Reviews

[kzucker]

In tandem with its leading series on the Napoleonic campaigns at the scale of the corps d’armée, OSG continues to develop its « other » series, done in close-up at the scale of the division covering periods of one week or two of operations. The Seven Days of 1809 is the fourth OSG game of this type after Six Days of Glory (see VV n°17), 1806 (see VV n°21) and Last Days of the Grande Armée (see VV n°27). It concerns the manœuvres of Abensberg and Eckmühl, to the south of Ratisbon in Bavaria, between 16 and 23 April 1809. The big principles dear to Kevin Zucker are continued and developed in the new version of the rules: the game is designed for Hidden Movement (inverted units), cavalry detachments being provided to scout and screen enemy forces. Every turn (6 hours of real time) the two players dispose of a budget of Movement orders to activate their principal formations. The characteristics linked to every army organization are faithfully reflected—at the beginning of this campaign, it is Berthier who directs the army, apprehensively, in anticipation of Napoléon’s arrival. Other controlling factors were integrated by Kevin Zucker into this simulation, with special rules on the fighting in the particularly dense and numerous forests in this region; or again, Austrian mixed-type units combining light infantry and cavalry. The Seven Days of 1809 proposes moreover that results of combat will proove less bloody that in the preceding games. The variety of outcomes is guaranteed by four scenarios: Austrian advance (16 turns), the battle of Abensberg (7 turns), the battle of Eckmühl (7 turns) and at last the complete campaign that can be launched on any date back to 16 April.

The map, created by Mark Simonitch, is actually splendid. This, we know, has been the strong point of OSG games for a decade. The counters succeed better than those of the preceding games, without overlooking the beauty of those in Six Days of Glory from the epoch of Clash of Arms. The tracks and historic march tables for each day are frankly impressive in their details and erudition. The researches carried out, notably on the battle order of the Austrians and the mapping of the daily situations, confer to this simulation an admirable exactness. The quality of the equipment is this manner generally irreproachable. We will set ourselves in our next issue to evaluate the strategic interest of this week of April 1809, that was without any doubt one of the fiercest weeks of fighting without a real decision in all of the Napoleonic campaigns. No doubt, The Seven Days of 1809 is a game equal to the height of its subject. Note, for those fascinated with the games of Kevin Zucker, the indispensable complement to this new game constitutes the magazine Wargame Design (Volume. II., n° 8), that is included in the package.

Frédéric Bey, for Vae Victis (in issue N° 60)

The Seven Days of 1809 a game in English edited by Operational Studies Group, that includes a map (4xA3), 280 units in colors, a booklet of rules and 8 player aid cards.

Information and ordering for OSG and for Wargame Design: http// :www.NapoleonGames.com

[Didier Rouy]

Well,
I do not intend to "review" the game per se, but I did not find another place to say what I think about it !
I have designed many games, and I must admit that I am terribly jaleous not having designed this one. Simple, fluid, beautiful map, a lot of adhesive power.
I am not sure you know what "adhesion" means in french : it could be rated as the time needed by someone else by trying to make you keep up your game, for diner for example. The more you "adhere" the game, the better the game ! And this one is pretty high-ranked : up to the last turn you are not so sure of where the advantage is. On one turn the french is thinking to retreat, and the next turn, the austrian does the same.
Anyway, I usually rank a game by the amount of fun I "spend" on it, and this one is very high.
Even if battles are very bloody, and that both armies are quite used up after a few days, which sounds historical, and the "Ex" results a little frustrating as you see your best troops vanish, I like it.

Congratulations, Kevin, please make many others !

Vive l'Empereur !

[kzucker]

Hi Didier,

I like the idea of "adhesion." Of course we have borrowed this word into English, but mainly we think of it as something sticky, like tape. "Sorry dear, I cannot come to dinner, I am adhered to the game," would likely elicit spousal scorn. Short of that, we could only say, "Wait just five more minutes!" That is adhesion.

Where can people find out more about your game designs?

[kzucker]

A Major Review that will appear in the upcoming issue (now on the press): http://www.vaevictis.com/
[A Note on the translation: we had trouble translating a few short passages, and so left them in their original French. If someone would like to provide the missing sentences in English we will re-edit them into place.]

The Seven Days of 1809
All roads lead to Ratisbon

Resuming the system inaugurated for The 6 Days of Glory in 1997, Kevin Zucker enriches his "grand tactical" series in a game on the campaign between Napoléon and Archduke Charles in the spring of 1809.

Frédéric Bey

When one opens the box of a game of Kevin Zucker, it is impossible not to focus immediately on the map. Object of all the researches and meticulous work of the designer, the map gives an exact idea of the effort undertaken to plunge us back, in an instant, two hundred years ago. The map of The Seven Days of 1809 is a perfect rendering in color of the look of a map from the ancient archives of the Ministry of the War. The Bavarian countryside, strongly wooded and very rippled, is enclosed to the north by the Danube and to the south by the Isar. In the northeastern corner on the Danube, one finds the city (right bank) and the citadel (left bank) of Ratisbon. In the northwestern corner, Ingolstadt constitutes another Fortified Town on the far bank of the river. On the south edge in the center of the map, the city of Landshut checks the course of the Isar. It is between these three cities and these two watercourses that French and Austrians will be fighting.

An explosive position

Spring 1809. Encouraged by the Spanish difficulties of Napoléon, Austria stakes all its forces in a new war to avenge the affront of 1805. Th army of Archduke Ferdinand is in Galicia with 30 000 men facing the Polish. Archduke John operates in Italy and counts 50 000 men under his orders. At last, Archduke Charles, the best Austrian general, is at the head of 200 000 men and projects a powerful offensive on Bavaria, a principal ally of the French. On April 10, Charles occupies Munich and crosses the Inn. At the same moment, the popular leader Andreas Hofer releases an insurrection in the Tyrol. On the French side, the position is stretched. Their best troops are engaged in Spain. It is necessary in this state of exhaustion to call upon the allies. The new Armée d’Allemagne is not concentrated and Napoléon, on the road to the headquarters, does not directly command the troops. This is entrusted to Berthier, inspired Chef d’Etat but no strategist—the mission: to muster the different corps d’armée. Berthier, interpreting poorly the emperor’s thought, sends Davout on a reckless journey by way of Ratisbonne…. That marshal takes on the full force of the Austrian war machine. The Seven Days of 1809 begins at this precise instant. Napoléon, arrived April 17 at Donauwörth, leaves Davout and attempts to bypass the army of Archduke Charles by a vast movement on his right, by Landshut. Davout is attacked as early as the 18th by four Austrian corps d’armée sent by Charles to intercept him. The game is set. Who will concentrate most efficiently his forces to beat the enemy, around the contact point that becomes quickly a fixing point?

The difficulty of the position consists, for the French player, to make the transition from an attitude of defense to seizing resolutely an offensive posture. For the Austrian player, the equation is the inverse. Behind this strong tendency, reversals will be numerous depending upon the equilibrium of the forces, and the two players have to attend to a constantly changing the tactical advantage.

The army of Archduke Charles henceforth was organized in six corps d’armée, on the French model, and two reserve corps. This new structure lacks coordination, notably due to a rivalry between Hiller and Archduke Charles. The French Army forms in 1809 a very varied body. The IIIe corps (Davout) is a true formation d’élite. The IVe corps (Masséna) musters vétérans and recruits, as does the IIe corps (Oudinot). The VIIe corps (Lefebvre) is composed from Bavarian divisions, the VIIIe corps (Vandamme), principally the Wurttemberg division. Two divisions of heavy cavalry and the sole division of light cavalry are divided up in the different corps d’armée. Some units act independently; division Rouyer (German troops) and the big heavy cavalry division of Nansouty. Historically, thanks to two decisive successes at Abensberg and Eckmühl, Napoléon very quickly obliged Archduke Charles to a precipitated retirement that carried him once again to abandon the field to the French.

The alchemy of the system

As with all the games of OSG, The Seven Days of 1809 respects the theoretical principles of the conduct of operations such as general Camon so well described in La guerre napoléonienne. The rules, while preserving the basic principles of the series, is widely evolved with this new game (see sidebar). The armies are subjected to re-provisioning constraints, that require players to assure their communication lines leading to sources of supply. These are situated on the north and west edges of the map for the French and on the south edge for the Austrians. The capture of Ratisbon eventually allows the latter to create itself a re-provisioning new source well nearer the critical battlefields. From the supply source hexes, the players can trace a line of 27 movement points maximum (by roads or trails uniquely) leading to the train of every corps’ baggage. The divisions next are supplied, so long as they remain in a perimeter of 7 hexagons of the baggage train. All the units in the game are deployed face-down showing only their national standard. It is mpossible to differentiate them or evaluate forces. The height of the stacks can be misleading: a unit can in fact represent a lone general, a detachment or a cavalry regiment (100 to 500 men), a brigade (2 500 men) or in the majority of the cases a division of infantry (5 000 - 10 000 men). Units turn to their face when they penetrate into an EZOC, and contact an enemy stack, unless there is a bridge, a river or a fortified town obstacle. In this context, the whole texture of the game, especially in the phases of approach, lies in the reconnaissance manœuvres entrusted to cavalry detachment (vedettes). Every light cavalry regiment can divide itself in two or three detachment (amounts noted on the unit) to accomplish these missions. Without much combat power the vedettes are still more precious in exposing enemy forces and to force them to reveal themselves. These small detachment are able to withdraw and elude the fight without great risks. The mastery of utilizing the vedettes is essential to the play of Seven Days of 1809. Otherwise, every encounter can turn to total surprise. The last founding mechanism of the game system is linked to Command. It is moreover the same as the campaign series of the same author (at the scale of the corps d’armée, e.g., Bonaparte in Italy or Highway to Kremlin). Each general disposes a budget of orders to activate a number of corps leaders if located within Command range. The latter extend command to all the units of their corps that are themselves within Command range. The potential availablity of orders serves in addition to activate directly as much isolated divisions being located within command distance. Units out of command will not be able to budge until after the end of the all Movement by units that received command. They are then able to move only on the success of a die roll for initiative. Therefore the players cannot be certain to count on the actions of ordered units; for the others, hazards are important and it is not always reasonable to build a strategy on their eventual arrival to the right place and at the moment required. Before the arrival of Napoléon, alone the IIIe corps of Marshal Davout automatically is ordered (specific rule), as he received orders. As soon as the little corporal is on the map, if the French player organizes correctly and concentrates his forces, he can hope to command effectively 80% of the units of his army. On the contrary the Austrian player will not be able in the better cases than to give orders to 60% of his units. What is more, Archduke Charles being subject to crises of epilepsy, a rule simulates the possibility that he cannot give the least order for a half-day … This difference in the potential of command of the two generals in leadership drives the two players to adopt radically opposed approaches. The Austrian Army will tend toward a defensive posture around carefully chosen resistance points. The French player will be allowed by quick movements to bypass and attack the enemy on its weak points.

[kzucker]

A Discussion on the CRT

Since perfected for them, the rules of the "Days" series work with the same combat results table. Very classical, this rests on the power struggle between attacking and defender (12 columns, from 1/5 to 6/1, going through 1/1,5 and 1,5/1) and the throw of one die (d6). The lone modifiers to the die are for the presence of Napoléon, heavy cavalry utilization and for forces combining infantry and cavalry. The effects of battle include the retreat of the loser up to four hexagons, the elimination of half or all the Strength points of forces. If the result is an Exchange, the weaker side loses the entirety of its force points and his opponent must eliminate half of this figure. Non-supplied units cannot advance after combat. On the whole of the possible results, 46% of them result in direct elimination of units. Even against that, there is a luck as three proceed to an exchange. To be clear, this table is extremely « bloody ». The series will be criticized for this reason. These eliminations are not so final. All eliminated units can return to the game with a reduced force after two turns - minimum - of reorganization off-map. Rapidity of a unit's return to the game depends somewhat on the value of initiative; this again favors the French. Elimination after a battle shows how units are disorganized during the course of the day. Although "bloody" at the scale of single battles, the CRT is therefore much less so at the scale of a 7 days campaign. Units with an initiative of 3 have in fact a one in two chance of being operational the day after of a lost engagement.
Personally I always found this a realistic and satisfactory choice for the historic quality of simulation. The general flow of the game confirms this admirably. The game sessions that result in historically suspect outcomes are rare. The ultimate strength of The Seven Days of 1809 are the deployment charts that allows playing the campaign while starting up in the historic conditions of any of the 7 days of the campaign. This flexibility allows varying the set-ups, and to utilize the game according to the player’s available time and aspirations. A departure point in the morning of the battles of Abensberg (April 20) or Eckmühl (April 22) will sell itself by set-ups or the tactical aspects will dominate (armies already in contact or almost). A launch on an intermediary date will generate a more centered game on the manœuvre. It is good news that when beginning to play on the April 16 set-up that the players will benefit from the more open set-ups.

According to the words of Kevin Zucker (Wargame Design Vol. II, n°8), "Strategy," for Napoleon, meant arranging his forces to take advantage of chance and changing circumstances. Chance is the most realistic part of these games. The Seven Days of 1809 illustrates perfectly this assertion and proves that the strategic and tactical talents of the players sometimes must do allegiance to their capacity to exploit very unexpected positions.

Thanks to David Beaudlet for the playtests.

[kzucker]

Always at the same echelon (the division), the four games of the series cover with periods of 4, 6, 7 or 10 days. Their maps the characteristiies d’avoir been drawn by 4 different artists.

The Six Days of Glory (Clash of Arms, 1997). See Vae Victis n°15 and n°17. Note: 4,5/5. First game of the series, it is alone in having been edited by Clash of Arms, then translated in French and distributed by Tilsit Editions. Its map, signed by Rick Barber, and its units are magnificent. The game concerns the period of the 9 to 14 February 1814, during which l’empereur won his last victories: Champaubert, Montmirail and Vauchamps. Les scénarios ne mettent en jeu que très peu de pions sur un espace assez restreint. All the interest on the set-up lies in the management of the central position occupied by a French army, not very numerous, but of a quality unequaled by the corps d’armée of Russia and Prussia that are opposed to him. It is personally one of my favorite games, all categories, so it transports us with acuity in one of the more dramatic periods of the Napoleonic epoch.

1806: Rossbach Avenged (OSG, 1998). See Vae Victis n°21. Note: 3,5/5. While covering the operations that unfolded in the 8 to October 18 1806, this second game included by the even iéna-auerstaedt the whole campaign and its prelude of Saalfeld. It is the most vast of the series, with two big maps to assemble. The scenarios are varied and of very different sizes. An introductory scenario plays even with less than ten units! The position for the manœuvres of approach on a vast theater of operations, blocked by the rivers Ilm and Saal. Once more, it's the superiority of the French order and the initiative of its leaders that allow it to overtake the heavy Prussian army. The map of Joe Youst is splendid, but the units, model-OSG, are less beautiful than those of the epoch of CoA. 1806 is more complex than its predecessor and the campaign is comparatively long to play.

The Last Days of the Grande Armée (OSG, 1998). See Vae Victis n°27. Note: 3/5. To my eyes the least successful game of the series, well that the magazine Games Magazine milk selected among the better games of the year in 2000 (with Path of Glory and Totaler Krieg). The position, repeated a hundred times, contains no surprise and the game in method « returned units » there loses interest. The game carries only on four days, of the 15 to June 18 1815, this that limit also the strategic options. The units are of the trains of those of 1806. The map of Masahiro Yamazaki is not particularly beautiful. It is covered with big hexagons, this that, for a size equivalent to the one of The Six Days of Glory, reduces again very clearly the possibilities of manœuvre. To the same scale as the mythical Napoleon’s Last Battles, nevertheless same author, The Last Days of the Grande Armée does not reach to make to forget it…

The Seven Days of 1809 (OSG, 2004). See also Vae Victis n°60. Note: 4/5. The graphics bring back the game to the level of The Six Days of Glory, notably the very beautiful Mark Simonitch map. The dispersion of forces of the two camps gives in the campaign, that runs from the 16 to 23 April 1809, a total tactical uncertainty. Especially, the equal value of the two armies in presence leave to presage fight so harsh and unequal. The French order is of course better, but at the start, Napoléon is not at the head of his troops. Quick concentration of the forces, and subtle movements between the big massive forest of Bavaria are at the program. Of what to be held in breath of the first one to the last instant on the part. Note also some special rules pleasing: crisis d’épilepsie of Archduke Charles, Austrian mixed units, special aptitudes of the vétérans of Davout, reserves French marshals (Lannes and Bessières) to create corps ad hoc…
Notice: A visual narrative of the campaign of the 7 days of 1809 is available on http://talk.consimworld.com/WebX?14@@.ee6cd4c/602

[Pablo García]

Hi Kevin, let me give it a shot at the remaining sentences in french. Sometimes French (and Spanish) translation is not easy because the literal translations are meaningless

La table de combat fait débat
A discussion on the CRT

« Sanglante » à l’échelle de chaque bataille, la table des combats l’est donc beaucoup moins à l’échelle d’une campagne de 7 jours. Les unités d’initiative 3 ont tout simplement une chance sur deux d’être opérationnelles dès le lendemain d’une bataille perdue.
Although "bloody" at the scale of single battles, the CRT is therefore much less so at the scale of a 7 days campaign. Units with an initiative of 3 have in fact a one in two chance of being operational the day after of a lost engagement.

Le déroulement général des parties le confirme d’ailleurs admirablement. Rares en effet sont les tests qui débouchent sur des situations historiquement aberrantes.
The general flow of the game confirms this admirably. The game sessions that result in historically suspect outcomes are rare.

hope this helps,
Regards, PGS

[kzucker]

Pablo,

That is very clear. Good job. I hope it is o.k. for me to paste in your translation...

[kzucker]

(Translated from the original French...)

talk.Consimworld.com
Wargames in France
Raynald Foret - Jul 30, 2005 12:33 pm (#2206)

We played part of Seven days of 1809 with Denis commanding the Austrians and me commanding the Dream team French (the last one ...). We began the campaign April 19 and went to the evening of the 20. Beginning on the 19th means the Austrians are dispersed and ill-commanded while the French concentration is not toohard to achieve. All the more since Denis chose to
withdraw and did not try to put the pressure with these available forces (on the excellent III Corps of Davout or on the honorable VII Corps of Lefebvre) but rather to concentrate a powerful army for a defensive battle in the
place of his choice. We did not attain this; rather, just one big battle at Eckmuhl: Davout crushed the IV corps Austrian (demoralized) while having massed just what was necessary to the strength point (double blind, without ever havings een the battle order: it is strong this Davout!).

When we stopped, a storm prevented Davout (and the bulk of the French army: Lefebvre, Vandame and Oudinot had rejoined) to make the least pursuit: the campaign remained therefore open (but to the advantage of the French). With 7 days of 1809 Zucker kept the strengths of the system of 6 DOG and lessened its weak points. Notably, the CRT is now enough in favor of the attacker ... That has in my opinion a happy effect on the dynamics of the system. Finally an excellent experience and a very pleasant afternoon.
It is not that my current napomania will pass (am rather 2 fingers to buy the
game and to order Four Lost Battles ...). Thank-you to Fred the go-between.

[kzucker]

As the attentive reader of Maneuver Criticism reliably knows, I do not belong to that circle of acquaintances which writes for our magazine a multiplicity of reviews…
Kevin was obviously very interested by my offer and sent first of all a draft of the map and the still very meagerly filled-out march tables. Thus I made myself times to the work. Completely honestly - if I would have suspected beforehand, how much work is connected with it, I know not whether I would have behaved better completely, completely quietly! Also I sat for hour after hour over books, maps and plans and completed the march tables, provided a battle order with the strengths of the respective units and accomplished a conversion into points of strength. Since I also who on the fact put that the names of the units and commanders are correctly written, must be accomplished here many corrections.
Same applies to the map. Also here I attached great importance to the fact that the place names are correctly written (and not as into the S&T maps, where practically each second locality is false!) Concerning now the map, then I sent Kevin one set of topographic maps of the Bavarian office for land surveying on a scale 1:50.000 and …
Fortunately still another person began to interest himself in the project: Mr. John Gill... Clearly, still many positions and/or strength values of the units were finally changed compared with my first drafts, but altogether a probably very exact battle order came out as result.
Besides these tasks I began to revise the rules for errors and/or discrepancies in every detail. Also this was for me absolute new ground. I sent for a long time proposed amendments and/or improvements to Kevin and was surprised that actually nearly everything was amended in such a way and/or supplemented in the rules (nevertheless it still has errata - I will never excite myself again over Errata)...
And then it was finally so far: The game appeared in print, with an article of mine in the enclosed magazine! This I can tell with pride to my grandchildren.

… As weak point like I said if necessary the many chrome rules to evaluate, which restrain the play flow at least for untrained players somewhat. But Kevin Zucker is in this regard an enthusiast and thus finds all these details with well-meant intention as introduction into his games. Surely beautiful for the historically interested player, less well for someone who would like to play times evenly such a game over this era.