Battle Commander: Napoleon's Italian Campaigns
by
Sound of Drums
One of the greatest perks or extra pleasures of playing wargames is the learning that is involved. I am not talking about game rules. I am talking about learning about other periods of history. While I can quote you verse and chapter about Napoleon's campaigns after 1808, I know very little about the early campaigns or the Spanish Ulcer. Oh, I know the general history but not the nuts and bolts of those campaigns. So, my first thought when I saw this title on my table was, I am going to have to do some deep diving. You cannot judge how a wargame represents a certain period of time without knowing anything about that period. Questions such as, Did the Austrians really have a chance? Was Napoleon really just leading a ragtag army that had very little chance of victory? How close in some of the battles did the Austrians come to winning, except of course for Marengo. To me, only after you have delved into the actual history of the campaigns can you get a feel for how well a game represents it, if at all. Some wargames are more of a sandbox than a representation of history and that is quite alright. It is the games that supposedly come close to being a simulation where they should be more harshly judged on reality. So, let us open the box and see what Sound of Drums and Mr. Paradis have in store for us. This is what Sound of Drums has to say about the game and the series:
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| Ew Gross, tokens it's a Eurogame!!! |
"Battle Commander recreates historical 18th-19th century battles. It features a fresh framework focused on providing two key aspects: command decision and maximum playability. In Volume I, you act as Army Commander in a series of six dramatic Battles fought during Napoleon’s two Italian campaigns. Volume II will cover engagements of the Second and Third Coalitions, including Austerlitz and the Battle of the Pyramids.
In Battle Commander, you struggle against the chaos of battle, making meaningful high-level decisions, not micro-managing your troops: that’s your colonels’ job! Good card play is paramount for Battle success but make no mistake: this is not a card-driven, but a card enhanced game.
Cube-pull activation is used to manage game phases (movement, combat, rally, card draws etc.), and cards for the interactive combat system and events, allowing for a myriad of possibilities and solitaire-friendly gaming. No dice, no complex odds counting, no markers, no play downtimes, no sure thing!
A persona card represents each Commander, his specific abilities and your Army’s resources; the all-important Subordinate Leaders are integrated in an innovative multi-role card system. Morale and troop skill are a core mechanic: demoralizing the enemy goes a long way towards winning the fight, with Armies slowly degrading in performance, until the breaking point! Casualties are managed effortlessly, and a correct “Battlefield Look” maintained at all times.
With a game piece count similar to chess, you’ll be able to assess your going in one quick “coup d’oeuil”. Be ready for an exciting battle simulation that’ll allow you to refight Napoleon’s greatest triumphs, and failures. Action is quick and non-stop, rewarding planning, risk-taking, and initiative.
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| I seem to remember this person. |
In Battle Commander you are in command, you make the critical decisions, you play history!
What makes Battle Commander a unique and exciting wargaming experience?
Immersive Historical Setting: The game is set during the early Napoleonic Wars, a period of great upheaval and change in Europe. You can command the armies of Napoleon himself, barely 26 years of age at the time, or lead the forces of his many enemies. The gorgeous deluxe game components, including painted wood blocks, pictured event cards, and a new map-grid system, fully immerses you in a series exciting of 19th-century military confrontations.
Engaging Gameplay: Battle Commander uses a cube-pull activation system that keeps the game moving quickly and creates unpredictable situations. You’ll need to make tough decisions on the fly, just like a real Napoleonic general. The game also features event cards that can swing the tide of battle, adding an element of surprise and excitement.
Streamlined Mechanics: While the game is historically detailed, the mechanics are streamlined and easy to learn. This allows you to focus on the strategic and tactical challenges of Napoleonic warfare, without getting bogged down in complex rules.
Emphasis on Command: Battle Commander puts you in the role of a Napoleonic commander, making critical decisions about troop deployment, movement, and combat. You’ll need to manage your resources carefully, maintain the morale of your troops, and exploit your enemy’s weaknesses to achieve victory.
Varied Scenarios: The game includes a variety of scenarios based on historical battles. You can play as the French or their opponents, experiencing the challenges of both sides. Optional rules allow you to customize the game to your liking, adding new challenges and historical flavor.
High Replayability: With multiple scenarios, optional rules, and the unpredictable nature of the cube-pull system, Battle Commander offers high replayability. No two games will be exactly alike!
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| Yes, you get two different Nappy cards. |
Who is Battle Commander for?
Wargame Enthusiasts: Battle Commander is perfect for wargamers looking for a new and engaging experience.
History Buffs: If you’re fascinated by the Napoleonic era, Battle Commander is a great way to learn about the tactics and strategies of the time.
Casual Gamers: The simple no-nonsense lively wargame mechanics and short scenarios cater to people new to this fascinating genre of games.
Solitaire Players: The game’s design makes it easy to play solo, thanks to the cube-pull activation system and a set of solitaire card-play guidelines.
What does Battle Commander offer?
A fresh, engaging, and historically accurate wargaming experience.
A chance to step into the shoes of a Napoleonic commander and experience the thrill of battle.
Hours of fun and challenging gameplay."
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| The other cards in all their glory. |
Game Components
3 x Double-sided 22”x17” mounted game maps
105 x Wooden cubes & markers
100 x Customized silk printed wooden blocks*
100 x Event / Leader / Commander cards
2 x Army Management mats
2 x Player aid sheets
1 x Rulebook
1 x Playbook
It may seem like I have let Sound of Drums prattle on where I should be the one typing. However, this is no different than someone doing an unboxing video and relaying all of the box's information to you by voice.
This game is most definitely a cross between a wargame and a Eurogame. There is nothing wrong with that and the ones that I have played have definitely visually livened up the wargaming tables. The one thing I have noticed about Sound of Drums games is the heft of each game. Uwe must have a feeling that a wargame is not complete unless you can use the box for curls (unless it is their Assault games series, those you can use to bench press). The boards are on the smaller size at 22"x17", but they are mounted. The first thing that you will notice about the boards is there are no hexes or areas as we have come to know them. They are covered with large squares. However, the squares are not aligned as on a chessboard. They are staggered from one row to the next. So, perhaps they come closer to maps that have very large hexes in their design. Just like any other game board or map that I have seen from Sound of Drums they are beauties in their own way. There are six battles with this first volume, so there are three double-sided maps.
It is hard to decide which piece of the game we should describe first. So, I guess we will start with the Rulebook. It is 40 pages long with a complete Index on the back page. Do not be too quick to judge by the number of pages. The size of the type and the incredibly numerous illustrations make the Rulebook longer than it would normally be. This is another gift from game companies to the denizens of Shady Acres Grognard Home. The Playbook is longer at 51 pages. Both it and the Rulebook are in a magazine style. However, the illustrations are even larger than in the Rulebook and some of them take up a full page. As usual, you get the setup for the six different scenarios. This is also what you get in the Playbook:
Game Component Manifest (this is exceedingly helpful)
Full Example of Play (eight pages long)
More Combat Examples (seven pages long)
Player Notes
Historical Notes
Designer Notes
Game Credits (with playtesters listed, always a nice touch)
Next, we have the Player Aid sheet. This is a large fold out one that is actually six pages in total. It is as colorful and large as the two books. The absence of a normal CRT is because this game has no dice. Then there are two small Army Management Mats. These are actually in 3d and have different compartments for the game tokens. Then we go the game cards. The first thing I notice about the card packs is something that takes me back to my irresolute youth. They come with the little tab and lines for opening that cigarettes used to come with (for all I know they still do, it has been 41 years). The cards seem the normal size, but they do seem a little sturdier than most. The Leader Cards have the appropriate small picture of the leader on them. Most Leader Cards are double-sided. The French, Coalition, and Shared Cards have pictures depicting an actual event during the Napoleonic Wars.
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| These are just the troop tokens. |
Finally, we have the tokens. There is not one counter in the entire box. This is not a knock on the game. It is just strange to me because even games that use tokens usually have at least a few actual counters. The Tokens come in two distinct types. The first would be the ones depicting both sides' troops. The rest are either gameplay tokens or ones to use with the troop tokens to depict formation etc. All of the tokens are colorful and are cut correctly. There are no flanges hanging off or chipped tokens.
So, there you have it. Sound of Drums has lived up to its aesthetic level of wargaming once again. We have seen what it all looks like but how does it play? This is not that easy of a question to answer.
Carl Paradis (designer) and Sound of Drums took a bit of a gamble on this new series of games. First of all, they picked some of the earliest of Napoleon's battles to simulate. Most game companies start with the usual battles of the 1st Empire. Secondly, the game components look like they should belong to a much more beer & pretzels like game. The game is enough of a simulation to attract the grognard. However, grognards are typically hidebound and not attracted to new things. They, me included, are usually hex, dice, and CRT or nothing players. On the other hand, the way the game looks might attract the said beer & pretzel crowd, much to their chagrin. This is a game that you should on no account judge by its cover. It is a rich, deep, and thinking cap required simulation. The ability to solo play is a definite plus in this day and age.
The game includes rules for these:
Infantry Square and Line
Fire Combat
Assault
Infantry - Elite, Veteran, Trained, Conscript, Militia Units
Cavalry Grand Charge and Steady
Horse Artillery and Foot Artillery
Grand Battery
Reserves
Garrisons
Headquarters
Rally
Morale
Reaction
This is just a small list of what was included to simulate Napoleonic warfare.
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| My pathetic picture of part of the Battle of Arcole |
Morale is one of the core parts of the game. Just as in reality troops will lose the will to stay and fight quicker than actual casualties pile up. You, and your opponent, will also have the ability to rally their unsteady troops. All movement and combat is based upon the large six squared 'hex' around each unit. Each side starts out, or hopes to, with activation cubes, which are the currency of almost all parts of the game. Your ability to hoard them and then to use them at the appropriate moment is one of the core ideas behind the game design. As in Chess, the player must think turns ahead. If you are used to grognard wargaming then I do agree with Sound of Drums that it is an easy game to learn.
The cards put another level of gameplay on the table. They can put the proverbial 'wrench in the works'. Your well-developed plan that would take three turns to come to fruition is now, on the second turn, turned into a nightmare of your own making. Of course, on the other hand the card gods might be extremely helpful. However, do remember that this game and its winning and losing is entirely in your hands. You will be handed lemons and some plums, but it is up to you in the end. Your plans and reactions to the other players' plans are what is going to make you lose or win. The Austrian side of most of the battles is the one that requires the most gray matter, at least in my playthroughs. The French side becomes more able to deal with the friction of war as the battles go by in time. The optional rules can help balance between players level of skill.
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| The two Army Management Mats |
To be totally honest and fair, I did not really look at the game until it thudded down on my porch. My delight quickly turned to a little bit of chagrin because of its looks. Unfortunately, because of almost going straight from the womb to a love of history and a very early purchase of Tactics II, I am still not used to Euro style wargames. I see them and my lizard brain sees a game of RISK. I am very glad that I was completely wrong about this game. It is much deeper than I ever imagined but is not hampered by a set of rules that looks like an old phonebook and necessitates constant indexing and reading. Not that I do not like those games. I most certainly do. However, this is one of those games that make you realize that hexes and counters are not the end all and be all.
I am totally sold on the game and the series. The rules, along with the optional ones, play out more like a simulation than the game's slight resemblance to Stratego does. Looking at it from a historical point of view you would think that the Austrians are behind the eight ball right from the beginning. However, the card play and sheer 'friction' of battle mean that the games could play out with both sides having a chance at victory. The victory conditions also make it easier in that respect.
Thank you, Sound of Drums, for allowing me to review this extremely interesting and dare I say fun (shudder) game. By the way, Expansion I for the game has been released and I will have something to say about that in short order.
Robert Peterson
Battle Commander: Napoleon's Italian Campaigns
A fresh, engaging, and historically accurate wargaming experience.
A chance to step into the shoes of a Napoleonic commander and experience the thrill of battle.
Hours of fun and challenging gameplay.
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