The Action at Maddening: Turns One through Three. . .

The capable young Herr General Paul von Stollen issued orders to his troops at midday when it became clear that the invading Zichenauers were not going away.

Meanwhile across the field in another clearing, the nefarious General Phillipe de Latte and his sidekick Major di Biscotti boast, backslap, and connive through flared nostrils.  Yet, as history books will tell us, artificially applied beauty marks and annoying alliteration do not a battle win!

At approximately two o'clock on Sunday 24. July 1762, Paul von Stollen sent his small force toward the village of Maddening just to the south of where they had bivouacked for the previous few days.  The young and vigorous Von Stollen had previously met his aging enemy Phillipe de Latte on the field of Mars and well knew the old man's tricks.  It was a fine sunny afternoon, and von Stollen confidently expected the coming battle to be a walk in the park.  He spurred his horse and leapt into action. 

To the southeast, the dastardly General Phillipe de Latte took a final sip from his demitasse of espresso, tossed it aside, twisted one end of his waxed moustache, and mounted his fine Arab charger.  From the saddle, he called to his nearby aide, "This insolent youngster must be punished!  Shall we give von Stollen the ol' what for?"  Di Biscotti rubbed his hands together with enthusiasm and replied theatrically with googling eyes cast skyward in rapture, "Ooooo, yes m'Lord!  Yes!  Let's give him a good thrashing!"

In Turn Two, General Phillpe de Latte's plan became clear.  He quickly organized his forces and headed them northeast to seize and hold both Maddening in the middle of the field and Bretzel Farm further along the central road on which his troops marched.

 

Exhibiting impressive coup d'oeil, the more tactically astute General Paul von Stollen chose to throw everything he had into an immediate occupation of Maddening and simultaneous attack on de Latte's unprotected left flank.

By Turn Three, General Paul von Stollen began to consolidate and concentrate his forces in the center of the field just north of Maddening.  From left, his Schaumburg-Lippe-Bueckeburg Infantry, 3rd Garrison, and Grand Duchess Sonja's Own regiments, Schluesselburg Artillery, and squadron of Bosniaken navigating around a copse.

General Phillipe de Latte meanwhile sent his squadron of Batthyanyi Dragoons to the northwest through the center of Maddening toward Bretzel Farm.

Between Maddening and Hasenpfeffer Farm, De Latte attempted to form his infantry into a defensible line as his Croats and artillery followed the Batthyanyi Dragoons to the northeast along the road through Maddening.  Here, The Flickenhoffer Fusiliers and composite battalion of grenadiers try to sort themselves out in the face of the approaching Stollenian onslaught.

 

The game is afoot!  In turns one through three, both armies sorted themselves out and began to carry out their missions in earnest.  As a reminder, each general must take and hold two of the three settlements along a main road running from southwest to northeast along and through undulating farmland in the contested Duchy of Schleiz.  The settlements in question are, from southwest to northeast, Hasenpfeffer Farm, the village of Maddening, and Bretzel Farm.  The winner of the game is the commander who controls his objectives by or before the conclusion of 10 turns.  

 

"Scales, Turns, and All That Kind of Stuff!" 

For our purposes, we  a consider a turn as equal to a period of time somewhere in the area of 15-30 minutes.  But we don't really worry about strict man-to-figure ratio, time, or ground scales in A Tangled Mass.  At its heart, our game is about maneuvering colorfully painted and glossy toy soldiers on a pleasantly laid out stylized miniature terrain.  We are quite happy to leave strict military simulation to the von Tschisswitzes, who just moved in across the street.

-- Stokes and Young Master Paul

 

P.S.

We use the colored bingo chips as (morale) status markers: 

Green = Holding Steady (Continues to follow most recently issued orders)

Yellow = Under Pressure and Hesitating (Halts all action for a turn).

Orange = Shaken (Retires one normal move distance to rear but still facing enemy and in control of officers and NCOs.  One inactive turn required for officers and NCOs to restore order and steady unit.).

Light Red = Fatigued and Wavering (Retreats at the run in disorder one charge move to rear.  Two inactive turns required for officers and NCOs to restore order and steady unit.  -1 per D6 if attacked during this activity.).

Dark Red = Exhausted and Breaking (Routs at the run two charge moves to rear.  Mounted general required to rally unit and lead it back to line.  Fights as permanently shaken thereafter with -1 per D6 and no attacks or other offensive behaviors permitted).

Black = Destroyed (Shattered mob flees two charge moves toward nearest table edge and remove from game.  -2 per D6 if pursued during flight.).

 

Purple = Charge!/Counter-Charge!

Blue = Activated Stollenian Units

White = Activated  Zichenauer Units

 

P.P.S.

More on these emerging morale rules in a future post.