Refining the Belle Epoque wargame

Using the same terrain card draw method, and the same deployment rules, I set up another Belle Epoque game. Instead of rolling up opposing forces, I simply maxed out the French with six line infantry units, a unit of Zouaves, a unit of tirailleurs, and two guns, giving in turn the British six units and two guns.  The British Irish and Scots Guards were rated elite, as were the  Zouaves and tirailleurs.

Starting positions, a view from the French side.

For this game I also made up two identical sets of Chance Cards, based on those used at Grid-Based  Wargaming - But Not Always.

French line infantry.

The terrain cards ended up with this long hill ending almost at mid-table, with the edge of a village directly beyond.  Per deployment rules both sides placed a unit in or on a terrain piece, so the Zouaves and the West Surreys line infantry regiment ended up starting the game in charge range of each other.

Zouaves and the West Surreys, starting game in charge range of eachother!

Both sides had significant flanking efforts underway.  Two British infantry and a gun were approaching from the "east", as were three French infantry and a French gun. Second French gun was coming late to the battle from the rear, and the Kings Royal Rifles was en route for the British.

Starting positions - you can see the large flanking forces to arrive from "east."

The French won the coin toss, and brought their full flanking force on table immediately, with the gun accompanying them pushing through the woods.  The British also brought their full flank on table and both sides arranged themselves for a big clash in and around the facing woods.

Zouaves pushed back, French line units moving up to support.

The other side of the table the Zouaves began a series of repeated assaults on the West Surreys in the town, usually repulsed with no lost strength points for the Zouaves. 

Major French attack on the woods underway, with British Volunteer Rifle units holding the line.

On the wooded side, three French line units and the tirailleurs began a general attack on the British (keep in mind the British are still dicing every turn to bring their eighth unit, the King's Royal Rifles, on table from the rear, so the French enjoy a slight numerical advantage).

British artillery firing away. Even with the +1 from the commander they were not very effective.

Then both sides drew "Ammunition Shortage" chance cards on the same turn. The French tried to take advantage of the situation by fixing bayonets and engaging in close combat on both flanks, but the British held tight.

French close combat assault on the woods.

The French commander leads a flank attack on the woods.

In the "west," the French, led by the brave Zouaves, threw themselves against the West Surrey and Worchestershire Regiments again and again, but were thrown back every time.

French attacks on the town make little progress.

By about turn 4 or 5 thing the British seemed in a  good position. They were withstanding French attacks, and the King's Royal Rifles had finally arrived from the rear.

Probably the high water mark for the British defense - French attacks making little progress with the British taking less casualties, and the Kings Royal Rifles have finally arrived on table.

However during the lull caused by the Low Ammunition events, the French gun which had entered from the flank, and moved through the woods, joined its companion in the field, and together both of them began a furious bombardment of the British center.

The combined French artillery line.

BOOM.  British gun and commander destroyed.  As the commander counts as 6 SP lost for calculation of exhaustion point, the British suddenly found themselves unable to advance toward the enemy.  However, a furious round of rifle fire the woods threw back the French and caused many casualties.

French taking heavy losses from the fight in the woods.

But the center things worsened.  French line infantry overran the second British gun, and the French artillery started bombarding the Scots and Irish Guards, who were frozen in indecision on the British back line. Meanwhile, the Zouaves succeeded in pushing into the town, with the defending West Surreys falling back into another building.

The disaster in the center. French artillery has killed the British commander and decimated the Scots and Irish Guards, and both British guns have been silenced.

Although the Zouaves would end up falling back out of the captured house due to fire from the W.Surreys, the Irish Guards were entirely broken by artillery fire, and the Royal Rifles took heavy casualties from French line, which pushed lost SP for the British over 50% and resulted in another French victory.

End of game. The French right is pretty beat up, but the left is fine, and the British center is in terrible shape.

Carnage around the wood.

Carnage in the center.

French on the French left.

French commander in the center.

What worked well: the chance cards were great, mixing things up a bit, but without creating swingy unbalance.  The deployment/terrain system is also working insofar as I am consistently getting fighting in or around terrain features, which feels more late-19th century versus early Napoleonic Wars-style linear battles, which is what a lot of rules push you towards, knowingly or unknowingly.  I really, really like the system of losing 1/3rd of your starting SP causes you be exhausted (you may no longer advance towards the enemy, even to follow up on a lost melee), and losing 1/2 is your break point.

What doesn't seem quite right:  although the games are centering on fights for terrain features, which is good, I'm noticing that artillery seems to end up sitting in the center and being the deciding factor. In the prior game the British were doing fine until their artillery suddenly didn't have any visible targets anymore. In this game, the British were fine until the French were able to bring both guns to concentrate fire on unsheltered units in the British center. A solution may be to flip terrain tiles differently so that there is terrain in the center so that artillery isn't presented with a perfect cone of fire in the middle every game.