Historical Background: The War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714) began when the King of Spain died without an heir. King Louis XIV of France and Emperor Leopold I of Austrian both claimed the throne, and Spain's territory. England and the Netherlands sided with Austria, while Bavaria joined the French. The war ended with the Treaty of Utrecht which forced Spain to turn over key territories in Europe. While Spain's power was waning the foundation was laid for a growing British empire. At the start of the war the French army had a reputation as the best in Europe. At the battle of Blenheim (1704), also spelled "Blindheim," the Duke of Marlborough soundly defeated the French, puncturing the myth of French invincibility.
Battle 1: The Franco-Bavarian army deployed well behind the river. At first it looked like history would repeat itself since this allowed the Confederate army to cross the stream without opposition. However the Confederate commanders did not wait for their army to cross in full force. Instead they launched piecemeal attacks against the solid French defenses. This was a disaster. The Franco-Bavarian units easily defeated the uncoordinated and unsupported attacks. On the Confederate right a series of forlorn cavalry charges ended in rout after rout. On the Confederate left the infantry tried a head on attack against the fortified town of Blenheim and were cut to pieces. In the center Marlborough managed to muster a strong attack. But with both flanks disintegrating rapidly the attack faltered. The battle was an overwhelming Franco-Bavarian victory. Sadly Marshal Tallard did not survive to enjoy his victory, he was killed leading a cavalry charge.
Building the Armies: Right now there aren't many 1/72 plastic soldiers available for this battle. BUM has a line of figures that includes French. Revell made some nice Seven Years War figures that could serve, but they are now difficult to find. You could use some current figure sets as substitutes. The Accurate/Imex/Revell British Infantry from the American Revolution could be used for the Musketeers and artillery crews. Here are some paper soldiers you can print and use. Infantry and cavalry are mounted two per base. Cavalry bases are 1.5" square, infantry bases are 3/4" x 1.5". Commanders are based singly on 3/4" x 1.5" bases.
The Map: The battle was played on a 5' x 7.5' table. The battlefield must include the stream and the fortified towns of Oberglau and Blenheim. The center part of the stream marked by the two white lines is where the Duke of Marlborough's pioneers prepared the stream for crossing (see rules below).
Deployment: The garrisons of Oberglau and Blenheim must start in those towns, the other units may be deployed in the areas shown. The main armies (other than the town garrisons) should start at least 18" apart. Cannons can start limbered or unlimbered.
Orders of Battle:
Confederate Army (all units have 6 bases)Right Wing - Prince Eugene
of Savoy Center - Duke of Marlborough
(Overall Commander) & Prince of Holstein-Beck Left Wing - Lord Cutts |
Franco-Bavarian Army (all units have 6 bases)Blenheim Garrison - Comte
de Merode-Westerloo Oberglau Garrison - Marquis
De Blainville Right Wing - Lt. Gen. Marquis
de Clerambault Center - Marshal Tallard (Overall
Commander) Left Wing - Marshall Marsin
& Elector of Bavaria |
Turn Sequence:
1. Confederates Move
2. Confederates Shoot
3. Franco-Bavarians Move
4. Franco Bavarians Shoot
5. Charges
6. Melees
Formations: Infantry and cavalry should be deployed in a double rank line, three bases in the front rank and three in the second rank. Cannons and commanders are deployed as one base units.
Movement: Infantry can move and charge 6". Cavalry can move and charge 12". Units must move to the front, maximum allowed oblique is 45 degrees. A unit may change facing at a cost of 1/2 its move. Commanders may move 12". Cannons can move 6" while limbered, and may unlimber at the beginning or end of their move. Cannons may not move after they are unlimbered. Limbered cannons should point away from the enemy, to indicate they cannot fire. Cannons may not shoot on the turn they unlimber, but they may pivot in place during movement and still fire. Units may not move within 1" of an enemy unit except when charging.
Crossing the Stream: The stream was bordered by marshy ground, which made it a troublesome obstacle. To cross the stream a unit must end it's movement in the stream. It it considered crossing the stream and marshy ground during this turn. The unit may not charge during this turn. If the unit is charged it has a +1 penalty to its morale die roll, and a -1 penalty to the die roll in melee. The penalties only apply during the turn when the unit is crossing the stream. On the following turn the unit may move and fight normally. The exception is units under the command of the Duke of Marlborough (the Confederate center). The Duke had his engineers prepare for the stream crossing but making fascines and fashioning makeshift bridges. Units crossing the stream in the center section marked on the map do not suffer the morale and melee penalties if charged while crossing the stream. The movement penalty still applies.
Shoot: Infantry, cannons, and Franco-Bavarian Cavalry can shoot (British cavalry relied on the sword). Range is measured from the center of a unit to the nearest part of the target unit. Units may only fire to the front and may not fire through narrow gaps between friendly units. Roll one die per infantry base or 2 dice per cannon. Franco-Bavarian cavalry only fire when charging (see the rules below). The chart indicates the number needed for a hit. Remove one base for each hit rolled by the firing unit. It takes three hits in the same turn to remove a cannon. Note that you only use the 1" firing column when shooting at a charging unit. If a unit is reduced to a single surviving base then the last base is immediately removed.
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Charges: Both sides may charge during the charge phase. If it matters the Confederates charge first. Cavalry can charge 12", infantry can charge 6". Cannons do not charge. A unit may not declare a charge unless it can reach an enemy unit without changing facing or turning.. A player may measure to see if a unit is within charge range. One enemy unit must be chosen as the target of the charge. A unit that wishes to charge must first pass a morale check. If the unit fails morale nothing happens, it cannot charge this turn. If the unit passes its morale check then the target must pass a morale check. If the target fails it loses one base and immediately retreats 12" facing away from the enemy, the charging unit is moved into the position vacated by the retreating target unit. If artillery is the target and it fails morale it is eliminated. If the target passes the morale check it has the option of firing at the chargers or counter charging. Cavalry cannot fire at the chargers, they must attempt to countercharge. If they fail their morale check they must stay in place and receive the charge at the halt, and they do not get a melee die roll bonus. Infantry can not charge or countercharge cavalry. If the unit counter charges the two units meet in the middle and fight a melee. If the target decides to fire at the chargers it does so at a range of 1". If the charging unit survives the fire it moves into contact with the target and they fight a melee.
Franco-Bavarian Fire During Charge: The Franco-Bavarian cavalry fired their pistols before charging home. When they charge they get to fire their pistols before the melee is resolved. They may roll 1D6 for each base in the front rank (maximum of three bases) and hit on a roll of 6. Casualties are removed before going to melee.
Morale Checks: If a unit has to take a morale check Roll one die and add any modifiers. If the roll is less than or equal to the number of bases (plus a commander if one is present), then it has passed. If the role is greater then it fails. Cannons pass on a roll of four.
| Guard Unit |
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| Cavalry |
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| Defending Town |
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| Crossing Stream |
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Franco-Bavarian Fire During Charge: The Franco-Bavarian cavalry fired their pistols before charging home. When they charge they get to fire their pistols before the melee is resolved. They may roll 1D6 for each base in the front rank (maximum of three bases) and hit on a roll of 6. Casualties are removed before going to melee.
Melee: If a charging unit contacts an enemy unit there will be a melee, unless the enemy is a cannon in which case the cannon is eliminated. Each side rolls a die and applies the modifiers. Highest modified roll wins. The loser removes a base and retreats 12" facing away from the enemy. If the roll is a tie each side removes a base and rolls again.
| More stands than opponent | +1 |
| Hitting the flank or rear | +1 |
| Commander leading charge | +1 |
| Guard Unit | +1 |
| Franco-Bavarian Cavalry charging |
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| Confederate Cavalry charging |
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| Defending Town |
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| Crossing Stream |
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Removing Casualties: When a unit is reduced to a single base this last base is automatically removed.
Commanders: A Commander may join or leave one of his units during movement. This unit gets a +1 bonus on all melee rolls and the officer counts as a base when testing morale. Every time a unit with an attached commander is completely eliminated by enemy fire (last base removed), or is engaged in a melee (win or lose) roll one die. If the roll is a 6 the commander is a casualty and is removed from play. This is the only way a commander can be eliminated.
Attacking the Fortified Towns: The town of Blenheim and Oberglau were fortified against attack.. The units that start in the towns gain some benefits as long as they are fighting against Confederates shooting or charging from outside the village. If the units are hit during the shooting phase roll one D6 for each hit scored against them. If the die is a 4 - 6 the hit is disregarded. The defending units subtract two when checking morale, and add two when fighting a melee. These benefits only apply when the enemy charges from outside the village, they disappear if they are fighting a Confederate unit that has fought its way into the village. Cavalry receive no Melee bonuses if they fight in the town.
Useful Resources: