After a hailstorm caught my horse Max and I on the trail totally soaking each of us, I decided to spend the rest of the day with a wargame. Rummaging through my pile of unplayed games, I cam accross "Blood and Iron" that was published in Issue No. 23 of Command Magazine (IMHO, Command Magazine was a great publication until they got caught up in the Warchess/Eastern Front fixation).
I broke out this game this last weekend and reviewed the rules and the first thing that I noticed is that the rules were very clean. I also found that it plays well. However, I found it hard for the Prussians to pull off any sort of a victory. The Austrian artillery is far superior and devastating and the Prussian 2, 3, and 4 Corps lack enough punch. What I ulitimately did was work the Elbe Army and cavalry corps around the southern flank until the Austrians were too far stretched out and their line broke, allowing the the Prussian to seize the Danube bridges. At the same time, the arrival of the Second Army in the far north was enough to unhinge the Austrian defenses from the north.
Maybe it was the command control die rolls- the Austrians did pretty well and were even able to go on the offensive. The Saxon force was able to severely maul the Prussian 2 Corps and drive it back before the game ended with the Prussians seizing the Danube bridges.
I havn't played this one for awhile but it seems that it will be difficult for the Prussians to replicate their vistory barring some poor command control die-rolling on the part of the Austrians.
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