By Iron and Blood
The Battle of Königgrätz July 3, 1866
by
Blue Panther LLC
Bismarck is the prime minister for Prussia underneath King Wilhelm I. Bismarck had intended to kick Austria out of Germany by hook or by crook so that Prussia would become the most powerful German state. He also had a much larger plan, which was to create a unified Germany for the first time ever. For almost the last 1000 years Germany was just some lines drawn on a map and called the Holy Roman Empire until Napoleon came along. It was just a conglomerate of many small and a few large states. Now was the time that Austria and Prussia were going to duke it out to see who was to control the future of Germany. All Bismarck wanted was an excuse to put them both at war. After the war started there were some battles on the frontiers but now the Austrian Army was gathered together for the final act of the play. Two Prussian armies were bloodhounds on the scent of the prey. The largest battle in Europe until the 20th century was about to take place. Hermann Luttmann and Blue Panther have put you in command of either army. The Prussians have the needle gun against the muzzle loaders of the Austrians. The Austrians have new Krupp cannons against the older guns of the Prussians. So, general, what are your orders?
This is what comes with the game:
22"x17" inch game map
176 Unit Markers
27 Playing Cards
Two Player Aid Cards
Two Command Tracks
Game Turn and Victory Point Tracks
Rulebook
Two 6-sided dice
PLAYERS: 1-2
TIME TO PLAY: 4 Hours or More
AGES: 13 and up
SOLITAIRE SUITABILITY: 4 out of 10
SOLITAIRE COMPLEXITY: 6 out of 10
Game Design: Hermann Luttmann
Game Development: Fred Manzo and Ryan Heilman
Game and Box Art: llya Kudriashov
Production: Blue Panther LLC
 |
| What is in the box |
This is what Blue Panther says about the game:
"By Iron and Blood simulates the climactic engagement of the 1866 Austro-Prussian War, the Battle of Koniggratz (also known as the Battle of Sadowa). Taking place on July 3, 1866, this decisive clash pitted the forces of General Helmuth von Moltke's Prussians against the Austrian armies of Feldzugmeister Ludwig von Benedek.
At stake was the question of whether Prussia or Austria would be the dominant power in central Europe. This battle was the largest clash of arms on the European continent since the Napoleonic Wars (the Battle of Leipzig, 1813), and would not be matched again until 50 years later at the start of the First World War in 1914.
In this innovative game from award-winning designer Hermann Luttmann, the Prussian player will be challenged to match the skill of their historical counterpart by bringing together widely separated forces to engage in a crushing assault on the defending Habsburg army. On the other side, the Austrian player must effectively engage their opponent by defeating the enemy piecemeal before their armies can join together in overwhelming numbers.
With so many choices and variables, players are assured that By Iron and Blood will always offer an engaging and challenging experience. Will the Prussians crush their foes and set the path for the creation of the new German Empire? Or will the Austrians successfully fend off their foes and retain their position of power? Play By Iron and Blood to find out."
 |
| The map |
The map may seem like a Plain Jane, but nicely done, war game map. However, the colors and various terrain make it very easy on the eyes. It is very easy to read and there is no question about what terrain each hex is. The counters appear to be laser cut and have a glossy finish to them. Each counter has a small illustration depicting what each unit actually is. The Prussian units are divided into two armies: the 1st and 2nd (the 2nd army is a lighter shade of blue). The Austrian player has both Austrian and Saxon units to command. The Rulebook is 39 pages long. It is in color and is in very large type. There are variant rules that can be added to the game. The Rulebook also includes a write-up about every Event Card in the two decks. It ends with some short Designer Notes. There are actually three decks of cards in the game - the aforementioned Event Cards and then one that decides the Prussian 2nd Army arrival times. The cards are the normal size and thickness for game decks, meaning that you might want to invest in sleeves. They come with an artwork from the battle, or war, on the reverse. These also have large type on them. There are five Player Aids in the box. These are all of card stock and glossy. Four of them, two Austrian and two Prussian, are for the fire and assault tables, these are all one-sided. The fifth one is two-sided and has the Sequence of Play and all the other information you would need on the sheet. There are also three half-page sized sheets. These are for the Turn Record Track/Victory Points and the separate Austrian and Prussian Command Points. The entire ensemble is up to snuff.
This is the Sequence of Play:
Game Turn Marker Phase
Command Points Phase
Event Cards Phase
Initiative Phase
Activation Phase
End Phase
The separate phases, and their separate actions, above are meat and potatoes to any grognard.
 |
| Prussian Event Card |
As far as the gameplay goes, this is a Hermann Luttmann design, thus making it a no-brainer for any grognard worth his salt. Most of us fans would buy an Ant Farm if it was designed by Mr. Luttmann. That being said, the game is as tense as the battle actually was. The Prussians' 1st Army is meant to hold the Austrians in place while awaiting their 2nd Army on the Austrian right flank. The Austrian Player has better artillery but only smoothbore muskets. The Prussian troops have smoothbore cannons, and their infantry has the needle gun. There are eight Victory Point hexes that give one point per turn and three that give the Prussian Player 5 Victory Points per turn (although these are on the lower and far right of the map, if the Prussian Player gets there the game is inevitably over). The game can be won in sudden death by either side. The Austrian Player is definitely on the defensive and should make good work of his longer artillery range and only close with the Prussian troops when needed to save Victory Points. The Prussian Player has to decide how much of a drubbing his 1st Army will take in trying to wrest Victory Point hexes from the Austrians. If the Austrians have too much of a lead in Victory Points the Prussian 2nd Army arrival may not make up for them. The game ends after 12 turns.
This is a relatively easy wargame with a small footprint. You should be able to have it on the table to study it for a good long time. That is, if you have a dedicated gaming table. If not, it is short enough to be able to easily play in one sitting. Blue Panther has it listed for four hours of playtime and a complexity of six.
Thank you, Blue Panther, for allowing me to review this nicely done small package. Please take a look at Blue Panther's other products. My only regret is that the Battle of Königgrätz has never been given a large game as of yet as befits its huge place in the history of Europe. Nothing against this good game; I just wish that the battle had a large-scale simulation about it.
Robert
Blue Panther LLC:
By Iron and Blood: The Battle of Königgrätz July 3, 1866:
Follow Us