Wavre a Scourge of Waterloo DLC

by

 Slitherine/Matrix and NorbSoftDev

 This battle fought on the same day as Waterloo, June 18th 1815, sealed the fate of Napoleon and the First Empire. After beating the the Prussians at Ligny, Napoleon ordered Grouchy, the last man Napoleon would make as a marshal of France, to take the III and IV corps along with the 21st infantry and 4th cavalry division and make sure the Prussians could not interfere with Napoleon's battle against the English. Hearing the sounds of battle from Waterloo, Grouchy refused his subordinates' requests to 'march to the sound of the guns'. The Prussian III corps under Thielmann had only 17,000 men, but he kept Grouchy's 33,000 men occupied for the day. By not trying to attack the rear of the Prussians marching to Waterloo, Grouchy allowed those Prussians to tip the scales in the battle of Waterloo against Napoleon. Historians have had a field day from that day on as to whether Grouchy should have followed his orders or used his own initiative. I think this quote sums up the correct answer "After the battle the King can do what he likes with my head, but during the battle will he please allow me to use it"? (Friedrich Wilhelm Von Seydlitz answer to orders from Frederick The Great during the battle of Zorndorf).

 This new DLC finishes up the four battle set of Napoleon's campaign in Belgium in 1815. The main game is 'The Scourge of War Waterloo', and the other two DLCs are Ligny and Quatre Bras.

At this time there is no linked campaign between the main game and the DLCs. You fight each battle and its scenarios separately. Both 'Scourge of War Gettysburg' and 'Scourge of War Waterloo' have a large and very active modding community. So I am sure that is being worked on at the moment.

 There are five scenarios that come with the Wavre DLC. These are: 

 4:00PM French Army

 4:30PM Prussian Division

 4:00PM Prussian Army

 7:00PM French Brigade

 8:30 AM French Corps 

 One point in particular needs to be addressed right at the beginning. This is a command simulation, and sometimes the 3D representation in the game does not match the actual situation that is being portrayed on the map. Some people are nonplussed at the fact that they cannot seem to move and position their troops 'just so' on the battlefield. At times, there are also some strange movements of both sides of troops during a firefight or charge. These do not reflect the actual 'under the hood' calculations of the actual combat taking place. Once a budding computer general understands this point, the game becomes much more understandable and enjoyable.

 The game can be played in several different ways. You can play from a 'Gods point of view' meaning that you can travel with your mouse over the entire battlefield to see everything that is going on. The other way to play is in 'HITS' mode. This acronym stands for 'headquarters in the saddle' (do not get confused with John Pope here). What this means is that you can only see exactly what your computer general can see at any moment of time on the battlefield. While using this mode and the courier system that the game has, it is a very good representation of 19th century battle. While you might be driving the enemy before you from where you are positioned at the moment, both your flanks could be crushed and your troops fleeing on other parts of the battlefield.

 The AI in the game has always been one of the franchise's best selling points. It is tough, not only as an opponent, but also as an ally or subordinate. 

 The other great thing about the games is the visual representation. I am an old hex gamer, so to be able to see the sweep and sheer size of a Napoleonic battlefield in action is pretty amazing. NorbSoftDev has always made it a point to be as historically accurate with the actual battlefields and the OOBs, along with the actual troops' uniforms. 

 Victory conditions are based on geographical points captured or defended and also the casualties suffered by both sides.

 I want to reiterate that there is a brilliant group of modders that work on these games, and they have made a ton of scenarios for other battles and eras. Naturally, the mods cannot be as well done as NorbSoftDev's official DLCs, but some come very close.

 There is also a very large group of active people who play multiplayer with all of the games of the series. 

 So kudos to NorbSoftDev for finishing up the games needed to represent the Waterloo campaign. Now, get to work on my Eylau. A Napoleonic battlefield in a snow storm with a grand cavalry charge is in my dreams. Please see my other reviews of the main game and DLCs:

http://www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk/2016/05/waterloo-scourge-of-war-review.html

http://www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk/2016/11/scourge-of-war-waterloo-dlc-ligny.html

http://www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk/2016/07/scourge-of-war-waterloo-add-on-quatre.html

Robert

Game: Scourge of War Waterloo, Wavre DLC

Designer: NorbsoftDev

Distributor: Slitherine/Matrix

                       

Scourge of War Waterloo DLC Ligny

 

 Ligny is lost in the shadow of Waterloo, which was fought two days later. This is upsetting for two reasons: 1) It was the last battle Napoleon won. 2) If events transpired the way Napoleon wanted them, he probably would have won at Waterloo. Ligny was fought by the Prussians under Blucher and the French under Napoleon. The battle was ripe with might haves. Count D'Erlon was ordered to bring his I corps and crush the Prussian right wing and turn a won battle into a Prussian rout. Marshal Ney, fighting at Quatre Bras, ordered D'Erlon to march to help him. D'Erlon's incredible blunder in not following Napoleon's order cost the emperor his throne. The Prussians survived to fight another day and their corps led by Von Bulow interceded on the field of Waterloo. Napoleon had "humbugged" both Blucher and Wellington by striking hard and fast between them. Napoleon's plan was for Ney to keep the English away, therefore being unable to help the Prussians while he gave battle to them at Ligny. Once the Prussians were defeated and seen off to the east, Napoleon could then turn on Wellington. 

 NorbsoftDev has continued their Waterloo game to now include a DLC of the battle of Ligny. They had already released another DLC covering the battle of Quatre Bras, fought on the same day as Ligny. The DLC has five different scenarios you can play:

2:30PM -  Leading a Prussian Corps
8:00PM - Leading a French division
2:30PM - Leading the Prussian army
3:00PM  - Leading a French corps
2:30PM  - Leading the French army

  The Scourge of War games also have a few modes in which a player can choose to use:

 Waterloo Battles
 Sandbox Campaign
 Sandbox
 User Scenarios
 Tutorial

  
 Thanks to NorbSoftDev, with the addition of the Ligny battle we are almost at the point where we can play out the entire battles of the Waterloo campaign. Each release of the the game engine brings refinement and tweaks and more fine tuning of an already excellent engine. The next release is going to be that of Wavre. Wavre is much like Ligny in that had things gone the French way it might have been Grouchy appearing on Wellington's left instead of the Prussians.

 With the start of the series in the American Civil war battles to the Napoleonic, this is one of my favorite series of games. Command and control from a general's perspective is what drew me to computer wargames in the 1980s. The ability to form a plan in your head and then to be able to use competent, if not deadly, AI subordinates always draws me back to this series of games. The only possible knock on the series is the same that can be said of any Napoleonic battle game. Because of the small sales that would be seen in releasing some battles against others more well known ones, we are not likely to see an official release of Eylau or Friedland, to name just two.

 For the multiplayer crowd, these games have always been a big draw. The sandbox mode can be used to represent pretty much any sort of engagement of the battlefields of the released games. There is also a large community of modders that are on the NorbSoftDev web site. 

  Please, take a look at my review of the base game 'Scourge of War Waterloo', also my other SOWW DLC 'Quatre Bras'.




 Robert




Game: Scourge of War Waterloo DLC Ligny
Developer: NorbSoftDev
Publisher: Slitherine/Matrix
Date of Review: 10/29/2016

                                       

                                              Scourge of War Waterloo add on Quatre Bras

  This is a review of the first add on for Scourge of War Waterloo, Quatre Bras. No, we are not talking Brahma here. It is released by Matrix/Slitherine/Ageod and developed by NorbSoftDev. NorbSoftDev also brought us Scourge of War Gettysburg and it's add ons Antietam etc.

 Quatre Bras was fought on the same day as Ligny. Quatre Bras pitted the French against an English and coalition army, while Ligny had the French fighting the Prussians. Due to conflicting orders the French Ist corps under D'erlon spent the day marching between the two battlefields and admiring the Belgium countryside. This corps could have turned the table at either battlefield and made a great change in the subsequent battle of Waterloo. The French were commanded by Marshal Ney (Le Rougeaud) and named by Napoleon as the 'bravest of the brave'. The English and coalition army was commanded by the Duke of Wellington, but he wasn't actually present on the field until about 3:00pm. Quatre Bras was an even more  "near run thing" than Waterloo. The actual battle was an extremely see-saw affair all day long.

 It is a command simulation game. The players' view can be an omnipotent eagles eye or only what the various commanders could see from HITS (headquarters in the saddle) unless you are John Pope. The uniforms and troops in general are a sight to behold, and bring all of the malevolent beauty of a Napoleonic battlefield to life. You can hear the sounds of cannons firing, flags fluttering, and regimental bands playing. Thankfully, the only thing missing is the tent or house where a growing pile of severed limbs is situated. Your orders can be instantaneously transmitted to your subordinate commanders, like in the twentieth century by radio or, as was historically correct, by courier. You can see the couriers riding this way and that across the battlefield with their precious cargo.
  

 The game system is in some ways the same as it was in the beginning of the series, only now it has been fined tuned to ideally replicate a Napoleonic battlefield. You can deploy skirmishers, form square or column exactly as your nineteenth century counterpart.

 One concern that a lot of gamers are especially vocal right now is about a game's AI. Have no fear about that department with this series. Just as with its older brother Scourge of War Gettysburg, its AI is up to the task whether an enemy or subordinate.  

 As a general, please remember that all troops, even guards, can only take so much. Napoleonic tactics were a murderous game of 'rock, paper, scissors'. Use your skirmishers to pick at your enemies' line to lower their morale and steadiness. When possible, have both infantry and cavalry in supporting distance of one another, thus forcing the enemy to form squares and then cut bloody swaths through them with your artillery. Then when they are about to, or have cracked, ride them down with your cavalry.

 To anyone who has Scourge of War Waterloo and those who are still in the civil war with Scourge of War Gettysburg, click that mouse right now to buy this new add on and /or game. Do yourself a favor and download the SliderToolBar mod. While we are on mods, please check out all of the well done mods for both Waterloo and Gettysburg. The community has really put their heart into making some of these very impressive and adds to the life of the game.

 For those of you who are put off by the letters RTS, worry not. You can play as fast or as slow as you want, and pause the game and think about your next orders to your heart's content.

 Multiplayer games can support up to thirty two players and can be entered through the lobby. Steam and non-Steam players can join as well.

 Thank you again NorbSoftDev for these forays into Napoleonic battlefields. Now get going, and give us Ligny and Wavre, or even better Friedland, Eylau, or Wagram. Nato, nukes, and nazi's aren't the only things that sell a wargame.

 For those in need or are rusty, there are a lot of youtube video links on the Matrix Games Scourge of War Waterloo forum. 


Robert

Game: Scourge of War Waterloo add on Quatre Bras
Developer: NorbSoftDev
Publisher: Slitherine/Matrix/Ageod
Steam Release Date: 6/16/2016
Review Date:  6/25/16