It Will Cost What It Will!” Tour and Gravelotte-St
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At Any Cost: Metz 1870 is a game simulating the situation west of the Metz fortress during those few days of August 1870. The AT ANY COST: game is designed to be a playable, two-player brigade-scale game that allows players to experience the unique tactical warfare matchups that characterized fighting during the Franco- Prussian War. This era, though generally overlooked in the METZ 1870 gaming industry, is a fascinating study in Napoleonic tactics (and uniforms) slamming head-on into modern killing technology. The Prussian military juggernaut is armed with the new steel Krupp breach-loading artillery pieces that far outclassed the French guns. Prussian doctrine, adapted to the lessons learned during the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, allowed junior officers to exercise initiative and aggressiveness. The French army, meanwhile, was armed with the modern and deadly Chassepot rifle, a firearm so advanced that many argue its deployment alone should have won the war for the French. In addition, the French army was now equipped with their ultimate secret weapon - the Mitrailleuse, which was the first machinegun used en masse. Moreover, the game system makes clear that the French soldier, despite misconceptions to the contrary, fought valiantly during these battles. By all rights, they could have – and should have – won many of these engagements. But leadership, morale and tenacity won the day for the Prussians. All these factors are seamlessly embedded into the At Any Cost game system and players will be challenged to utilize their advantages and minimize their disadvantages throughout the game. Will YOU as the Prussian player be able 1.0 Introduction to withstand an early severe numerical disadvantage and use the audacity of the Prussian soldier and artilleryman to win the day? On the morning of August 16th, 1870 at the Gravelotte Can YOU as the French player overcome the lethargic and crossroads outside the fortress of Metz, Napoleon III, Emperor uninspired command structure of the Army of the Rhine and of the French Second Empire, turned over command of the allow your tough and well-equipped infantry to fight Army of the Rhine to a reluctant Marshal Francois Achille unhindered? Bazaine. The Army of the Rhine, the last intact field army and already the last hope for France during the two-week old At Any Cost: Metz 1870 also features the Blind Swords chit- Franco-Prussian War, was gathered around the protection of the pull system which emphasizes the three “FOW’s” of military Metz fortress complex. The Prussian First and Second Armies conflict: fog-of-war, friction-of-war and fortunes-of-war. With were sweeping forward, hot on the heels of the retiring French. each chit pull, players will be challenged to make tough But poor weather and a disorganized cavalry screen allowed the decisions based on their assessment of the current situation. French army to break contact with the pursuing Prussians. Unlike traditional chit-pull mechanisms, the Blind Swords Helmuth von Moltke, Chief of the Prussian General Staff, system ensures that no combat units can be counted on, or instructed his armies to wheel south of the fortress, cross the conversely, counted out. This yields an environment of tense Moselle River and attempt to catch the French in flank. The action and constant surprises – an environment that will only problem with this plan was – where were the French? The challenge each player. resulting two-day campaign produced some of the more remarkable battles in military history – the Battles of Mars-La- “It will cost what it will!” Tour and Gravelotte-St. Privat. These two battles produced over 60,000 casualties, with each army suffering equally. Both battles had significance not only for the Franco-Prussian War, but for - Adalbert von Bredow, immediately before he led the the course of European history. In fact, Otto von Bismarck famous “Deathride” of the Prussian 12th Cavalry Brigade remarked at Versailles in January 1871: “What is certain beyond at Mars-La-Tour. argument is that the war – and with it the future of Europe – was decided at Mars-la-Tour on 16 August 1870.” 2.0 Game Scale and Map 3.0 Game Equipment 2.1 Scale 3.1 Combat Units Each map hex is approximately 500 yards across. Regular Combat units represent the fighting troops of each side and do Infantry and Cavalry units represent Brigades. Infantry not include HQ units. Each counter displays game information Detachments are groups of battalions or regiments operating as follows: independently. Artillery units represent organizational groupings of batteries. Each HQ Unit represents the Corps or Fresh Side (FR) Battleworn Side (BW) Division commander, his staff and associated logistical train. 7 / Wey. / II 7 / Wey. / II One Strength Point (SP) equals about 600 infantry, 450 5 3 cavalry, 1 ½ Mitrailleuse guns, 3 heavy cannon (12 lb.) or 4 light cannon (4 and 6 lb.). One Game Turn is approximately 1 hour in duration. 6 8 4 3 6 3 2.2 Map Details The front of each counter shows the unit at Fresh status (FR) Elevations: There are four terrain elevation levels depicted on and the reverse side shows the unit after it has taken significant the map (from lowest to highest): Flat, Low, Raised and High. combat losses and indicates its Battleworn status (BW). The Flat terrain is white, Low is light green, Raised is brown and BW side of a unit is displayed with a different coloring scheme High is yellowish-brown. than the FR side for easy distinction. Note that some Small Roads: There are two types of Road hexes – Minor Roads (tan- Units only have a BW side. colored) and Major Roads (dark gray colored). Minor Road a. Unit Identification: In the top bar of each counter, hexes cost any moving unit only 1 Movement Point, regardless Infantry and Cavalry units are identified by Brigade of other terrain in the hexes or across a hex side. Major Roads Number / Division Name / Corps Number. The function the same way as Minor Roads, but also allow the use of example counter shown above is the 7th Brigade of the the Road March Bonus (12.10) to qualified units moving from Weyhern Division of II Corps. Units belonging to a one Major Road to a connected Major Road hex. particular Corps or independent Cavalry or Artillery Forts: The fortress hexes of St. Quentin and Plappeville have Division have a color-coded band on their counters some special rules associated with them. Only 5 Stacking Points matching the corresponding HQ unit. When an HQ of French Infantry is allowed in each hex. Fort hexes, and any activates, all units marked with the identical color are units in them, cannot be fired upon or assaulted. Prussian units activated along with it. A unit’s Divisional affiliation is that come within 4 hexes and LOS can be fired at with 10 SPs of important for some Event Chit actions. Artillery units French artillery fire. either are Division Artillery units (with the corresponding Division’s name indicated) or Corps Other Terrain Features: There are numerous terrain features Artillery units (showing the Corps affiliation). on the map which can have movement and/or combat effects. Consult the Terrain Effects Chart for details on these effects. In b. Stacking Points: On the top right of the counter in cases where two or more terrain features occur in the same hex, white (under the Unit ID) is displayed the unit’s cost in the chart will also advise as to which feature takes precedence in Stacking Points (STP). The higher the number, the various circumstances. more deployment room the unit requires within a hex. See 4.1 for how this value is applied. The example 2.3 Rounding Convention counter shows an STP of “5” on the FR side and an STP of “3” on the BW side. If there are calculations to be made regarding adjustments to SP values, maintain all fractions throughout the entire calculation c. Strength Points (SPs): A unit’s SP value is the large and then drop any remaining fraction at the end. number on the bottom left of the counter. This represents its relative size and is used in Fire and For example, if a unit’s SP value of 7 has to be halved twice for Assault Combat resolution. A value of “C” represents various game conditions, it is halved the first time to 3.5 and the “cadre strength” and is the equivalent of ½ SP. The second time to 1.75. The final adjusted SP value therefore is 1. example unit has a SP of “6” on its FR side and “3” on 2 AT ANY COST: METZ 1870. Copyright 2014 Hermann Luttmann and GMT Games All Rights Reserved. Version 0.12 its BW side. A unit’s effective SPs can be modified by There is one non-Combat Unit – the HQ unit. This signified game conditions, such as Fire Combat Range, Elan with a flag icon for each side. See 3.6 for full details on HQ Hits, etc. A unit whose printed SP value has been units. modified to “0” or less cannot issue Fire Combat or attack in Assault Combat (note that this is not the same 3.3 Unit Status as column shift effects). A Mitrailleuse unit’s SP value has a green background as a reminder that it uses the Most units possess three Status levels (also called “steps” in Infantry FCRT and reduces the targets TCR by one. some games) – Fresh, Battleworn and Broken. A Combat unit showing its front (full-strength) side is in Fresh (FR) status. A d. Tactical Cohesion Rating: In the bottom middle of unit that has received a Casualty Hit is flipped to its back the counter, the unit’s Tactical Cohesion Rating (reduced-strength) side is in Battleworn (BW) status.