THE GAME: MOSCOVA

THE ADDRESS:

Frenchmen! Tomorrow we extend a hand to our Russian brothers to help them throw off the yoke of servitude. We strive to free them from the oppression of their tyrannical ruler. Victory will be a victory of the Continental System where men of courage have a right to chose their destiny. With victory assured, Moscow will be ours in all its glory and splendor. The treachery of Spain will be punished! All of England will have to kiss our curvy butts! Onward Frenchmen of courage!

-- Emperor Ken 1er on the eve of battle

THE PLAYERS

THE RUSSIAN HORDE

Rowdy (I don't know what I'm doin man) Scarlett
Jim (I wanna be French) Best
Paul (I don't care) Billings

THE GOOD GUYS

Ken (That's all the troops you're gonna get) Ellis
Keith (I wanna be in the Utitsa) Plymale
Terry (Works for me) Welch
Warren (Let's play Longest Day next) Hart

THOUGHTS:

I expect the Russians to play what has become a fairly common strategy in our group. They usually throw all the Militia into the Utitsa woods with about a half dozen Combined Grenadiers to stiffen their resolve and to shoot up the Old Guard if they are used there. In the area of the Fleches the Russians usually execute a slow fighting retreat which channels the French advance between the Utitsa Woods and the gully behind the Fleches.

This tactic is effective when the French are held up in the woods and their advance becomes congested in this area. A single routing unit can sometimes cause a chain-reaction of 10 - 15 other routs in this area. In the Center the Russians usually deploy most of the Guard artillery around Semonovskaya until Kutaisov can get the Reserve batteries there. In the North the Russians often cross the river and push the Cossacks hard in an effort to get around the French left. This tactic causes the French to extend their line to the mapedge and ties down the better French cavalry in holding the line until some infantry and guns can get there.

Often the Russians will make a giant cavalry force of between 200 and 300 stacking factors for use as sort of a Napoleonic Panzer division. These guys can roam around behind the lines, scare the hell out of whomever is in front of them and sometimes smash through the French line and head to Paris.

THE PLAN:

I decide to give Warren Hart his first look at Moscova through the dense woods of the Utitsa. The troops under his command include the Old Gd 2nd Chasseurs about half the II cav and elements of the 3rd and 4th div of the I corp, about 25 units in all with no reserve.

If extra units are needed here then they can easily come from the Army Reserve or the V corp reinforcements. Warrens orders are simple enough - Kill everything in his path in the woods then return the 2nd C. to the reserve. If he is successful early enough then he may get the V corps. His leader - Caulaincourt.

Terry Welch is charged with the daunting task of bowling over anything and everything the Russians put in the Fleches or behind. Additionally, Terry is supposed to cover the early advance and positioning of a massive grand battery of foot guns on the plateau across from Semonovskaya and below the Fleches. Ideally, a successful thrust here early can break the Russian line if the enemy has not kept sufficient reserves in the center.

Terry's troops consist of III corps, IV cav, half of II cav, 3 regs. of the Young Guard, The Vistula Legion and nearly all the horse artillery in the army. Over 80 units. If Terry smashes the Russians then he will get the V corp and the I cav from the Reserve to exploit his gains. Terry's leader - Ney.

I command the center with the reserve. My task, ignore the pleas for more troops, laugh wildly when Keith bitches about all those "Damn Cossacks", command the grand battery, and when the time is right - storm The Great Redoubt with I corps and the Old and Middle Guard if necessary. Napoleon is my name and dealing death is my game! I've got about 120 units plus the final direction of the V corps (30 units).

Keith Plymale commands the IV corps, VII corps, and the III cav on the left. After brushing aside the enemy in Borodino and establishing a small grand battery there Keith is to extend his line to the edge of the world. This is the only way the dreaded Cossacks can be stopped. Keith's main mission in this particular game is to stop at all costs any penetration of the French line by Russian cavalry.

If the Russians can get behind the French in this manner if usually dooms the French as they can not perform their vital regrouping if this happens. Keith's reserve is 3 regs of Young Guard and the Attached Units of the Imperial Guard. Keith's leader - Eugene. Units - 112.

Next issue .... RUSSIAN DEPLOYMENT: & OPENING MOVES: In THE RIGORS OF CAMP LIFE or OF LICE AND MEN! - KEN