Napoleonic Wargame Club (NWC)

Working on this in my spare time .. I am going to build an operational level map of the entire 1813 campaign area using a 5 km/hex scale. Then build an OB file and scenario file for it. This will be used for movement only. The units will be armed with pike and swords so as to not trigger any op fire.

Because the campaign is so large ... I am going to have to use divisions for infantry and brigades for cavalry. There will be "vidette" units to be used for scouting. Cossack units for raiding.

Visibility will be 1 hex.

I figure that if I got a group of guys to play we could divide up the commands as follows:

French:
Army of Berlin
Ney's Army in Silesia
CinC to handle the reserves and XIV Corps in Dresden

Allies:
Army of Silesia
Army of Bohemia
Army of the North

I dont think I want to include Davout and Waldmoden as that was more of a sideshow but its a thought.

Defections might be interesting to handle.

Not sure how to divide up the turns. Might have two days turns and one night turn.

Wonder how many guys would find this format interesting? A group could come up with their own "House Rules" - I have my own ideas ...

Supply wagons would be for Depots. Armies would need to keep wagons to their rear for when they get a certain distance from their depot.

The map wont take too long to build but I have other maps I need to build first for my game project. Working on one of the campaigns now and I need about 5-6 maps for campaign scenarios.

Will keep you guys posted on this. Might be a good alternate to the campaign format.

Battles: for now there is enough mapped area of Germany to go round. When two forces meet one of them can opt to withdraw or to fight. If a Fight occurs then just pick the map that seems to model the terrain the best. Obviously use the map that goes with the geographical area but if you are in a wooded area you could use one of the many maps I did for the Brandenburg area.

Optionally the players could find an Umpire to move the pieces for them using the Scenario Editor (which doesnt use any of the combat routines).

Movement - slower through woods than in clear, etc. Rivers and bridges ... not sure if I will use full water hexes or not. If I go with full water hexes I will need to add in Pioneer units that have a large figure strength so that the bridges could be repaired quickly.

A Spring or Fall campaign would be fun to play or just a "Roads to Leipzig" campaign of the September to October timeframe.

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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)

Not sure i understand the readoning behind arming them with pike and swords only. Does this mean no artillery?

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Combat is not fought at this level ... thus I cant give them a weapon that fires at moving troops (op fire).

Once you collide with the enemy you would fight it out using the game engine.

We just dont have the ability to take the operational level map and have it start up the game engine.

So you use the game engine to move your troops during your turn ... no charges, no firing, no melee, etc. Just movement.

Once you run into the enemy you build a scenario using the editor (Umpire would be handy for this) and the troops are put onto the map.

Optionally you could use my "Side A build their own .scn file - places their troops" "Side B does the same" "someone puts the two files together into ONE .scn file" "Players fight it out"

Since there is one OB file we could use the Campaign engine too for loss carryover if we like ... or just take a division count at the end to determine strength for each division.

While it would involve some work by the players it would be fun to try out.

Otherwise .. we could use it as a campaign map for a club campaign. Use some other means of movement ... orders, whatever, with battles fought out as the troops collide using the game engine and standard scenario scale.

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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)

Ahh.. I see.. Concept is interesting as it allows for much more imagination on the maneuvering part

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Indeed, maneuvering on a big scale and fighting it out on the usual scale seems interesting.

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This could be really good in a tournament in fact I'm seeing the benefits this could bring. I would definitely like to give this a go.

For arguments sake the Waterloo Campaign. If you had several French Corps and several allied Corps each one controlled by a different person obviously with some sort of messenger system in place could a battle already being fought be able to add in reinforcements that have arrived from a neighbouring Corps if say the messenger sent got through? Obviously this could be difficult to run but I would think very entertaining especially if 1 Corps from the French decide to give battle against a similar allied Corps and 2 French Corps manoeuvre towards the battlefield and get there just in time to win the battle for the French. I hope my point is coming across here.