*
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
March 29, 2024, 10:52:35 AM

Login with username, password and session length

Donate

We Appreciate Your Support

Members
Stats
  • Total Posts: 1686647
  • Total Topics: 118117
  • Online Today: 788
  • Online Ever: 2235
  • (October 29, 2023, 12:32:45 AM)
Users Online

Recent

Author Topic: Starting Napoleonics  (Read 4125 times)

Offline fastolfrus

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 5247
Re: Starting Napoleonics
« Reply #15 on: April 03, 2013, 09:26:16 PM »
Since you already have ACW I would suggest that you start with the War of 1812 (US vs GB not Russia), that way you can use some of the same scenery as your ACW. Might also get some more local players since you are US based and it's your heritage.
As an added bonus most 1812 battles were quite small compared to the European ones, so easier to field full forces, not a lot of cavalry (so a bit cheaper too).
Gary, Glynis, and Alasdair (there are three of us, but we are too mean to have more than one login)

Offline Conquistador

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 4375
  • There are hostile eye watching us from the arroyos
Re: Starting Napoleonics
« Reply #16 on: April 03, 2013, 10:19:25 PM »
Conquistador
    i think you might have got your rules muddled up a bit ,with GdeB and Polemos rules "General de Division"



Hi V
  <snip>   

Every bit the Modern Major General...

I should have pulled the books and copied the covers...

Gracias,

Glenn
 ;D   :o
Viva Alta California!  Las guerras de España,  Las guerras de las Américas,  Las guerras para la Libertad!

Offline LawnRanger

  • Librarian
  • Posts: 199
Re: Starting Napoleonics
« Reply #17 on: April 05, 2013, 10:37:43 PM »
Hi Conquistador
       not Modern Major General just a Rifleman  :P
 yes you should of pulled the book out and had a look that way i would not have to of posted a thread about GdeB  starting of as a 6mm set of rules  ;D,

Oh gaming 1812 would be a good ideal as its over your side of the pond thing is you lads lost that one.  ;) IF you do like the look of GdeB there is a spin off called British Grenadier which is set for action in america (AWI and 1812 )which plays very well as well ..
we play it a lot at are club and is one of the best set of rules i have ever played with .
happy gaming all LR

 

Offline nikephorous

  • Assistant
  • Posts: 46
Re: Starting Napoleonics
« Reply #18 on: April 06, 2013, 11:20:38 PM »
"Which rules should I use?" is a question that often leads to massive flame wars.

There are so many different game mechanisms out there that it is very easy to find a set that you hate with a passion, but very difficult to find a set that you will enjoy.

When getting into a new period I tend to use a few selection criteria and then go looking for rules:

  • What space is available?
  • What do I want the game to LOOK like?
  • What size limit do I want to put on the project?
  • What are the others around me doing?

A few other rulesets to consider:

  • DBN - Napoleonic DBA
  • FoGN - the latest from the Field of Glory stable
  • War & Conquest

"But wait!" I hear you say. W&C is an ancient set. True......

http://scarabminiatures.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=41

Buy the rules and get a lifetime of amazing free army lists.... including 7YW, ACW and Napoleonics.....


John
Auckland
New Zealand
Who decided a 6 was good and a 1 was bad anyway?

Offline Vette114

  • Lurker
  • Posts: 3
Re: Starting Napoleonics
« Reply #19 on: April 16, 2013, 02:06:35 AM »
Well I jumped in with both feet on the ACW stuff and joined the old glory army. I am going to order a pile of the blue moon napoleonics as soon as I can and work on bringing some local players to try out general de brigade.

I will put up a link to my blog with some painting pics and overviews of the stuff I buy.

Offline Vonkluge

  • Supporting Adventurer
  • Mad Scientist
  • *
  • Posts: 506
  • Dogs of War and Bengal Club member / Kaiser Bill!
    • Historical Hobbies
Re: Starting Napoleonics
« Reply #20 on: April 24, 2013, 07:35:05 AM »
He Vette,

Montana! can you teach sheep to play?...lol. just kidding! I have been playing Napys on and off for 25 years and still dont know that much about it but I do love painting them and playing! I have used several rule sets and have friends who played many other sets, seems that Napoleonics (in-our area, Los Angeles) have always suffered from "what rules to play" syndrome where no-one can agree on which rules they like so they all end up not playing!

Some of us have finialy settled in and began playing Age of Eagles (AOE) the rule set based on one of the best selling Civil War rules ever written, Fire and Fury. We played them on and off for 2 years, also trying shako, Valmey to Waterloo, General de Brigade.... but AOE was the best for us. Give a great level of play, the level tha napoleonics is really about, Divisions of Brigades forming Corps. It plays fast, simple, elegant, and gives a good account and feeling for the peroid. Units are not hard to build and you can start playing with just a few. AOE also has a great Yahoo group dedicated to the rules that can and do ansewer you questions in all most real time! This group and the rules have been going strong for over ten years!

I gather you are doing you gaming in 15MM? Perfect AOE was written for that scale and given you situation of trying to get people to play would fit in well. The ACW rules Fire and Fury it was built on would be a great set to use for your ACW battles and then by using AOE most of the players would already know the game mechanics as they are virtualy the same. Much of you scenery wil work for both games, roads, rivers, trees, even a few of the buildings would crossover.

If you are ever down this way give me a shout and well have you over for a game!



Good luck!
« Last Edit: April 24, 2013, 07:36:51 AM by Vonkluge »

Offline surdu

  • Librarian
  • Posts: 135
Re: Starting Napoleonics
« Reply #21 on: April 26, 2013, 09:31:30 AM »
Before investing in a set of rules, I'd suggest you read a couple of history books first to get a feel for the period.  This will help you decide if you want to play skirmish actions, large skirmish actions (Sharpe Practice), regimental sized gamers, grand tactical games, or something else.  Everyone has their favorite set of rules.  I've published three different sets over the past 20 years, including the recently released Fate of Battle, each focused on a different scale of battle.  The question is really what sized game do you want to play.

I like the The Art of Warfare in the Age of Napoleon by Gunther Rothenberg and Napoleon's Campaigns in Miniature by Bruce Quarrie as introductory texts.  While it is a kids book, the American Heritage Junior Library book on Waterloo is also good.

Personally I feel someone new to the period should start at a regimental-sized game, where you worry about formations and skirmishers, but you can command a brigade or division.  That will get you all the things you read about in the common texts that make this period unique from other periods.

Buck Surdu

Offline Bergil

  • Mad Scientist
  • Posts: 765
  • Toy maker
Re: Starting Napoleonics
« Reply #22 on: April 26, 2013, 10:44:10 AM »
Whilst people are here Answering Napoleonic based questions are there any coloured plastics upto 1/72 scale in red and blue? (a la Brits and Frenchies) I'd love to get some Nappy inspired games in but don't want to spend the time painting.

Cheers in advance.
« Last Edit: April 26, 2013, 11:45:49 AM by Bergil »

 

Related Topics

  Subject / Started by Replies Last post
26 Replies
8990 Views
Last post January 22, 2010, 03:54:24 PM
by abhorsen950
2 Replies
1971 Views
Last post February 26, 2011, 09:35:30 AM
by Paul Hicks
5 Replies
2540 Views
Last post February 13, 2013, 10:51:42 PM
by seldon
12 Replies
2407 Views
Last post March 22, 2021, 09:19:56 AM
by Ranthony
41 Replies
3739 Views
Last post January 06, 2024, 11:24:25 AM
by Timmo