Napoleonic War Games
ManoeuvreThe battlefield is unfamiliar, a clear valley dotted by copses of trees and cultivated fields. The town at the valley's center is the strongpoint of your army's defense, held by stout infantrymen against two massed enemy assaults already this morning. Now, having fought off the enemy, you prepare the counterattack. Your lines, populated by more hearty infantrymen, extend away from the village on both sides to the foothills on the flanks, where your elite cavalry brigades await your word to attack. Your plan is "feint in the center, envelope the flanks, then, as the enemy's resolve begins to weaken, crush the enemy with a massed infantry assault by your Elite Guard reserves..." ...And you have the cards in your hand to make the plan work! But what cards is your enemy still holding? Will he play REGROUP to rally his center and hit you again? Or a SUPPLY card or a LEADER to coordinate a spoiling attack on your cavalry wings? Or will his GUERILLAS harass your advance and impede your flow of reinforcements? What if he has his cavalry positioned to WITHDRAW and then turn on you with a COMMITTED ATTACK? Or has he prepared a nasty AMBUSH on your route of march? So many "what if's...," but time is fleeting - the time to Manoeuvre is now! Manoeuvre is a fast-playing game of battlefield command, set in the early 19th century. Multiple geomorphic game maps provide the chessboard-sized battlefields over which eight different armies of the period move and fight in one-on-one battles. As the commanding General of a nation's army, you have at your command units and a 60-card national deck which represents your army's specific troops and unique strengths. Your job is to utilize those assets and manoeuvre your forces to achieve battlefield supremacy. $45.00 |
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Soldier EmperorTaking Soldier Kings as its base, Soldier emperor covers the Napoleonic Wars in Europe, 1803-1815. There are 180 huge and thick playing pieces like those in Granada, 165 smaller marker pieces, two large hard-mounted game boards like that in Granada, and 64 cards. The map stretches from Britain to Persia, North Africa to Norway. Europe is divided into areas, each of them rated for their resources, manpower potential, and defense value. Armies move along the routes that connect these areas, and the object of the game is to conquer and hold as much territory as you can. Soldier Emperor is very true to history but is easily playable by anyone with an interest in games or history. This is probably the first time that Persia has appeared in a Napoleonic wargame, but the Persians fought the Russians twice in this period and also threatened war with the Turks. They receive two armies, plus their fine leader, Crown Prince Abbas Mirza. Turkey's eastern border regions are shown as well: Kurdistan and Baghdad appear. Unlike other games, the Turkish player can't operate with a secure right flank but must worry about his or her "back door." The Turks begin with rather mediocre leadership, Ebubekir and Bayrakdar on land and Seyit Ali on the sea. But once Sultan Selim is overthrown (an event brought about by card play), Turkish leadership improves as junior generals are promoted. The Turks also can deploy the Banner of the Prophet, using Mohammed's ancient flag to inspire their troops. Austria has a large army, one good general for most of the game (Archduke Charles) and a slim chance to receive an excellent one (Radetzky) and another good one (Frimont) late in the game. The rest of the Austrian generalship is not so good, and the empire is surrounded by potential enemies. Prussia is small and relatively weak, but does have two fair generals (Yorck and Blücher) and a good army. But if the army is lost in action Prussia's low resources and manpower will make the losses difficult to replace. France of course has Napoleon, some other very good generals, and the largest army in the game. The French player also has the Imperial Guard. France has a powerful economy and strong starting position - and a large target painted right on the French player's back. France's revolutionary ways bring its player a number of game advantages (in movement and battle) and some disadvantages as well (in diplomacy, at least until France's enemies have been beaten into submission). Britain has the expected advantages: large income from overseas trade, a powerful fleet, and Lord Nelson. They also have a couple of lesser admirals (Collingwood and Jervis) and the outstanding Duke of Wellington to lead the land forces. But the army is small, and hard to replace if lost. Spain can call out guerrillas if invaded, and will need every advantage to offset its weak economy, poor generalship and second-rate army. The fleet is good, and Gravina is a good admiral. Spain also has access to several minor countries that others can't easily reach, and a starting position in Italy that can allow for quick expansion (Etruria, held by a Spanish prince in 1803). Russia, the final player-controlled country, has a vast land area, a strong position on the edge of the board, and a large and strong army. Leadership is good, with Kutusov and Kamensky the best of the lot plus Senyavin to command the fleet. But as in Soldier Kings, the Russian player will be chronically short of cash and willing to do many things to change this. As in Soldier Kings, the game can be played with fewer than seven players, all the way down to two. Card play drives the action, with players able to play cards at any time and thwart their opponents' plans. Play order is determined by each country's initiative, and generals and admirals move their forces from area to area. And like Soldier Kings, combat is simple to resolve but contains many wrinkles of strategy. If you liked Soldier Kings, you'll adore Soldier Emperor. Play is fast and furious, strategies are many, and the excitement level is high. A game lasts about four hours, with the campaign game taking somewhat longer. $64.95 |
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Blackbeard - The Golden Age of PiracyOne of the most popular, and successful, Avalon Hill games of the late 1980's was Blackbeard, a pirate game totally different from any others available because it simulated the actual life and careers of historical pirates, and how they went about their chosen professions. Richard Berg has now taken the original and redesigned it, almost entirely, to bring it into line with what gamers like to see and play these days. All those pirates you loved - Black Bart Roberts, Long Ben Avery, Ned Lowe, L'Ollonais, and, of course, Edward Teach (Blackbeard) - 23 in all, are still there, as are the King's Commissioners sent out to stop them. However, the entire play system has been overhauled, and the result is a game that highlights and specializes in player interaction, with almost no down time for any players. Players represent individual pirates, using them to gain Victory Points by amassing booty and, even more importantly, earning Notoriety for their dastardly deeds. Seizing merchants with cargo ranging from useless paper to the monumental treasure of the Mughal emperors, attacking and sacking ports, fighting storms and scurvy, seeking safe haven in infamous pirate ports such as Tortuga and Madagascar, and, hopefully, using Letters of Marque to retire successfully. Blackbeard is designed for 2-5 players, along with specific rules for solitaire play. Playing time, as noted above, for a full game has been three hours. Game Components
$55.00 |
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AusterlitzIn December 1805, Emperor Napoleon I led about 67,000 men against about 75,000 Russian and Austrian troops near Brunn (modern Brno) in Bohemia, part of today’s Czech Republic. The battlefield, divided by hills and streams, became known as Austerlitz and would be celebrated as Napoleon’s greatest victory. After fierce fighting amid the morning mists, the sun broke through the clouds. The French stormed the key Pratzen Heights, and after a bloody bayonet fight with the Russian troops manning the lines forced the Allied army into a disorganized retreat. Austerlitz re-creates the area were the battle was fought as a topographic map divided into irregular areas rather than the hexagons used in traditional board wargames. These are not chosen randomly, but rather conform to the lie of the land to channel movement the same way folds, rises and gullies do on an actual piece of ground. A unit must fit in the area it occupies, in the direction it faces. If the area is too narrow for one of the large pieces, it’s not allowed to occupy the area, or at least not stay there and face the direction the player might like. Thus troops are placed along ridge lines, for example, not across them. Flanks become even more important; if you leave a unit “hanging” in a position where it can’t turn to defend itself fully against an approaching enemy because it can’t be placed in the area facing that direction, be prepared for serious losses. The game pieces come in two sizes. “Long” pieces are 1 and 1/3 inches long and 2/3 inches wide, a very large piece. These represent infantry divisions. Other pieces are squares 2/3-inch across each side. These represent cavalry brigades and artillery batteries. Each unit is rated for combat strength and morale. Combat can take the form of assault, cavalry charge or bombardment. Each player rolls a number of dice equal to the total combat strength of his or her units involved. For each result of 6, one hit is achieved. For each hit suffered by a unit, it loses one “step,” or level of strength. But before it can make an attack or move, a unit must be activated. Better leaders are better able to activate their units more easily, giving them a significant edge. The French player has Napoleon, who is not that much better than the Russians’ Mikhail Kutuzov. The difference is that Napoleon’s subordinates are far more active than the Austrian and Russian leaders who support Kutuzov. The rules are very similar to our War of the States and Rome at War series, and build on our earlier Napoleonic battle games like the now-discontinued Napoleon in the Desert. They are completely new; developer Doug McNair and designer Rob Markham have created a game that retains the older games’ simplicity of play but is far more historically accurate. $29.99 |
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BorodinoUsing the very popular Triumph & Glory game system (v2.2), Volume II in the T&G series covers the classic Napoleonic battle, Borodino, Battle of the Moskova, 1812. The battle itself will be familiar to almost every wargamer, with massive French and Russian armies coming together in a frontal, head-to-head assault that used little, or no, subtlety. There are massive batteries of artillery, huge divisions of cavalry, Cossacks all over the place, plust there is political in-fighting within the Russian command hierarchy. The games brigade-level order of battle includes the latest historical research, and we have even given the French player an opportunity – fraught with danger – to attempt to undertake French Marshal Davout's suggested flanking maneuver. In addition to the full Borodino battle of September 7th, the game also includes a short, Introductory Mini-Battle, the Attack on the Schevardino Redoubt (which took place on September 5th, two days before the actual battle). Historically, the French finally took the position with high losses to both sides but, remarkably, with not one Russian prisoner. A portent of things to come. Game Components
$40.00 |
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Saratoga 1777 (2006 edition)In all the spectacle of war there has seldom been a sight the equal of British General Burgoyne's campaign of 1777. The float and march south from Canada had almost a surreal quality juxtaposed against the Adirondack wilderness. Hundreds of vessels making up an immense inland navy on Lake Champlain transported nearly 9,000 combatants together with 138 cannon. Burgoyne's objective was Fort Ticonderoga and from there, Albany, and a rendezvous with British forces coming from New York City. The strategic purpose of the campaign was nothing short of an end to the American Rebellion. The intrigue on the American side lay in the cult of personality. Saratoga was to be Benedict Arnold's greatest victory in a string of successes which rank him among the finest field commanders of the era. Known to all Americans as the great traitor, it is ironic to discover that twice he salvaged the Revolution from certain collapse. It was Arnold's conspicuous gallantry and bold leadership which assured America victory at Saratoga and, by extension, its independence. The fighting at Freeman's Farm would be savage. Here no farmer's militia, but rather Continental Regulars (anxious to redeem a recent reputation for retreat), stood toe to toe with Europe's finest. The sanguinary nature of the fighting was summed up best by American Brigadier General John Glover who said, "Both sides seemed determined to conquer or die." It's the 19th of September, 1777. Do you, as the British, attempt to storm the prepared American positions on the high ground at Bemis Heights in order to open up the River Road and the most direct route to Albany? Or do you attempt to turn the American left where intelligence reports the American defenses are incomplete and the ground favors your approach? How will you employ the large number of Hessian mercenaries in your army? Will their performance match their reputation? As the Americans do you wait on Bemis Heights for the approach of the enemy as General Gates preferred, or do you sortie and meet the approach of the British in the forests where their artillery will be of little value? Will Generals Gates and Arnold cooperate, or will their feud spell disaster for the American cause? And what of the fog on this chilly Autumn morning? Will it be an ally to the Americans by impeding the progress of the enemy? These are only a few of the challenges facing you as you relive one of history's most decisive battles and the turning point of the American Revolution. 2006 Edition Additional Features: This "Next Day Scenario" begins with reduced and eliminated units from the previous day's fighting. British units are deployed forward. Several of them have thrown up flechettes (hasty breastworks). The scenario contains eight new combat units, two new leader units, British entrenchments, and ammunition depletion markers. Two of the new combat units are British batteries of heavy artillery drawn from their artillery park. These units have a range of 4 hexes and use the same range attenuation table contained in Volume IV of the series, Savannah: 1779 There is also an ad-hoc unit of British rear-echelon troops, British boatmen and pioneers, and new American militia. Generals Lincoln (Am.) and Phillips (Br.) are included. There are rules governing American ammunition depletion and a record sheet is included. After a unit's 2nd round of combat it will be marked with an "Ammo Depletion" marker and will subsequently suffer a -1 modifier in Close Combat. Morgan's rifles (reduced when the scenario begins) will suffer depletion to rifle fire after their 3rd Rifle Fire phase. The Gates-Arnold controversy is represented by the fact that Arnold may not leave his quarters in this scenario although he may still command units that stack with him there. No American sortie restrictions apply but the garrison rules remain in effect. The British have exclusive movement on Turn-1 and have the initiative on Turn-2. Thereafter turns are random player order. The British begin with momentum. A facelift to the counters. Correct British has been added to the regiments. The Prinz Ludwig dragoons, depicted as chasseurs in the 1st edition, will be given correct uniform specs. The German grenadiers and chasseurs, featured as replacement counters in Volume III "Guilford: The High Water Mark of the Southern Campaign" are included. American units are also shown in correct uniforms, including buckskins for Morgan's fabled riflemen. A yellow star has been added to the Morgan unit depicting its status as a demi-leader. This is similar to the way demi-leaders are portrayed in "Savannah-1779." Morgan is also the beneficiary of a rule that states he no longer suffers a -1 modifier in Close Combat when stacked with Dearborn's light infantry. Cavalry Withdrawal, featured in all the other game in the Series, has been added to the tactical options for the Connecticut Light Horse. A full set of 8 Tactics Chits with flag symbols on the reverse sides are included. Finally, the has been redrawn to eliminate the ambiguities in certain hexes in terms of whether they are forest or clear. The original Saratoga scenario is also amended by the addition of the Middle Branch Ford Rule. "Starting on turn 8, the American player subtracts 1 from the Gates Release die Roll during any turn in which the British Player does not control hex 1011. Control is defined as occupying or being the last to pass through with a Parade Order combat unit other than artillery, regardless of enemy zoc. $40.00 |
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