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Congress of Vienna’s Tactical Battle Matrix Option Part 2 of 2 – An Example of Battle

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Introduction by Congress of Vienna Designer – Frank Esparrago: This detailed example of play shows how battles in CoV unfold. Due to a different historical period and military perspective; these use a system more complex than Churchill’s. This battle system, whose basics are well-described by a fine and entertaining video by two of our talented play testers ( How to Resolve Battle in Congress of Vienna: An Animated Voice-Over PowerPoint | Inside GMT blog) receives a layer of richness for generating additional influence in how battle is resolved. This is accomplished through introducing Tactical Chits to generate a new modifier for determining a potential battle victor.

This article is based on this piece’s previous installment – A Congress of Vienna Option: Adding Tactical Flavor to Battles (A Tactical Battle Matrix) by Frank Esparrago & David Schoellhamer: A Congress of Vienna Option: Adding Tactical Flavor to Battles (A Tactical Battle Matrix) Part 1 of 2 | Inside GMT blog .This optional Tactical Battle Matrix rule is based on the tactical battle matrixes of the excellent Avalon Hill games 1776 and War and Peace published in the distant years of 1974 and 1980 respectively. However, playing with this optional rule does increase the amount of time needed for battle resolution. What is clear is that the CoV Tactical Battle Matrix does add an additional element of fun, uncertainty, tactical flavor, and “fog of war” to resolving battles. It does this by presenting simple choices regarding the general tactics an army could use.

Additional background regarding Congress of Vienna should help readers best apprecite this optional offering. For that, please reference GMT Games – Congress of Vienna . Now back to our exposition!

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Economics in Baltic Empires

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In this article I will explain how the economic mechanics work in Baltic Empires – both in terms of how income is generated and how this revenue is then spent. Both of these are handled differently than in many other games, as I wanted something that was simple and clean, but still felt fitting for a game on the fiscally underdeveloped states of early modern Europe and the prevailing mercantilist thinking.

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The Last Hundred Yards Volume 3: The Solomon Islands — Mission 31.0 The Lost Patrol

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AAR: 120700LAUG42 – Somewhere in the Solomon Islands – Classification: RD.[1]

Orders Summary

1st Marine Division, 5th Regt.:

On or about 1400 hrs. August 10th contact was lost with 1st Battalions’ LRRP[2]. Their last contact indicated they were eluding one or more Japanese patrols about a half click[3] from the shoreline. Their last reported position on the island was 502143[4]. Our regimental Top, Col. William Philips, has ordered Capt. Kirk (Baker 6)[5] to insert a group near the lost patrol’s last known location and conduct a search and rescue operation. The objectives are to ascertain the LRRP’s situation and, if possible, arrange an extraction of all personnel by PT boats. Baker 6 formed a search group consisting of 1st Plt., under the command of Lt. Dan Gaston (1-6), and the remaining elements of 2nd Plt., commanded by Lt. Bill Lewis (2-6), from which the LRRP personnel originated.

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Diving Into the Woods: A Survey of the Battle Book

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Introduction

Each game in the GBACW series comes with a “Battle Book” featuring, among other things, special rules that seek to reflect the unique aspects of the battle(s) treated.  No one familiar with the Battle of Shiloh will be surprised to learn that Into the Woods’s Battle Book is chock-full of such rules.  In this article we explore them with the goal of showing how Dick Whitaker forged and shaped his design to evoke what happened near Pittsburg Landing early in April, 1862.

Part of the Sunken Road at Shiloh
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Congress of Vienna November 2021 Development Update: Gameboard Narrative

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During the last six months we continued adjusting Congress of Vienna (CoV)’s components to try to make them as functional as possible. This effort included minor corrections to the rules: for example, when a rule was moved from being an optional rule to becoming a standard one or vice versa.

This always seems a problem when you carry out a game’s extensive playtest program with participants contributing many ideas and feedback regarding rule development as well as victory conditions. What’s gratifying is that through it all, the core design/development team takes a considered approached to weighing the merits of all this much appreciated input; and in the case of this November 2021 update, we’ll focus on the latest Congress of Vienna map and its rule references upon the gameboard.

This means we’ll share game board modifications made since the last published overview concerning the map as play testing proceeds. New Readers about Congress of Vienna, or those needing reminders of what this upcoming GMT P-500 listed game is about, may benefit through obtaining background regarding this game through the material deposited herein: GMT Games – Congress of Vienna and to learn more of the optional rules specifically mentioned within this update kindly reference War or Diplomacy? The Struggle Between the Wargamer vs Eurogamer Soul in the Design and Development of Congress of Vienna | Inside GMT blog

With this article, we present the latest gameboard which incorporates a variety of aids intended to facilitate play of both the Standard Game and its Optional Historical Rules for players with a grognard soul (these were referred to in previous versions as “Wargame Flavor Rules”).

As with the prior posted April ’21 update, we do not have this latest gameboard extensively in-person tested since most playtesting is conducted by Vassal for self-protection measures against COVID-19 . This results in our testing teams having representatives from Europe, the States, as well as a recent addition from the Philippines (what wonderful and talented multi-national group I’m privileged to have!). We incorporated modifications from Vassal play testers who found help them helpful to avoid needing to take time to reference, or perhaps overlook, certain key rules during play of an exciting and fun game of Congress of Vienna.

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Resolving Combat in Bear Trap

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In this InsideGMT article, I’ll walk you through a simple example of combat in Bear Trap. This should give you the flavor of the combat system in Bear Trap – as well as how it’s similar to, yet also quite different from, combat in Sekigahara. Because of the timescale over which Bear Trap is played, “battles” resolved by the players don’t represent singular quick events resolved in hours. Instead, they represent weeks-long campaigns over an area that could span more than 15,000 km2. In this way, the scale of the game is quite different to Sekigahara.

Note: draft playtest art is use for the cards, blocks, and map here.

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The Sequence of Play in Baltic Empires

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A game of Baltic Empires lasts up to 8, 12, or 16 Rounds, chosen before starting the game, but can also end sooner if a player wins a sudden death victory (as described in the previous article). This article will describe what happens during a Round, and how players can manipulate the turn order in each phase, as this is a key element of Baltic Empires. The full details of each phase will only be briefly touched upon here, as they will each be the focus of later articles.

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Conquest and Consequence Developer Preview

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Introduction

Like my occasional reviews tend to be, I am focusing on a game I enjoy which has little knowledge or coverage and one I’d like to draw people’s attention to. In this case, it’s a game that isn’t released, but is due shortly. This game is “Conquest and Consequence” (CnC), the Pacific Theatre sequel to Craig Besinque’s 2015 hit “Triumph and Tragedy” (TnT). 

I note that I am the developer on this game, but will temper this possible bias by noting that I make no money from my role and only aim that people have an enjoyable gaming experience. So, while the following preview is my honest opinion, it’s only fair you have this context in mind.

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A Congress of Vienna Option: Adding Tactical Flavor to Battles (A Tactical Battle Matrix) Part 1 of 2

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Introduction by Congress of Vienna Designer – Frank Esparrago: Although Congress of Vienna (CoV) is a game with an enormously robust selection of political and diplomatic decisions and effects with the game’s military aspects omnipresent; you’d think that would be enough. Ha! Some play testers wanted an option to study what could happen if they decided the big tactical choices in a decisive battle to a greater degree of influence than the standard game offers. As CoV’s designer, I could not resist the opportunity to address their desire!

The standard game already includes military units and cards that represent generals and other units such as guard, cavalry, etc. But for a game focusing on grand strategy, how would you arrange different army corps and reserves? This was something the standard game left uncontemplated. It seemed an optional rule the best approach to address this as an optional rule.

David Schoellhamer is one of our play testers who possesses excellent analytical skills and attention to detail. He has significantly contributed to improve Congress of Vienna despite not being a historical expert of the Napoleonic age. Lately, he is involved in the considerable task of making fully operational a scenario that allows playing CoV in a solitary version: the French player versus Bots for the three allied players! This allows the Solitaire Player to experience all the pressures and opportunities for glory that confronted Napoleon during the 1813-1814 period CoV encompasses.

This optional rule is based on the tactical battle matrix of the excellent Avalon Hill games 1776 and War and Peace published in the distant years of 1974 and 1980 respectively. However, playing with this optional rule does slow the amount of time needed for battle resolution. It should only be used by true-to-heart “wargamer” CoV players with enough time and desire to get more involved in the military aspects of this game. What is clear is that the CoV Tactical Battle Matrix does add an additional element of fun, uncertainty, tactical flavor, and “fog of war” to resolving battles. By presenting simple choices regarding the general tactics an army uses; we are sure that to some players it is quite reminiscent of the simple children’s game of rock / paper / scissors / match. But we will further reference this last analogy later during this article.

Additional background regarding Congress of Vienna should help readers best appreciate this optional offering. For that, please reference GMT Games – Congress of Vienna Now to our exposition!