Strategic Phase of the Campaign

General

The Strategic Phase is when the armies are deployed over a wide area and are not in any danger of getting close enough to engage in a formal battle. Cavalry screens and minor engagements are not shown on this map.

Maps

The campaign area is from Hamburg in the north to Gibraltar in the south, and from Lisbon in the west to Vienna in the east.

There are 30 maps, each hand drawn on A4 paper.

Each map covers an area 280 miles north to south, and 200 miles east to west.

Each map is divided into squares 14x10 squares, each square is 20 x20 miles

Each map shows major towns, major rivers and main supply routes.

Mountain ranges, forests and minor rivers have not been shown on the maps

There is assumed to be a comprehensive minor road system which is not shown


Campaign Areas

There are five campaign areas, each with two armies of four corps each:

1 – Northern Germany – 2 French v Prussians

2 – Central Germany – 1 French v Russians

3 – Southern Germany – 3 French v Austrians

4 – Western Spain – 4 French v British

5 – Eastern Spain – 5 French v Spanish


Campaign Armies

Each campaign army has four corps.
Each campaign army has 128 infantry, 16 cavalry and 4 guns and crew.
Each corps has 32 infantry, 4 cavalry and 1 gun and crew


Orders

Each army has a strategic objective, for example hold Magdeburg and the river Elbe.

Each day a simple order is issued to each corps, for example move to H8 Magdeburg.

The aggressive army moves first.



Movement

Daily movement for all arms is 20 miles or one square.

This bears no relation to actual march rates in 1813. It has been chosen because one square is also the area represented on the wargames table. It is a bonus that is also allows for delays due to difficult terrain or unfordable rivers

There is no deduction for crossing rivers as there is assumed to be a bridge within each square.

Logistics and supply are not gamed to reduce paperwork. However loss of a main supply route would require attention and result in a battle.

Battle casualties are not included as this would require additional paperwork. However they are taken into account following a battle. The side with higher casualties would require longer to regroup and would have to retreat if pursued by the winner.


Transfer to the Tactical Map

When the two armies come within one square (20 miles) of each other a tactical map is produced, and the locations of each corps shown on both maps.

Until the campaign is resolved, daily movement is done on both maps.