FPW - Final prep and set up

With the game approaching and the final orders in from the respective commanders I got a rough map drawn (excuse my handwriting) and sent to the players. On theirs I marked their respective deployments. I then went down to the club and got the armies sorted out and those that can be seen on the table.

The game will begin after the Prussian cavalry under Prinz Albert reported that he had engaged and pursued some Franc-Tireurs just north of Baccarat and continued the pursuit until he came under fire from French troops dug in south on Luneville. He immediately called up the Wurtemburg Division to support him, hoping the rest of the army would march to the sound of the guns. Prinz Albert estimates he has around 2 Divisions of French infantry to his front and it is his belief that the rest of the French army is in the area.

My badly drawn map

The troops that can be seen by either side are now deployed on the table ready for the start.

Prussian Cavalry and Wurtemburgers

Their view north towards Luneville and the French

French 3rd Division, III Corps

French 2nd Division, III Corps

Looking south to Saint-Clement and the Prussian cavalry

The rest of their troops are on trays ready for deployment. The French will have two more divisions on the table, just at the moment the Prussians cannot see them.

Remaining Wurtemburgers

Prussian VI Corps

Bavarian 1st Division and Corps troops

Bavarian 2nd Division

French XII Corps

French 1st and cavalry Division, III Corps

I now just need to finish painting up 2 ft of trench works to cover some of the French infantry and to help represent them as dug in. Looking forward to the game now.

Franco-Prussian War French

In preparation for the game next week I was sorting out the army lists for each side. What I realised was that both of my French Corps are not at full strength. III Corps is short of an infantry division, it seems that the first 3 Corps in the Imperial French army had 4 divisions and not 3. XII Corps is also short of a division of infantry, a brigade of horse to make a second small cavalry division. Now I have ordered the horse to complete the second division of cavalry and some additional commanders. Ideally I want to complete both Corps, but that will take time and which one first? III Corps in theory is the quickest to finish, but for multi-player games at the club, it would be better to add the 3rd infantry division to XII Corps, making them both roughly the same size.

I decided on XII Corps and completing the 1st infantry division made up of the following 4 regiments, the 22nd, 34th, 58th and 79th. It does not have any chasseur regiment attached. So these 2 infantry regiments are the last of my Outpost figures, representing the 22nd and 34th infantry regiments.

The last 2 regiments will be made up of the Lancashire miniature when they arrive. However as an added bonus, Reiver Castings now carries the Outpost range. This is great news as it is a very comprehensive collection. It already has me thinking about finishing both of these French Corps and then doing the Baden Division to complete the Prussian XIV Corps.

 On to the game prep, both sides submitted their map moves and deployments and we will have our battle at Saint-Clement, the Prussian cavalry supported by the Wurtemburg division have engaged the French 2nd and 3rd division of III Corps. Unbeknown to the Prussian commander there are actually 4 French divisions on the table.