Sunday, June 21, 2015

100 Days Campaign Using Blucher Updates


Gaming group has been actively playing through the 100 Days Campaign using the excellent Blucher system (thoroughly recommended).  I have been taking on the role of Old Nosey.  Curt from Analogue Hobbies has been umpiring, separating fighting allies, messing up orders and doing a bloody wonderful job.

Things are nicely coming to a head and we look set for an all day all out rumble in the next week- June 19, 1815 game time but June 27th, 2015 real time.  I won't give away much but can supply a few bits of common knowledge.  I haven't given a map but look it up man, you can't spit without finding a map of the campaign on the 200th anniversary!

  • On June 16th the French advanced through Quatre Bras toward Placenoit.  They pushed Anglo-Allied forces aside at Quarter Bras but found a heavy concentration of both allied armies at Placenoit (see AAR).  We fought an inconclusive action late in the day and awoke on the 17th to find that Boney had pulled up stakes and buggered off.
  • A Prussian attempt to follow up the French withdrawal early on the 17th was fended off easily and we lost contact with Boney.
  • However shortly afterwards on the 17th the British cavalry encountered a French force near Nivelles. Our cavalry was moving northeast from Nivelles towards Mt St Jean and the French were moving west from Quatre Bras into Nivelles.  We set the forces out on table and fought a scounting action in which we found the entire Imperial Guard forming the French vanguard (very curious) with further Frenchies beyond.  We then  withdrew northeast having delayed Boney and counted noses. 
  • Later on the 17th, Anglo-Allied cavalry scouted the road from Quatre Bras to Nivelles and found French columns moving westward.  This scouting action and the next were performed using the Blucher campaign mechanism, rather than being on table actions like the prior one at Nivelles
  • Mid afternoon on the 18th an Anglo Allied cavalry brigade encountered a large French column advancing north from Braine-le-Compte towards Hal.  A very spirited scouting action provided us with details of the French force.
  • At day's end on June 18th, French columns arrived opposite Hal and found British forces awaiting them.  
  • Day break on the 19th will bring us the battle of Hal and almost certainly the deciding moments of our campaign.



5 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Oddly enough I found myself asking the same question during our campaign. For now I am limiting the info to that known to all three armies, and I have listed the only contact between you and the French that I am award of.

      Fear not mion ami. Once the fog of war has lifted and the campaign is over I will have plenty to say about my "klever" Prussian allies and their "awesome" army.

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  2. My mind is reeling from all the inevitable 'Game from Hal' sort of puns, But sounds like fun so far. I give you joy of the day when it arrives.

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  3. Sounds like the Blucher campaign system is working as it should. All the best on the 27th. I do agree with Ross Mac though. Lady Butler's painting "The Dawn of Hal", or Byron's "the grave of France, the deadly Hal" just don't cut it, somehow. :)

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  4. Ross and Mike
    When we get to the "That won't do, write me down a victory" stage I'll put it to the spin doctors to come up with something catchier.
    Cheers, PD

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