In analyzing Moscova we usually divide our coverage into 3 or 4 distinct phases. Phase one describes the armies' advance to contact with each other and the early build-up of reserves. Phase two covers the portion of the game where the armies are usually engaged from one end of the map to the other. This part is where an army's true plan is revealed. Phase three is where the game usually reaches its climax and the outcome is nearly certain. Phase three passes to four with the commitment of both armies' guard and reserves. If one side has been crushed in phase three, then they may resign before proceeding to phase four. Phase four is usually where the side who gained a distinct advantage in phase three either plays to preserve a win or tries to utterly destroy the enemy. Phase four is also where the side who is losing usually makes a last gasp attempt to turn the game around or at least salvage a draw.

In the 10 games of Moscova that I have played, three have been decided in Phase four. 

PHASE TWO - TURNS 8 - 15:

PART ONE - 8 - 11:

THE SOUTH:

The Utitsa is bloody as is usual. The French are stopped in the heart of the woods but the Old Guard regiment I gave Warren manages to clear the road through the woods. This is a major accomplishment for a rookie at the game and opens a path for the V corp to advance quickly to the front. Terry (NEY) throws the Russians off the Fleches hill and surges forward to keep pace with Warrens advance. Ney keeps his horse artillery to his front to punish the retreating Russians. These Russians would rather die fighting though.

Paul launches a vicious frontal attack against Ney's horse guns. The assault stuns and halts Terry for a couple turns, then he brings up the Vistula Legion and cleans house. For a few guns and a couple turns of delay the Russians lose almost a corps of infantry. The French III corp infantry is battered though with 22 battalions either dead or on the regroup chart. The French await the arrival of the V corp while the Russians start deploying Reserve guns across the gully from Ney's remaining horse artillery. The Russians also pull the II cav from the North and head south with them and move 3 regiments of Guards from the center to the south.

THE CENTER: The duel sputters as both sides suffer from poor die rolls. I am elated that the Reserve guns are heading Terry's way as this will allow me to ultimately defeat Rowdy's battery. I launch a suicidal diversionary attack against the wolfpits with 3 regs. of I corp. I'm trying to draw some of Jim's troops into the center and also cover the redeployment of some of my Borodino artillery onto the plateau below the Redoubt. Rowdy gleefully smashes most of my attack while the 3,4,5 div of I corp take tip positions in the gully below the Redoubt hill. Junot's corp slams into the Russian line at Zakartsi then I turn them over to Keith.

THE NORTH:

Jim (Platov) slams into Keith's squares and tries to overwhelm them. He makes a mistake by not moving further around the flank. He figures that when the guns and infantry arrive that the fight will be just a matter of mopping up. This is an example of fatal overconfidence. Jim's reluctance to ride around Keith's flank is disastrous.

Jim deploys a line of cav. on his flank - a straight line - perpendicular to the mapedge. Its a good thing that Keith brought his drool bucket. Keith retreats his left flank to take advantage of the retreat rules. Retreating units must retreat away from the nearest enemy units. With a careful deploy-t ment of attacking units you can predetermine the retreat path of the loser in a battle. Keith wins his melee and causes an overstack which routs Jim's defending unit. The units' rout path carries it over the entire line of cavalry causing routs and all this cav. routs off the map and is eliminated. Jim loses over 50 sps of cav. including BOTH 16sp Guard cav.

PLATOV IS INCENSED! The Russian leader pours some of that fine old Tennessee Vodka - Jack Danielsky - on his head and sets fire to it. Jim unlimbers his guns and his infantry finally arrives in strength. He figures he still has the upper hand and he's right. After blasting Keith and routing the Italian Guard, Keith implores me to allow his retreat to the gully. The French have a 8 hex hole in the line. His reasoning is that he has dealt the Russian cav a serious blow and that Jim will pursue slowly. My fears are that Jim will turn in mass on the center.

I order Keith to attack all out with IV corp and the YG and I promise Junot's corp in support. This assault catches Jim completely by surprise and ALL his guns are captured in the initial rush.

The losses in these 3 turns for both armies was over 420 sp. OUCH! Now back to the south.

PART TWO TURNS 12 - 15

THE SOUTH:

Warren clears the woods and gets a reg. of V corp and all the south regroups in exchange for the OG reg. Warren and Terry coordinate an attack on the hill overlooking the Old Smolensk Road and takes it along with the guns Paul deployed there. The battle was not without cost though as Montbrun was killed leading the assault.

Paul anchors his left to the mapedge behind the stream and stops Warren cold there. Terry has to deploy his YG reserve to help support his remaining guns as the V corp cav threatens a dash along the road through the Russian line. The Russian II cav arrives from the north just in time to discourage such a move though. The Russians now unlimber a Grand Battery of Reserve guns across the gully from the Fleches and pour a murderous fire into Ney's guns. Ney's guns can't last long without serious foot gun support. It's time to shit or get off the pot for Ney. I release the entire I cav from the reserve with two reg. of MG to rush to Ney's support.

THE CENTER:

The artillery duel winds down with the Russians safely hiding one big stack of howitzers behind Semonvskaya. Terry seeing the town wide open for a moment sends I cav over the Fleches hill and into the town. Much to my amazement, he has grabbed the Glory of this conquest away from me. Once I see the Rowdy sending his guns to Paul I decide to develop a serious attack in the center.. I push the rest of I corp to the hill to the relief of the remnants of my first assault. The bodies are piling up here as most of Rowdy's troops are guard and they fight to the death rather than going to the regroup chart. Rowdy quickly blows up my battery below the redoubt. I have to break up the grand battery to reinforce Terry and to get more guns to bear on the redoubt. I advance the howitzers to the ridge across from Semonovskaya so that they can support I cav and try to knock out Rowdy's howitzers. I reach the Redoubt with Mortier, Davout, and Lefebvre leading the assault. Rowdy's guns in and beside the Redoubt devastate the attack.

All we could find of Mortier was his ring finger and the Old Sarge was found wandering around muttering "Its just a flesh wound in the brain". The Iron Marshall stood with the cannon balls bouncing off his chest but even this display couldn't sway the Russian resolve. Rowdy commits three of his last four Guard regts to retake the town and smashes I cav. I aim the howitzers into the swirling melee and cause as much damage to French and Russian alike. I Have never seen an entire French cavalry corp die in two turns. It's not a pretty sight.

THE NORTH:

Rowdy orders all available troops to rush to the center. Junot's corp smashes a hole in the line that is weakened by the departure of troops that are moving to the center. All of Jim's cav is concentrated in the extreme north and can't react to this development. Jim starts retreating to the river while being hotly pursued by the YG in skirmish order. Keith has hit on a awesome tactic here. With the YG and Junot's powerful skirmishers he can fire on an average two tables higher at Jim's units. -Jim needs to redeploy his cav but Keith has kept in contact with them in the woods. Rowdy breaks up his grand battery across from Borodino and starts sliding the guns down the ridge to the north. This will help cover Jim's retreat and give him time to reorganize troops while he retreats.

Next issue.... CAN'T YOU SMELL THAT SMELL or HORSE FLESH ROASTING ON AN OPEN FIRE, JACK FROST NIPPING AT YOUR NOSE.