Blucher Playtest - Part III

View from French left, Austrian cuirassiers make their flanking move bottom right

Up to turn 15. On the French left flank the Austrian cuirassiers have tried to turn the French flank but have been repulsed by three French cavalry regiment. Left of the ridge the French infantry assaults have failed to break through and the Austrians are now going on the offensive, but meeting with little more success. The centre is more or less devoid of troops, both sides having worn each other out. On the right flank the French cuirassiers charged the prepared Austrian lines to no effect. However once they regrouped and charged again they managed to send one battalion packing, just as the French infantry moved up to deliver the coup de gras. The Austrian III Corps which had been idle across the minor river has now been given orders to cross and along with the just activated Grenadier battalions launch an attack on the French right flank. However the French overall position doesn't look as hopeless as it did a few turns ago.

Infantry clash on the French left flank, note both battalions well weakened

Still finding lots of oddities in the rules:

- French light cavalry charged the rear of a retreating Austrian battalion, but not only didn't decimate it but got sent back themselves. There is some benefit to infantry in being prepared (i.e. square, see below) but apparently no penalty for not being prepared

- When cavalry charge prepared infantry their penalty is having to re-roll any success (i.e. 4+ rolls). But to my simple mind since dice have no memory it's just another roll, it's not reducing the chances of rolling those dice high - just your perception of it - so no real penalty at all

- Prepared infantry suffers no penalty to firing, odd since it's meant to reflect being in square

- You end up with loads of battalions facing rearwards as they've previously been retreated but need an activation (which at 2pts you're normally not willing to spend) to turn back around, which just all looks messy

- One infantry units charging a gun battery got 1 hit against the artillery's 0. But the rules only talk about 2x or more, or equal, not 1+. So since 1 is infinitely greater than 0 the battery got routed.

Will play out another evening of the game but then probably call it a day as I can't say I'm falling in love with the rules.