Fri Jan 02, 2009 11:45 pm
Scenario and game analysis
Starting deployment
At start COA forces are widely spreaded over scenario map: A first army is in Poland-Easter Prussia dealing with FRA controlled fortresses. The Russian Army of Reserve starts nearby Breslau, (Silesia).
The Main COA Army, (Wittgenstein) is spawned along the western bank of Elbe, from Magdeburg to Dresden.
at scenario start FRA main force is deployed around Braunschweig, (Eugene’s Army of Elbe). FRA has then garrisons occupying fortresses in Poland, Prussia and Saxony. Rapp’s Corps is in Danzig.
FRA Napoleon’s Army of Rhein, (later Grand Armée d’Alemagne) is available from start of turn two nearby Mainz.
Balance of power
Overally we have a balanced scenario in matter of men per side. FRA has an advantage in its stronger leaders. Starting forces from COA and FRA side are not at full ranks; replacements become available later during the game, ata random date.
Napoleon’s Army of Rhein enters the scenario mostly at full strength.
Objectives
Leipzig, Dresden, Hamburg, located along the western bank of river Elbe are themajor objectives for the two sides. At campaign start they are COA controlled. Magdeburg and Torgau, although not really NM worthy, are two fortresses located at strategic bottleneck positions: they are FRA controlled at the beginning.
Berlin, COA capital, is not NM worth for the FRA at scenario start.
Danzig, Estern Prussia, is the last major objective: it is FRA controlled at start.
Many fortresses, spawned over scenario map are also campaign Objectives: they are FRA controlled at start.
Armistice
This is an uncertain end-date scenario.
Triggering the armistice at any date later mid’ May will end the campaign. Max end date is awyway last week of June.
Armistice triggering grants VP and NM gain to the COA.
Armistice is triggered as per FE Max value (default level 100).
FE points are allocated on a random base for major objectives control, (Leipzig, Dresden, Hamburg); added or subtracted for victories of defeats in major battles; credited following historical random events.
Strategies
The control of the Elbe line is the key to succeed. Leipzig, Dresden, Hamburg, Magdeburg and Torgau are the objectives to be controlled. They are worth VP, NM, FE points for both sides.
Holding a defensive posture, while looking for the armistice signature is the best COA winning strategy.
COA has to manouver main forces to hold the Elbe front-line, while few forces should be committed to besiege or assault FRA controlled fortresses eastern of Elbe river.
FRA has to play an offensive campaign. Napoleon’s Army of Rhein has to advance fast, possibly by forced marches, linking up with Eugene’s Army of Elbe. When FRA forces are concentrated on the western bank of the Elbe they have to strike soon and gain control of Leipzig, Dresden, Hamburg. That will slow down FE points credited to COA for armistice triggering. Gaining one or two turns to play, postponing the armistice or preventing the armistice signature at all will give FRA victory.
Ney: The army will not move!
Napoleon: The army will obey me!
Ney: The army will obey to its Generals’ orders!
[SIZE="1"]Fontainebleau, April 1814[/size]