Lasalle 2 a solo learning session - Prussia versus France 1813ish

Having obtained the Pdf version of Sam Mustafas newest rule set I actually managed to generate enough enthusiasm after a read through to put some figures on the table for a solo (ye gads this is feeling relentless) game.

Used one of the generic scenarios with balanced forces (ie equal points values, some scenarios feature unequal forces) and using the Large points totals.

I selected Prussians vs French (Guard option) and this yielded 18 units of Prussians in 5 Brigades vs 16 units of French in 4 Brigades.

French taken from Elite Corps (ie Guard) Prussians based on early 1813 period.

The ‘Army lists’ in Lasalle 2 are somewhat generic in nature although not a problem basing around historical types.

As per older Lasalle all measurements are in Base Widths with mine being 40mm wide (based as per original rules) with standard 4 bases per unit (2 for Artillery Batteries).

Scenarios use a standard 4 x 6 square grid but each grid square equals 6BW so a somewhat smaller table than my standard 6’ x 4’ mat. Technically my table should be 144cm x 96cm but I used 150cm x 50cm as I could use 50cm square carpet tiles.

If playing again I would just use 6’ x 4’ (180cm x 120cm) table as did seem a tad squashed to my sensibilities, do not believe it will effect game at all.

French deployment

Prussians deployed

Overview

I decided to use Basic rules as learning system but to be honest none of the Advanced rules seem that complex, although the advanced Skirmishing or Command Intervention rules might consume a bit more time.

Anyhow played through first turn of game (scheduled for 10 turns) and found it to be a very slick system to use.

I can see the influence of Blucher with the MO (Momentum) system. I rather like this as it puts a plausible limit on a sides activity each turn.

The Complications are a very nice and simple way to model difficult terrain and suchlike (extra MO expenditure)

Lots of nice decisions as to how to spend MO as you can potentially issue several orders to units per turn, as long as no order is repeated, so one could order a unit/formation to Move and later Shoot and maybe Change Formation but not any of these individual orders twice.

MO is based on numbers of Brigades, intact Baggage and can be increased by use of a General.

Also Skirmishing can increase MO, this is highly abstracted as units are rated for Skirmishing ability you each then roll that number of dice seeking sixes and the excess difference can be converted into MO (the advanced rules have an alternative use of the Skirmishing rolls to generate Voltiguer stands used to ‘annoy’ individual enemy units), in my game Prussian start with 28 dice vs 24 French (this reduces as units as lost).

Some Orders are issued by Brigade (Force Orders- Rally or Movement) others can be issued to all units (Global order - Change Formation, Bombard, Volley) and all costing MO.

After certain orders the enemy can Interrupt to swap initiative generally when shot at (not Artillery bombarding) or units acts within 4BW, this leads to a fairly constant swinging back and forth of activity until MO spent. You can pass but mutual passing ends Orders phase.

In basic rules the General can Intervene prior to Orders phase to allow MO free changes of formation at a small risk (the advanced game has several additional options for Intervention such as Artillerist, Charismatic, Steadfast and others)

Shooting and Combat are pretty simple dice six systems (very akin to Blucher) generally based on X number of dice per unit or stand depending on circumstance/status with some nuance for Artillery (including bounce through). An artillery unit Bombarding rolls maybe 4 dice but at canister range (4bw) its 8 dice (ie 4 per base).

Units are rated by Strength Points (again very Blucher like) with several possible Traits such as Shock or Resilience and similar. Once reduced to a certain level (based on quality) they become Shaken.

Units can however take Disruptions (sort of half hits) in lieu of permanent losses. One dices for Disruptions inflicted to see if converted to full loss. Disruptions can be Rallied off but a failed Rally causes conversion to permanent loss.

Rules use printed out unit status sheets (or single roster) but I prefer to use dice/markers.

As just in first turn I have not conducted a Melee as yet but this seems pretty straight forward as well with outcomes looking plausible.

Obviously a very brief and wholly incomplete look at the rules thus far but hope to complete a few more turns to try to get a good handle on system. Upon first read I thought “nice systems but not so sure its very Napoleonic” but upon playing it has a nice ‘feel’ to proceedings especially Command (abstract as it may be). Certainly not as ‘historical’ as something like General d’Armee but much slicker in many aspects.

Field of Battle - Lutzen the Guard fails !!

Managed with session late last night and this morning (both sides of chores) to complete this most entertaining solo game.
Things really got intense with huge swings of fortune going to and fro between both sides !
Units were decimated then recovered, flung themselves into melee destroying or being destroyed in equal measure.
Both sides at one point had exhausted all their Morale Chips and only surviving on `owed` chips.
The French at one stage had a failed Army Morale roll until I recalled my scenario rule that capture or recapture of a village garnered +5 Morale points to a force.
With both Rahna and now Klein-Groschen in their hands this gave them 10 extra Morale allowing them to continue.
French losses in actual units through Routs and Destruction greatly exceeded the Allied losses (although several units on table Routing) but they were hanging in there and at one crucial point, after several absolutely devastating volleys, had forced the Allies back to zero Morale, but the Army Morale test just did not appear (a fortuitous reshuffle likely aided the Allies).
Subsequently the Allies gained the upper hand again, mainly through staunch resistance of Russian foot and a breakthrough by Prussian Grenadier Brigade in French centre, dwindling the French Morale pool to zero and gaining some much needed Allied Morale.
Several Young Guard and the Old Guard Chasseurs had succumbed.
Just when it looked like a foregone conclusion 3 Allied Leader deaths in one go (Army Morale card) threatened the Allied success as their Brigades went out of command.
However their next card was Leadership allowing them to recover nearly all units despite lower grade replacement commanders.
More mayhem occurred with some units being charged on flanks as both sides tried to exploit gaps and a couple of devastating Allied cannon cannister blasts saw French in real trouble and of course an Army Morale was turned and failed by the Emperors forces !!

Such a joy to play through this even solo.
The straight up in your face nature of the encounter helped as not much scope for sneaky Grand manoeuvring bar when to commit reserves.
Was fun to get my entire Young Guard collection on to table (12 units) and was different using randomised Unit stats rather than my usual ‘generic’ system.

Besides scenario house rules (re Morale extras and set up) I used a couple of house rules, the main one effecting the game being use of ‘Brigade Skirmish Screen’ units, units of 3UI skirmish only types an idea ‘stolen’ from GDB/GDA.
I do have a house rule re ‘Hasty Squares’ for Infantry contacted by Cavalry but only used this twice (not a great deal of Cavalry here).

I could extensively wax lyrical (And do a bit below !) about the strength of FOB as a ‘big battle’ rule set but suffice to say I own no other set that comes close to generating such an exciting game that builds a real narrative to a game, full of excitement and incident all within a plausible Highly playable framework.
Not a ‘chess with dice’ system as if you want complete control of your troops FOB will frustrate you greatly.
For me it is a set that generates games that play out just like accounts of battles that I read, with equal amounts of inspired tactics, luck, frustration, units under performing or being truly heroic.
The lack of a strictly structured sequence of play is a major boon as in bulk of other sets I know when and how far a unit will move, when it will fire etc not so in FOB/PK as the vagaries of the Initiative rolls, deck sequence and construction, combined with the opposed dicing systems and the odds vs evens results (for Movement, Firing, Melee) lead to a much more exciting and unpredictable gaming experience.
Some deride the PK systems as the game ‘playing you’ rather than you playing the game, but I feel this is mainly due to a lack of understanding of the inherent game design and simulation model and typically a wish to be the ‘100 foot General‘ and in control of nearly all aspects troop interaction with only the dice rolls adding any random element (the chess with dice style or as I sometimes call these system ‘millimetres matter’ sets).
I do enjoy other styles of game (such as Shako, FOGN, GDA) but almost always find PK/FOB just delivers a much more satisfying, dynamic, exciting and decisive game experience overall with much less rules overhead.
FOB certainly has several abstractions such as free interpretations, lack of 'Brigade' morale (its all about the overall Army level), no bounce through, no overtly obvious use of supporting lines/troops and the pre-game preparation of forces and stats can be time consuming (but also enjoyable).
I have used several house rules for varied periods but in the end have cut these down to a minimal few I actually use as (as per Brents design notes) less is actually more.
But (and like Beyonces its a very BIG one!!) very few if any sets come close to dynamic nature of game style, with only Blucher, Maurice, GDA (and to a degree Black Powder) coming anywhere close with variable levels of ‘inertia and/or chaos’ included but still somewhat more stilted as games overall.
If FOB3 turns out to be less than I expect it to be then FOB2 still hits the ‘buttons’ for me.


A selection of pics (with captions this time) from last 2 sessions.



The false 'victory' for the Allies

French regroup outside Klein-Groschen

French centre before the 'fall' with silenced battery (green marker)

Routing Young and Old Guard !!

French still trying swing to right of Rahna (a D8 leader did not help here)

Allied left refusing..................

Russian and French Guard light cavalry tangle (both were subsequently lost)

The Prussian Grenadier Brigade supports Horns Brigade

Temporary stalemate at Klein-Groschen

French centre buckling (silenced artillery now gone)

Prussian Grenadiers swing towards French centre

Overview showing French trying to turn Allied left

Klein-Groschen has fallen to reformed Legere

Prussian Grenadiers are pushing into centre

Russians stoically holding the Allied left despite losses

Prussian Grenadiers suffer temporary set back (1 unit Routing but quickly recovered)

The bitter slog continues on French left with disorder (Out of Command) the order of the day

French high-water mark as Allied left looks about to collapse

Klein-Groschen firmly in French hands again

Overview at stage that both Armies had zero Morale left (both swung up and down wildy)

Prussian Hussars appear

Both sides saw leaders fall here

Prussian Grenadiers forge ahead breaking French centre

Allied left holds.......barely

French in disorder and rout

Overview of French right and centre

And of their left

Final throes of battle as both sides struggle to inflict the coup de grace........

Prussian screening Klein-Groschen whilst pushing towards Kaja

Prussian Grenadiers sweep all before them and now about to charge into flank of a Young Guard unit.

French failure on Allied left now plain

The final victory of Allied cause is secured.

French losses vis Allied (a whopping 14 units vs 3) but a mere 3 Allied Morale remained !!

The basic map (from a General De Brigade scenario)

Field of Battle - Lutzen action heats up

Played another couple of sessions and things really getting exciting (even solo) !
Allies have destroyed 3 units of French now and 2 more routed (although one recovered) including the Berg cavalry wiped out in a single round of combat by the Russian Guard cavalry.
However directly after the Old Guard Dutch Lancers set to the Russians and routed them.
French had an excellent Melee card round routing 3 Russian foot units.
A unit of Russian Grenadiers had routed 2 French columns with a devastating volley and a charge but then found itself routed by 2 fresh Columns of Young Guard.
Klein-Gorschen remains in Prussian hands as French were shot off prior to assault.
Both commanders on this flank have fallen in the mayhem with lesser replacements now in charge and both struggling to bring their units back into command.
Allied left flank in danger of being flanked by a Young Guard Brigade.
Both sides have lost just over half their starting Morale Pools.
So much happened in these phases hard to retain the narrative flow but just so enjoyable to play through.

The genius of the odd vs even outcomes really comes to the fore cutting out so much extra dice rolling for morale tests and outcomes.
Extreme results can come to the fore but are tempered by the frequency (or infrequency !) of the card draws (French just cant seem to get an Artillery Firepower card) and indeed the old Piquet ‘peak fire/combat effect’ is apparent.
The better Allied deck has had some effect as several Lulls have went their way giving them some interruptive actions.

Encounter still in balance as both sides still have reserves to utilise although timing could be key as Morale Pool diminish......