Good afternoon,

If, hypothetically, I was to model a Prussian force for 1813/14, what battle would you suggest as a base?

Katzbach campaign because it has lots of small actions within it and Blucher in overall command.  Also its the period when they strategically "advance to the rear" whenever they hear the French shout "Vive L'Empereur" but then turn round and beat the Marshalls if Boney goes somewhere else.  Hence lots of possible scenarios with the same army which manages both a big defeat and a big victory in the same month. 

So many possibilities but I always seem to come back to Mockern 16/10/13.
The Prussian Advanced Guard has a good variety of units.

Sorry, to clarify,  it isn't to play the battle, but rather use the OrBat for a Blucher force.

Leipzig.

Quote from: Last Hussar on 26 May 2026, 04:56:34 PMSorry, to clarify,  it isn't to play the battle, but rather use the OrBat for a Blucher force.

It that case it may be simplest to pick a Corps from the start of the Autumn Campaign. Organisation was essentially the same in 1814 but with fewer men.

https://www.napoleon-series.org/nafzigger/813HEC.pdf

https://www.napoleon-series.org/nafzigger/814CFJ.pdf

Bit different during the Spring Campaign as the units that went to Russia were still in their combined regiments, reserve battalions filled in the gaps they left and no Landwehr.

https://www.napoleon-series.org/nafzigger/813ECD.pdf

Quote from: fsn on 26 May 2026, 05:16:29 PMLeipzig.

Leipzig - SMALL....

QuoteLeipzig - SMALL....

"Go big or go home!"   

Ah, I see what I didn't explain...

I'm doing this for Blucher in Grande Scale. 1 baseis 3-5000 infantry. I have already worked Leipzig out. It comes out at about 345 points, with a target of 300.

I and II corps are 4 infantry stands, 1 cavalry, and 2 artillery. III corps is 6 infantry with some attached Cossack. The Advance Guard and Royal Guard are only 2 stands each - 1 infantry,  1 cavalry.

Given literally any Napoleon's army is in reach, which Prussian army do you recommend now? It doesn't have to fit 300 points, one of 4-500 gives flexibility in unit choice.

One thing to bear in mind - which applies to most periods - is that no OOB is going to be accurate. They do form a good guide line but not reliable.

Oh, I know that! Wellington was quite clear on what he thought of clerks in the Peninsular!

Is Leipzig a good basis? Are there better? I will be literally doing the OrBat for the entire force.

The Prussians had done a lot of fighting from the resumption of hostilities up to Leipzig. If you did an early 1813 oob, you would have a bigger (or at least stronger) force that could be used for Leipzig anyway.

plenty on here  https://www.napoleon-series.org/resources/the-nafziger-collection-of-napoleonic-orders-of-battle/#1600852901299-efe0add2-6671

Leipzig was the only one that included all 3 Corps in the autumn campaign.
Will then give you everything you need to do the prussians in 1813/14.

QuoteLeipzig was the only one that included all 3 Corps in the autumn campaign

Ah, that's the bunny!

Because the way I use the Little Wooden Men to represent units, if I do plump for Prussians, then the fact the units have so many 'indicators' will save a load if painted for Blucher (only)

So here is a link to photos - for usage see the ones further down the page

Little Wooden Men

Having looked at an Orbat for Leipzig, many of the Prussian units are a real mix in Blucher terms.

In many wargame rules there would be the Battalions making up the Brigade, and a unit of Horse, plus a unit representing a battery of 6-8 guns.  However Blucher is at Brigade level '+'

So I start with 4 bases. These would be 'Line' - the stands of 2 lines.
However (in I Corps) they also have 'skirmishers', so I replace 1 of the bases with a base of 4 skirmishers (see the photo about halfway down, labelled "Austrian Cavalry CHARGE"."

However, the Prussians had horse as part of the Brigades - 3-4 squadrons per Brigade. That gives the 'Mixed' attribute. Rather than have that as a note on the unit, I replace 1 base of line with horse.

They also have the artillery, so 1 base is replaced by a gun.

This gives a 4 base Stand as 1 Line, 1 Skirmish, 1 Horse, 1 Gun.

You get the impression here with the Bavarians

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lasthussar/52320487876/in/album-72157675414083037 (Also flick forward one or two)

though no Skirmish ability on these.

Obviously it takes away from the diorama effect, but countering that is

1) You can look at the unit and see exactly what it represents.

2) with the Brandy and Cigars aesthetic I have settled on, because you can't easily hide them as flats, it fits ok.

Now, yes, I could have modelled each unit 'correctly', but what I have is easy to swap units to make a limitless* combination of units, rather than fix the units ability on basing - I can decide when I make the army up on the day which units have skirmish, etc.

With this in mind, bases (that is the individual 40x20 I assemble up from) needed;

Advance Guard  2 infantry, 1 Skirmish, 1 artillery, 3 Horse

I Corps - Foot = 4 infantry, 4 skirmish, 4 artillery, 4 horse
with 3 Cavalry, 6 Artillery


II Corps - 7 infantry, 1 skirmish, 4 artillery, 4 horse
with 3 Cavalry, 6 Artillery

III Corps - 10 infantry, 2 skirmish, 3 artillery, 3 horse
with 3 Cavalry, 3 Artillery, plus 3 Cossack, 3 Russian artillery

Guard  2 infantry, 1 artillery, 2 Horse, 1 Horse Artillery...

That's actually... actually not masses of painting...

Bugger, I'm talking myself into this, aren't I...

*Not actually limitless, I mean it in a colloquial sense. I almost put 'near limitless', but that stupid - you can't have near limitless/infinite, it's like the idiots who say 'almost unique'.