Napoleonic Rules Review

Miniature Warfare

Vive L'Empereur

by Bruce Weeks

By Ned Zuparko, these rules have 56 pps plus card reminder sheets in a 8.5x11 magazine style format w/thick paper covers - stapled along spine. Available at $7.95.

Major Playing Concepts - VLE is designed and presented by the author to be a playable grand tactical game where each player assumes the role of a Corps commander and commands approximately 25 maneuver elements. With more than one player on a side multicorps level battles can be fought. The author has been a frequent contributor to THE COURIER so that some of the playing concepts will be familiar. Of particular note is the fact that the author has deliberately gone to the regiment as the basic maneuver unit for infantry and cavalry. In a game with a figure scale of approximately one to one hundred, and with the intent of allowing a player to REASONABLY keep tract of his units, this is the only approach that makes any sense. In addition the rules do not allow fragmentation of the basic units - a wise precaution. The key concept in understanding VLE is the distinction drawn between the status points (SPs) and morale level of units.

Status points represent basically the units effectiveness and capability to withstand the battlefield situations. It is tracked by a roster system and losses suffered affect the unit's ability. The morale system, on the other hand only comes into play at moments of crisis. The unit's current SP level is used as a factor in determining its ability to withstand the crisis, but a full range of possiblities exist to insure that even units with full SP levels could become unglued and forced to retreat. The interplay between the two systems offers a great deal of potential. Our only criticism with this system rests in the number of catagories that modify the morale situation, but more of that later. Another novel feature of VL is what we would call the combat move "radio" area which is an imaginary circular zone around the center of the unit's initial position and within which the unit has the options to change facings, formations, directions and move at will, up to the length of his move allowance. It is almost like a "free-for-all" area in which the player can do what he wishes with his units. There are modifiers to this of course but the intent seems to be to allow players to pick their best formation and facing before entering into combat much as that historical maneuver unit commander would try to do.

It also allows a great deal of flexibility to the player in that he does not loose the scope and flow of the overal I game because of being overly worried about the placement or facings of individual unit stand, at each and every moment.

VLE, like all the other sets reviewed relies on the presence of command figures at the divisional (or cavalry brigade) level to help keep track of who is where and doing what. In addition, the rules determine who is eligible for full move and combat or only for defensive actions each turn by the initiative system.

At the start of each turn a percentage chance is determined based on the unit's relation to its commander and that commander's ability and or nationality - if the unit makes its roll it is free to operate fully, if it fails it is drastically limited in its capability. Players will enjoy fine tuning this concept to their own desires with regard to staff efficiency and commanders ability ratings. We found the process somewhat time consuming since it had to be done each turn, but by keeping the check at the divisional level it is easily manageable.

Mechanics - VLE is a game built essentially around the author's well-founded appreciation of what the most important aspects in a grand tactical game should be. The Regimental basic unit decision, the divisional level initiative decision, etc... all point to the recognition that streamlining had to be done. It is with a good deal of surprise, therefore, that we find an inordinate amount of "clutter" in the actual interactions that make up the turn. The detailed order of operations provided in the rules, for example, show up to 36 steps could be required to complete any turn. These steps do not include such details as weather effects or the mechanics of figuring out line of sight or visibility questions.

Beyond this problem, each of the major combat operations -- movement, firing and close combat, require the referral to modifier tables which must be worked through for each unit engaged in those actions each turn. It certainly appears that a little clarification and simplification would be in order for this area.

Organization - VL offers some good lessons to writers on how to organize and present a set of rules. The decimalization system, which we aren't really crazy about ourselves, links major paragraphs and their subordinate ideas throughout. All the tabular data needed to play is included on a reminder sheet and is also displayed in the body of the rules at the appropriate places. We did feel frankly that the reminder sheet itself could have been laid out better - in the order of the turn for instance, but that is a small point. A three page definition section is included to help confused players quickly look up critical definitions.

It would have been an even better idea to cross reference the definitions given to the section of the rules that deals with them but this was not done. An introduction section written by the author offers some good information on the abilities of the three arms to operate within the context of the period and this will certainly be helpful to newer players.

The appendix are straight forward and give additional information to flush out the rules. They also include sample orders of battle and how they would be represented by the rules. Finally the designer notes, although too long by half would serve well for newcomers to the period to at least become a little more familiar with some of the historic and organizational background that most of us, unfortunately, take for granted that everybody knows. Of most interest, of course, are the parts of the rules concerning why they were written as they were and what concessions and concerns the writer had. This section should be a must for all sets of future rules.

Completeness - VLE is primarily a set of battle rules with little to tie the individual game into a campaign format. No major guidelines are given on how to set up a battle or how to determine victory conditions for an encounter. Off board movement of troops is passed over, probably because with the ground and figure scale most troops would be on any table even though they might not be visible, but this should be addressed in any future edition.

Special troop types do have their capabilities and a great deal of effort has gone into the rules for handling fighting in and burning down woods and towns but beyond that the terrain rules and the decisions about their effect on the game are not detailed as much as we would like to see. Supply, forced marches, attrition and their affects are only treated as a factor that one can adjust on unit's start-of-game status point total, but no detailed guidelines are given on how to accomplish this.

Playability - In our view VL appears to be a very playable game. On the grand tactical level it has been approached seriously and the concessions made that have to be made to get there. On the tactical side there still appear to be some mechanical system problems that could tend to slow down the game or worse - open up a real war over facings/formations and who has initiative in which situation. These problems in our experience should be hounded out like the plague so that the overall game won't suffer because of them. With a few practice games, and a little good will we feel confident that VL will succeed in its aim - to let a player command a corps COMFORTABLY within the scope of a game.

Cost vs Content - As mentioned above in the organization section VLE offers a great deal more than simply a rule system for its price. The considerable expense and time involved by the author in putting together his own designer's notes, the inclusion of the definitions section and the content of the introduction all point out that these rules were put together by people who enjoy gaming and wished to share their enjoyment, their ideas and experiences with as wide an audience as possible.

For these reasons we feel that Vive L'Empereur rates as the best buy of the various rules received in this article.

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