28mm French Revolutionary Wars 1796 Wargame, Pictures and Report.

Myself,  Ray http://onelover-ray.blogspot.com/ and Postie dropped down to Faversham on Sunday for a French Revolutionary Wars wargame with another member of the reject's members Richard in his gaming facility in his cellar.The battle was a meeting engagement between Austrian (Postie) and French (Ray and myself) forces consisting of approx 3 brigades each. The battle was set around the south of Lodi in 1796.

The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states. Marked by French revolutionary fervour and military innovations, the campaigns saw the French Revolutionary Armies defeat a number of opposing coalitions and expand French control to the Low Countries, Italy, and the Rhineland. The wars involved enormous numbers of soldiers, mainly due to the application of modern mass conscription. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolutionary_Wars

The rules were Richard's own called "Making his reputation" and as far as I know unique, they are done on a dice roll for initative and every unit had 2 actions but you could roll twice per game for an entire brigade to get an extra action, an action was moving, firing, falling back, routing etc... so you had to be canny ( myself and Ray were not on several occasions) with your actions the closer you got into melee as if you were charged after using your actions you could not fire on the incoming charges. The fog of war was in effect so no counters were paced on any units or figures removed to show casualties (the umpire kept a record), the only time you knew you were starting to have a problem was when firing dice numbers got smaller or Richard would ask you to do a morale check (this is visually nice but trying to keep track as a player is difficult when deciding to charge but I liked the idea). The game was a slog especially as the opening moves were in fog with the french marching down a road with the Austrians already in the flank and fog disappears. Postie did well with his morale dice but in firing things went to pot and myself and Ray eventually gave him a pasting (even when we're idiots we win was shouted) and caused an entire brigade to disperse and the game was won. It was a great day, great game and great rules that have uses with many other periods. Good job Richard.

The pictures are the usual mix of quality (I'm blaming the lighting in the cellar and that Ray took the bad ones, he brought his own camera but with no batteries or a memory card???).

Initial set up of the table and forces.

French forces blundering through the fog.

Richard our host in umpiring host pose.

View down the road of the French with the Austrians appearing out of the fog on our flank.

French Dragoons.

Austrian cavalry sneaking through a gap in the forest.

French infantry reacting to the Austrians on the flank.

The Austrian cavalry catching my cavalry on the hop.

The view of the same postion after the melee, my dragoons have quit the field and the poor Austrians quit the field in pursuit.

Austrian infantry brigade moving up and a light gun trying its luck.

The battle on the flank turned into a multi turn slog with regiments blowing chunks out of each other with no gain. 

French conscripts deploying in column.

Myself and Ray, I'm obviously the strawberry blonde on the right.

Frustrating hedge fighting or as an inquiry stated interpenetrating while straddling a hedge?

Postie moving Austrians forward for a change but really it's a shot of the bling.

These are the markers place behind units for keeping track, lovely work and work well.

The Austrians push forward against the determined lines of French conscripts and some line. 

The rules themselves.

The Austrians assault with two regiments, but they both get a hiding.

But it all comes to nothing with french dragoons about to hit an austrian column just after an Austrian brigade has quit the field, myself and Ray victorious but it was a bit of luck aswell.