Same battlefield, this time with better rounded brigades owing to the 60 to 1 level of representation. Unlike TDFG, this game calls for brigade level orders which may be changed with different frequency depending on the Army - every 2 turns for Prussians in 1870, every 4 for French. The rules can be fairly permissive, allowing the player a lot of flexibility. For example, while detailed orders could be given for each element of a brigade, Brown offers the option of a simple: "Brigade A Defend village and grove."

Large Map (65K)

On this occasion Major Gray was late arriving, so I worked out the brigade battle plan. This time the 3 batteries, escorted by jagers and dragoons, deployed to cover the hill and village. My intent was for the jager (1st East Prussian) battalion to lead the first

regiment (1st Crown Prince's Grenadiers) to within Dreyse range of the military crest and town. The dragoons were to remain in support of the guns while the second regiment (5th East Prussian No. 41), led by the jager once the latter had covered the grenadier advance would swing through and around the woods to come up on the French flank, for the most part within Dreyse range.

Since I had not written this down Bill Gray modified it inadvertently and sent the grenadiers and jagers around, running the risk that they would have to cross 6" of Chassepot range before returning fire. It is worth noting that GBGV uses dice mainly on the margins. Each type of figure gets a percentage -12% for Prussians out to 10", 16% for French out to 16". If you have 10 French figures firing you have 160% against ordinary infantry in the open, 120% if prone, 320% against cavalry, 80% against skirmishers. A kill is automatic for 100%. You have to roll two decimal dice to get a percentage below the fraction to inflict a loss on less than 100%.

As before the cavalry managed to get into it - though the French had to take a couple of losses to flanking fire to come to grips, and again lost. This time they backed up and the losing contest was renewed in another turn. They had been attempting to charge the guns. They shouldn't have. In these rules Prussian gunners have 6 QP for "close combat," French light horse 5 (6 for Chasseurs d'Afrique-sabreurs magnifique!). Let me mention in passing that the resistance of even the most determined unsupported gunners to infantry or cavalry in close combat has historically been more heroic than successful.

In the meanwhile the jagers followed by the fusilier grenadiers (3rd Prussian battalions are fusiliers) were jogging around trying to catch the chasseurs a pied (who travel 7" in skirmish order vice 6" for mere Germans.) They also ran afoul of the mitrailleuse, which was hiding behind the town to stay out of trouble with the Prussian batteries.

The latter had been dominating the field. They chopped up infantry and guns which had the temerity to show themselves on the hill, demolishing a battery and chewing up a battalion or two. They then began to bombard the town. Note: towns don't mean a great deal in TDFG. They are hard to cope with in GBGV as indeed they should be. However, only half the figures in a building can shoot. Rich understocked the buildings, so while it took a long time to terrorize the occupants, they did relatively little damage to the Prussians who were lying about in skirmish order with a column in reserve. (People in buildings take 25% casualties, skirmishers 50%, prone 75%.)

The climax came shortly after the remnants of a French battalion panicked and quit the town. The nearest Prussian skirmishers moved in. Rich reacted quickly by throwing another battalion at the town and firing point blank with the mitrailleuse. This permitted the Prussian column down the hill on the other side to reach the flank of the mitrailleuse battery. The French battalion on that flank attempted a counterattack in line. At the same time the jagers and fusiliers attempted to charge the 13th chasseurs in successive waves. I called J.W. Brown for some interpretations.

Results were as follows: Prussian column crossed level ground before impact, and had equal base QP +1 for charging in column. French line could not clear the edge of the battery without exposing a flank if charging - Prussian win. I think the Prussians rolled over 50% on decimal dice, so battery and battalion routed. The fusiliers could not charge through the unfortunate jagers, who were all shot up anyway. French victory. Prussian remnants routed. In the town the building defenders did their pittance of fire-enough, as it turns out to finish 3 losses so the French were down another. Defending a building was +2 (equal to 2 to 1 odds.) Prussian win. French rout.

With the Prussians holding the key terrain and their artillery intact the game was ruled a Prussian victory with the French retreating by the south road - the north road to Paris open.

Complaints? A few. Rich Lowe announced up front that he didn't like the game because melee (or close combat as J.W. Brown prefers to call them) are automatic - no dice. I see his point. Tactically there are occasions when a long shot may be called for because a crucial win would completely unhinge a larger enemy force. Historically there is little more chancy than melee. Even so, I could live with that. I like to think of myself as skilful rather than lucky (it may be even less lucky than smart.) Brown's comments were that in time you get a feel for what will work, but that undue figuring of the odds before charging was contrary to the spirit of the game. That may work up to a point, but probably dice would do it better. Your quality points adjusted by positive and negative factors are used in morale checks before you can charge or counter charge, which does provide some random factor in the close combat situation (however, it is an automatic pass if you haven't suffered 3 casualties for Prussian or French line.)

A more damning criticism, also from Rich Lowe, was that "My mistake was in not using column attacks." Since the only column attack in the game was a flank attack on units firing in other directions we didn't have much to go on. However, on rereading the rules, he may have been right. Skirmishers automatically and completely screen all friendly units behind them from small arms fire. The skirmishers must draw out of the way at the end, but a mass of columns (i.e. 1866 Austrians, 3 battalions behind a screen of jagers) could arrange to suffer only one fire from a Prussian battalion of equal frontage, which would cause 2.88 or likely 3 casualties-not enough to even things up.

Brown admitted, on reflection, that columns might be somewhat advantaged for the period in question. However, he says he has played the Heights of Chlum (Prussian Guard defending against massed column counterattacks at Koennigraetz) with a narrow<%-2>

Prussian win (which is historically accurate.) Even so, with these rules I would pick Austria in 1866 and give them a point spread.

I would also add that the ratio of range to frontage is badly off, and the cavalry unnecessarily disadvantaged, but let me reserve that argument for the summary. GBGV is not alone in that regard.

More Three Roads to Paris

Introduction
Review: They Died for Glory
Review: Grand Bataille Grand Victorie
Review: In the Age of Bismark and Napoleon III
General Issues

Letter: Clarification for They Died for Glory (#65)
Rebuttals to Three Roads to Paris (#66)