Rivoli: Setting the Stage

Initial deployments

The call to arms in my last post, announcing a possible, solo refight of the Battle of Rivoli, netted a group of nine willing participants.  Fabulous response, I think.  With nine remote commanders writing orders for my tabletop maneuvers, this will be an interesting exercise.  Commands have been allocated among the participants.  There are four French commanders and five Austrian commanders. 

After allocating commands with consideration for player preferences in both nationality and level of command, I set to work writing an Instructions to Generals guide outlining the scenario, victory conditions, and explaining the order writing and submission process.  Also drafted were two briefings, one for the French and one for the Austrians.

Already, the CiCs are at work formulating plans to defeat the other.  Within the next few days, I expect to see orders beginning to trickle into my mailbox.  I am anxious to see what each has concocted as the key approach to victory.

Hopefully, this will prove to be an entertaining exercise for the participants as well.  If nothing else, we all may learn more about the Battle of Rivoli.

Below are a selection of photos from the game table, in silence, before the battle begins.   

The massive Austrian columns marching down the Adige Valley

French and Austrians face off on the Rivoli Plateau

Austrian view of Joubert situated on the Trombolare Heights

The defenders of the Osteria Gorge

Battlefield from behind the French lines

Joubert on the Trombolare Heights

The board of French reinforcements

We may be off and running very soon.

Call to Arms: Generals for Rivoli

Napoleon at the Battle of Rivoli, by Henri Félix Emmanuel Philippoteaux

Back in a November post, I mentioned the desire to refight the Battle of Rivoli near the anniversary date of the battle (14-15 JAN1797) in a solo exercise.  With many of us still in various levels of lockdown and self-quarantining, I figured that an opportunity to stretch many a homebound, armchair general's command abilities may be just the remedy in overcoming any post-holiday or pandemic malaise.  I will fight the battle on the gaming table in 15mm while carrying out instructions from the Remote Player Commanders (RPC).

Those RPCs volunteering to take up command will issue orders to their subordinates as subordinates attempt to carry out orders and issue dispatches up the chain of command to their superiors.  Superiors will only be able to react to situations within sight or through information provided in dispatches.  Lag times between dispatch transmission will vary dependent upon distance between commanders and whether couriers can find the last known HQ location.  Reports that are not delivered in-person between commanders travel at the speed of light horse.  RPCs may not be able to react timely to all battlefield situations.  Coordination between commands may not always be possible.  All of these communications will be accomplished via email.  I will be the central email regulator.  Generals will receive dispatches and situation reports to aid in assessing their actions and reactions for the next turn.  

If this sounds interesting, please read on.

The Situation

The Battle of Rivoli occurred as a result of the Austrian Army attempting to break out of the Adige Valley and marching out into the open countryside where Austrian superiority in numbers could overpower the inferior French army.  The goal of the Austrian operation is to relieve the siege at Mantua.  This would be the fourth attempt to lift the siege.  The Austrians are marching in six columns under the command of Alvinzti.  Austrian forces total about 28,000 men.  Having intelligence of this Austrian operation, Napoleon orders Joubert and his 10,000 man division to strike the Austrians before they can debouche from the Rivoli Plateau.  Contesting the advance of the Austrians in the early hours of the morning, our battle opens up with Joubert's French, having been pushed back by the advancing Austrians, situated upon the Trombalore Heights awaiting an attack by four of the six Austrian columns.

The remaining two Austrian columns are moving down the Adige Valley from which they plan to attack up and onto the Rivoli Plateau through the Osteria Gorge.  Most of the Austrian artillery and cavalry could not pass over the mountainous terrain to reach the plateau so all of these assets are in the Adige Valley.  Communication between these two Austrian forces is nearly impossible until the Osteria Gorge can be forced.

While Joubert is initially outnumbered, his division consists of hard fighters with a number of veteran light infantry.  As the morning wears on, Napoleon will be sending reinforcements north in order to help Joubert hang on to the heights.  From a tactical perspective, the French hold interior lines with fewer but better troops while the Austrians are more numerous but without all arms on the Rivoli Plateau.  Communications for the Austrians on the plateau and down in the valley are nearly impossible until the Osteria Gorge can be taken.  

Can Joubert and the French be crushed on the Rivoli Plateau before Napoleon and Massena intervene?  Will Joubert maintain his central position and thwart all Austrian attacks and threats until reinforced? As the boxes of Avalon Hill Wargames often suggested, YOU take command to change history.

The Battlefield

The battle will be fought out over a roughly 6'x6' battlefield with general troop dispositions as shown.

Initial dispositions

The Forces

The two armies are detailed in the OB below with each line item representing one Basic Maneuver Unit (BMU).  Generals are rated from ' 1' to '4' with '4' being best.  Infantry are rated by maneuver doctrine (French style or Prussian style) and skirmish capability (from '0' to '2' with '2' being best).  Artillery and cavalry are rated as Light (LT), Medium (MED), or Heavy (HV).  Non-leader BMUs are graded from 'Poor' to 'Elite'. 

Rivoli OB

Depending upon the number of RPCs who volunteer, commands will be assigned from the top down.  For example, with only two RPCs, Napoleon and Alvinzti will be the only active commanders.  With four RPCs, the commands could be logically split into Joubert and Napoleon (and everyone else) for the French and Alvinzti (and columns I-IV) and the two columns (V and VI) in the Adige Valley for the Austrians.  All orders to any non-player commands will be carried out by me and then sent through the command chain.  As more players take commands, more commands will become active to participation by RPCs.

Time commitment expected is not large on the part of RPCs.  As each turn is played out on the table, reports will be sent to participants.  Participants will need to evaluate these reports and dispatches, and write any orders when warranted.  More details on order writing and expectations will be provided at the start of battle  Order writing will be standardized with specific elements required but additional details are welcome.  No knowledge of the rules in play is needed but familiarity with wargaming and Napoleonics will be beneficial. 

If interested in taking an active command, please declare as a comment and by email to let me know.  In an email to me, please provide your preferred contact email address, preference for either France or Austria, and whether you have a command preference within that choice of nationalities.  My email address is listed in My Profile link on this page.  If your interests lay in commanding the armies and setting overall direction, pick either Napoleon or Avintzi.  If your interests lay in middle management, select one of the French division commanders.  If guiding tactics at the lowest formation level and carrying out orders from above is preferred, choose either a French brigadier or one of the Austrian Column commanders.  Perhaps list Top Three choices to help resolve any ties.  For more information, please send me an email on that too.

Those expressing an interest in participating from the November announcement were:

Norm S.

Andrè H.

Matt C.

Peter A.

Pascal B.

If any of the five above are still interested in participating, please give me another shout out to confirm.

Thank you!

In the Nick of Time!

Off the painting desk is the final piece of my self-challenge of painting twenty Hittite units in 2020.  Beginning from Ground Zero at the start of the year, I can now field a Hittite army of twenty BMUs.  Eight of these twenty units are chariots.  Certainly enough to take to the field.  Perhaps I can even field them in a Kadesh-like battle against the newly arrived Egyptian army?  The chariot and crew are from Wargames Foundry.  The runners are from Newline Designs.  By the way, Newline Designs is scheduled to begin a January sale on the 3rd.  Yippee!   

While 2020 has a few days remaining before the calendar is ripped apart, thoughts have been drifting toward painting goals for 2021.  Still too early to formalize goals and objectives but I lean toward two new projects in 2021.  Of course, current projects will continue to see a steady flow of paint as well. 

On painting goals,  I smashed my expectations on 2020 targets.  Details on the number of figures crossing my painting desk will be illustrated in a year-end wrap-up in a week or two when I release a barrage of graphics.  A goal of 900 painted figures was my target but managed to paint about 1,500.  Still, The Lead Pile does not look noticeably smaller. 

The planned refight of Rivoli 1797 should be ready to kick-off near the anniversary date of the battle, perhaps, near the second week of January.  As final preparations are put in order, a second call to arms to armchair generals interested in participating in order writing and decision-making will go out.  Four readers showed interest before.  We will see if these four are still interested and whether others may join in.

On the gaming front, remote gaming seems in full swing.  A refight of the WotR Battle of Wakefield was fought yesterday with the Lancastrians controlling the field but the Yorkists accomplishing their pre-battle objectives.  It was a good, solid fight and great fun.  For Graham's account of the action, please visit Wakefield: Won and Lost.  Anyone guess as to the period of a possible 2021 project?

With a Friend Like This

Well, I imagine most would wish for a friend like this.  A few days before Christmas, my long-time gaming buddy, Jake (see: Dartfrog's Adventures in 6mm), let me know that he would be in town for the afternoon and we could exchange our traditional Christmas gifts.  This year with social distancing, I would leave my package on the porch and Jake would make the swap in a drive-by gift exchange.  I did not see him pull up into the driveway.  By the time I did, he was back in his vehicle, waved and was on his way.  What I saw deposited on my porch was a large sack having several boxes stacked within.  I did not know what they were until I returned inside.  When the items were pulled from the boxes, I found this.

Jake's entire 28mm Egyptian Kushite Army built to face my Assyrians.  What?  That's right.  Jake gifted me his collection of Egyptians.  Astonishing generosity.  I was gobsmacked.  What a spectacle!

Jake's Egyptians were part of a joint project built to face my growing Assyrians.  With lead time required to paint these armies, scheduling challenges, and finally this year, COVID, we only managed two games with our armies in three years.  Since we are separated by about 80 miles, our schedules have not allowed for as much gaming time as hoped.

With my pandemic-inspired layoff in June prompted by the collapse of the commercial airline industry, Jake said his Egyptian Army would make for a suitable retirement commemoration.  I should say so!  Besides, he added, "you will have more time to game now and I have no plans to build an opposing army."  One funny note from this is that my Hittite build for 2020 had fighting these Egyptians on the field of battle as its primary goal!

Chapeau to you, my friend.  One day, you be able to command these troops, once again, on the field of battle.

Amazing, huh?  What a great friend and a pleasantly surprising end to an unpleasantly challenging year.

Happy Holidays!

2020 has been a singular year for many, no doubt. Christmas is no exception.  No white Christmas this year so I won't be pulling Santa's sleigh through the snow.  I will not be doing much of anything celebratory, actually.  Washington State is prohibiting indoor gatherings with people from outside your household unless they quarantine for fourteen days  prior to the social gathering or quarantine for seven days prior to the social gathering and receive a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 48-hours prior to the gathering.  Yeah, that puts a damper on most holiday celebrations in the Pacific Northwest.

Given these constraints, Christmas will be a quiet affair.  Christmas dinner preparations will be for two rather than ten.  The low key holiday may allow for some extra concentration at the painting desk while visions of new projects dance in my head.

One wargaming related Christmas gift came early and it is a real doozy.  I will share this generous gift in another post.  Until then, I wish everyone a

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

A Bridge to Victory

Photo courtesy wargamesinthedungeon

In the final installment of the three game mini-campaign following the exploits of obtaining 'Old Molly', the Americans have the difficult task of bridging a river under the face of enemy fire.  Seemed unlikely when I first saw the scenario.  Seemed more of a possibility as the game wore on.  Seemed unlikely again after the Americans faced a near catastrophic turn of events.

While the Americans could come on anywhere on their side of the board, the British would arrive at random locations on their side of the board.  Bridging sites were not confined to the obvious locations but the Americans could build a bridge or bridges anywhere along the river. 

Battle map.  Photo courtesy wargamesinthedungeon

Given the terrain, as the American, I figured the best protected place to bridge would be at the road at the top of the table.  At this site, my flank could not be turned and the wheatfield would offer cover to my troops as they protected the bridging party.

For another perspective (and better photos!), please visit Matt's battle account at AWI Campaign: Old Molly Part 3.

Let's see how this action played out.  Play-by-Play embedded within photos.

Photo courtesy wargamesinthedungeon

For the third game in this trilogy, the outcome was in the balance until the very end.  As the American commander, I saw no path to victory at the start.  How could I build a bridge in the face of enemy fire?  I figured the scenario would be a rear-guard action with the Americans trying to delay the British until the bridge could be built.  Imagine my surprise to discover that the bridging sites were contested by enemy troops as Jessop arrived!

Hat's off to Matt for another close and exciting game.  The battle swayed to and fro and victory was up for grabs until the very end. Well done!

Another mini-campaign is under consideration.

One More Celtic Chariot

The last stand of Newline Designs' Celtic chariots rolls off the painting desk.  Last stand until Newline Designs offers up its January sale, that is.  This stand brings the total complement of chariots to five or maybe six.  My recordkeeping is a bit suspect because I thought I fielded two BTD chariots and four Newline chariots.  Perhaps there was only one BTD chariot?  I need to pull figures from their boxes and make a double check.

Rather than fielding another chariot for the Celts, I really should be finishing off the Hittite 20 in 2020 project.  At last count, 19 units have been completed this year with one more to reach the goal.  Another Hittite chariot was planned and while I opted to field a chariot, a momentary lapse pushed a Celtic cart into the painting queue.  A final piece for the 2020 goal is in work in the form of a Newline Design Hittite chariot.  The Hittite chariot and many more packs were picked up during Newline's summer anniversary sale.  Speaking of the Newline's sales, another is upcoming in January.  I am making a list and checking it twice.  While I still have many of the Hittites picked up in the anniversary sale remaining in bags and unpainted, there is always plenty of interest to consider.  One possibility is a new project in 2021.  Maybe I will commit to a 21 in 2021 goal for this new interest?  

The painting table has not seen much activity this past week.  Remote gaming as well as compiling battle reports have taken much of my hobby time.  Hard to believe that I managed four remote gaming sessions in the last eight days.  Unbelievable, really.  What will be especially hard to believe is if I resist starting a new project in one of these recently gamed periods.

Plans during the holidays include working on the next Great Wargaming Survey 2020 analysis; a battle report on the last of the three-game, AWI Rebels and Patriots, mini-campaign encounters to get 'Old Molly' to safety; my command trials as Marshall de Saxe at the head of the French army at the Battle of Rocoux; my thoughts on wargaming books that captured my imagination and ignited my life-long fascination with wargaming; and a photo tour of my military history and wargaming library.  Now, Wargaming reflections may be only a first crack at this topic with a focus on the books or publications that ignited the passion.  Other follow-ups may include those books most impactful on my wargaming adventure and my Top 10 wargaming books.  Oh, expect some more painted units to cross over to the Painted side of the ledger before year-end too.  With luck, some of these might actually be realized before 2020 rolls off the calendar.