by Paul LaFontaine, 26 April 2026
Three players participated in this scenario. The game was the battle of Austerlitz, one of the most famous French successes from the Napoleonic Wars. Player Lewis++ was Napoleon, DrTruth and Tiberghien commanded the Austrian and Russian allies.
All players and the umpire had physical sets at their locations and the umpire reports were pointers via Discord allowing players to keep the situation on their own maps. These players have their own sets or use Tabletop Simulator, and were ready to go in a few minutes.
Lewis++ as the French commander was victorious, despite the skillful play by Tiberghien and DrTruth played a very solid game. The historical French victory was reproduced in our session.
The Problem
The problem for the French is that they are outnumbered by the Austrian and Russian forces. They must rely on judgment, timing, and the terrain to disrupt Allied coordination and offset the numerical disadvantage. The Allied players possess the larger force, but bringing that strength together across difficult ground is always a challenge.
French (Blue) Briefing
You command a veteran army whose members are part of a disciplined and carefully trained sub-units able to operate independently while supporting one another on the battlefield. Each unit can hold a defensive position or conduct offensive operations until other formations arrive. Supporting these formations is a large and flexible cavalry reserve composed of heavy cuirassiers, dragoons, and light cavalry, giving you both shock power and mobility.
Your OOB:
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Your force: 60,000 infantry split into two wings, 13,000 cavalry, and 150 guns.
The #2 wing is east of Bergenthal and the #1 wing is to its north near Kleindorf. You are outnumbered. Your mission is to lure the enemy in and strike and isolate smaller portions of the enemy force separately in order to defeat the enemy in total. The enemy is reported to be east near Altbruck.
Austrian-Russian (Red) Briefing
You command a coalition force drawn from two long-standing imperial military traditions. One contributor brings resilient infantry formations known for their endurance in battle, supported by capable artillery served by experienced professional crews. Alongside them stands an army undergoing modernization reforms. Together these allied forces combine solid infantry, professional artillery, and the weight of numbers, but success will depend on your ability to coordinate these different forces and bring them into action effectively against the enemy.
Your OOB:
Your force: 65,800 infantry, 14,200 cavalry, 300 guns.
Your force is north of the river at Altbruk and the river to your south is not fordable. You outnumber the enemy who is currently camped near Berganthal.
Turn 1
Lewis++, commanding the French, places one corps near Kleindorf (1) and a second at the southern crossroads (2). He sends his cavalry on a long march north around the flank (3).
DrTruth commands the Austrian First Corps in the south, while Tiberghien leads the Russian Second in the north. Tiberghien advances directly toward the French (4) through the woods, while DrTruth approaches in line through the forest (5). Their intent is to concentrate and pincer the French near Kleindorf.
Turn 2
Tiberghien reaches the edge of the woods (1) and makes contact with the French, leading to a brief skirmish east of Kleindorf. His forces are stretched in a long column through the forest. To the south, DrTruth continues his advance in line through the woods (2), a formation that slows his movement. Lewis++ orders the Second Corps on a flanking march (3), a move that dangerously divides his force. The cavalry continues to march (4).
Turn 3
Lewis++ realizes his flank march may be dangerous and redirects the Second Corps through the woods (1), unaware that it is moving toward the Allied flank. Tiberghien pulls his units back to the wood line (2) as he brings up his guns for an assault on Kleindorf. He has sent a note south reporting the enemy contact. DrTruth continues to march through the forest (3), while the French cavalry presses on in its long flanking movement (4). The situation continues to develop.
Turn 4
Lewis++’s Second Corps strikes the flank of the Austrian force while moving through the woods (1). DrTruth, oriented west and unaware of Lewis++’s presence, is caught by surprise, making the encounter new information for both sides. Tiberghien continues bringing up his guns to prepare an attack on Kleindorf (2), while the French cavalry nears Altbruck in the rear of the Allied line (3).
Turn 5
The French cavalry reaches the Allied rear (1) and launches an initial attack, but it is unsuccessful, with one French cavalry division driven off. Even so, the move distracts Tiberghien, who now faces an active cavalry threat behind his line. DrTruth pulls his force back (2), expecting further attacks through the woods. Lewis++, realizing a large Allied force is gathering to his east near Kleindorf, recalls the Second Corps (3) and marches it back to support the First. The Russian batteries are now all assembled east of Kleindorf (4).
Turn 6
Lewis++ launches the attack from Kleindorf (1), unaware that the full Russian battery is positioned along the woodline and ready for action. The assault is thrown back with losses. The French cavalry continues to strike Tiberghien’s rear area (2), drawing resources away from his main line. DrTruth splits his force in two (3): one element heads east to engage the Second French Corps, while the other remains facing southwest, expecting further threats along that road. The Allies have also lost track of two cavalry units that retreat off the board, weakening their flank security (4).
Turn 7
Lewis++ pulls his forces back behind Kleindorf as Allied cavalry strikes the flank (1), searching for a way through. The French line bends but continues to hold. In the north, Tiberghien has little time to enjoy his initial success, as French cavalry keeps pressing from the rear (2), drawing off resources and wearing down more infantry. He sends DrTruth an urgent message for reinforcements. In the south, the Austrians (3) pull back to consolidate (3), DrTruth having recognized that a significant French corps stands to his southwest.
Turn 8
Tiberghien (1) launches his attack in coordination with DrTruth (2) as they attempt to overwhelm the French position. Their superior artillery begins to suppress the French counter-battery fire, but their infantry strength is reduced because the French cavalry has drawn off several units. Having already made its contribution, the exhausted French cavalry withdraws (3) to Altbruck. The initial assault fails to break the French line.
Turn 9
In the north, Tiberghien’s units are too exhausted to attack (1). Though infantry still protects the guns, they can no longer press forward, and the artillery continues to fire on Kleindorf. Lewis++ gathers his two corps together; though damaged by the fighting, they continue to resist. DrTruth launches his assault where he believes the line can be broken (2). The battle is ferocious and costly, but the French hold firm, and the Russians and Austrians suffer enough losses to be forced to withdraw.
END OF SCENARIO
The Austrian and Russian allies withdraw eastward, unable to break the French line. The French hold the field and once again win the Battle of Austerlitz.
Lewis++ used several effective measures to keep the enemy off balance and prevent their concentration. His initial march south could have become a liability, but he recovered the situation and turned it into an advantage when his flank strike disrupted the Austrians moving through the woods. That delay kept them from concentrating against Kleindorf. Without it, the French likely would have faced superior numbers and encirclement there.
This is another of a series of Kriegsspiel AARs very similar to the events in our Wargame HQ at the Origins Game Fair. You can find the original article here.
His second key move was the use of cavalry in the Allied rear. Those attacks drew strength away in the north and prevented the northern and southern Allied forces from striking in concert. By disrupting coordination at critical moments, Lewis++ denied the Allies their numerical advantage. These two actions; the flank disruption in the woods and the cavalry pressure in the rear, formed the basis of the French victory.
DrTruth and Tiberghien had a sound plan, but the Austrian movement in line through the woods may have slowed them just enough to prevent the concentration they needed. They also lost track of two cavalry divisions, a critical oversight. Those units could have helped secure a flank and counter the French cavalry operating in their rear.
In Kriegsspiel, small lapses often create larger consequences. Here, the missing cavalry was the first domino to fall. It did not decide the battle alone, but it added friction at the wrong moment and made an already difficult attack too hard to carry through to victory.
Historical Outcome
The Battle of Austerlitz, fought on 2 December 1805 near the town of Austerlitz in the Austrian Empire, was a decisive engagement of the Napoleonic Wars in which Napoleon’s Grande Armée defeated the combined Russian and Austrian forces of the Third Coalition. Involving roughly 158,000 troops and resulting in about 24,000 killed or wounded, the battle is widely regarded as one of Napoleon’s greatest tactical achievements.
After earlier victories in the Ulm campaign and the capture of Vienna, Napoleon deliberately feigned weakness, abandoned the dominant Pratzen Heights, and enticed the Allies to attack his right flank. Reinforced at the critical moment by Marshal Davout, and exploiting morning mist to conceal Marshal Soult’s assault, Napoleon struck the weakened Allied center on the heights, split their army, and routed both flanks. The defeat, for which Emperor Alexander I and Austrian planners bore primary responsibility, led to an armistice and the Treaty of Pressburg, removing Austria from the war, reshaping Central Europe, and paving the way for the Confederation of the Rhine and the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, though Britain and Russia remained at war with France.
The game being used is Battle Decisions: Kriegsspiel from Catastrophe Games.
Conclusion
Another excellent scenario, where last-minute timing and sound decisions by experienced players produced a close and compelling result. All three players have played multiple games and understand how to coordinate forces, use terrain, and exploit narrow windows of opportunity. Their growing experience shows in every turn, and each game seems closer and more competitive than the last.
In the course of 69 minutes, we completed nine turns, an average of 7.6 minutes per turn. The system worked smoothly, and the players were able to enjoy a strong experience within our two-hour session, which is always the objective. One lesson that emerged is the need to improve how the system handles large-scale attacks. It currently resolves actions four units at a time, but when twelve units are attacking twelve units, we need a method to resolve that simultaneously rather than have players wait through multiple sequences. This game helped reveal the issue, and it also led me to devise a way to address it.
Thanks to Lewis++, Tiberghien and DrTruth for playing the scenario. They have become regulars and it is fun to umpire their play. Hopefully you’ll join us in a future session.
We’ll see you out there.
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