Tag: WRG 6th edition

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Rules Test A3: Fire & Fury 1848-1861

This is the third of a series of battles testing the simple aspects of Fire & Fury (1st edition).

As before Marshall Radetzky and his Austrian forces are engaged with the Piedmontese of King Charles Emmanuel.

The commanders are equal rating under the rules and each move initiative is diced for on opposed d10 dice throws.

All the units have the same Brigade effectiveness rating of 4/3/2 Fresh/worn/spent. As the battle rages units decline in effectiveness going from 4 though 3 to 2 rating. This value modifies the opposed d10 dice rolls which are characteristic of the game rules.

The start of the action – the infantry are in attack columns meaning better melee potential sacrificing the firing line. Piedmont in the foreground await the marching Austrian Imperialists.

The Forces are

Austria

  • Left Flank – Brigade Ritter Von Benedek (Green Facings)
  • Centre Left – No1 Battery Field Artillery
  • Centre Right – Brigade Von Baden (Orange Facings)
  • Right Flank – 5th Graf Radeztky & 8th Ferdinand, Herzog von Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha Cavalry Brigade

Piedmont

  • Left Flank – Pinerolo Infantry Brigade
  • Centre Left – “A” Battery Field Artillery
  • Centre Right – Bologna Volunteers Infantry Brigade
  • Right Flank – Piedmont Lancers 3rd & 6th Regiments

The initiative went with the Austrians who as one “well handled” moved forward in one line.

In response some “desultory fire” came from the Piedmontese.

in turn the Piedmontese line move forward “well handled”.

The Piedmontese advance in line
The Austrian line becomes slightly ragged
Modified opposed rolls of d10 are at the heart of Fire & Fury. This is a contrast to more recent tastes for d6 roll to hit and saving throws. Actually there is something about the instant dice off. Especially as it did not feel like my memory of opposed dice rolling under WRG 6th edition where the factors made most throws pointless – accurate maybe but not enjoyable.
The Austrian No1 Battery drops into action and disorders the Bologna Volunteers. To their right The Hussars drive back the Pinerolo Brigade in disorder, while the Austrian Brigade Ritter Von Benedek silence the “A” battery piedmont field artillery. Brigade Von Baden issue a “telling fire” disordering the Lancers.

The Austrian Hussars had achieved a breakthough and promptly fell upon the Piedmont “A” battery field artillery.

The attack “faltered” miraculously for Piedmont, as it looked like their whole line was about to collapse under the first assault. (hussars rolled modified = 4 against artillery unmodified max die throw of 10).

everywhere the Piedmontese managed to rally. But “lively” and “telling” fire from the Austrians continued to cause problems.
The Piedmontese “A” field battery hold their own.
Finally Brigade Ritter Von Benedek chase off the Piedmontese Artillery while Brigade Von Baden move on the Bologna Volunteers and “drive” them back with loss. The resulting breakthrough took the infantry into the Lancers who were “swept” from the field
Effectively the Austrians have the advantage and as evening falls the Piedmontese retire

It was all over so quickly – one swift attack by the Austrians and the Piedmontese turned tail! The Empire is restored, the rebels suppressed and folk can return to drinking coffee and smoking in the cafes of Lombardy…….

Victory Points are usually won by destroying enemy units. The emphasis is not on objectives. Not surprising as a 1990’s era ruleset rarely made objectives the focus. Not so today where often it is the dominant aspect of working out the winner.

Here Austria accrued 7 victory points versus 2 for the Piedmontese.

Just to be clear – no arrangement was made in these battles – the die rolls were as you see them. I suspect it was such as the hapless artillerymen holding off rabid hussars that caused so much ire when these rules were first published.

The rules contain outcomes with descriptions that feed a narrative easily. Telling fire or desultory? you know which one is having an impact.

The Fire and Fury rules (FaF1ed) use scales to help the gamer play Gettysburg on the table top! So the Brigade is the key unit size. Battalions and Regiments don’t figure. This actually also narratively worked for me, which I had not expected.

All in all three very enjoyable games.

Before I conclude my thoughts on FaF1ed, I will run some more rulesets out for a canter.