Blucher (in various scales...)

 At last, Blucher on the home table - It's only been 11 years since the damn thing came out!

 Many years ago I used to was lyrical about the design of Maurice, and then I managed to largely ignore Sam's next game 'Blucher' for years.

 

 Now, I do recognise some Maurice elements in there (at one stage, everything was happening on one flank until the Momentum points ran out), but I would suggest (Might and Reason by Sam notwithstanding) that there is a lot of DNA in there from the classic Volley and Bayonet too.

We played the introductory scenario from the website: 'Along the Danube'. A great game, with LOTS of tense moments due to the opponent being in control of your momentum points. Now, there is a body of opinion which suggests, that if you simply play the bell curve of the 3d6 roll, you can't go wrong - though anyone used to rolling D&D characteristics on 3d6, will tell you that the study of statistics, and the requisite explanations by so called statisticians,  is simply a comical manner with which to explain the vagaries of complete chaos.

A proper old Napoleonic picture, complete with range stick. In all seriousness, this book is beautifully put together, easy to read, with a genuinely superb set of rules inside. Recommended - even though I am 10 years too late...

 Highlights:

•  The rules are simple but not simplistic, and alignment and straight move, or a complex costly maneuver, are all possible, but at great cost if you get it wrong.
• Shooting can be useful to hold a flank, and close combat can be very bloody as units start to wear away - you could say that units are brittle, but that makes sense to me with the scale of the game (units are brigades essentially, as with Volley and Bayonet).
• 'Prepared' units have advantages, but not such that they become 'uber' units as they do with the stationary option in V&B. 
• Lots of d6, but not buckets of them. This is the game that Slack Chowder should have been.
• There are unit characteristics, but not doled out in an over complicated style, and not detracting from game-play, as you might see in Slack Chowder etc. 
• There is an ACW hack (Chamberlain), and I think it would work superbly there for ACW with a few tweaks. In my head of course, I have the 'John Churchill' mod for 1672-1715, brewing. For Marlburian and pre-Marlburian - it might just be perfect. 
• Certainly the Scharnhorst campaign system could be used for most black powder periods.

Callan checks if Blucher will work for Gettysburg...

 

In 1982, I played my first Napoleonic wargame, invited by the older lads at the school wargames society. That was Waterloo, played with Minifigs Austrians as French proxies, and Airfix plastics as British and Dutch Belgians. I have fond memories of the game, if not the completely useless rules (all I remember was 'cold steel roll' being used a lot as a rules option when cavalry charged - and of course everything was written in pencil and typed). Scale clash was not a thing then, despite the obvious issues for purists.

Apparently, this is what a true Napoleonic Wargame looked like in the 70s. You couldn't even get a haircut apparently. All very 'Callan', except for the horse. The young lady can stay, but those French Curassiers don't even have their eyes painted damn you.... 

 

 

 In latter years of course, I managed to pick up some Minifigs Austrians (and Russians apparently - see later) courtesy of 'ebay', as well as classic Hinchcliffe & Lamming French. This after I had built and badly painted a slew of 20mm plastics. Expect to see both in this post, just for old times sake. I make no apologies for scale clash...in fact it's practically done out of respect for the fine 1980s tradition, and the fact that I am no Napoleonics expert to this day.

it starts with the hidden deployment on the proper Blucher cards ...

...which quickly transform into units. 

The keen observer will note, that I make an entire brigade, out of as few figures as possible on a 3x2 base...mainly because I am a cheap bastard.

A cavalry clash on the Austrian right flank. This would be pivotal to the conduct of the battle (wait...are you sure those are Austrians...damn you ebay!)

French cavalry are pushed back, though their numbers begin to tell.

And no, I get it, these are not Austrians - ok ok - so sue me.

Funcken says...A Russian Horse Guard

Funcken says 'An Austrian Cuirassier' Uhhh

Austrian guns combine at the junction betwixt two corps. This, despite being a quasi French tactic, worked very well.

Austrians reinforce their right

French cavalry bloodys itself with continued attacks, but they still have 3 Corps to reveal.

Here they come...

'How the hell am I supposed to work like this? How dare you pair me up with a plastic 20mm scale gun. Can't you see I am a 25mm Minifig???'

At least the objective marker isn't complaining.

'It's alright for you Hilda...I'm stuck in the bloody swamp with these 'ere blokes!'

The Austrians hold, on the right

...even as the French prepare for a renewed attack in the centre...note the reserve Corps

French push a Corps to the Austrian left...where lies an objective marker

Austrians respond with infantry and Avant Garde

Austrian Grenadiers hold the right for many turns, simply by being prepared, and avoiding French artillery

"More 20mm plastic guns...What sort of bloody...ohhh sorry ma'am..."

The centre and Austrian Right - mid battle

The third French assault

...as they target the Austrian left with artillery

The French still have a reserve Corps - the Austrians are fully committed

The Austrian left under pressure - charge after charge at the river bend

The centre and right - as Austrians are pushed back, and a brief cavalry breakthrough occurs

Austrian guns almost reach exhaustion

Well, I mean, they were on the table...just chillin'

Note the French reserve - note the brittle Austrian centre...it's all to play for

The Marshal mobilises the French reserve - they will head for the Austrian left

...it all might be too much for the exhausted Austrians

Can they hold?

Austrian Avanmt Garde plug the gap made by the breakthrough on their right - exciting and tense times

The ebb and flow of battle

...the Austrian left holds...just

The final French assault

...repulsed in the centre...but the Austrian left is very brittle

A flank action stops the breakthrough

Not much available to hold the flanks on the Austrian left, but it holds  nevertheless...

the centre and right becomes a quagmire of dying and exhausted units, pushed back or on the verge of being removed...

With just one morale chip in it, between both sides - the Austrians get very picky about where they charge, using the only units that are reasonably fresh against the exhausted French - it pays off...and the Austrians win the day

A great game - more to come from Blucher, and in many more periods.