Development

[kzucker]

Jim,

We are working on the playtest kits, may send them out on the 17th...

[kzucker]

Current Status: I am now working on the fifth version of the game map to Kulm. When this map is done, the playtest kits will go out. At the same time work continues on the rules. Line of sight is going to be interesting. Hilltops will let you see 6 miles (20 hexes). Duststorms can close visibility down to one hex, and of course a chain of hills will prevent you from seeing anything.

[Jeffrey Arnold]

After I read the details of the 1813 Quad, I took a look at my copy of Battle of Dresden,1813 by New England Simulations. This is probably a bad idea, but it may be possible to create some kind of campaign game that would link Dresden with the quadrigame. What do you think , Kevin? Is this something to consider? Do you think the NES guys would consider it?

[kzucker]

Jeffrey,

Guess what gamebox is open on my work table? That same battle for Dresden. I have one problem with this very fine and well-put together game: the map scale. The rulebook says the scale is 400 yards but it is actually around 360 yards per hex. That means everyone is moving about one-third slower cross-country than they can move in Nap's Last Battles and the other games where the scale is 525 yards per hex; however, the addition of "Grand Tactical Movement" where a major road hex costs 1/3 MP and a minor road 1/2 MP allows units using GTM to make proper time. Stacking is also (appropriately) a bit more restricted in Dresden. All of that means that the Dresden game would have to use its own set of rules in any possible Campaign Game.

It would be great to have Mark Hinkle of NES to design the counters for Four Lost Battles, as we could then intermix the counters of the two games, which would move us along in the direction of the kind of campaign game you are thinking of. However, Mark has already told me he has no time in his schedule for this project.

[kzucker]

The Campaign game is simple: You will play each game in chronological order: Grossbeeren, then Katzbach, Kulm, and finally Dennewitz. How well the French player succeeds in each battle will influence his chances of having augmented forces in subsequent battles.

Avoid defeat at / More Troops at
Grossbeeren / Kulm
Katzbach / Dennewitz
Kulm / Dennewitz

Historically, because of the defeat at Grossbeeren, Napoleon withheld forces from Kulm. Similarly, because of the defeats at Katzbach and Kulm, he had to retain forces originally slated for the Dennetwiz operation. So if you don't lose at Grossbeeren, you are much more likely to have augmented forces at Kulm. Your actual forces are determined by the draw of cards, but the deck will be stacked according to results of prior battles (win, hold the battlefield, draw, defeat).

[Jeffrey Arnold]

Kevin,

Too bad that NES isn't interested, but there still might be a chance to do something here. If we added Napoleon at Leipzig to the mix, do you think it would be possible to assemble a reasonably accurate OOB for the period from August 18 to September 7, 1813? I understand that we would have to accept a little "fudge factor" regarding unit strengths, but at least we would have the maps & counters for a campaign game.

I'm curious to know how you uncovered the map scale difference in Dresden. I know it's difficult to find accurate map information for the subject matter.

[kzucker]

HI Jeffrey,

I could put you to work on this project if you keep asking questions!

Regarding the scale of the map, a lot of us designers rely upon the West Point Atlas. But I have to tell you those scales are all over the place. I suspect that is because those maps are based upon the recently-uncovered 1847 maps (no one knew about these except Elting and he isn't talking). And their map scales are given in German military paces! Which we guess are 30".

I first discovered this problem with the "Atlas" (which is still a superb resource) when walking the Eylau battlefield with a portfolio of maps that included the Atlas map of the battlefield.

I checked the scale of the Dresden map against Petre's map in the "Last Campaign in Germany" (that came out at 363 yards). Then I double-checked with "An Atlas of Rare City Maps."

Just to settle the question, I took out the Michelin Red Guide from 1992. The Dresden map is on page 218-19. This shows the scale of the game map is 335 meters per hex (366.25 yards). I can be confident because the game map itself is very faithful to the geography and doesn't have a lot of 'fudge factors.'

[kzucker]

To answer your question about the OB for the Four Lost Battles, right now, the French counter mix including baggage trains, leaders, and a few vedettes is 200 units. All the French Corps are included except: Marmont's II, Poniatowski's VIII, Davout's XIII (Hamburg), and Augereau's IX (in Bavaria until early October).

[Jeffrey Arnold]

Kevin,

I doubt if I have the brain power required to figure out how a campaign game would work, but I can probably steal enough rules from your other games to get started.... In the meantime, I've pulled my copy of Nafziger's Napoleon At Dresden (and a few other things) off my book shelf and started daydreaming.

Years ago I acquired a set of Napoleonic map reprints done by the Haas Press (Raleigh,NC). The original source for the maps is "William Blackwood & Sons, Edinburgh & London". I have no idea how much further the provenance of these maps goes back. Research on the internet has, so far, yielded nothing.

Anyway, the detail on the maps seems very good, & I've long thought that NES used the Dresden map as a source for their game. Since this set includes Leipzig & all the batles in the 1813 Quad, it could be a useful source for a campaign game. Any thoughts on this?

[kzucker]

Jeffrey,

The Campaign Game is already worked-out, but it's on the review of the OB where we could use some help right now. The OB as it was handed to us has the French at 500 men per SP, regardless of their background and training. That is going to change. At the beginning of 1813 the French army in Germany had, very broadly speaking, four different categories of troops:

A. Middle and Old Guard
B. Line and Young Guard
C. National Guards (Cohorts)
D. Depot/Garrison/Conscripts (including YG conscripts)

A. Middle and Old Guard
3,000 veterans withdrawn from Spain- 1,500 8-year veterans went to the OG, 1,500 4-year vets to Mid-Guard, 600 troopers for Guard Cavalry.

B. Line and Young Guard
1. Troops Drawn from Spain
a) Cavalry Depot Battalions to form new regiments
b) 13,000 men from 3rd & 4th battalions + depots from Spain
c) "Real" Young Guard (2 rgts+)

2. Marins (naval gunners)
4 regiments (20 bns) - to VI Corps
12,895 men, averaging 23 years of age
+ 4,000 conscripts, 19 years of age.

3. Municipal Guards of Paris (new 134 Line) and other towns (new 37th Lt.)

C. National Guards (Cohorts)
78,000 men called out in Dec. 1812, 20-26 years of age
+17,000 men of 1813 class, no training, 19 years of age.

D. Depot/Garrison/Conscripts
1. 120,000 men, class of 1813 (including 1,000 of 1812 class), 19 years of age.
2. 100,000 men, levy of the Four Classes, 20-24 years of age.
3. 240,000 men, class of 1814, 18 years of age.
4. 80,000 men, (Apr 3 levy), 20-25 years of age.
5. 25,000 "volunteer" cavalry (i.e., hostages)
Note: The Young Guard received 39,000 untrained conscripts: 15,000 from 1813 class and 24,000 from April 3 levy.

After participating in two major battles and a long march in the Spring, these forces gained some seasoning. During the Armistice, additional conscripts joined the army (see attachment).

Currently we need to re-evaluate the units strengths of all the French in light of the above.