Giovanni Fazio - Aug 5, 2007 2:30 am (#190 Total: 194) "We believe in nothing, Lebowski!" Prussia Rising Game #2 Played ftf with a friend last night. I took the French, since it's the more difficult position. My idea was to screen the border, with about 3 to 4 units per hex. Since retreats are pretty easy to do in this game, I figured I'd fight a delaying action, square by square. 3 to 4 units means the enemy will probably only be able to bring 2 units to bear per target, so there would be a good chance they would take hits but survive mostly intact. I also put a stronger force in Strasbourg, and a small reserve in Metz. The Prussian blew through my first line, but all units retreated, except for Thionville, which accepted siege. Strasbourg was given to the enemy as Macmahon's men retreated to Schlettstadt. Strasbourg is worth a lot of vp, but to commit enough troops to its defense -- 4 units or more, anything else would be blown out immediately-- means the French would not have a strong mobile force, and more than anything else, it needs to keep its army alive, and able to threaten the Prussian flanks... my force that retreated from Spicheren teamed with the Metz reserve to break the Prussian siege at Thionville. Turn 2, the Prussian advanced on Metz, Marsal, Schlettstadt, and flanked the French by seizing Belfort. The French stack in Shlettstadt retreated to Epinal, while the small garrison in Metz was besieged. The French roll for activations and get a one!!!! Doom is in the air... the Thionville stack was all that could move, attempting to steel up the center by driving the Prussians from Metz. But MacMahon was left dangling at Epinal. Turn 3, the Prussians attempt to win the game with one blow. They attack Epinal from all sides -- Belfort, Luneville, and Schlettstadt -- and MacMahon's column is eliminated enitrely. Half the French army is now gone. Worse yet is the Prussian advanced units from Belfort to Troyes, while also leaving a blocking force in Langres. Paris looks set to fall the next turn. What to do? I roll a two for activations... I take the Metz force and drive the small Prussian blocking force out of Langres. The Prussians at Troyes are now out-of-supply, and become nearly immobile, and unable to attack. Paris is saved for now. Turn 4, the Prussian sees this as only a temporary setback, and proceeds to surround and eliminate Bazaine's men at Langres. the French army now has ceased to exist, but for the small Metz garrison, who have retreated through Verdun to Chalons. Disaster looms, but I choose to take my turn 4 reinforcements before declaring the 3rd republic. Blocking the roads to Paris, I hope for the best. Turns 5 & 6, the Prussian advances in several columns to the outskirts of Paris: Meux, Toury, and Soissosns where a siege is undertaken. The 3rd republic is declared on Turn 5, and only two regulars --my reinforcements, who were wisely promoted on Turn 4-- stay to fight with them. I expected to fight only a turn or two before losing the game, but then realised the Prussian had left an opening. (Now that the Green units can move of their own accord, a mobile defense is quite possible. Perhaps too much so, as we will see.) Forces from the Paris Commune fanned out through Melun intio Montargis & Auxerre, isolating a huge Prussian stack in Toury. A second column, led by a regular army unit, which had advanced to Ham, noticing that the Prussian had unwisely left Rheims open, wheeled and came down to Epernay, where they drove off a small Prussian force in a desperate battle. Now a second huge Prussian column was cut off at Meux. I also left a rearguard at Rheims, so the Prussian force at Soissons could not open supply to Meux by attacking Epernay. Turns 7 to 10 saw the Prussian tearing his hair out as the bulk of his army was isolated and slowly disappearing off the board. (You lose a step levek per turn due to supply being cut.) Worse yet, since the units couldn't attack, they were powerless to break out, even when just cut off by single blocking units. He was throwing desperate attacks with green reinforcements at Epernay and Chalons, but couldn't break through. A small relief force in the South was also sytymied by numerous single-unit roadblocks. Forces in the North trying to reach Epernay ended up being cut off themselves at Soissons and La Fere, when the French reached Mezieres first. These units were relieved, then cut off again. By Turn 10, the entire Prussian army had died through isolation but for three units. The French, despite looking like they were going to lose for sure on Turn 4, pulled off a massive and crushing victory. Good game, for me at least, but I think it's possible green units are too powerful now that tbey are capable of independent movement. I'm sure the next time we play the Prussian will be more careful, but even so, i think we'll try allowing green units only 2 MPs unless they are stacked w/regulars or veterans. Lessons learned: watch your flanks, keep a strong reserve, and remember that units cut off from supply can't fight their way out!