Snappy Nappy

The Austrian Invasion of Italy 1809
Archduke John vs. Prince Eugene

Memoirs of Gen. Wolfkeel:
Austrian Perspective

by John Burke

I read an article by Russ Lockwood in MWAN a few years ago in which Russ described a game based on the 1813 Campaign using his Snappy Nappy Rules. Needless to say I was intrigued and since Russ lives here in New Jersey I contacted him. On August 12, 2000 our club participated in our first Snappy Nappy game.

At right (l to r): Dan (Archduke John), John (Wolfskeel), Charlie (Gyulai), Fred (Eugene).

I was given command of Major General Wolfskeel's division in the 1809 Italian Campaign. My forces were initially ordered to advance on Udine and then continue on to capture St. Daniel's with the help of another Austrian column. If successful, I was then to backtrack and move towards Mantua. Of course no plan survives contact with the enemy.

The French had other ideas for my division. Why can't they stay in France where they belong, muttering "Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity?" I ran into French garrisons in Palomovia and Udine. A fierce fight quickly escalated into a major engagement as the French fed fresh troops into the battle. It was my typical "buzzard's luck" to attract the majority of the French troops to my one poor division. But General Wolfskeel was not intimidated! My gallant soldiers engaged the enemy with elan to spare. I was eventually forced to fall back across the river to Gorinzia and send out a desperate plea for help.

The arrival of Charlie's division and the Austrian Army Commander succeeded in relieving some of the pressure on my units. I was able to rally my battered troops in Gorinzia. General Wolfskeel had held. Now the tide of battle turned against the French as the Austrians launched their counterattack.

The Mecklenberg Grenadiers fixed bayonets and, with a resounding battle cry, they charged a battery of 6 pounders. The French fired canister into the faces of the Grenadiers. The lads shook it off and charged home, giving no quarter to the doomed gun crews. A unit of Charlie's cavalry hit the battery on the flank, adding to the carnage.

All along the front, from St. Daniels to Gorizia and Udine the scales were tipping in favor of the Austrians as our fresh troops arrived just in time. The French resisted valiantly, but there's a limit to what the men can endure. The French began to crumble and retreat. In an act of desperation the French Army Commander fled across the river with some of his troops and ordered the destruction of the bridges behind him. This left the better part of a French Division on the wrong side of the river where they had no choice but to surrender.

As the fighting came to a conclusion Russ declared the game a victory for the Austrians. On to Paris and down with the Corsican upstart! Next on the day's agenda was the barbeque. The post-game feast is one of Russ' traditions. It's a nice way of making sure a frustrated gamer doesn't try to lynch the umpire.

I am looking forward to another Snappy Nappy campaign with Russ Lockwood and company. Maybe some of the members that couldn't make this campaign can attend the next one.

Advice

I have some advice that might be useful to anyone that decides to take the plunge and play Snappy Nappy.

First of all, before you start moving, make sure you know which way is North or you'll be lost in no time. Russ has this sneaky habit of setting up the tables in different orientations to confuse the players.

Second, when writing messages, always include the time (real time, not game time). The messages are not delivered immediately and it is important for the recipient to know how old the information is. The situation on the table can change quickly and there will be a lot of confusion.

I must say that the fog of war that is created by Russ's rules was nerve wracking. It's a simple system that is remarkably effective. I've decided to use this method myself sometime in a game, so beware!

I thought the morale procedures in the rules worked well and were easy to follow. During the rally phase a unit can attach a commander and recover a morale step. I was able to rally a unit of grenadiers, cavalry and artillery from the brink of destruction. This enabled me to join in the Austrian counterattack and get some payback. A unit can evaporate completely in one turn if you hit a stretch of bad dice rolls. I can remember mumbling prayers and cursing the dice as my best battalion was buried by some bad luck. The morale rules really are effective and realistic.

More Snappy Nappy: 1809 Austrian Invasion of Italy

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