I was lucky enough to play test this over the weekend; it is part of the Six Days system. The system is much different from the Campaigns of Napoleon series, but it does share some similarities. One thing for sure, this game is more accessible to non-grognards than the Campaign series, and seems to play a bit faster. The units are divisions, which tend to be commanded by an officer.

The game map is great, and the components, even though just play-test, are very nice, as should be expected.

As I said before, the system is not that hard to learn, and OSG is going out if its way to make it accessible, without losing its grip on the command and control issues that confronted armies of that period. It allows you to experience those issues, without bogging you down. As a result, you are conducting your maneuvers and planning attacks, instead of getting tied down in complex supply and command structures.

The basic sequence of play is as follows:

Weather determination

Command Sequence: This is where your commander distributes command points to his officers that are in range.

Command Movement: Those guys above that were brought under command now move.

Individual Movement: For divisions that did not receive command points (you only have so many, and it depends on the army commander), or did not roll for command (because some of the officers may be too far away, and on top of it those leaders may have bad initiative ratings, so you can now try to activate subordinates individually.)

Combat: Very simple, with some nice touches such as column shifts for heavy Calvary when in clear areas, and terrain modifiers and other very easy to apply goodies.

That is basically it. There are 3 day turns followed by a night turn where you can give a march order, check supply (not a big issue as the time period covered is not very long), and check for demoralization (that is when a group under your hit its limit of causalities.)

Anyway, the game seems like a lot of fun and the lines are very fluid. You see small fronts develop as you adjust your approach based on who is where, your objectives, and terrain. There is a lot of maneuver, and it certainly has its tense moments.

All and all a very good experience. For those folks who enjoy operational level games of that period, I think it will be a hit and it may also interest those who have never tried that type of wargame.

The Bavarian Division of Deroy sets-up in the hills behind Landshut, just an infantry division and a 1-SP cavalry brigade (Divisions can break down into brigades). Being joined by a single vedette, the three units were able to hold-up the Austrian juggernaut until the morning of the 18th. Traffic jams on the 17th won't develop if the Bavarians skedaddle too soon ... their assignment is to gain time. Deroy had some success in throwing back the first two assaults, but was unable to retreat out of there and gain the town of Pfeffenhausen on the Great Laber River. That left Wrede's division astride the stream a few miles down at Rottenburg without support, and he also failed in his initiative and was destroyed (actually it was Lefebvre, the Corps commander, who failed, though he himself escaped to join up with another Vedette regiment and scamper back to Eckmühl in hopes of reorganizing one of two lost Bavarian divisions.

By the 19th the Austrians reached the Abens River at Siegenburg. Just in time Napoleon arrived with the third Bavarian division which had been idling near the Ilm River. Instead of waiting for his whole Corps, Davout marched out of Regensburg early with two divisions (to replace the two

Bavarians) and reached Rohr on the flank of the Austrian V Corps in Siegenburg. A French cavalry division at Abensberg forms the apex of the line holding the Austrians tentatively along the Abens and Salingbch streams. Kolowrat's II Corps attached Friant as he made his way along the Danube to Ratisbon and safety. The one remaining division of Davout's III Corps issued forth from Regensburg to give a Friant a hand. The two divisions (combined strength 23 or more) pushed back the Austrians easily.

Commencing with the night of 18 April, we both checked to see which units would be out of supply for the coming day and could each issue a March Order to one force with a long way to go. Jason sent his Austrian IV Corps toward Köfering. I gave the French one to Vandamme (leading the Württemberg troops of VIII Corps.) In the morning, the Austrians proceeded up the road and crossed the Abens at Biburg after brushing aside a couple of cavalry divisions. (This part of the French line was only sketchily held). Fortunately, a tremendous force of 40 SPs was devoted to these two hexes, which resulted in two cavalry retreats before combat (the Austrians having no cavalry present). In the afternoon, though, Davout's Corps arrived and changed the look of things, surrounding Lindenau's 11,000 men in Langquaid. That is a critical spot in the road grid, as it can be used to launch further offensive toward Teugn and Hausen and Abbach on the Danube. The hill of Grub was where Charles made his command post, just 2 miles short of Hausen. From there the short distance to the Danube about Ober-Saal is 5 miles. Charles was driving on that point to cut off Davout. In our game, however, I began bringing the individual divisions of Davout's Corps one at a time instead of waiting for the last division (Friant had already arrived at Regensburg on the Afternoon of the 18th). By afternoon of the 20th Friant was in position to move from Paring to Leierndorf and then across the bridge (still in road march), then changing out of road march and advancing along the stream to the rear of the Austrians in Langquaid. A small cavalry unit or even a vedette (if I did not suspect its identity) would have prevented the surround move which meant Lindenau's division could not be reorganized but was permanently eliminated. Napoleon, with St. Hilaire's division, attacked from in front. Now, as the afternoon descends into evening, the French are in the process of receiving 59,000 reinforcements under Massena and Oudinot. Pushing on a bit from Abensberg, the Austrians have established a salient with its apex at Abensberg, it's left along the Abens, and its right along the Siegbach facing French troops in Offenstetten and Bachl (and, since it was re-taken by Napoleon, Langquaid.) We are polishing up the rules as we go. We added some Heavy Cavalry rules... 16.3 Heavy Cavalry Heavy cavalry units ("HC") may subtract one from the die when attacking Light Cavalry. This effect is cancelled if there is any other type of unit in the defending hex besides light cavalry. Remember that all cavalry may retreat before combat if attacked by slower units. 16.31 Combined Arms: Light cavalry does not negate a Combined Arms that includes Heavy Cavalry (see 16.1). Heavy Cavalry attacking a bridge may achieve a Combined Arms (see 16.12)...

16.1 Combined Arms
If an attacking force includes both infantry and cavalry, the combat odds for the attack are shifted one column to the right before the dice are rolled (a 1 to 1 attack becomes a 1.5 to 1).
NOTE: The cavalry in this attack must have a strength of at least one after all modifications.
EXCEPTION: If the defending hex also contains infantry and cavalry the Combined Arms is negated - unless the attacker has Heavy Cavalry and the defender has only Light Cavalry.
NOTE: There is never an odds shift because of defender's Combined Arms. 16.11 Mixed Type: Attacking Mixed Type units may count their Vedettes toward the one SP needed for Combined Arms, only if deployed on the map. 16.12 Terrain Effects on Combined Arms: Combined Arms Attacks are not
possible: (1) when any cavalry attacks through a woods hexside; (2) against Fortified Towns; (3) against Bridges. EXCEPTION: Combined Arms attacks are permitted against a bridge hexside if any Heavy Cavalry is present in the attack. NOTE: Combined Arms are permitted against Stream Bridges.

After my big attack at Langquaid, the Austrians were quiet for the remainder of the 19th. Unbeknownst to me, they were gradually getting their best troops into position to launch their offensive to sweep the French left.

I forgot to re-position my Corps baggage trains in the evening which resulted in my left wing (Davout's III Corps) being entirely out of supply. (I am known to be a poor player.)

The French preferred to stand on the defensive to await the 59,000 reinforcements now making their way onto the map. As a result the Austrian salient remained intact around Abensberg, a mere 4 miles from the Danube. If the Danube is reached the French forces will be split in two...

Finally on the morning of 20 April, the Austrians were galvanized into motion, and all their corps were underway, even the II Corps which marched from Regensburg to Abbach, even reaching the defile of Ober-Saal with an all-arms force under Kolowrat himself. (I know because I 'had to write down all the positions after the session.')

The French position was saved this turn by Friant's stout defense of Bachl against Charles and the main army. There he was, surrounded at 3-1 odds, but upheld his reputation and threw back his 30,000 assailants. His position will need considerable shoring-up next turn (one of several points that will be severely threatened).

If, in my coming morning player-turn the Austrians are not ejected from Ober-Saal, my left wing will be cut-off. Fortunately, Napoleon is close by, and Davout will be able to bring troops to the critical battle on the very banks of the Danube.

If this goes well I will be able to threaten the Austrian left along the Abens River, where Oudinot's II Corps has collected after a Night March.
 

To be continued...