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For the last year or so my father and I have been working on a set of our own rules for the Opening Campaign of the First World War, provisionally titled A Drama Never Surpassed. Our most recent game was a refit of the Battle of Marchais St. Brie on the 7th September 1914, considered by Sewell Tyng to be the single spot where “the battle was one”.
The Battlefied, with North at the Top. Marchais St. Brie in the Centre. The Red markers are the German Front Line
The French Force, representing the 36e Division.
The German Force, Consisting of Elements of the 13th and 14th Infanterie Divisions.
A German Machine Gun Company opens fire on an advancing French Battalion.
The 49e Regiment deploys along the Marchais road. The purple tokens represent orders, both to the regiment and the Battalion. Here, the large number represents a few bad dice rolls causing a breakdown in command and control.
Two other German Batteries begin to fire Indirectly at the Farm Complex. Indirect fire starts off as being rather ineffective (8+ on d10s) but as you fire it gets more and more effective and murderous.
French 75s come under direct fire as they unlimber. Despite all the advances in artillery technology between 1870 and 1914, the sight of these modern guns battering away at each other over open sights seems to have been commonplace in 1914, especially for the French.
The 18e Regiment completes it’s flank march, crossing the Petit Morin downstream of the main force and beginning their attack uphill.
The German Line Comes under pressure from three sides. The small white and yellow dice next to guns represent remaining ammunition, which dwindles quickly as the Quick-Firing Field guns burn through ammunition.
The Final French Reserve Regiment moves into line, at which point I (playing the Germans) threw in the towel, in order to withdraw my division in good order.
Overall, a good game. Still figuring out the specifics of the rules. Most of my research has broken almost all the certainties I assumed about the early campaign and trying to replicate the feel of the battles while still keeping the rules relatively fast play and simple is a challenge, but one I’m enjoying.
To model the effect of Nuclear weapons on the wargaming table, apply jerry can of fuel to board, light match and stand well back.
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