[BG] Wiedeń 1683 (Dragon)

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[BG] Wiedeń 1683 (Dragon)

Post autor: Raleen »

Wiedeń 1683

Polish tactical board war game simulating battle of Vienna (1683).

Author: Dariusz Góralski
Published by Dragon

History
The battle of Vienna (in Polish “Wiedeń”, capital of Austria), which took place 12.09.1683, is one of the most famous in the history of Poland and history of the world. In that year there was a pact between Austrian Emperor and Polish King that if Cracow or Vienna would have been endangered by Turks, the other side was obliged to come with rescue. So, when great, counting over 100 000 men Ottoman army under the command of Kara Mustafa marched into Austria and started to siege Vienna, allies become to gather army which task was to break the siege and destroy Ottoman forces. With help to the Austrian Emperor came rulers of Saxony, Franconia and Bavaria, and the Polish king Jan III Sobieski (Jan = John). Allied forces had to start a quick march to the Vienna before the Austrian capital would have fallen down. Battle which started in the result of it was one of the biggest military event of their times. Great victory of allied forces broke definitely Turkish ambitions to rule whole central Europe and stopped aggressive policy of Koprulu wesirs. More information about that battle you can find here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vienna

Game Scale
1 hex – 250 meters,
infantry units – regiments (600-1800 men),
cavalry units – regiments (500-700 men),
artillery units – batteries (8-12 cannons cal. 6-12 pounds),
1 turn simulates 30 minutes of the real time on the battlefield.

Sequence of Phases and Movement Rules
In the game there is 28 turns, each turn is divided on phases.
Phases of the turn:
1. Reorganization of the Ottoman forces
2. Movement of the Ottoman forces
3. Combat of the Ottoman forces
4. Morale regeneration of the Ottoman forces
5. Reorganization of the Allied forces
6. Movement of the Allied forces
7. Combat of the Allied forces
8. Morale regeneration of the Allied forces
During own movement phase the side which this phase belongs to moves all own units. Each unit has movement points limit. For moving on each hex unit ‘spells’ the number of movement points specified in the movement table (‘paying’ the movement points). Movement costs are different for different kinds of terrain (in that game number of kinds of terrain is quite large, so the board isn’t monotonous). Movement is possible until unit doesn’t ‘spelled’ (used) his movement points limit and still has movement points, although unit isn’t obliged to use all movement points from it’s limit. Generally movement rules are standard, the same or almost the same as in most of the classical board war games based on the hex board.

Kinds of Units in the Game
Ottoman Army
- Sipahi (cav.)
- Turkish cavalry (cav.)
- Tatars (cav.)
- Moldavians & Wolochians (cav.)
- Jenicheri (Janeissaires) (inf.)
- Turkish infantry (inf.)
- Albanians & Bosnians (inf.)
- Dismounted Turkish cavalry (inf.)
- Turkish artillery (art.)
- Turkish siege artillery (art.)

Allied Army
Polish units:
- Husaria (cav.)
- Pancerni (Armoured Cavalry) (cav.)
- Light cavalry (cav.)
- Dragoons mounted and dismounted (cav.)
- Polish infantry (inf.)
- Cuirassiers (cav.)
- Polish artillery (art.)

Austrian and German units:
- Cuirassiers (cav.)
- Dragoons mounted and dismounted (cav.)
- German cavalry (cav.)
- German infantry (inf.)
- Austrian infantry (inf.)
- Bavarian infantry (inf.)
- Austrian artillery (art.)
- Austrian siege artillery (art.)

cav. – cavalry
inf. – infantry
art. – artillery

Units Factors
Each unit has on the counter 3 factors (from the left side of the counter): 1. combat factor (for hand to hand combat), 2. fire factor, 3. movement factor. Units belong to different formations which in “Wiedeń 1683” symbolize different nationalities or corpses of each army (groups of units), so completely different than in parent game “Kircholm 1605”. Artillery units don’t have any factors. There is only a division on field artillery and siege artillery which means artillery which can’t move and is placed on fortifications where siege artillery has larger field of defensive fire.

Disorganization State
There is one main combat effect which simulates partial loses – disorganization state. Counter of the unit which became disorganized is turned to the other side. Combat factor of the disorganized unit is divided by 2 (rounding up), he doesn’t have at all fire factor which means that such unit can’t shoot, in the place of fire factor there is a letter “D” on the counter, movement factor is the same as before. Disorganized units, as I said before, doesn’t have ZOC and it’s easier to eliminate them – there is a special result in combat and fire table, called “DDU” which effects so, that 1) unit which wasn’t disorganized before becomes disorganized and must retreat, and 2) unit which was disorganized before is eliminated.

Units Facing
Units don’t have rear and flanks, so can be placed on the hexes in the way preferred by the player who commands them.

Formations
In “Wiedeń 1683” units are grouped in different formations. ‘Formation’ means group of units that same nationality or belonging to that same corps of the army. So it means something completely different that ‘formation’ in tactical games, where usually so it is called way how soldiers are grouped on the battlefield (line, skirmish, square etc.). You will see it better after checking the list of the formations in the game which I put here.

Formations in the game
Ottoman Army:
- Turks
- Jenicheri
- Sipahi
- Tatars
- Moldavians
- Wolochians

Allied Army:
- Austrians
- Franconians
- Saxonians
- Bavarians
- Lubomirski’s group (Polish army)
- Sieniawski’s group (Polish army)
- King’s group (Polish army)
- Jabłonowski’s group (Polish army)

Each formation has its own counters color (except Polish formations which all are in red, they are signed on the counters by different letters: L, S, K, J). It makes the game very nice, because the board, covered by different kinds of terrain, is very colorful and also the counters. The main rule about formation is that units from different formation can’t be stacked and rules concerning morale.

Morale of the Formation
Each army was divided on the formations in order to show morale factors of the different groups of the army. Each formation has its own morale factor which is put on a special morale track on the morale card, placed near to the board. Formations morale at the beginning of the game is on the maximum level, never can it be higher. When units of the formation loses combats and retreat or are eliminated morale goes down (formation morale counter is moved down on the morale track), when units of the formation pursuit after winning in the combats morale goes up (formation morale counter is moved up on the morale track). Morale goes up also when all units of the formation don’t fight and don’t shoot in their turn and all are outside enemy ZOC. When formation morale is lower than “0”, formation becomes demoralized. It results that units of this formation can’t attack at all and they can’t be reorganized (so units which becomes disorganized stay in that state). But morale of the formation can’t be lower than -5, so there is usually a chance to coming back to undemoralized state. Formation which is demoralized can regain it mainly by not fighting. Ottomans has another possibility which is taking out Prophet’s Standard which causes that morale of all Ottoman formations goes up by 5. It allows them to become undemoralized and make a decisive attack (often it is their last critical attack but because of that rule to the end of the game they are dangerous).

Zone of Control (ZOC)
Each cavalry and infantry unit has ZOC on all hexes around the unit. Artillery and disorganized units don’t have ZOC at all. When unit entered enemy ZOC, it must be stopped. There is possible to go out from enemy ZOC when unit is at the beginning of its own movement phase in it but in such case unit can’t enter enemy ZOC in that turn at all.

Stacks. Mounting and Dismounting Cavalry
There is possible to make stacks of two units. Units must be from the same formation. Cavalry can be stacked with infantry. Additionally to that, with cavalry or infantry units can be stacked artillery which isn’t counted in the limit I mentioned above. So in one stack can be maximum two units of cavalry or infantry and one unit of artillery. Units of cavalry which can be mounted and dismounted are dragoons and Turkish cavalry. Dragoons, differently from another units, on one side of the counter are mounted and on the other dismounted (they are an infantry unit in such case), they can change its formation between mounted and dismounted paying 1 movement point and there is also rule that it is taken their movement limit from the beginning of the turn (because as infantry unit they have lower movement points limit than being a cavalry). Turkish cavalry can be dismounted paying all its movement points in one turn, it can be mounted in that same way but only on the hexes symbolizing Ottoman camp, which spread widely around the Vienna. So, mounting and dismounting dragoons is much easier than Turkish cavalry although during the game dismounting a part of Turkish cavalry is often necessary and pays off.

Combat (Hand to Hand Combat)
Combat is resolved in combat phase. Sequence of the phase is such that first it is done artillery fire, than charges and than ‘usual’ fire and hand to hand combats. Phase is divided for many fights. Both sides compare strength of fighting units decreasing the attacker strength by the defender strength. The result, in plus or in minus, indicates the column of the combat table in which we are checking combat effects. If more than one unit attacks enemy unit the strength of the attacker is counted in that way, that attacker chooses the most powerful of his units and adds 1 for each next unit which takes part in attack. Defender may be only one unit or one stack of units, in both cases they always occupy one hex. There is no obligation to attack enemy units which are in ZOC or have player’s unit in its ZOC. Also if we decide to attack enemy unit we don’t need to attack all units which are in the attackers ZOCs and so on. Attack is always facultative (except charge) and is done by own units and on enemy units chosen by the attacker. Another essential rule is that in the same own combat phase player cannot attack enemy unit shooting to it and in hand to hand combat, player always have to choose one kind of attack of this two (charge is of course a kind of hand to hand combat). After comparing strength of the attacker’s and the defender’s units the initial strength of them is modified by terrain, commanders and other modifications. Attacker dice D6 and both check combat effect in the combat table. Possible results are:
- – no combat effect,
D – all units become disorganized,
DU – all units become disorganized and must retreat,
DDU – for not disorganized units it means the same as DU, for disorganized the same as E,
E – all units are eliminated.
Retreat after combat units make how player who commands them wishes, each unit has movement points limit which can spend on retreat movement (infantry and artillery – 3 movement points, cavalry – 6 movement points). Side who won may pursuit. The first hex of pursuit movement must be on the hex occupied by the loser before combat, further way of pursuit winner chooses as he wishes. Pursuit unit, similarly to the retreating unit, has 2 movement points (infantry) or 4 movement points (cavalry). The main rule about retreat is that retreating unit during retreat cannot enter enemy ZOC. If forced to do so, retreating unit is eliminated.

Shooting (by Infantry and Cavalry)
Shooting using hand weapon can be done by infantry and by cavalry. Each unit has own fire factor. If we want to shoot in the combat phase we must be on the hex adjacent to the enemy. We only check our fire factor and the terrain in which is the defender. Results are Z, D, DU, D(U), DDU. Results D, DU and DDU mean the same as in hand to hand combat (check the part about hand to hand combat). Result Z means that unit is ‘stopped’ – it can’t shoot and attack during its next its phases, this result is automatically taken off after one turn. D(U) means that same as DU, but retreat is only facultative, while in case of result DU it is obligatory.

Shooting – Defensive Fire
Independently from possibility of shooting in its own combat phase units can shoot in enemy movement phase. This shooting is called ‘defensive fire’. Each unit can shoot to two adjacent hexes in its ZOC. Fire strength in defensive fire is half of unit’s fire factor while in basic shooting is full fire factor. Targeted can be only units which during enemy movement phase enter hexes covered by unit’s defensive fire, not the units which at the beginning of the phase on such hexes were and still stay on them without doing any movement. Targeted can be each unit which enter defensive fire zone, so if few units one after one enter defensive fire zone each of them can be targeted, except the situation when on the hex there is an enemy unit which was target of the defensive fire before and after that stayed on this hex (stayed in this case means ‘not retreated in the result of defensive fire’). Defensive fire can be done also by artillery. Siege artillery units have defensive fire zone on four (not two) adjacent hexes.

Charge
Charge is a special kind of combat possible to do only by cavalry. To become charging cavalry unit has to move at last 1 hex in open terrain. If charging movement is longer, whole must be done in open, plain terrain, and also attacker before movement and the defender must be in open terrain. There can’t be on the way of charge even streams and slopes, and if they appear there is no charge. Unit which in the phase of own movement applied to this conditions is marked by the special charge counter. Charge is resolved in the phase of combat, after artillery fire but before other ‘usual’ combats. Cavalry units which have a star on their counters double their strength, cavalry units which don’t have such symbol add 1 to their strength. Charge is very effective manner of attack because except that cavalry unit gains bonuses to its strength, each disorganization result for them is ignored and cavalry unit which got disorganization effect only loses for it charge marker. The third advantage of charge is that unit who won and gained result DDU (check the part about hand to hand combat) can pursuit and if pursuit movement is in open terrain can attack once more. So in that way charging unit may attack 3 times in one combat phase, of course if two initial combats won gaining DDU result and whole charge must be in open terrain (player must obey basic charge conditions that same as in the movement phase).

Husaria
Husaria was Polish heavy cavalry using 4-6 meters lances (in fact first row of cavalrymen only). This lances was usually broken in the first attack but often this one attack was strong enough to brake the enemy army. To simulate that each husaria unit has additional lances counter which is put on unit’s counter or over it. In combat, it gives +1 table modification and in charge +2. Lances counter is taken away after first combat of husaria unit.

Artillery
Range – 4 hexes. Artillery effectiveness depends on how far is targeted enemy unit. Between the artillery unit and the target must be visibility. Players check so called ‘line of sight’, which means line connecting center of the hex occupied by shooting artillery and the center of the hex occupied by the unit which is the target of artillery fire. Results of artillery fire are the same as in case of infantry hand shooting, but there are only two results: D and Z. Artillery may shoot at the beginning of own combat phase and in the enemy movement phase (defensive fire). At the end there is one more thing to mention: artillery as dragoons has two ‘formations’ (don’t mistake with the formations meant as groups of units): movement formation and shooting formation. In the first formation artillery unit can move but can’t shoot, in the second one it can shoot but can’t move. Formation change costs all movement points in one turn.

Commanders
The role of commanders in the game isn’t so crucial like in many games, although they have an influence on reorganization and add modifications in combat. Each commander has two factors. First factor is combat factor, which gives modification in combat table (0, 1 or 2). Second one is reorganization factor, which plays vital role in reorganization test (read below about reorganization). Commander can be killed in combat, in the result of enemy fire or when enemy unit entered the hex occupied by commander which was on it alone (without any unit). When unit is eliminated it results that commander who was accompanying it is also eliminated. When there was another result of combat or enemy fire except ‘lack of effect’ player is obliged to make test dicing D6. If the result is 6, commander is eliminated. When enemy unit met commander who was alone, it depends if it was enemy cavalry or infantry/artillery. If it was cavalry, it is done test as that one described above, result 6 eliminates the commander, another result means that commander is automatically placed on the nearest ally unit. If it was infantry or artillery, commander is automatically placed on the nearest ally unit.

Reorganization
Units which are outside enemy ZOC can be reorganized in reorganization phase (each player has own reorganization phase after combat phase). Reorganization procedure is D6 test, result 5 or 6 means that unit reorganization was successful, other results mean that it is still disorganized. Commander’s presence on the hex with unit or on the next hex helps in reorganization. If the commander is on the same hex, player adds his reorganization factor to the result (so if this factor is 4, unit is automatically reorganized no matter what was reorganization test result). If the commander is on the adjacent hex to the reorganized unit, player adds half of his reorganization factor (rounding down). Each unit’s reorganization may be supported by one commander, each commander may support all units which are in his range (on the same or on the adjacent hex).

Siege and Assault of Vienna – Two Scenarios of the Game
The game has two scenarios: 1) with the assault of Vienna, 2) without the assault of Vienna. The scenario which is played is chosen by Ottomans at the beginning of the game. In the first scenario before the game Ottoman player dices 2xD6 and adds 12 – it indicates in which turn there will be detonated mines (explosives) put by Turkish engineers under Vienna fortifications. In that turn Ottoman player starts the assault of Vienna. To the attack on Empire’s capital he moves before the game at last 5 chosen by him units to make assault, many units there is basically near to Vienna. This scenario is like a big race: Ottomans have poor forces in the field but when the assault of Vienna starts defender chances to stay alive are rather low. Bringing rescue allied army must hurry. The second scenario is rather calm. In Ottoman army almost all good units are directed to the field battle. About the result of the game decides the result of full confrontation in the classical field battle. Ottomans are the weaker side, but they don’t need to win, they only have to keep blockade of Vienna to the end of game. If they are successful in it, they win. About Vienna there are last two chapters of rules, but I think there is no need to describe them here, notice only that they have some lacks (especially rules about Vienna fortifications) and it is good to discuss them before the start of the game.
Ostatnio zmieniony niedziela, 17 sierpnia 2008, 16:54 przez Raleen, łącznie zmieniany 1 raz.
Panie, weźcie kości w rękę i wyobraźcie sobie, że gracie z królem Kastylii, i rzucając je na stół zdajecie wszystko na los bitwy. Jeśli dopisze wam szczęście, zrobicie najlepszy rzut, jaki kiedykolwiek uczynił król na ziemi; a jeśli rzut wam się nie powiedzie, inaczej nie odejdziecie z gry, jak z honorem.

Gil de Osem do króla Portugalii Jana I Dobrego przed bitwą pod Aljubarrotą (14.VIII.1385)
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Raleen
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Post autor: Raleen »

I would be grateful for any comments and remarks which could eventualy help to improve game's description.

And here some pictures:

http://portal.strategie.net.pl/index.ph ... Itemid=119
Ostatnio zmieniony niedziela, 27 marca 2011, 09:53 przez Raleen, łącznie zmieniany 1 raz.
Panie, weźcie kości w rękę i wyobraźcie sobie, że gracie z królem Kastylii, i rzucając je na stół zdajecie wszystko na los bitwy. Jeśli dopisze wam szczęście, zrobicie najlepszy rzut, jaki kiedykolwiek uczynił król na ziemi; a jeśli rzut wam się nie powiedzie, inaczej nie odejdziecie z gry, jak z honorem.

Gil de Osem do króla Portugalii Jana I Dobrego przed bitwą pod Aljubarrotą (14.VIII.1385)
hwiccee
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Post autor: hwiccee »

Hi,

This review, and indeed all of them are just superb. Thank you very much for taking the time to write them. You ask for comments and remarks to improve the reviews but I have to say I think that they are perfect!

Thanks again,

Nick
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Raleen
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Post autor: Raleen »

Thanks hwiccee, you make ma flattered :]
Panie, weźcie kości w rękę i wyobraźcie sobie, że gracie z królem Kastylii, i rzucając je na stół zdajecie wszystko na los bitwy. Jeśli dopisze wam szczęście, zrobicie najlepszy rzut, jaki kiedykolwiek uczynił król na ziemi; a jeśli rzut wam się nie powiedzie, inaczej nie odejdziecie z gry, jak z honorem.

Gil de Osem do króla Portugalii Jana I Dobrego przed bitwą pod Aljubarrotą (14.VIII.1385)
hwiccee
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Post autor: hwiccee »

It is not flattery it is the truth :) Seriously you should try to get these reviews published in some magazines. Are there any magazines about board games? If there are you should contact them and ask if they want to publish your reviews.
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Raleen
Colonel Général
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Post autor: Raleen »

Maybe I will contact them. It has left one game yet to finish it - Tannenberg 1914, I WW, operational scale.
Panie, weźcie kości w rękę i wyobraźcie sobie, że gracie z królem Kastylii, i rzucając je na stół zdajecie wszystko na los bitwy. Jeśli dopisze wam szczęście, zrobicie najlepszy rzut, jaki kiedykolwiek uczynił król na ziemi; a jeśli rzut wam się nie powiedzie, inaczej nie odejdziecie z gry, jak z honorem.

Gil de Osem do króla Portugalii Jana I Dobrego przed bitwą pod Aljubarrotą (14.VIII.1385)
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