Lobositz I

Hopefully this will be a welcome return to wargaming. This post is about the plan to wargame Lobositz using an adapted version of Max Foy's Prinz Eugen rules for the War of the Spanish Succession. This comes after the successful trial of the rules using a scenario based on the Combat of Zinna (or First Battle of Torgau 1759). The reason for picking Lobositz is it's fresh in my mind having started reading the Henty book referred to in the previous post. I don't know when I'll get the figures on the table as work is getting busier and taking up more evenings and I'm still trying to keep up the exercise regime.

For several months I've been thinking about developing a hex-based version of my Bellona et Fortuna SYW rules, but that's one of my Summer 'to do' list that never got done. As the playtest of the Prinz Eugen rules went well I thought I may as well use them as the basis for a larger battle. After the last couple of outings of Bellona et Fortuna (here and here), I thought I'd attempt to speed up play by making the basic unit a brigade instead of 5 squadrons/2 battalions (i.e. a Prussian or Austrian regiment). Prinz Eugen units are basically battalions or smaller regiments of cavalry (3 squadrons) so by scaling up to 'brigades' I'll be roughly quadrupling the size of a unit. In terms of overall numbers engaged, Lobositz is four times the size of Zinna, so that works out rather neatly.

My hexes (13cm across the flats) contain two bases of horse or foot at 6cm each. Each base represents a regiment with a frontage of 300 yards each, so the hex works out at 650 yards across (i.e. the whole brigade frontage). I know there was not a standard size for brigades in either army, but I am working on the basis of 4 battalions or 10 squadrons, and rounding off the odd change where the historical order of battle doesn't quite fit. Having consulted the maps in both Kronoskaf and Duffy, I spent more time than I should have calculating the size of the battle map in terms of hexes. After much head-scratching, rubbings out, thinking of the first number I started with, and then starting all over again, I came up with 10 wide by 8 deep. This comes to 130 by 90cm approximately which fits neatly onto the dining table without extensions.

Given that hexes will represent a pretty large area (650 yards wide), only artillery will be able to engage in ranged combat. Shooting and any clash of cold steel will all be subsumed into a single bound of combat. I'll probably determine this as when one brigade enters the hex of an opposing unit. I might need to rethink the balance between cavalry and infantry in Melee Combat since infantry in Prinz Eugen might already have had a chance to have a pop at enemy cavalry before they come to melee. Perhaps.

Also, as the basic artillery unit will be a battery of 10 guns and not scaled up*, the relative hitting power against horse and foot needs to be reduced. For each hit inflicted on infantry or cavalry, the target will get a saving throw of 4,5,6 on a D6. Also the range will be 2 hexes (1300 yards) down from the 6 hexes in my Zinna playtest. I'm thinking of awarding an extra hex length for guns sited on hills, allowing for better visibility. I'll keep movement at 1 hex for foot and 2 for horse in line. I'll also keep the modifications I made for light troops. However, I will distinguish between cuirassiers and dragoons in combat against each other. I will allow 'brigade orders' for units in adjacent hexes, though in this case the formation will be larger than a brigade. And finally, I'll allow 'stacking' of brigades in a hex given the area that it is supposed to represent. This will take a bit of careful thought around interpenetration though, so more on that later.

* batteries of 20+ will be unwieldy

Now then. To orders of battle. Taking the size of brigades as described above and the orders of battle in Kronoskaf, I'll have the orders of battle as follows.

Austrian

Infantry: 7.5 brigades (incl. 1 elite**) NOTE CHANGE FROM 6.5

Cavalry: 6.5 brigades (0.5 elite cuirassier, 0.5 horse grenadier, 4 cuirassier, 1 dragoon, 1 hussar)

Grenzers: 2 brigades (each 2 battalions)

Heavy guns: 2 batteries

** I'll probably make this extra strong by giving it a starting status of 5, and round down the total brigades to 6

Prussian

Infantry: 6.5 brigades (0.5 elite***)

Cavalry: 6 brigades (4 cuirassier, 2 dragoon)

Croats: 2 brigades (each 2 battalions) NOTE THERE WERE NO CROATS FIGHTING FOR PRUSSIA

Hussars: 1 weak unit (possibly only 1 strength point)

Heavy guns: 5 batteries

*** this will be a weak brigade starting with only 2 strength points

I'll probably have a look again at the orders of battle in the Duffy books to see if it leads me to any different conclusions. The disparity in heavy guns looks odd.

The two sides will start with 4 subordinate generals, plus the commander-in-chief, both of whom will be deemed 'Good' and earn extra Order Chips.

Victory Points

Will be 1 per unit or general removed. The Prussians will win a major victory if they inflict 7 VPs on the Austrians. If they inflict fewer than this but hold Lobositz town and have cleared the Lobosch at the end of  X turns, they will have gained a tactical victory. Otherwise the Austrians win. The Austrian win becomes major if they remove 8 Prussian units.

I think that is everything, I have the orbats and the map worked out. I have the rule modifications more or less sorted out. I just need to find time to set it up and play. A bientôt mes amis!