Napoleonic Rules Review

Miniature Warfare

Generalship Napoleonics

by Bruce Weeks

By James R. Arnold, 29 pages in a plastic spiral holder with thick paper and covers. $6.50.

Major Playing Concepts - G.N. is an unusual set of rules in that many of the concepts used by rule writers have been sacrificed to the author's impression that details like unit organization, frontages, mounting of figures, etc. are not crucial to playing a simple realistic game. The game purports to allow players to command a corps and resolve corps sized actions in three to four hours "without recourse" to lengthy rule manuals, numerous statistical tables and predigious bookkeeping.

These statements are not completely supported by the rules since order writing, maintenance of unit rosters, and reference to twelve different charts to play one turn are all required.

GN also makes the claim that figures do not have to be remounted to play this game. Presumably this means that players who currently have their figures all mounted similarly for a different rule set can use them directly in CN. The other possibiltiy, that players whose figures are mounted for radically different games could use them equally well together is simply not viable.

The game turn sequence distinguishes nine phases for each turn, but then makes the statement that morale checks are the heart of the game and they are taken at numerous points during a move (turn?). No mention is clearly made of who checks what first or for what causes. In truth the morale system is simple - there are no pages of modifiers to consider each time - and the morale effects appear easy to comprehend. But if this system is the heart of the game it needs some restorative surgery to get the game sequence to include its effects at the proper place and time.

Playability - The strongest point in favour of GN is that it appears easily playable. Basic units (battalions or regiments) are brigaded together and operate as units of their respective mother brigade. All mechanics apparently relate to the basic unit and seperation of the basic units appears to be prohibited. The actual mechanics of moving, firing, and meleeing are fairly traditional and easily grasped. The lack of any definitions whatever regarding unit sizes, organization into basic units, formation requirements and figure spacing though is a major problem and needs to be resolved by the players themselves. The confusion regarding the turn sequence has already been alluded to but in a game designed to be played out in 8-10 moves as a day this can be accepted.

Mechanisms - GN relies heavily on the use of the unit roster and the tables (charts) to portray graphically the information needed to play the game. Beyond this, of course, is the order writing and order changing procedure, and the use of commander figures and initiative rolls to enhance the role of the command figures in the game. These areas would need to be rewritten more clearly and developed more fully but the basic concept is sound and appealing as a method of introducing some variance in the ability of units to perform. The melee procedure introduces a couple of novel and interesting concepts with the cavalry charge value doubling on the first charge of the day, and with the stipulation that the only melees fought are those between infantry and infantry or those between cavalry and cavalry. Any other situation results in the destruction of the less fortunate unit. Brutal and capricious as this sounds we suspect it tends to keep commanders very conscious of the need to keep reserves posted handily to protect their exposed skirmishers and vulnerable batteries.

One area of game mechanics that seems strange is the requirement to keep unit rosters that track actual figures remaining and cross indexes on a strict-percentage basis morale, while at the same time removing figures when casualties are incurred. With all that work it would seem to have made more sense to allow morale to decline at various rates depending on tactical factors and be tracked on a roster while casualties were tracked by removing figures from the unit.

It is also assumed that the general order of the day should be recorded on the roster sheet, although this is not actulally stated, and that the time record should be there to indicate when changes to orders can be acted upon. As an aside we have yet to see a system requiring on table movement of messenger figures to work adequately. They seem invariably to either get lost or move 100 inches a turn and it is impossible to legislate or monitor them.

Organization - There is a lack of any clear definition of such basics as unit organization (can one use stands with figures mounted in double ranks as well as single ranks? How many ranks make a column? How many figures should there be in a cavalry regiment?) or limits as to size of units. There are simply too many loopholes and unstated assumptions build into the USE of these rules by their developers that would cause many heartaches (and much heartburn) amoungst players and groups attempting to sort these things out. Finally, the rules are worded in some places in a conversational style that tends to run on with thoughts being developed at random and not being incorporated into the body of the rules.

Completeness - In this area as well, GN is not fully developed as most players would expect. There are no provisions noted for the use of specialized troops such as sappeurs, pontooners, train or even special scouts and cossacks. No campaign ideas are presented to attempt to tie the battlefield actions together. There are no indications on how to conduct seiges or speciality encounters such as rearguard actions. In fact there is no advice or procedures indicatied on how one could go about setting up a situation to fight. No victory determination system, no formula for balancing forces against each other. In short these rules are for field tactical battles only.

In fairness to the author, the rules never make any claim to being more that that - but our feeling is that the "state of the art" of rule writing would seem to require, if nothing else, some remarks and procedures concerning setting up a game with the rules and how to arrange realistic objectives for the opponents.

Compatability - GN, as a set of battle rules prides itself on the fact that it is compatable with almost all other sets of rules since there is no requirement to base figures in any spectial manner or to sacrifice your units' integrity to fit them into the GN system. With the caveat that we mentioned earlier about mixing troops from different rule systems this appears to be true and is one of GN strengths.

More Napoleonic Rules Review

Back to Table of Contents -- Courier Vol. III #2
To Courier List of Issues
To MagWeb Master Magazine List
© Copyright 1981 by The Courier Publishing Company.
This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com