) in his advance. If he becomes too bold, set up a sharp, brief counterattack to harm him, but make certain that you can readily extract these forces. This will make him more cautious the next time he advances.

Cat and Mouse, Fred. He is the cat that will certainly kill you if he can sink his claws into you. You are the mouse that bobs, weaves and nips at his exposed tail, running back into a safe hole before emerging somewhere else to take another little nip.

Of course, I have always found that a continuous line of Claymores arranged along both sides of the main pike wreaks terrible devastation on an enemy march column as well, but that could just be me.

Destroy all of the bridges across the river below Jena. That way the Frenchman will have to decided on which side of the river to fight. If he foolishly advances up both sides then you have an opportunity to concentrate against one force and they cannot support each other. The woods are your friend. A few skirmishers and horsemen can long delay a passage through a thick wood. Do not let the French get around your eastern flank. You will need to send a force to the far east to hold against that possibility until the Russians arrive. Good hunting.

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FM Sir 'Muddy' Jones, KG
2nd Life Guards, 1st Squadron, Household Cavalry
1st Duke of Uxbridge & Anglesey K.G.

I recommend surrendering. The French will win anyway, so make it a quick end.

With a battle of this size, scouting is critical, so while delay is good and all, if you can master scouting then you'll know where to set those precious roadblocks and counters in order to achieve local superiority.

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