Mondovi 1796: a game of the book of the campaign ...

This week we got to playtest Mondovi, the second in the series of operational-level scenarios for Napoleon's 1796 campaign in Italy, designed to accompany the forthcoming first English edition of Clausewitz's history of the campaign. In the first scenario, Dego, Napoleon inflicted a series of small but stinging defeats on the Austrians and forced them apart from their Piedmontese allies. In the second week of the campaign, General Colli commanding the Piedmontese conducts a fighting withdrawal through successive defensive lines against 2:1 odds, trying to hold off the French long enough for the Austrians to regroup and come to his aid, but is finally beaten at Mondovi. This knocks Piedmont out of the war.

The Corlears Hook Fencibles in New York have already played this couple of times. Lavish photo-AARs can be found on the CHF website here. They managed one Piedmontese victory (per the original draft victory conditions) and one tie.

Bird's-eye view of our battle #2 which ended in a French win.

The advance guard brigade that seized San Michele and the ridge above Mondovi, and with them victory, can be seen on the left of the picture. 

Red counters on the brigade bases indicate casualties suffered - of which there were plenty.

We got two games in comfortably during a 3-hour club night. Small numbers of units, simplified rules, and low troop density make the games rattle along with sweeping maneuver, which is part of the design aim. Our two battles were very different.

In game 1, the French players opted for a right hook across the difficult country north of the Tanaro river, aiming straight at Carru on the Sardinian line of communications, while the Sardinians attempted delaying actions and staged defence in depth. The delaying didn't work so well, but the depth was just barely enough to cling on for a draw. The French right hook came within an ace of jumping into Carru and/or wiping out the Piedmontese cavalry covering it, either of which would have brought a French victory; just one or two better dice would have done it.

In game 2, after changing hats and swapping sides, the French shifted their weight to the left - and found solid masses of Sardinians advancing towards them to mount a strong forward defence. The French paid a heavy price in blood trying to dislodge them, suffering repeated repulses, and the Sardinians earned a VP for holding Pedagiera until Turn 3. But the sheer number of French units meant a couple of brigades were able to infiltrate round the enemy's southern flank and race down the road to take first San Michele, then the ridge above Mondovi itself. The latter was contested by Sardinian reserves, who first had to be forced off it - by no means guaranteed - and then still had a chance of retaking it at the death. As they failed to do so, the French won.
This means that from four playtests we have two ties, one Sardinian win, and one French, which suggests it's pretty balanced. The CHF guys thought it was a bit too tough for the French and we discussed nudging up the difficulty for the Sardinians, but I think I'll leave it as is - certainly as the Sardinians we all felt under pressure as it stood.

As a game, it's nice because both sides have a variety of options and a choice of plans, and it can play out very differently each time.

Obviously this is to some extent a matter of taste, but I was also pretty happy with its realism and the degree to which it captures the nature of the actions of April 1796.

The scenario is in the BBB Yahoo group files, as is the Dego scenario. Next stop is the Crossing of the Po and the battle of Lodi!