I, Napoleon

by

GMT Games

Designed by

Ted Raicer

 This review is one that feels a bit strange to me. The reason being is that I have placed myself in the Emperor's shoes on many different battlefields. I have never had the chance to place myself in his bed or anything more than just in charge of his troops. I also have a small hurdle to overcome. That hurdle is the fact that this is really an RPG about Napoleon. The problem arises in the fact that when I play RPGs my characters are always long on muscle and agility and very light on gray matter. I always put as much points as I can in the beginning and throughout the games into strength. I cannot remember the last time that I tried to add any brain power to my characters whatsoever. My characters can barely hold a conversation in the games let alone read a book. To play an RPG with someone who consistently is listed as one of the highest IQs ever is quite a leap for me. Make no mistake about it, even though you are playing with crowns, political matters, and high diplomacy this is an RPG of Napoleon. The only unfortunate thing about the game is that you cannot reroll a die to become part of another family. In this case you are stuck with these people no matter how inept or voracious for money and power they are. I think Madame Mère rapped the wrong offspring on the knuckles. She should have taken a paddle to the whole lot of them. Lucien is the only sibling that gets a pass. His success as a politician, and his help to his brother, is always overlooked when it comes to Napoleon taking power. So, there we have it. You are Napoleon in this game. You not only want to be a success yourself, but you also want to leave a dynasty behind you firmly on the French Imperial throne. Oh, and I forgot, it would be really helpful to stick a shiv into Talleyrand and Fouche as quickly as possible, as soon as their usefulness is over.

The back of the box

 This is what GMT Games has to say:

"I, Napoleon is a solitaire historical role-playing card game in which you step into the boots of Captain Buonoparte (as he still was) in the year 1793. Louis XVI has just gone to the guillotine, the brothers Robespierre control the destiny of France, and all Europe has joined French Royalists to take down France, end the Revolution, and restore peace and safety for the hereditary principles that have underlain society for 1,000 years.

As an ambitious but unknown young artillery officer, who speaks French with a Corsican accent, you would seem to be an unlikely agent of destiny. Can you harness a brilliant mind, titanic energies, and a sometimes-terrifying charisma to leave your mark on history? Or will you die a minor footnote in the story of France?

Gameplay

In I, Napoleon, your fate lies in 220 beautifully illustrated cards, divided into three decks: Commander, First Consul, and Emperor. Overlaying a map of early 19th Century Europe are a series of Card Boxes, where you play out the events of your life and career, along with various tracks and tables to record the yearly passage of time and the events affecting yourself and France. The choices you make with the cards you are dealt will determine success or failure. You will have to manage politics, military campaigns, diplomacy, and the domestic well-being of the French while pursuing the Glory that lures you on. You will also have to manage your family, your wives, your mistresses, and your children, legitimate and otherwise.

Your path may lead you from the Americas to the Near East, from Spain to Russia, from a throne to exile. You will be the target of assassins, coups, and coalitions. You will deal with bad harvests and plague, face Wellington and Nelson, Kutuzov and Blucher. You will rely on—and perhaps be betrayed by—the slippery Talleyrand and unleash the secret policemen Fouche on your opponents. As you progress, your options will increase, along with the stakes.

Lead your men into battle and risk an early end to your life? Sail to Egypt or Ireland? Sell Louisiana or send an army to hold it? Marry a Habsburg or a Romanov? Create the Duchy of Warsaw or revive the Kingdom of Poland? Invade Russia or try to pacify the Tsar? Every choice will affect your legacy.

But there is not one version of a life here, but many. Every game will provide a different narrative, based on both luck of the draw and the decisions you make. In addition, you can start the game as a Commander, as First Consul, or as Emperor, each with its own starting situation and challenges. The story is yours to discover, and the decisions you make may just change the course of history."

The game map

This is what comes with the game:

222 Poker-sized Playing Cards

One Half Countersheet

One 22” x 34” Mounted Map Board

One 10-sided Die

One Rulebook

One Playbook

Two Player Aid Cards

 The Mounted Map is really more of a placeholder for all of the different cards and the decks they make up. It does have a period style map of parts of Europe in its background. The card placement areas are indicative of Napoleon's choice in color. The biggest fault I have found in Napoleon is his love for the color green. So, the card placeholders are about 70% green with the rest being red. There are numerous other placeholder parts of the map. These include the turn record track, and the General Records Track etc. The counters are nice and large at 3/4" and very easy to see and read what they are used for. There is one 8 1/2" X 11" card stock sheet that deals with the campaigns that can be played in the game. One side has the 'Potential Campaign Selection Table' and the other side is the 'Campaign Battle Mat'. Both sides have all of the instructions you need to use the cards different uses. 

 Next, we have the 24-page Rules of Play. This is your standard GMT rulebook with double column printing and in full color. There are examples of play etc. and all of what you need to know to play the game. Then we have a 32-page Playbook with the same full color and double column printing. It starts with a quick start guide and then moves into an example of play. This is followed by the complete 222 card manifest. Then we have a six-page history of Napoleon followed by design notes. It even comes with a suggested reading list from the designer along with his own take on the man.

 The game is a completely card driven game. So, I would be remiss if I didn't mention them. Of course, with the number of cards that come in the box it is slightly like the elephant in the room. Most of the backs of the cards are that green color again that he loved so much. There are also some cards to keep the different years separate etc. and they are, (gratefully) beige in color. The side of the cards that are used for playing each have either a portrait of the person in question, (Marshals, enemies, and events) or a picture of the important event etc. The cards are sturdy enough for a good amount of play. However, if you do plan to play a lot of the game, and you should, I suggest sleeving them.

 As usual the components of a GMT game pass with flying colors. 

Some of the counters

 The game comes with a few scenarios. These are:

Full Campaign Scenario 1793 - 1821

Commander Scenario - 1793 to Napoleon becoming First Consul or 1802

First Consul Scenario - 1800 to 1804 or Napoleon becomes Emperor

Emperor Scenario - 1805 until 1817-1821 

Napoleon can be killed on the battlefield, executed, or overthrown.

He can also face the treason of the Marshals, as in 1814.

The following are also reasons for the game to end:

  If Napoleon is overthrown as First Consul or Emperor, 

because Glory reaches 0 during those eras or because of a 

Defeat in Austria (Italy) (67), end the game immediately.

  Resolving certain cards, such as Louis XVIII Writes (97), 

Natural Frontiers (156), or Peace of Europe (209) end the 

game immediately.

  The game will always end, one way or another, during the 

Abdication Segment (13.1).

  The game always ends at the conclusion of the final Year 

(1817-21).

 As soon as a game ending event occurs, proceed to the Game 

End and Outcomes (13.0).

 The sequence of play is not long at all, especially if Napoleon is still a commander and not First Consul or Emperor. The higher you go, the more cards there are to play. This is the sequence of play:

Year Setup Phase [6.0]

 (Skipped in the first Year of any Scenario)

  Year & Card Draw Marker Segment

  Resource Income Segment

 Card Deck Phase [7.0] 

(Skipped in the first Year of any Scenario)

  Remove Cards Segment

  Add Cards Segment

  Shuffle Draw Deck Segment

 Card Action Phase [8.0]

  New Card Draw Segment

  Existing Card Play Segment

  Phase Advancement Segment

 Campaign Resolution Phase [9.0]

 (If the CAMPAIGN Box is empty, Discard all cards in the 

CAMPAIGN MODIFIERS Box, and skip the rest of 9.0)

  Assign Commanders Segment

  Spanish Ulcer Expeditions Segment (EMD Only)

  Resolving the Campaign Segment

  Commander Casualties Segment

  Other Campaign Events Segment

  Additional Resolution Segment

  Clean-up Segment

 Diplomatic Phase [10.0]

 (First Consul and Emperor Decks only)

  Foreign Diplomacy Segment

  Treaties and Conquest Segment

  Potential Campaigns Segment

 Domestic Politics Phase [11.0]

 (First Consul and Emperor Decks only)

 Clean-Up Phase [12.0]

  Reset Cards and Markers Segment

  Game End Check

Some card samples

 It is a relatively simple game; the complexity is listed as a '3'. However, the player is still given a myriad of choices to make in his trek toward power and dominance. The chance that the very next card, or the first one, could be the end of the game makes it a nail-biting experience. Just like the historical Napoleon, anything can happen at any time to your character. You can choose to play out his life as closely as possible to history to see if you could do better, or you can take his path to glory any way you want. The fun, mystery, and sometimes misery is all in the cards. I have lost games within the first couple of minutes, and I have lived as long as possible as the Little Corporal. One of the things that a lot of gamers, not necessarily wargamers, want in a game is replayability. In this game the sky's the limit as far a replay value. Each game and each turn are a new chapter that you can write in an ever-changing biography of the Napoleon that you happen to be playing. Of course, it helps if you have an affinity for the color green and Golden Bees. 

 This game comes with nicely done components and is easy to learn, and you will be playing in no time. The 2nd edition of the game is already on the P500 list, and it has a larger more complex version of the game coming 'I, Napoleon: The Limits of Glory'. The new game has a lot more characters and takes longer to play among many other things. This is a very good thing because the original game was great, and more of it can only make it better.

 Thank you, GMT Games, for allowing me to do a review of I, Napoleon. I must also say good luck to all the other budding emperors out there. May your cards always be lucky and you avoid pulling the dreaded card 33 and end up bleeding out at the Place de la Révolution. Although you do get a good view of Nostradamus's famous 'tile works'.

Robert Peterson

GMT Games

I, Napoleon

I, Napoleon: The Limits of Glory

 Marches & Batailles Belgium 1815

by

Sapper & Vet

 This is a new Napoleonic game that just a few days ago had its Gamefound campaign started. The following is a write-up about the campaign and the game by the designers.

"« MARCHES & BATAILLES ! » is a historical simulation game at the operational level, or “grand-tactical.” It is played on the historical map used by generals during the campaign. This first opus covers the Campaign of Belgium, which ended with the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815.

The counters, made of MDF wood and printed on both sides, represent approximately  one division (or brigade) of about 4,000 infantrymen, 1 600 cavalrymen, or 40 pieces of artillery. Their size is to scale with the map, so the type of terrain will play a role in the number of units you can line up in a position.

Units are characterized by a strength that differs depending on whether they are in column or deployed. This strength, which varies from 1 to 9, represents both the morale of the units (militia, line, guard) and the training of the soldiers (conscripts, regulars, veterans). It is used to resolve combat situations and morale tests.  These units move from position to position without any need to measure distance.

Generals and staff command these units and lead them into battle against the enemy's positions. It is up to you to use them wisely, but you’ll not be involved in tactical battle management.

 

During combat, you will just have to choose which units to commit and which units to keep in reserve. These choices will prove decisive in the outcome of combat and morale tests. All these tests are carried out without dice, using colored tokens drawn at random from the test bag.

The sequence of play makes it uncertain whether the player's strategy will be carried out to the letter, replicating the uncertainty that reigns on a battlefield. This sequence alternates between marching movements, attacks, supply line management, ...

A game is won by breaking the morale of the opposing army by routing its units, capturing its communication points, or even capturing its commanding generals... 

Each scenario will bring you back to a historic day between June 15 and June 18, the day of the Battle of Waterloo, the culmination of the Belgian Campaign. These scenarios can be played in sequence and form an epic campaign full of twists and turns. 

Developed by two enthusiasts of this period and supported by La Sabretache (https://lasabretache.fr/), the world's oldest military history society, this self-published game is the subject of a crowdfunding campaign on Gamefound (https://gamefound.com/fr/projects/sapper--fifer/marches--batailles) from May 23 to June 18, 2025!"

 The Gamefound campaign for the game has already passed the 100% funding level in only four days! This is the link to the campaign:

Marches & Batailles by Sapper & Vet - Gamefound

 If the game plays as well as it looks, they will certainly have a winner on their hands.

Robert

 Eylau 1807

Battles of Napoleon Volume I

by

Sound of Drums

A Uwe Walentin Design

 I will confess up front that I am a Napoleonic fanboy, and not only in my choice of wargames. If I had my way, some of the decor in my house would be of the Napoleonic variety, much to the chagrin of my better half. To top it off, the Battle of Eylau has for some reason always been my favorite Napoleonic battle to read about and to wargame. So, I might look a little more harshly on a wargame based on the battle compared to others.

 The Battle of Eylau need not have happened. After the destruction of 90% of the Prussian Army in the 1806 campaign, Napoleon was trying to come to grips with the Russian Army who were allies of the Prussians. Time had moved inexorably forward, and it was now almost full winter. Both Armies had pretty much gone into winter quarters. The Battle of Eylau was mostly caused by Marshal Ney disregarding his orders (He might have been the 'Bravest of the Brave' but he was certainly not the brightest of the bright) and causing the Russian Army to stir. Both armies finally met at Eylau in typical norther European weather. The battle was technically named Battle of Preussisch-Eylau, this being the town's actual name. However, the slaughter in the snow would make a more accurate description. The Russian Army was as tenacious as always, as Frederick the Great, Napoleon, and others came to find out. Sometime during the battle, a raging snowstorm took place to make the soldiers and generals jobs that much harder. Marshal Murat at the head of 10,000 French horsemen is usually credited with stopping the battle from becoming Napoleon's first defeat. It ended as the first check and not the outright victory that Napoleon had encountered. The battle was summed up by this conversation between Napoleon and Marshal Soult: Napoleon told Marshal Soult, "The Russians have done us great harm," to which Soult replied, "And we them, our bullets were not made of cotton." This famous interaction between a commander and his troops also took place at Eylau: "At the battle of Eylau, seeing his horse grenadiers lowering their heads as bullets whistled around, Lepic uttered the famous words: "Heads up, gentlemen, these are bullets, not turds!" (Haut la tête, messieurs, la mitraille ce n'est pas de la merde !)."

 This is what comes with the game:

two 88 x 56 cm map sheets

1120 counters (15 mm)

220 alternative counters (15 mm)

40 grey and 42 black cubes

20 blue and 20 green cube

2 army charts

2 OOB charts

2 play aid charts

2 tally sticks

2 counter trays

4 custom dice

1 rulebook

 This is what Sound of Drums has to say about the game:

"Battles of Napoleon is an epic game series that simulates the most famous battles of Napoleon on a tactical scale sharing an elegant and cohesive ruleset. 

The series portrays the most important aspects of battles of the Napoleonic era with easy to learn and remember rules, intuitive mechanics and procedures. This enables players to focus less time consulting the rulebook and more time on strategy, tactical decisions and gameplay.

The system focuses on the “cat-and-mouse game” of coordination and timing of the various formations of the different arms without unnecessarily complex or excessively thematic gameplay that too often compromises game-flow. 

The scale of the series is appr. 150 meters per hex. Infantry units are battalions; artillery are batteries, and cavalry are represented as regiments.

EYLAU 1807 contains 1120 large (15mm) counters, 280 alternative counters, 2 huge map sheets (each 86 x 55 cm) with large hexes, 4 charts and tables, 125 wooden cubes, 2 counter trays, 1 rules manual and 4 customized dice. 

Thanks to the successful funding on Gamefound and the unlocked stretch goals the components of the game are upgraded: the dice are customized and the charts and tables are deluxe (printed on 2mm grey carton) and the game includes 280 alternative counters.

The Game includes 5 scenarios: The fight for night quarters (small scenario), Murat’s massive cavalry charge, Davout’s attack, Lestocq saves the day and the Grand Battle scenario

Marc von Martial, one of the best graphic artists in the business, is in charge of the artwork. Gamers can expect beautiful, era-style maps and counters, and they will not be disappointed by his skill and love for detail."

  One thing about the game that was brought up before it was released was the map. This wasn't a discussion about how excellent it looks but the fact that it has a white overlay to it. Apparently, some people wanted to see the little brown buildings in the town etc. Well, here is a news flash. The battle was fought in the middle of a hard winter during a snowstorm. I thought from the very beginning that the map color added to the game and actually added to the historical immersion of it.

 

 Before I dive into the various components that come with the game there is something very important I have to say. That is, this game has some of the finest materials that I have seen in a game. It truly looks like the labor of love that it is. I was impressed by their earlier Hellas game, review link below, and its pieces but I am blown away by what you find inside this box. Now to be clear, I am talking about what comes in the 'regular', seems a pity to use that word, game box. I was lucky enough to get some of the special items from Mr. Walentin like the mounted map and the special dice. These only added to the magnificence of the ensemble.

 

 Unfortunately, my descriptions and the pictures do not do the game components justice. However, I will list off what comes in the box to the best of my ability. 

 So, let us start off with the map. As mentioned, it comes in two pieces. The size is a little over 22" X 34". I remember that we were supposed to change over to the metric system in the early 1970s, but I digress. It is simply a real wonder of an understated style. It is designed to show a landscape draped in winter and in this it succeeds admirably.

 Next up are the counters. Many games have huge amounts of counters. Usually, these counters are on the small size and rather hard to read, but not with all games. These come in around 5/8". This size is quite sufficient for most people to be able to see the pertinent information. They also have a small picture of the different Marshals and Generals, and they use what we have come to call the NATO symbols. The game places a lot of emphasis on command and control of the different units, as it should in a Napoleonic battle. So, being able to read the different Corps and division numbers is very necessary. The actual game units only take up two and 3/4 of the countersheets. The other 7 1/4 are the counters used in gameplay. The counters also come prerounded. I know this puts a damper on those of you who revel in piles of cut off pieces of counters. There are two types of alternative counters. The first is a set of alternative Marshal and General counters which have a flag instead of a small portrait. The other are 'Pollard" markers to show unit loss of strength. The game has regular loss counters of one number on each. The "Pollard" ones have four numbers on each side of the counter, and you put the correct number toward the front of the counter. Each counter also has a line or a column side. The game also comes with small wooden cubes to keep track of the different parts of the game. These are all uniform and do not have flash or bits of wood hanging off the ends.

  The Rulebook and the Scenarios, Notes, & History Booklet come in magazine type style. They are both in full color. The Rulebook does come with examples of the rules and play. The Rulebook comes in at 33 pages and the other at 19. The size of the lettering could be a little larger. However, the size of the Rulebook would then become a bit unwieldly. It comes with two large colorful foldout Orders of Battle, one for each side. The two identical Player Aids are made of the same material as a mounted map. All of the charts and tables needed to play are on them. You also get two foldouts to keep track of orders etc. These are also made of the same material as a mounted map. It also comes with two Tally Sticks, (more on them later), along with four custom dice. The entire game, except the map, is a bloom of color like a Napoleonic battle should be. 

 Strangely, for a game this size, the designer attempted to make it as easy as possible to play and remember the rules, without the constant checking and cross referencing that is needed in some game systems. The game is listed as a 5/10 on the complexity scale and the game length is listed as 180 minutes. This time is naturally based on knowing the rules and system and not for complete tyros. For a large game like this that is pretty amazing. The amount of counter clutter on the map has been cut down to as small as it can be. Mr. Walentin was trying to design a game series that would involve the player and be historical and yet still be extremely playable. I believe he has succeeded admirably in his assignment to himself. You get all the flavor of a Napoleonic battle without all the fluff and added rules that other systems use. 

 The gameplay is the very meat and potatoes of our chosen hobby. There are many beautiful games that gather dust on numerous shelves because of coming up short in this aspect. This game, and series, will not be one of them. The weather is also a large part of the rules and indeed that of the battle. Augereau's Corps staggered toward the Russian lines in a snow whiteout and was almost destroyed by the Russian cannon. This led to one of the most magnificent feats of the entire Napoleonic Wars. Murat led forward 10,000 French horseman who cut their way through the Russian Army and then repeated the process on the way back. The tableau has been used by numerous painters of the Napoleonic Wars.

 The game is won or lost by the amount of each army's fatigue points. As usual, you lose fatigue points for eliminated units, commanders, and the loss of objectives. However, you also lose fatigue points for each order that you issue. The way that fatigue is kept track of is also different. Instead of just having an army fatigue number that if you hit or go under, your side loses. The black and gray cubes are used to keep track of it. Essentially you have a stock of cubes at the beginning of the battle and scenario. You can win or lose them according to the rules above. When one side loses all of its cubes it has lost the battle. You can play with the historical weather, or you can roll a die to see what it is that turn. Now onto the Tally Sticks. Instead of having to find a bone or possibly a slide rule these are just included to help the player keep track of the army fatigue points etc. that are used in the game. These are a small but elegant addition to the game.

 I am going to break another one of my review rules now. That would make two in this month. While I will not mention the actual price, I can tell you that it is way below what a lot of other companies would charge for a game this size and is designed so well. There are so many outlets for buying games that I feel that it is not to the grognards' advantage to mention just one price. I do understand that it is best to send the money straight to the companies. However, some companies do sell their games to outlets that sell them for as low as the KickStarter prices. The grognard community as a whole is an older group. A lot of us are on fixed incomes and the 'younger' ones are dealing with college tuition for their children and many other things. In this day and age every penny counts.

 Please take a look at the other games that Sound of Drums has released and also take a look at the ones forthcoming. In their Battles of Napoleon Series, the next game is the Battle of Quatre? bras. That one, like Eylau, is a battle that could have gone either way.

 Robert Peterson

Eylau 1807 Battles of Napoleon Volume I

Sound of Drums

My review of Hellas: History of the Ancient Seas I:

Hellas: History of the Ancient Seas I by Sound of Drums - A Wargamers Needful Things

 LIMITS OF GLORY: 

BONAPARTE'S EASTERN EMPIRE

FROM

FORM SQUARE GROUP

The Prologue

Recently I first heard of this game's title - nothing more and I instantly headed over to BGG for enlightenment.  At that point the only message was "No discussions" and three photos.  Despite - or was it because of this lack of information - I determined to contact the company to see if they might provide a copy of the game to review.  But first I had a board wargaming convention to get to soon.  

A little later...I arrived at a venue near Coventry where PunchedCon 2023, a new board wargame convention which was started and held for the first time last year was being held for its second time!

Walking into the large gaming hall, I was surprised to see there was a person setting up a demo stand for Form Square Games, the future publishers of Limits of Glory: Bonaparte's Eastern Empire.  Not only was this person the publisher, he was also the game's designer, Andrew Rourke.  Several conversations with Andrew and his fellow gamer, Ray, and a play through of the game later and I was back home with a proto-type copy from the designer [many, many thanks] and straight on to BGG to post my first very brief impressions of the game and a promise to write a full review.  The rest, as they say, is history or rather this review of what, from now on, I shall for brevity's sake call Bonaparte.  And why Bonaparte and not Napoleon?  The answer is for historical accuracy.  The game is set in the period when he ranked as General of Division Bonaparte. His crowning of himself as Emperor Napoleon lies in the future.  This points to the fact that, though this may be considered a light game, it is one for which the designer seeks to create the right feel and historical verisimilitude for the period.

In The Beginning

The campaign in Egypt, for this is what the game portrays, is generally not widely known.  If it is, then the Battle of the Pyramids and the naval Battle of the Nile in 1798 [sometimes called the Battle of Aboukir Bay] along with the British landing three years later, also at Aboukir Bay, are the main and only events usually mentioned.  The other famous fact is that the French expedition led to the discovery of the Rosetta Stone, so important in the later deciphering of Egyptian hieroglyphics.  My one and only board wargaming experience with this campaign has a map that is widely considered fairly off-putting and it was the map for Bonaparte that immediately grabbed my attention.  Here it is, remember that it is a proto-type and then read on.

Perhaps your reaction was similar to mine. It certainly grabbed my attention and my curiosity, but my impressions and reactions were mixed.  Its parentage was clearly a cross between Eurogames and more traditional board wargames..  The colours were strong, vibrant, perhaps even, dare I say, garish. And what had happened to the sea?  As I commented on BGG, it was a " strangely pale and un-blue sea. This turned out to have been a designer's typical nightmare, as Andy showed me a photo of the board's colours that went off to the printers with a lovely pale blue sea and came back with...well. a different colour."  Thank goodness, only the proto-type!  To emphasise the point my photograph here doesn't even give you an accurate representation of the printer's incorrect colour, turning it into a far more sludge-like one!!

The board, as you can see, is very simple, and mainly an area movement map of parts of Egypt, Syria and the Mediterranean.  But what was the purpose of that dominating numbered track and what are those cartoons dotted around and why are they there?  Answers to those two questions will come later.

In part, I'm trying to recreate for you my experience and what yours may be if you see and buy this game. I was intrigued, I was puzzled, I did want to know more. It didn't look like the normal game I would buy, despite being an avid board wargamer for 47 years and a similar Eurogamer for a mere 15 years.  Particularly, would it satisfy me to play as a grognard board wargamer and here I'm going to leap ahead, just in case you give up reading at this point, it did.  I was hooked! 

The game has its abstractions, but models the campaign surprisingly well. It provides both an historical feel with an exciting game and a system which has more unique features than I've come across in any game in a long time.  Even more unique features than in my previous recent review.

 The System

I'm going to start by looking at the two key points of the system.  The first is that the numbers 5 and 6 govern everything.  To move from one area to another whether on land or sea, you need to roll at least one 5 or 6.  

How many dice you roll depends on the those numbers you see printed in each area on the map.  Want to move from an area designated with the number 1, then you get just one dice to roll to achieve your critical numbers 5 or 6. That's a tough area to move from.  An area is marked with a 3, that's easier to leave because you've got 3 dice to roll and you only need the one 5 or one 6 to be successful.  In combat, want to inflict a hit on an enemy unit, yes roll a 5 or 6 and you've achieved a hit.  This time the number of dice you roll is always four.  So, you might inflict up to 4 hits.  Sounds all too simple.  Well, those basic rules couldn't be simpler or easier to understand - a feature generally of the rules in fact.  Despite this, there is plenty of subtlety incorporated, especially in the combat system. 

However, the second and even more important key feature of the game's system is Glory Points.  This will take a little longer to explain, but is just as easy to learn and apply.  It also explains the generic part of the game's title, Limits of Glory. This heralds that the game is the first in a series and the second game design is already underway. To understand more, we need to turn to the two sides' separate Leader Displays.  As the game is focused on Bonaparte, it's the French Display I'm going to use as an example.

Each Leader has two markers on the display.  The first time a Leader is placed on the map board, one Leader marker is placed directly on the map, while his other Leader marker is placed on the Glory Track after rolling for his Glory Points as indicated on the Display Chart.  Their purpose will be explained later as we move into the Sequence of Play.

A closer look at the Glory Track

Set-Up

Before all this, you will have set up the map with all the appropriate units on it and all other necessary charts and displays.  Besides the main map and the Leader Displays are two other Charts of very thick solid cardboard.  The first is the Events Clock and again a definitely new approach that I enjoy whole-heartedly.

The Events Clock

The other chart is the Combat one and, dare I say it, here is yet another unique approach.  In fact there are several original features embodied in this Chart that I'll discuss when exploring Combat.

Combat Chart

Sequence of Play

First of all there are three Phases to this game and it's important to note that this refers to three separate stages in the course of the game, not that there are three phases each turn.

The first stage is the Invasion Phase.  This is a brief "cat and mouse" section involving three French fleet markers of which two are dummies and one is the real fleet, commanded by Admiral Brueys, and one British fleet commanded by, of course, Nelson. The three French fleets set out respectively from Toulon, Genoa and Civitavecchia.  I love this stage of the game as the French player tries by how he/she manoeuvres the fleets to deceive the Allied player as to which is the real fleet, while endeavouring to reach the coast of Egypt without being discovered and, if possible, visit Malta en route and Nelson simply tries to intercept and discover the real fleet.

Nelson fails to reach me, before I'm about to disembark!

There are three possible outcomes;  [1] the French Fleet will be intercepted at sea [2] the French Fleet will be intercepted while disembarking the French troops in Egypt [3] the French Fleet will disembark without being intercepted.  Whichever happens, you move on to the Disembarkation Phase.

Disembarkation Phase

First, consult a chart that tells you what actions to take, how many troops Bonaparte lands with and where, as well as how many Glory Points to calculate for him, plus 2 VPs if you did manage to visit Malta. [I can't help adding that in the game I am using for photos, I managed to visit Malta, scoring 2 VPs, land without Nelson intercepting the French fleet, thus arriving with his maximum number of troops and chalked up 63 Glory pts for Bonaparte to use - one less than the maximum.]

Here he is having disembarked safely, by the way there are 26 infantry and one artillery unit in that stack!  It's a lot bigger than it looks.  I also love the counter to the right, Les Savants, and the attention that this game design gives to creating such an historical atmosphere.  These were a group of scientists and intellectuals that as the French player I have to get to the Valley of the Kings and maintain them there as part of achieving an automatic victory.  Frankly that's the easiest part, for the rest of an automatic victory the French only need to capture all the built-up areas that award VPs!! 

Other enjoyable narrative elements that add historical colour in this very brief Phase are the possibilities that you might have some Mamluks to fight or a Bedouin marker that causes a test that may mean a minor loss of Glory.  All these little details add so much flavour and enjoyment to this game with such simplicity and ease of rules.   After disembarking, it's on to the last and longest and most important Phase of the game.

Conquest Phase 

At the beginning of each turn in the Conquest Phase, an Event roll is made on this chart.  At first you will roll a single die and locate the Event on the Chart corresponding to the number rolled.  As the game progresses, certain Events will lead to an increasing number of dice [up to an eventual maximum of four] being rolled and added up to find the Event that has happened.  Some Events happen each time that number is rolled [indicated by the letter R after the number], others when rolled are replaced by a new Event.  This is an ingenious and engaging device that is another important factor in producing that historical ambiance.  It also creates a degree of linearity to events, while allowing some potentially never to occur while others may appear earlier than expected.  

Lurking among those Events is the one located at the crucial number 14 - roll this number and the Peace of Amiens occurs and the game immediately ends!  

But look carefully at the Event instructions; you need to have reached the maximum of rolling four dice before there is any possibility of the game ending, but, once it is a possibility, the tension starts to ratchet up.

After the Event roll, each Turn then proceeds with the French player always active first and the Allied Player active second. Each player's half of the turn begins with a Momentum roll of 4 dice and. like every other roll in this game. a 5 or 6 will gain you a Momentum marker and each payment of a glory point allows you to reroll a failed die.

A player's turn is very, very fluid, being a mixture of movement and combat.  An initial area will be chosen and, as described earlier, a number of dice are rolled according to the number in the area that you are attempting to leave.  A single roll of 5 or 6 is a success and rerolls can be attempted by spending glory points from the senior commander.  There is so much possibility for variation here.  For example, if there were three leaders and a number of units in the area, all could move into an adjacent area together or each leader could move into a separate area with or without accompanying troops.  If any moved into enemy occupied areas, then combat would have to take place in all such areas before any other further movement could be taken.  Provided a group has not failed in moving or combat, they can continue further movement and combat as the active player wishes.  Any failure results in one of the Momentum markers being placed in the area where the failure occurs.  Once all the Momentum markers gained by the first player at the beginning of their activation have been placed on the map, then their activation is over and the second player follows the identical process.

Above you can see the French steam-roller led by Bonaparte has momentarily been halted, while Menou has been dispatched to garrison the adjoining Cairo area.  Meanwhile on a different route seen below, Lannes is about to overwhelm a small leaderless force on his way ultimately for a massive confrontation with the Ottoman leader and a strong force at Acre.   

Obviously, the French player carries the burden of the attack from the beginning of the game onwards with generally superior leaders allowing the potential for major marches and magnificent victories to be won, but they get precious few reinforcements and attempting an automatic victory inevitably leads to separating some leaders and troops, while the necessary victory areas must be garrisoned with at least a leader, if not some troops.  Slowly the game is likely to begin to swing toward the Allied player whose automatic victory conditions are much less grandiose than the French ones.  He/she simply has to capture and retain control of Cairo and Alexandria until the end of a turn.

If neither player wins an automatic victory, then the game ends when Event 14 occurs and the player with most victory points wins.  Inevitably, this is the most likely way the game will end.  At the start of the game, the Allied player occupies all the victory areas and so has 25 VPs, while the French player has none. Slowly or swiftly, the French will start to capture and take control of those VP areas.  In a demo game that a friend played at PunchedCon, he was barely in the lead and desperately hoping for the ending Event 14 to be rolled.  In my current game, my huge initial success as the French has led me to gamble on splitting my forces and driving for an automatic win.  Probably hubris, but what satisfaction if I can pull it off.  Combats have decimated the Mamluks with barely a French unit lost.  Soon a contingent will be marching with the Savants to the Valley of the Kings, while Buonaparte will be hastening to Alexandria and Kleber with his subordinate leader, Lannes, are already about to capture Arish and then on to Acre and a very tough siege against the city manned by a substantial Ottoman force.  Meanwhile, My Allied opponent is lurking off the Egyptian coast and a fairly substantial Ottoman force and fleet has appeared in Rhodes!  The clouds of opposition are gathering! And there's no doubt that combat and sieges play a crucial and exciting part in the game, using the distinctively original Combat Chart and combat system.

This is a major element in the game and a favourite of mine.  Above all, it allows by the use of leaders' glory points significantly smaller French forces the ability to defeat much larger Allied ones and substantially adds to the concept of that Series title, Limits of Glory.  This is by far the most complex part of the game rules, but is very quickly and easily learnt.  The combat system begins by placing your Combat Pawn in the box where the total combat value of your troops on the top horizontal row of the chart intersects with the vertical column for nation and command.  [e.g. the Allied player cross-referencing 9 Mamluk value of troops led by a Mamluk leader would place their combat pawn in the box with the large number 17 and the information that a 6 will score one hit and a 5 will score none.]

Next, both players roll 4 dice.  Each player then decides whether to spend glory points rerolling failures and finally each player decides whether to spend glory points forcing their opponent to reroll successes.  If the total of the final 4 dice is equal to or greater than the large number in the box where your combat pawn is then you look at how many hits a 5 or 6 scores.  Yes, you did read that correctly - the number of hits scored by rolling a 5 or 6 varies.  Generally the French player will score more hits per 5 or 6 than the Allied player.  Even more unusual, however, is the rule that, if the total of your 4 dice is less than the large number, then you have scored no hits at all!!  As I keep emphasising, there is a lot of originality in this game design.  This game doesn't just have an historical feel and appeal, it has its very own distinctive game feel and appeal.  These were both very important factors in firing my enthusiasm for and enjoyment of Bonaparte's Eastern Empire.

On top of all that, there are those strangely familiar artists named in the credits: George Cruikshank, Isaac Cruikshank and James Gillray. If you haven't guessed who they are from the box art, then one look at the board and all the leader counters should do the job. They are the trio of cartoonists from the late 1700s and early 1800s whose satirical lampoons of the great and the good brought them to fame.  On the box is Bonaparte scrabbling to reach the top of the Great Pyramid, while on the board there's Nelson cracking the heads of tricolour flag-draped crocodiles.

Each cameo head and shoulder image on each leader counter is similarly drawn from the contemporary historical drawings of these three men. This game really is unique in so many different ways and this art work is just one more feature in that uniqueness.  The one major component that I can't fully comment on is the rule book, because as a proto-type I'm working from a simple, stapled booklet of black on white A4 pages.  What I can say is that the booklet is well organised in much the same order as I have followed in my review. The rules are clear and easy to understand, presented in what I would describe as a narrative format rather than the minutely regimented multi-case number format.  Layout with good sized print and spacing adds to that easy reading.

All in all, I hope I've been able to share my enthusiasm for everything about this game.  It's certainly one that I shall be adding to my collection with every intention of following the series and for those who might be heading to UK Games Expo this weekend, I'd strongly suggest dropping in on Four Square Games to have a good look at Limits of Glory: Bonaparte's Eastern Empire.  Otherwise, look out for information about the game's launch on Gamefound towards the end of June/beginning of July.

 

 

 Waterloo: Napoleon's Last Army

Featuring the Art of Keith Rocco

Research and Text by Paul L. Dawson

Published by

Lombardy Studios

 Cuirassiers, Hussars, and Dragoons oh my! That is not even mentioning the Chasseurs and Lancers. Of course, we also have to add in all of the different types of infantry and artillery. 

Naturally, the pictures in the book do not have the watermark. It is just so they are not passed about the internet. This picture is  Artillerie a Pied de La Garde

 This is a big coffee table sized book. However, unlike most books that size that are long on pictures and not very deep, this book is extremely informative while also being canyon depth. When you hold the book in your hand it has real heft to it. Then after you look at the picture on the cover you realize you might just have a treasure in your hand. Once you open it there is no more doubt. This is the definitive book on the dress and equipment of all the units of the L'Armée du Nord that Napoleon commanded in the 1815 campaign.

93e Regiment de Ligne Tambours

 This is what Lombardy Studios has to say about the book:

"64 original paintings portraying many of the French Army units at Waterloo

Over a decade of research and artistic rendering by Keith Rocco went into producing the paintings in this book

150+ photographs of historical artifacts from the holdings of three museums and seven private collections

Foreword by David Markham, President, International Napoleonic Society"

7e Dragons 1815 Chef dEscadron Marligne

 "176 oversize-format 9 3/8” by 13 1/2” large pages

128 pages featuring 64 Keith Rocco soldier paintings – 32 Imperial Guard and 32 Line units

Full color throughout

Fine high-grade, art quality paper

Facing pages feature descriptive text relating to the subject of the painting along with captioned photos of rare artifacts depicted within the artwork

An added plus: 28 more pages dedicated solely to beautifully photographed and captioned artifact photos

Illustrated Uniform Glossary in French and English

Index of units and officers that are portrayed in the book’s paintings

4 large horizontal battle paintings on 2-page chapter title spreads, including:

Plancenoit – Guard Infantry & Artillery chapter. A NEVER-BEFORE-PUBLISHED PAINTING OF THE IMPERIAL GUARD FIGHTING IN THE CEMETERY! The artist created this painting especially for this book.

Empress Dragoons – Guard Cavalry chapter.

The Great Gate of Hougoumont – Line Infantry & Artillery chapter.

Quatre Bras – Line Cavalry chapter."

Shako Plate and Cockade of a Grenadier in the 27th Line Infantry

 This is an absolutely amazing magnum opus for both Mr. Rocco and Mr. Dawson. Speaking of Mr. Dawson (historian, researcher, and author), he has put over two decades worth of time into this book. So, if you are keeping score this book has over thirty years of research put into it. Very few books can boast that claim.

Coat of the 25th Line Infantry Regiment Voltigeur Company

 Every page is a blaze of color and information. This book is a miniatures wargamer's treasure trove. Actually, I take that back. This is a treasure for anyone who has the slightest interest in the last French Army that Napoleon commanded. 

 This little tidbit of history is on page twelve:

"At Waterloo, the 3rd and 4th Regiments of the Foot Grenadiers attacked the Allied line in a final, futile attempt by Napoleon to break the British before the Prussians could tip the balance against the French"

 In 1815, the 1st and 2nd Regiments of Foot Grenadiers were the 'Old Guard'. The 3rd and 4th Regiments were the 'Middle Guard'.

Line Lancers Helmet

 The pictures that I have included are only a tiny amount of what you will find in its pages. To be honest, I am usually not impressed by books that have this many paintings and pictures. My tastes turn more to the books that are heavy on type and maps. So, even I was surprised how much this book enraptured me. Of course, for each Rocco illustration there is also a full page of information about the formation shown.

 I must admit that I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Cuirassiers. I have watched all cavalry charges on film innumerable times. However, if the charge includes those armored fellows, I am rapt to the screen. Oh, the 'Big Boots' or 'Gods' of the Imperial Guard are incredibly impressive but give me a Cuirassier charge any day. The pictures that Mr. Rocco has done of my favorite horsemen have left me in awe of his ability.

I had to add this picture of Mr. Dawson in the uniform of 'The Gods'

 I would definitely say run, walk, or crawl (or use your mouse) and head toward Lombardy Studios to pick up your own copy. You will not be sorry. Thank you, Mr. Lombardy, for allowing me to review this garden of Napoleonic delights. Now, please excuse me. I have to watch some War and Peace.

Robert

Lombardy Studios:

Welcome to Lombardy Studios - Lombardy Studios

Waterloo: Napoleon's Last Army Featuring the Art of Keith Rocco and Research and Text by Paul L. Dawson:

Waterloo: Napoleon's Last Army-The Art of Keith Rocco - Lombardy Studios

P.S. for you board wargamers the work is proceeding well on Mr. Lombardy's new Stalingrad game.