BH HQGE at Mars-la-Tour

First, to translate the title:
BH = the Bank Holiday weekend we just enjoyed here in UK;
HQGE = the High Quality Gaming Experience.

Our host Crispin treated us to another outing of the custom terrain he created for when he ran the Franco-Prussian War battle of Mars-la-Tour at the Bash Day convention earlier this year. Although this scenario from the BBB rulebook always gives good entertainment with plenty of maneuver and drama, I have never been 100% happy with its play balance - if the Germans get ensconced in Vionville and Mars-la-Tour it is really difficult for the French to winkle them out.

 

French hordes pour down from top left and left of picture 

towards Vionville (upper right) and Mars-la-Tour (right foreground).

I therefore suggested one minor tweak. The scenario includes a "German Aggression" rule which obliges German units to rush forward and assault if they roll 12 for their movement. I proposed making it apply on 11+, and volunteered to play the Germans under that handicap. Mark wanted the chance to play the French anyway, so he was happy to join Crispin as Bazaine nudging the ponderous French masses towards me.

The tweak certainly made a difference. I rolled 11 for my movement no fewer than four times (and a 12). This directly led to the premature deaths of two of my cavalry brigades and an infantry brigade. I wouldn't have minded so much if I'd managed to roll 11+ more than a mere once all game when I was firing.

But the net result was that it was a really tremendously exciting game. My unreliably aggressive units generated plenty of stress and tactical challenges for me as the defender, and gave the French just enough opportunities to exploit.

The situation on the very last turn was that the French were assaulting two German-held objectives, Vionville and Mars-la-Tour, with maybe 50/50 chances in each, while I assaulted Rezonville and Gravelotte in the French rear (with low but not entirely negligible chances of success). The French needed all four objectives to win, or 3 for a draw. In my half of the turn, they did manage to bounce off both of my efforts. In the final French half, quel miracle! both their assaults succeeded.

Wargames really don't come more exciting than that. We had a great time. HQGE to the max.

To round off a splendid day, Crispin was magnanimous in victory and consoled the defeated German commander with vin rouge and des sandwichs jambon et fromage while we discussed past glories and future campaigns.

I hereby officially recommend the 11+ tweak as a Scenario Option for Mars-la-Tour.