Napoleonic Wargame Club (NWC)

Salute!

Congratulations General en Chef Desruisseaux!

You bring honor & glory to L'Empereur's eagles!

Helga, a drink if you please to toast our hero!

Regards,

Congratulations, Pierre.

Salute!

Cliff wrote:

Cliff, if one is playing the scenario 007 (without fixed units), there is no reason why the Allied and Prussian forces cannot concentrate at a point ahead of the French - as I have done it myself.

And if one is playing one of the Hypo scenarios that has the opposing armies begin on opposite sides of the battle map - again, there is absolutely no reason why the Coalition armies cannot become concentrated.

In the 007 scenario, even such a concentration will only allow there to be some 120,000 Coalition troops vs nearly the same amount of French - as the significant Coalition reinforcements will not arrive in strength until the 17th/18th (or day's 3-4 of the campaign).

So, even if the Coalition is concentrated during the first two days of the campaign the odds are still 1-1, which favors the French overall due to their superior quality of troops, particularly among their cavalerie.

These odds (1-1) should compel the Coalition player to choose his battle ground carefully, to account for the terrain providing defensive vs the perceived French advantages.

Of course, a more dangerous and subtle strategy could be employed, which is keeping the Coalition armies fragmented from one another, basically the Prussians east of the Charleroi pike, and the Allies to the west.

But this also means that both of these armies must remain out of immediate range of the French being able to target one of them for destructions, and if such occurs, they must be able to support their comrades with the other army - which may find itself blocked in the attempt by a pinning force left by the French for this purpose.

Of course in the Hypo scenarios, the Coalition enjoys the 2-1 advantage in strength from the beginning, so achieving a concentration should enable the Coalition to win a victory in the end.

Regards,

Salute!

Cliff wrote:

Todd you are one of a few who will play these big games and win but a lot of the Generals say the games are to long or the 2-1 avenge is to great to overcome. Every thing you said is true ! But my question was WHY do the French cry about 2-1 odds?

Because not even Napoleon would have much chance of success in a pitched battle with 1-2 odds against him.

I can think of only one battle where such odds were nearly that, at Dresden.
And the French success in that several day engagement was based on a superb defensive position in and around that city, and it was the terrain itself, and the advantage the French took of it that helped provide the French victory.

The terrain effectively divided the Coalition army into fragmented sections that were unable to support one another, and the French concentrated superior strength against each sector in successive phases of operations.

Regards,

Getting back to the original post,

Congrats Pierre!

Congratulations General Desruisseaux on this victory.

_________________

Gentlemen

You will all enjoy the UK next year and as you depart that famous London railway station you will not have to ponder too long to know why it is named thus. Reality Check

_________________
Jim Hall
Field Marshall
Commander Anglo-Allied Army

Or even worse you could live in a city named after the Iron Duke himself.
Where you near by towns include Picton and Nelson and the main railway hub share's the name of the station Jim refers to. Water something.

Of course if you grew too weary you could move to Malborough a famous wine region and stay in the capital Blenheim.
Or perhaps stay in our city and move to the nearby street Maadi place.

Oh the colonies! At least the All Blacks keep the old foe honest.

_________________
Marechal Knox

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

"What is history but a fable agreed upon"