Posted by: @michaelkneisoptonline-net

I am developing a Talavara Scenario and have a few questions. I am creating a scenario that simulates 2 French Corps essentially attacking 4 British Divisions. Each side has an Army Commander. 

Don't forget the Spanish that operated with the British, they make up about 60% of the Anglo-Spanish Army present, and the British cavalry were there too. There was also a large French reserve element, effectively a corps, of mostly cavalry.

Posted by: @michaelkneisoptonline-net

Does British the Army Commander issue objectives directly to each Division?

You need to determine if each British division will be treated as a Force or a Formation. Our recommendation would be to treat the historical Anglo-Spanish army as three Forces (each Force commanded by a single player):

• One British Force of four Formations (1st-4th Infantry Divisions) – One Player (also Army Commander)

• One British Force of three Formations (1st-3rd Cavalry Brigades) – One Player

• One Spanish Force of eight (!) Formations (Avant Garde, 1st-5th Infantry Divisions, 1st-2nd Cavalry Divisions) – One Player

Potentially you could break the Spanish into two Forces if one of the cavalry commanders acted as senior controlling the other. We haven't finished our research on this battle and therefore can't speak to it directly.

This arrangement provides for three Anglo-Spanish Forces in the Anglo-Spanish Army, each would receive an objective.

Posted by: @michaelkneisoptonline-net

Does the French Army Commander issue objectives to each Corp? 

Yes, each French corps is one Force commanded by a player and receiving an objective.

The French Army would likely be comprised of three Forces:

• One Force of four Formations (I Corps: 3 infantry divisions + 1 cavalry brigade) – One Player

• One Force of four Formations (IV Corps: 3 infantry divisions + 1 cavalry brigade) – One Player

• One Force of three to four* Formations (Reserves: 1 mixed division + 2 cavalry divisions) – One Player

There would be four French players since Jourdan ran the battle as Army Command while Joseph effectively just commanded the reserves (at least in name). If one wanted they could presume that Jourdan and Joseph commanded together both at the Army and Force level, that would give you three French players instead of four.

Posted by: @michaelkneisoptonline-net

If the answer is yes, then the French end up having only 2 objectives, while the British might have 4. I am not taking a position either way, I just wanted to confirm.

Simply to clarify, using roughly the above recommendation, the French would have three objectives and the Anglo-Spanish three at any given time.

Posted by: @michaelkneisoptonline-net

Regarding reformation areas, for the British Army - composed of 4 Divisions, does each Division receive a reformation area? and similarly would the French only have 2 Reformation areas, one for each Corps?  

Each *Formation* receives a Reformation Area, so if the organization above is used, the Anglo-Spanish would have… 15 Reformation Areas and the French would have 9-10* Reformation Areas.

Let us know if this helps!

*The mix of troops in Dessolles' division could be broken into two Formations; one of infantry and one of cavalry; since it was uncommon for the French to have the two arms operate within a single body below the corps level.

• Thanks for the response. Understood regarding the Spanish, dont have the figures so ignoring those sides of the battle. 

Regarding the cavalry being a force, as i was thinking of making them separate divisions, doesnt making them a force limit their ability to support different spots throughout the battlefield? Or would that be handled via the Support order

Posted by: @michaelkneisoptonline-net

Thanks for the response. Understood regarding the Spanish, dont have the figures so ignoring those sides of the battle. 

Gotcha. Well, depending on how historical you are keeping the scenario, that would also relieve of you a great many of the French as the main attack against the British was made by the I Corps while the IV Corps was facing off with the Spanish.

Posted by: @michaelkneisoptonline-net

Regarding the cavalry being a force, as i was thinking of making them separate divisions, doesnt making them a force limit their ability to support different spots throughout the battlefield? Or would that be handled via the Support order

A Formation on a Support [D] directive must follow/shadow the Formation it is designated to support, this effectively override's its need to move towards its own Force's objective – this is the intent of the Support [S] directive, but it could be made more explicit than it is betrayed in the text.

But all that is to say that the cavalry Formations could legally support various Formations from other Forces despite themselves being organized as one Force.

Thanks. Love the rules my biggest challenge is changing the way i view playing a napoleonic game, but truly enjoy the challenge and the refreshing take on the era.