La Bataille De Montenotte
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La Bataille de Montenotte Règlements Exclusif Pour les Règlements de l’An XXX et Les Règlements des Marie Louises Copyright © 2014 Clash of Arms Sept 1, 2014 Rules marked with an eagle or are shaded with a grey background apply only to players using the Règlements de l’An XXX. All rules herein take precedence over any rules in the series rules which they may contradict. 1.0 INTRODUCTION In his first independent command, 26-year-old Général de Division Bonaparte used surprise, manoeuvre, hard marching, and the inspiration of his personal charisma (plus the lure of rich loot to be had in prosperous Lombardy) to lead the rag-tag Armée d’Italie to a series of astonishing victories over the more numerous and better-equipped Austrian and Piedmontese armies. On 11th April 1796, an Austrian column of 9,000 men under the command of Argenteau attempted to force its way south through the hills, the "Appenino Savonese," to the town of Savona on the Mediterranean in order to cut off the French right wing threatening Genoa. Colonel Fornésy, with two battalions (about 1,200 men) made a heroic stand on Monte Negino, blocking the road and bottling up Argenteau's column in the valley. Général de Division Masséna, leading Bonaparte’s Avant Garde, advancing from Altare in the Bormida valley, hit the right flank and rear of Argenteau's column at Montenotte Superiore on 12th April 1796, inflicting 1,000 casualties and sending the survivors reeling over the hills in disorderly retreat. When asked in later years about his bloodline, Napoléon simply remarked, "My nobility dates from Montenotte”. 2.0 RULES QUESTIONS Check the La Bataille forum at Consimworld: http://www.consimworld.com. 3.0 GAME COMPONENTS A complete game of La Bataille de Montenotte includes the following components: 1. One 16” x 22” map 2. A lot of counters 3. Two Series Rules books (Règlements de l’An XXX, et la Règlements des Maries Louises) 4. One Exclusive Rules Book 5. Charts and tables 6. Two organizational displays 7. Game Turn Record Track 8. Terrain Effects Chart 4.0 TERRAIN 4.1 Streams The area around all the streams can be swampy and this is more of an impediment than the stream itself. 4.2 Visibility and Artillery Ricochet Note: The ground was covered in gullies and scrubby trees and visibility was very limited. The maximum range of all artillery fire is 4 hexes, unless from across a Redoubt hexside. Artillery Ricochet may go beyond the 4 hexes: NOTE: Artillery Ricochet only applies to the Règlements de l’An XXX. 4.3 Slopes Note: Slope effects may be combined with redoubt’s hexside effects. Slopes are categorized into 3 levels of steepness. Slope 1 are gentle slopes, with little effect on movement. Slope 2 are steep slopes. Slope 3 are very steep slopes, almost cliffs. 4.4 Field Fortifications Note: The Hapsburgs had built fortifications in the passes; these old redoubts were in commanding positions and blocked all the roads south from Montenotte. Formed infantry crossing the fortifications are disordered. French commanders within the Redoubts are always in command. French commanders leading assaults on Redoubts are in command, if they are adjacent to the Redoubt 4.5 General Order The following terrain requires formed units to enter General Order when entering: Village Wood Note: Cavalry and artillery cannot enter woods and Infantry may get disordered. Infantry use a special movement table to enter woods hexes. 4.6 Depots French: The roads to Altare (west), Savona (South East), Madonna di Savona (south) Austrian: The road to Montenotte Inferiore / Dego (North East) 4.7 Terrain and Artillery Ricochet Artillery fire which targets the following hexes terminates in them. Ricochet fire may bounce into, but not through the following hexes. La Bataille de Montenotte Village / Farmette hexes Wood hexes Fortification hexes. NOTE: Artillery Ricochet only applies to the Règlements de l’An XXX. 5.0 COMMAND The Organization and Display Charts reveal the command structure of the armies. Refer to them as necessary. 5.1 French Command Points: The French receive CP’s for Bonaparte and Masséna when they are on the battlefield MU Size: The largest MU which the French may create is an Infantry Division (each Brigade may have an attached cavalry regiment). Leader Casualties: o If Bonaparte is killed Berthier replaces him. Artillery Leaders of Special Ability: Bonaparte. Cavalry Leaders of Special Ability: None NOTE: Special Abilities only applies to the Règlements de l’An XXX. 5.1.1 Any French leader in a redoubt may generate a local MU for all units in and adjacent to the Redoubt, and may place his subordinate formations in command. 5.1.2 Colonel Henri-François Fornésy was the commander of the 17re Demi-Brigade Légère. His bonuses apply to the 17re Légère only. 5.1.3 Chef de Brigade Antoine-Guillaume Rampon was the commander of the 32re Demi-Brigade. His bonuses apply to the 32re Ligne only. 5.2 Austrians Command Points: The Austrians receive CP’s for Argenteau, and an additional MU for Rukavina if he is leading an assault on a Fortification. MU Size: The largest MU the Austrians may create is a Division of Infantry (including attached cavalry regiment) Leader Casualties o If Argenteau is killed Rukavina replaces him. If Rukavina is not on the map then any other commander. There are no Austrian Leaders of Special Ability: 5.2.1 General-major Mathias Ritter Rukavina von Boynograd may create a brigade consisting of up to 4 Bataillons; his bonuses apply to this brigade only. 6.0 SPECIAL RULES 6.1 Scenario Reinforcements When reinforcements are directed to be deployed during the Reinforcement Chit the arriving reinforcements may not be placed in an enemy Zone of Influence. If the reinforcements are unable to comply with this rule displace them towards the friendly depot until the can be placed on the map and outside of enemy Zones of Influence. 6.2 Weather All game turns are clear weather turns, darkness falls at 19:00. Effect of darkness. Maximum artillery range 2 hexes. Movement costs for units off road and formation changes is doubled. Cavalry units are not doubled for charging. 6.3 Forced March Only the forces of Division Masséna (1ere Division) may force march. 6.4 Cavalry Skirmish Order Even though there is a row for cavalry skirmishers on the Fire Defense Chart and a column on the Movement Chart, this applies only to players using the Règlements de l’An XXX. 6.5 Austrian Pionieren Argenteau had a force of Pionieren who could have constructed some redoubts. 6.5.1 At the start of Day 2, they may be setup with a) a built redoubt & disordered or b) in column. 6.5.2 If the Pionieren remain stationary in command range and without firing or melee combat for 1 hour they have constructed a redoubt (and are disordered). 6.5.3 This redoubt has 3 front hex-sides and acts the same as the Habsburg redoubts. 6.6 Cavalry Charge Note: The terrain was heavily wooded except for the area around the villages which had been cleared for farming, but these remained covered in low stone walls. The Cavalry Squadrons could only effectively operate on the roads. When charged by cavalry the infantry could scatter into the woods/ houses, form a fighting formation or get sabered. La Bataille de Montenotte 6.6.1 Cavalry may only charge along roads/tracks (the last 3 hexes do not have to be in a straight line). 6.6.2 If the infantry fire (at 1:1) the cavalry are routed and exit the hex in the direction they entered the hex. The infantry formation changes to column. 6.6.3 If the infantry scatter (routed, disordered, skirmish) the cavalry exit the hex in the direction they were travelling, at the end of the charge they are fatigued as if they had been in melee. 6.6.4 If the infantry fail to form formation (or scatter) they lose 1 increment and are routed, the cavalry exit the hex in the direction they were travelling; at the end of the charge they are fatigued as if they had been in melee. 6.6.5 If the cavalry exit the hex in the direction they were travelling they may immediately charge any adjacent formation and continue the combat (before being fatigued). 6.7 Austrian Regiments & Batteries Note: The regimental batteries normally consisted of four 3pdrs and a single 6 pdr, partly crewed by the regiment’s infantry. Austrian Linen Bataillons may only enter EZOC when no part of their brigade is in Road Order A RTC modifier of -6 applies if the regimental battery is not unlimbered and within 4 hexes and have a LOS to the target. For the purpose of determining LOS the battery may ignore its own Regiment. Linen Regimental batteries may freely stack with Bataillons of their regiment. Regimental batteries always fire at full strength (regardless of having 1 or more increments). 6.8 Rally / Rout Note: Due to the dense terrain units do not have to flee the 15 hexes in the standard rules Units may stop to rally in any hex with fortification hexside or the Village of Montenotte Superiore, as long as not adjacent to an enemy formation. 7.0 Scenario 1: Day 1: Fornésy’s defense 7.1 Introduction As a result of Austrian planned attack to Voltri, the Austrian Feldmarschallleutnant Argenteau attempted to force its way south through these hills, the "Appenino Savonese," to the town of Savona on the Mediterranean in order to cut off the French right-wing threatening Genoa.