Bohemian Blitzkrieg Campaign: Turn 11, Prussian move phase.

The Prussians are back in supply!

Prussian moves:

• Frederick at Aussig with 41SP to Nollendorf
• Bevern at  Arnau with 10SP to Jlein then onto Sobotka
• Schwerin at Brandeis with 45 SPs  to Prague

Bohemian Blitzkrieg Campaign: Turn 10, Austrian move phase.

Brown is still out of supply so loses 1 SP.

Austrian moves

• Konigseck at Welwarn with 28 SPs, gives 1SP to Serbelloni who moves to Melnik and then Dauba, Konigseck moves with 27 SPs to Budin then Lobositz to join Lorraine.
• Maquire at Brandies with 20 SP moves to Prague and encamps outside the walls.
• Daun at Chlum with 12 SPs moves to Sobotka.
• Browne at Konnigstein with 10 SPs moves to Rumburg.

There is a major contact at Lobositz. Lorraine with 71 SPs faces Frederick with 51. There is also a minor contact at Rumburg. Frederick retreats to Aussig, Winterfeldt retreats to Schlucklenau.

Bohemian Blitzkrieg Campaign: Turn 10, Prussian move phase

At the end of turn nine the Prussians under Winterfeld at Konnigstein retreat to Rumburg,  and the Austrians under Toppa retreat to Welwarn.

Frederick is out of supply for a fourth consecutive move and loses 2 SPs.

Prussian moves:

• Henry at Nollendorf with 18SP, to Aussig, then Lobositz.
• Frederick at Budin with 33SP, to Lobositz. 
• Schwerin at Alt-Brezlau with 45SP, to Brandeis. 
• Bevern at Soor with 10SP, to Koniginhof then Arnau. 

Correction: Frederick has 51 SP, not 41 as shown here.

Bohemian Blitzkrieg Campaign: Turn 9, Austrian move phase

At the start of the move phase Browne and Von Krappa start the turn out of supply. They both lose 1 SP. This eliminates Von Krappa at Nollendorf.

Austrian moves:

• Lorraine at Lobositz with 43 SP, to Aussig and then back to Lobositz.
• Browne at Karbitz with 11 SP, to Konigstein.
• Konigseck at Brandies with 26 SP, to Prague and then Welwarn.
• Maquire at Alt Bunzlow with 20 SP, to Brandeis.
• Daun at Staudenz with 32 SP drops von Bitburg (new commander initiative 1) at Staudenz with 20 SP. Daun to Koniggratz then Chlum with 12 SP.

Bohemian Blitzkrieg Campaign: Turn 9, Prussian move phase

Frederick and Henry are still out of supply so lose 1 SP each. Things are looking bleak for Frederick's supply situation. Next turn he will go out of supply for a fourth consecutive turn and will start losing 2 SP per turn. 

Prussian moves:

Frederick at Lietmeritz with 35SP, to Budin

Henry at Aussig with 18SP, to Nollendorf

Schwerin at Alt Lissa with 45SP, to Alt-Bunzlau

Bevern at Koniginhof with 10SP, to Soor

Bohemian Blitzkrieg Campain: Turn 8, Austrian move phase

Von Krappa is out of supply and loses 1 SP.

Austrian move phase.

• Daun arrives at Koniggratz and moves to Staudenz.
• Konigseck at Lissa with 46 SPs, splits his force and gives 20 SP to Maquire who moves to Alt-Bunzlau. Konigseck moves to Alt-Bunzlau then Brandeis
• Browne at Lietmeritz with 14 SPs, splits his force and gives 2SP to General 'Jung' Toppa (initiative 0). Browne moves to Linay and then Karbitz.

At Lietmeritz Jung Toppa retreats, before battle, to Budin. This move will show up in the next situation map.

Bohemian Blitzkrieg Campaign: Turn 8, Prussian move phase.

Turn eight finds Frederick and Henry out of supply - both lose 1 SP.

Prussian moves:

Winterfeld at Gabel with 1 SP to Rumburg, then Konigstein

Schwerin at Jung Bunzlau with 45SP to Alt-Lissa

Bevern at Jlein with 10SP, to Arnau then Koniginhof

Frederick at Dauba with 36SP to Leitmeritz 

Bohemian Blitzkrieg Campaign: Turn 7, Strategic position after the battle of Lobositz.

Strategic position after the battle of Lobositz.

The campaign moves on to turn eight.

Bohemian Blitzkrieg Campaign: Turn 7, The Battle of Lobositz

Last night the players duly turned up to play the Battle of Lobositz, where Henry of Prussian had been brought to a fight by Charles of Lorraine after some fancy footwork.

Henry deployed on the southern hill, with the bulk of his power concentrated in the centre right of his position, and with cavalry fanning out to protect his left flank. The much large Austrian army was much more evenly deployed (largely due to numbers) along the entire length of their deployment zone.

Note: As a matter of interest, the Prussians drew 26 morale points and one other card in their Army Characterisation Card draw (five cards drawn for 16 units) whilst the Austrians drew 43 morale chips and four other cards (ten cards drawn for 31 units) but, that is not quite the whole story, as will be seen.

 Henry attacked the Austrian left!

Henry's cavalry moved to demonstrate on the Prussian left.

Henry's attack came in quickly, covering no man's land before the Austrians really had time to react. Only their artillery, delivering accurate fire, did anything to slow the Prussian advance

Note: At this point the Prussians were winning most of the initiative points.

By the end of turn 1, the Prussian line was engaged with the Austrain left.

But, the Prussians had blundered. They had stumbled into Austrians well up to the fight and it soon became apparent that the attack was doomed. 

Note: The Austrians had drawn a Brilliant Leader card, a Melee Resulution card, an Infantry Up 1 for morale card and the Heroic Command stratagem card (which meant that the Austrians could discount their first unit integrity loss) in their army characterisation draw.  

The attack began to be thrown back with heavy loss and an Austrian counter attack was mounted.

At the end of turn 2, the Prussians began to withdraw. The Prussians lost six SPs in the battle and withdrew to Aussig. The Austrians lost four SPs.

Both players decided to end the game and move to the pursuit phase.

Rule Note: Pursuit phase: As has been stated elsewhere, we have changed the way that 'pursuit fire' as described in Bohemenian Blitzkrieg, is carried out. If the winner decides to pursue (player's choice), both sides now tot up their cavalry, counting 2 points for hussars, and add the initiative points of their C-in-C. This gives the number of D6 rolled by each side in the pursuit phase. Each side scores a 'hit' for each 6 rolled. One lot of hits is subtracted from the other, with the higher hit scoring side causing the difference in hits as SP losses. This is simple and works well, to a point.

However, we have come across the age old problem of players wishing to disengage early to prevent casualties by simply 'marching off the [table] edge of the world'. Wishing to end the game is one thing, but it's just not cricket to do this in a campaign setting. Consequently, we have devised a simple rule to allow it with a suitable penalty. It goes as follows:

• A player cannot declare a withdrawal until he reaches zero morale chips, or by the mutual consent of both sides. At that time the battle can be automatically ended by the loser.
• Both sides tot up their pursuit dice as before.
• The battle winner then adds up his remaining morale chips. He divides the result by 3. The result is extra pursuit dice added to the winners pursuit roll.

Last night, the Prussians wished to withdraw with one morale chip remaining and the Austrians agreed to allow this, so the battle was ended. 

Both sides totted up their pursuit dice.

The Prussians rolled 9 dice (5 dice for cavalry units remaining, 4 dice for Henry's initiative points). They rolled two sixes.

The Austrians rolled 27 dice (15 dice for cavalry units remaining, 2 dice for Charles' initiative points, 10 dice for the thirty one morale chips they had remaining at the end of the battle). Amazingly, they only rolled two sixes.

No Prussian SPs were lost in the pursuit (two minus two), Charles of Lorraine must have been happy with his day's work and let them go. 

The campaign moves on to turn eight.

Bohemian Blitzkrieg Campaign. Turn seven, The Battle of Lobostitz. Battlefield selection and OOB.

The Austrians are now recovering from the shock of Frederick's surprise invasion of Bohemia (they have started to add 1 to their activation rolls this turn) and Prince Henry has been outmanoeuvred at Lobositz. With no chance of voluntary withdrawal he is forced to fight. Lorraine outnumbers him by almost 2:1.

The armies do not blunder into each other so each side rolls to gain the initiative in the first pre-battle manoeuvre phase. 

First phase: 

• Henry roll 2 + initiative 4 = 6
• Lorraine roll 2 + initiative 2 + home turf 1 = 5

Henry wins the initiative and must choose three battlefields from the following and state deployment edge (+10 was added to each roll for Lobositz being a rough terrain dot):

12; 16; 46; 72; 81; 94.

Henry chooses 12 southern edge; 16 southern edge; 94 northern edge.

A D3 is rolled to determine which battlefield: The roll is 3 and battlefield 94, with Henry deploying from the north, is selected.

Lorraine refuses battle and the pre-battle manoeuvring continues.

Second Phase:

• Henry rolls 3 + 4 initiative +1 won initiative last phase = 8
• Lorraine rolls 1  + 2 initiative +1 home advantage = 4

Henry wins the initiative and must choose three battlefields from the following and state deployment edge (+10 was added to each roll for Lobositz being a rough terrain dot):

28; 39; 55; 61; 97; 99.

Henry chooses 39 south; 55 south; 61 south.

A D3 is rolled to determine which battlefield: The roll is 1 and battlefield 39, with Henry deploying from the south, is selected. (Note: There is a misprint in the book, hence the pencil number correction).

This is what I came up with. It's close enough. One piece of terrain I have omitted, by accident, is the hill under the wood in the SW corner - I simply did not see it. The battlefield is 12' x 6'.

Having won both rounds, Henry can deploy 24" on table. Lorraine can deploy 18" on table. Secret deployment applies to both sides.

Terrain Definition:

The northern hill is type i. 

The southern hill is type ii.

The western hill is type i.

The eastern hill is type iii (it will be rocky).

All woods are open type iii.

The stream (NW corner) is type ii.

The river (NE corner) is type iii.

Roads on type i terrain provide for an extra 25% movement rate if the unit is in column of route and carries out it's entire movement on the road. Roads crossing type ii / iii terrain count as type i terrain without road bonus.

AUSTRIAN FORCES

Charles, Prince of Lorraine commanding 47 SPs.

5 Cuirassier regiments (25 squadrons)

1 unit of combined Horse Grenadiers (5 squadrons)

3 Dragoon regiments (15 squadrons)

3 Hussar regiments (15 squadrons)

12 German Musketeer Regiments (24 Battalions)

2 Hungarian Musketeer Regiments (4 Battalions)

2 units of combined grenadiers (4 Battalions)

3 units of Grenzer (3 Battalions)

2 two gun batteries of heavy field artillery

2 two gun batteries of field artillery (one may be howitzers)

Other named generals: Arenberg

PRUSSIAN FORCES

Henry, Prince of Prussia commanding 26 SPs.

3 Cuirassier regiments (10 squadrons)

2 Dragoon regiments (10 squadrons)

1 Hussar regiments (5 squadrons)

6 Musketeer Regiments (12 Battalions)

2 Fusilier Regiments (4 Battalions)

2 units of combined grenadiers (4 Battalions)

1 two gun battery of heavy field artillery

1 one gun battery of field artillery (may be howitzers)

Other named generals: Moritz (+1 quality adjustment)

Note: Battle to be started Wednesday 3rd August.

Bohemian Blitzkrieg Campaign: Turn seven, Austrian move phase

Following the surprise invasion of Bohemia by the Prussians, the Austrians are regaining their balance. They are now adding one to all of their initiative rolls for movement.

Lorraine to Koschnitz then Lobositz

von Krappa to Aussig then Nollendorf

Browne to Linay and then back to Leitmeritz

Konigseck to Alt-Lissa

This is a big move for the Austrians. Von Krappa (created last move) has moved to prevent any hope of retreat to Henry, now confronted by Lorraine at Lobositz. Henry must fight or surrender. 

The positions, prior to pre-combat retreats, at the end of move seven:

N.B. There should be red pins at 1 in the lines for Frederick and Henry - OOS one turn.

Bohemian Blitzkrieg Campaign: Turn seven, Prussian move phase

Henry at Koschnitz with 26SP, to Lobositz.

Frederick at Melnik 37SP to Dauba.

Schwerin at Munchengratz detaches Bevern with 10 SPs , and Winterfeld with zero SPs before moving with 45 SPs to Jung-Bunzlau.

Winterfeld moves from Munchengratz to Gabel to take command of the 1 SP there. 

Bevern with 10SP moves to Sobotka then Jlein

The position after this move is as follows:

Bohemian Blitzkrieg Campaign: Turn six, Austrian move phase

It's at this stage that Austrian strategy takes on a different hue with small forces moving to take out the Prussian lines of supply.

Browne at Welwarn attempts to split his force into three with two new officers. 

One SP stays at Welwarn to be joined [later in turn] by Lorraine.
Krappa [new officer: initiative rating 2] moves with 2 SP vai Budin to Lobositz.

Browne moves to Leitmeritz.

Lorraine at Budin moves to Welwarn.

There is one contact at Munchengratz. Konigseck and Schwerin meet again.

Konigseck withdrew to Jung-Bunslau. Note that I have not adjusted the VP count picture (VP count is 53 Austrian / 73 Prussian).

Bohemian Blitzkrieg Campaign: Turn six, Prussian move phase

The Prussian moves on turn six:

Bevern at Gabel with 23 SP to Munchengratz.

Schwerin at Sobotka with 32 SP to Munchengratz.

Schwerin and Bevern link up with 55 SPs.

Henry  at Aussig with 27 SP to Lobositz, then onto Koschnitz.

Frederick at Lietmeritz with 38SP to Dauba then onto Melnik.

Bohemian Blitkrieg Campaign: Turn Five, Austrian move phase

The Austrians re-adjust their lines.

Browne convinces the Prince [of Lorraine] to divide the army presently at Budin. Browne marches south to with 17 SPs to Welwarn. (Note: Browne rolled to be in command, 1 in 6 chance, this turn).