Russian Guard 1813

[hazelbark]

Had a game with these today.

They are a fun troop type. The re-rolls and the only can drop 1 level to fire per phase is nifty.

It was great to send the divsion uphill into french conscripts and roll right over.

Too bad we can't require rain or snow when you run guards.

Another fun wrinkle to the game. Also got to love mounted.

[LeslieMitchell]

Any chance you post the list?

[hazelbark]

It was the multi nation list. I just wanted to see Guard's in action.
Ended up facing a 1813 french spring list. Apparently he wanted to see conscripts in action!

All competent commanders 850 points

Russian Corps
Russian Guard infantry Divison
4 units. 1 large, 1 superior, 1 art att, 1 off attach (who died on one of the first shooting rolls of the game!) And cossack

Austrain Reserve Cav
2 Sup Cuirass

1 Prussian
2 Line, 1 Landwher, Med Art, Hussar, Dragoon

The plan was to have the prussians hold the flank. Toss a bunch of terrain out. Send the Guard in and bring the cuirass behind them.

First bit of good luck roll and was the attacker.
So the French has one conscript divion on a hill anchored on one side with a paltry river the other side a line division on the adjacent hill an italina divison anchor the flank. The had a cavalry/ legere division off board in reserve.

3 villages dotted the center line, but ended up mostly being an impediment to the guard advance except for one that the italians had to counter attack around.

A lot of inconclusive firing so the guard and one cuirass went uphill into the conscripts. The conscript surprisingly easily passed the sqaure roll and the guard infantry wouldn't charge in unison. So the guard hit on conscript. THe Cuirass shattered andd lost their division commander. But 2 guard vaporized one conscript that when it fled disrupted a bunch. One Guard pursued into a square smashed that. Leaving two disrupted conscripts one of which broke from fire in the next turn from the guard that didn't charge taking the 4th.

So 4 broken conscripts there and a reserve chasseur were all that stood between the guard and the LOC. Meanwhile elsewhere the italians got countered attacked by the Prussian Cavarly and lost a unit. 30% losses for the French and they withdrew from battlefield.

We all thought it was interesting to see the guard in play. Perhaps unfairly versus conscripts.

The other thing that came up again is I again think cavarly are way un appreciated. These rules feel very historical. Cavalry in support of infatnry are very powerful. Also the need for reserves to plug holes.

I am not saying a full Guard Corps is awesome, but that this was a fun appreciated nuance.

[LeslieMitchell]

Thanks, interesting list

[BrettPT]

The other thing that came up again is I again think cavarly are way un appreciated.

We are finding in our games that players are tending towards maxing out on cavalry. To a certain degree this may be a 'arms race' to achieve more/better cavalry than your opponent and then seek out and win a large cavalry engagement. If you can do this, you are a long way towards getting a 30:10 win.

The best answer to a cavalry horde I have found is (of course) to max out on terrain, and then to not fight them with your own cavalry but instead oppose enemy cavalry formations with infantry. I suspect that it won't be long before someone fields an army specifically designed to counter a cavalry horde - the Wurtemberg 1809 list looks a likely candidate with lots of small rifle armed Line and LI units.

A French all-Guard army I have found to be tough to run - it's too small and the artillery chews up too many points. The 1813 lists which allow cheaper guard units are probably more of a go.
In a normal medium sized infanrty army however, a couple of Guard units are well worth the points, and I would always field any Guard cavalry availble in a list.

[Blathergut]

*Waves his Austrian-destroying Italian Guard Cavalry and Infantry around!*

[nigelemsen]

I enjoy my french guard cav list.... As the guard art does eat into the points im finding getting as many as possible and going for a crtical mass has started to tip games my way. You need to quickly to create a weak point for your fighting gusrd units to go into, before opponents nu bers begin to tell.

My son has got into fogn and is running the 1809 infantry, maxed out on rifles and rifle attachments with large vet. Units and small drilled. Its. Creates all sorts of problems for my cav army.

[hazelbark]

We are finding in our games that players are tending towards maxing out on cavalry. To a certain degree this may be a 'arms race' to achieve more/better cavalry than your opponent and then seek out and win a large cavalry engagement. If you can do this, you are a long way towards getting a 30:10 win.

The best answer to a cavalry horde I have found is (of course) to max out on terrain, and then to not fight them with your own cavalry but instead oppose enemy cavalry formations with infantry.

And people scoffed at me when i said this would happen.

In the first few games i quickly lunged forward and turned a flank with cavarly. I think player's morale snaps more often than the army.

One of our players cleverly educated me on reserve divisions. You leave a flank in the air. enemy cavarly surge forward for bait. Then whammo a reserve division comes on from off table and the cavalry are now engaged forntally.

Another option that I think defending austrian types will resort to is to leave their cavalry in reserve to stand behind the infantry the enemy wants to charge. then the lighter cavalry can attack fresh.

The other thing that is in play is local reserves. The ability to plug a whole is significant. Again an advantage to the mixed divisions.