1805 Thames to Danube Big Gaffe

[Omnius]

I finally got to looking at the 1805 Thames to Danube scenario and initially I thought that this was the 1805 scenario I was looking for. As I started thinking about moving Napoleon's La Grande Armee from Boulougne to Bavaria I wondered about what was going to protect Boulougne from British invasion and what did Napoleon himself do historically. I checked my Napoleon's Campaigns tome and found that Napoleon left behind General Brune and a corps of 30,000 men to guard against a British descent there.

How ironic that a French game company shortchanged the French a whole corps in this scenario and put the French player at a serious disadvantage as regards history. Sacre Bleu! This missing General Brune's Boulougne Observation Corps of 30,000 men is a major gaffe and I'm dismayed that in all this time the scenario designer didn't take more responsibility for his work and fix this massive oversight. I find it hard to believe that no one would have noticed this big miss before and mentioned it.

Considering all the fine work that went into making the Prussian army and other forces it's rather a shame that this scenario has this one huge shortcoming. This could have been a truly impressive scenario to play if a little more attention had been paid to making sure the French army was complete as regards history. Since there is an active England the French player desperately needs this important corp to be in place as a reserve to guard France from invasion. When I watched the AI play both sides I did see where the British AI did invade at Brest and took that VP city and there was nothing in France that could counter it or retake Brest. Please don't say that the garrisons make up for this massive oversight as they are nothing but immobile speedbumps and nothing short of a mobile field force has any chance of countering a British invasion of France.

I know a lot has been made of the composition of the Le Grande Armee that descended upon Austria and little of anything else in the French army of 1805. I counted up the manpower totals roughly in my head and the Le Grand Armee certainly looks to be properly made. I couldn't find any formation with General Brune.

Now a French player is forced to leave behind a corps like Augereau's plus a little extra in France and is forced to march a little shorthanded as compared to history into Austria. This definitely affects gamebalance in a measureably negative way against a French player and mars what should be a really impressively fine scenario to play.

It sure would be nice if the scenario designer would make up for this massive oversight by fixing the scenario (from Bohemond's latest take if any) to include the missing General Brune and his 30,000 man Boulougne Observation Corps. I would have it fixed in place for 6 turns so that it couldn't be abused sending it into Austria. After 6 turns it would be rather late to get it into Austria in time to be of much use and by making it mobile after 6 turns it would be able to move around should the British invade at Brest as I saw the AI do. Please finish up this scenario the way it should have been finished so that this 1805 Thames or Danube scenario can be all that it can be.

[Omnius]

After playing the 1805 Thames or Danube scenario through both ways against the AI I can see where game balance is an issue considering human versus human play. When I played the French I was able to keep the pesky AI from taking Brest because I could rule the seas. The British AI did manage to land Fane and his entourage next to Brest after it's fleet got beat near Corunna. Unfortunately his command was pretty much shot to pieces and couldn't take anything.

As the Coalition player I was able to invade Rouen enroute to Paris and then grabbed Brest a few turns later. The French AI sure missed having General Brune's Boulogne Obervation Corps to cover it's rear in France.

A pity that it can't be fixed for NCP but it has to be fixed for NCP2 especially with a long grand campaign that starts in 1805. I do enjoy the scenario as it really gives one the whole enchilada for the 1805 situation.