Minden Rose - Russians versus Prussians

Game today trying Minden Rose rules again as I was looking to see them in action with a large number of units.

I fielded Russians with 3 Infantry and two (poor) Cavalry Brigades backed by 1 heavy and 1 medium battery of guns with two small Cossack units (24 units).
Stephens Prussians had 4 (smaller but with several better quality units) Infantry and 2 Cavalry Brigades (1 of very good quality units) backed also by 1 heavy and 1 medium gun batteries (22 units ?).

Pretty much a line them up and go at it game but we certainly give the rules a good airing.

I like the simple orders system as you chose between Attack or Hold (with Retreat being an enforced 'option') making it easy to implement.

Shooting, melee, movement and morale/command tests are also very straight forward and plausible but with a lot of dice rolling (a standard 4 Stand unit of Infantry firing first volley rolls 20 dice) but with the Hits Per Stand system it works fine.

Couple of aspects of rules lack full definition such as 2 vs 1 melees and we disliked the emergency square option for Foot (just not SYW).
But easily enough to change by dumping this option and cutting the +2 dice per stand for  Foot charged in Line by Mounted.
We also disallowed Foot to charge Mounted in any circumstance.

I had a Brigade of Foot behind temporary earthworks but again was not 100% clear just what this counted as when shot at etc.
We eventually agreed they are hard cover ie a difficult target for shooters which made them quite tough but we would force these to be deployed at outset so easier to avoid if desired.

Combat is pretty decisive in MR not so much through lost stands but the impact of of hits on Morale Tests which can see units Fall Back or Rout.
Also if a unit manages to charge or counter charge and can Rout its opponent this can be pretty lethal as Routers disorder any supports they interpenetrate who are then hit at halt (cannot react) whilst disordered by a quite likely still fresh pursuing unit which can then keep pushing back or routing units turn after turn.
Seemed a bit jarring initially but certainly decisive and in the scheme of the game it worked fine.
So a viable, playable quick play set with only a couple of minimal tweaks certainly as good in many ways as much more involved and certainly more expensive rule sets.
Actually bit surprised these did not garner more support as a rule set ?






The battlefield (Prussian would set up on nearest edge)

Russians arrayed

The Russian Brigade behind earthworks

Russian left wing

Prussians refusing their left

Cavalry 'scrum' on my left with my several poor Russian mounted already in Rout mode

Central Prussian advance

All quiet on my right although I have just changed Orders to attack on extreme right

Cavalry melee continues whilst my Infantry suffers a morale collapse (poor Command Test) after a unit Routs and goes onto Retreat orders (I did recover to Hold later)

My right begins to advance as Prussian mounted change to Attack also.

Russian unit forms column to move to support colleagues

Both my Cavalry Brigades now under real pressure