Monday, 18 August 2014

A Song of Drums and Shakos Interlude. Skirmish at Dubben

Murdock (from Murdock's Marauders fame) is playing a Napoleonic campaign game set during the Campaign of Leipzig, that you can follow on his blog (see the previous link) and also at the Campaign of Nations blog.
A peculiarity of this campaign is that, occasionally, the Game Master asks for collaboration to non-participiant players, to play skirmish games to simulate outpost affaires between opposing cavalry screens, as a way to acquire information prior to a battle. I have participated once in such effort (see this link) and I was forced to decline his invitation in another occasion, due to job. However, Murdock still trust me! and has asked me again, along other wargamers.
This time, the skirmish will simulate the clash between the Russian Alexandria Hussars and the 2nd Italian Chasseurs a Cheval regiments, near Dubben in Saxony. Both sides are seeking for information about the composition and strength of the enemy forece facing them. However, Murdock has allow me to change the involved units: Soumy hussars vs. a mixed patrol of French hussars in a new Song of Drums and Shakos Scenario:

The Probing Patrol (September, 1813)
Historical background
Somewhere in Saxony, the French and Russian light cavalry units are scouting the terrain between both armies, trying to gather information about the whereabouts and composition of the enemy.
The Russian Generalmajor Tschaplitz has sent a patrol of the Soumy Hussars Regiment*, under the Lieutenant Novikov, to scout towards Lubben seeking for information about the identity and numbers of the French facing him. Near the main road, lies a small farm with a cabin log in the banks of a small stream. There is activity near the farm: a mixed patrol of French Hussars* (1e., 3e. and 5e. Hussards) under the Lieutenant Lasserre from the 5e. Hussards, has arrived in search of provisions.
This is a Scenario for Song of Drums and Shakos from Ganesha Games
* This skirmish game was played in the context of the Murdorck’s Campaign of Nations The “real units” involved were the Russian Alexandria Hussars and the Italian 2nd Principe Real Reggimento de Cacciatori a Cavallo

Terrain

The stream and drainage ditch are broken terrain, fordable for mounted men. Wooded areas, out of the roads, are also broken terrain.

Engaged Forces
Russians (Soumy Hussars).1 Officer, 1 NCO, 1 Trumpeter, 4 lance-armed and 5 carbine-armed Privates. 12 men 604 points
French (1e., 3e. and 5e. Hussards).1 Officer, 1 NCO, 1 Trumpeter, 10 Privates. 13 men 620 points

Deployment
Russians. Must deploy at the East (right) side of the game-table behind the line of woods.
French. Roll 1D4 for the number of vedettes deployed and covering the approaches. The lieutenant, the trumpeter and 1D4 are dismounted near the house. The NCO and 1D6 are dismounted near the cabin. The remaining men (if any) are behind the cabin and house. Only the sentinels are mounted.

Victory conditions
Both sides have the same objective: to deny the enemy any information, so the winner will be the side remaining on the battlefield. No Morale checks are allowed.


I must finish the game before wednesday!



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3 comments:

  1. Nice idea, I will have to look at it further.

    john

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  2. Wow! That's a really good of example of globalised outsourcing! ;-)

    It's an ingenious way of resolving the small-scale operations so that the players don't have to get distracted by the smaller scale, but you must feel the pressure to get it done correctly in the time frame given to you!

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