Review of Over the Hills a Napoleonic wargame

[ady2650]

Find it here https://www.facebook.com/groups/247145792126789/permalink/596939153814116/?hc_location=ufi

[Norm]

Love to read it, but I do not have a Facebook account. Can it be posted here.

[Andrew_McGuire]

Love to read it, but I do not have a Facebook account. Can it be posted here.

Seconded.

[ady2650]

By now I expect most of you have heard whispers (or more) about the latest offering of Napoleonic rules "Over The Hills". Written by Adrian McWalter and Quinton Dalton, the rules currently have reviews in the latest copies of both Wargames Illustrated and Wargames Soldiers & Strategy.

I've owned the rules myself now for a little over a month and I would like to offer my "ten cents" worth of highlights of the rules in the form as bulletin points:

* The rules are divided into Basic rules and Additional rules. The Additional rules are offered as an optional 'cherry pick' basket. I will be using (nearly) all of them.

* The Fatigue Score System;
 - A basic stat that reflects a units training and elan,
 - Provides a measure of a units combat ability that can deteriorate as a unit fights and/or makes forced moves, and it is this adjusted factor that provides a platform for the die 10 rolls a unit makes thru out the game.

* A unit based system rather than an individual figure removal system. This is especially great for those who wish to enhance their units with scenic/diorama styled basing.

* A command system that I find refreshing. Its based on Corps, Divisional and Brigade Commanders remaining in range of each other, and penalises those who don't. Simple but very effective.

* A clever system for skirmisher screens that leaves it all in the capable hands of the battalions Colonel. It includes skirmisher screens for cavalry too.

* A novel turn sequence that has one player moving his troops, while the other does his shooting - all in the same player turn. A rally phase for those units lucky enough to find time to rest and recover, and a hand to hand combat system which sees individual combats fought over multiple rounds within the same turn.

* A 360 degree Line of Sight.

* A unique way of moving within terrain, and a few terrain types usually missing from rules - sunken roads anyone?

* Rules that get the best out of buildings and their like.

* Want to attach a company of Rifleman to your Redcoats? Does your artillery crew need to take shelter in a square, while those dastardly Cuirassiers try to spike their guns? Want to charge your cavalry to come to the rescue of those poor infantry about to be ridden down? No problems, here's how...

* Additional rules that can be used to represent the artillery park formed up behind the battery.

* An easy order system that can be enhanced by including lost, wayward or captured orders and even the possibility of orders delivered to the wrong brigade. "Charge the guns! What guns?" - oops wrong war.

*Plus an order marker mechanism - especially useful in multiplayer games with that annoying bloke who never does what he's told.

* There are National Characteristics for the "Big Five" - and I know there will be more forthcoming - that allows each army to play in its own unique way.

* Army Statistics for virtually all the nations (no Naples) involved in the Napoleonic Wars, including The Ottoman Empire.

* A points system in the book that has been supported online with files with points costs for the various nations involved - a work in progress.

* Two authors in Quinton Dalton and Adrian McWalter who are providing fantastic support via the "Over The Hills" Facebook page.

* An appendix that covers The War of 1812 (the one in the Americas). An often overlooked branch of the wars.

* Did I mention online support? So much support it is worth mentioning twice smile emoticon:)

* The promise of more book releases to cover the various campaigns.

* The whisper of new projects to come...

For me these rules are just what I have been waiting for for nearly 40 years. They can be purchased thru Caliver Books online. Don't wait, they are great.
 Ben Norton.

[seldon]

I've read a couple of reviews.. all look interesting and fortunately all look at different aspects of the game... Your was also very interesting. I like the summary of the things that called your attention.

I guess there is nothing else I can get from reviews... time to order then ?

Francisco

[Norm]

Thanks for posting here. In one of my readings, I think it may have been a magazine review, it hinted at big tables ..... Do these take the same approach as Black Powder i.e. That we all have 12 x 6 tables? or are they more standard table friendly?

[ady2650]

Oh no not at all , you can play the game with as many units as you want, brigade v brigade on a four footer to what ever size you want. Over the Hills is very adaptable, we wanted it to be a ruleset that a beginner or a vet could pick up and use

[Red Sveta]

These look interesting. How many bases to a unit? I have a 28mm Nap French army that has not seen action for years because of lack of space issues. If I can game the rules on a 6x4 table I can see the Eagles marching again in my house.

[ady2650]

a unit of infantry is normally 6 bases and that is assigned a Fatigue Score, depending on how good the unit is, 7 for example being about the average. If you have units with smaller base numbers then for each base less than six you take a pip of Fatigue away from the unit so the same unit described with four bases would have a Fatigue score of 5 and so on. We play regularly on a six by four.

ady

[Red Sveta]

They sound promising for me then, thanks. I will give them a try

[ady2650]

Let us know how you find them, we also have a facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/groups/1819455724949749/

and we are based in Mansfield and Sheffield UK