Battle of Pultusk, Regiment Style
Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2024 12:44 pm
On March 2nd, 2024, a few members from our group met to engage in an age-old ritual of... Gaming. We gamed the Battle of Pultusk, which took place on December 26, 1806, utilizing the Bataille Empire V2 ruleset. This time we played at the regiment scale. The venue for this interesting historical simulation was graciously provided by a friend, where a purpose-built gaming table measuring 5ft x 12ft had been built a couple of years prior. I attempted to place the terrain elements to adhere to the data displayed by several historical map drawings, and notably a critical "crossroad" serving as the sole ingress to the town of Pultusk, Poland—as it turned out, a strategic focal point and a consequential bottleneck for the French forces.
Elements of the 2nd division, positioned along the road paralleling the escarpment's summit, demonstrated resilience akin to previous engagements, enduring for approximately three turns. Despite the 2nd's valiant efforts, they succeeded in inflicting only minimal damage to the opposing French division before succumbing to the inevitable onslaught. Meanwhile, Bennigsen's Army's "Left Detachment" maintained a steadfast defensive posture north of the main road, entrenched within wooded terrain, while they waited for the 3rd to arrive. Notably, the French division facing off against the Left Detachment and 3rd division bore the brunt of the engagement, sustaining significant losses by the conclusion of the fifth turn. The game concluded around the end of the seventh turn (I failed to get an exact count).
While our simulation deviated from historical precedent—wherein the French, under Lannes's leadership, purportedly outmaneuvered the Russian forces to the point of retreat—the camaraderie amongst participants remained exemplary.
John, wielding his phone camera like an extension of himself, captured pivotal moments throughout the simulation. Should he graciously consent, we look forward to the prospect of sharing his visual chronicle with the wider community.
Gratitude is extended to Derry, John, Alex, and Liam for their dedicated participation in the proceedings, without which the experience would have been incomplete. Special commendation is reserved for our esteemed host, Chip, whose hospitality facilitated the success of the event.
Elements of the 2nd division, positioned along the road paralleling the escarpment's summit, demonstrated resilience akin to previous engagements, enduring for approximately three turns. Despite the 2nd's valiant efforts, they succeeded in inflicting only minimal damage to the opposing French division before succumbing to the inevitable onslaught. Meanwhile, Bennigsen's Army's "Left Detachment" maintained a steadfast defensive posture north of the main road, entrenched within wooded terrain, while they waited for the 3rd to arrive. Notably, the French division facing off against the Left Detachment and 3rd division bore the brunt of the engagement, sustaining significant losses by the conclusion of the fifth turn. The game concluded around the end of the seventh turn (I failed to get an exact count).
While our simulation deviated from historical precedent—wherein the French, under Lannes's leadership, purportedly outmaneuvered the Russian forces to the point of retreat—the camaraderie amongst participants remained exemplary.
John, wielding his phone camera like an extension of himself, captured pivotal moments throughout the simulation. Should he graciously consent, we look forward to the prospect of sharing his visual chronicle with the wider community.
Gratitude is extended to Derry, John, Alex, and Liam for their dedicated participation in the proceedings, without which the experience would have been incomplete. Special commendation is reserved for our esteemed host, Chip, whose hospitality facilitated the success of the event.