Although we received a copy of "Legacy of Glory" and studied it very carefully we never published a review of this new set of grand-tactical rules written by Matthew and Douglas DeLaMatter for Napoleonic wargaming in 5, 15 or 25mm scales.
However, at the last July Historicon at Lancaster, we had the pleasure of "seeing" for ourselfves how the rules really worked and we were quite impressed by the degree of realism achieved. At that game session, the battle of Borodino was refought and ended in a French victory...at around 3 am, which is not bad for such a huge battle.
We must say that all the players were quite happy with the realistic and quick combat results. At the beginning, a few of the players were reminded by the referee that some of the formations used were not Napoleonic formations and hence were not acceptable. Graciously (at least in appearance) they corrected their formations to reflect true Napoleonic formations.
Basically, the rules offer an innovative sequence of play based on around two hour "grand battle" turns which allows for a reasonably detailed and fast moving system of combat resolution that lets the players to concentrate on corps and army level decision making. The system reflects very truthfully the dramatic confusion and chaos of the Napoleonic battles. It deals very effectively with the challenges the Napoleonic commanders faced. Conditions on the Napoleonic battlefield were difficult. The problem of time, distance, smoke and uncertainty formed the essential characteristics and command control - many rules that allow immense and unlimited command control - was limited at best and often non existent. As "Legacy of Glory" forces the players to tackle "head on" the relationship between the different commanders ability to analyze and process tactical information over time versus the compounded difficulties of "delays, distance, smoke and fog of war" inherent to the "Chain of Command," the resulting game gives players a good sense of the command problems confronting a Napoleonic commander at that level. Issuing orders in "Legacy of Glory" follows the same hierarchy and flow as issuing orders in history, otherwise known as the "Chain of Command," which we have discussed in many past issues of EEL. Simply put, orders took time to issue and plenty of things could go wrong during their transmission to the lower levels of command. Another significant advantage of the "Chain of Command" is to cut down to a more believable time frame instant reaction to battlefield events often witnessed in wargames because of famous "helicopter effect". Such unrealistic instant reactions are simply not possible with "Legacy of Glory."
"Legacy of Glory" employs neither a simultaneous nor a move-countermove system. Rather it is a system of action and reaction. Each side may at a given moment possess the initiative on a different part of the battlefield. Thus, the Grand-tactical initiative will pass back and forth, reflecting the true ebb and flow of the Napoleonic battle.
As mentioned above, the new sequence of play is structured into two hour "Grand- Battle Turns," dividing the day in 9 Grand-Battle Turns named:
- 1. Dawn 6:00 - 8:00 AM
2. Morning 8:00 - 10:00 AM
3. Late Morning.10:00 - 12:00 PM
4. Mid-day 12:00 - 2:00 PM
5. Afternoon 2:00 - 4:00 PM
6. Late Afternoon 4:00 - 6:00 PM
7. Evening 6:00 - 8:00 PM
8. Nightfall 8:00 - 10:00 PM
9. Night 10:00 - 4:00 AM
Each "Grand Battle Turn" is further divided into six tactical subturns of 20 minutes each called "Tactical Bound" or TAC. It is the game basic unit of time regulating movement, combat and tactical decision making. The central feature of the sequence of play is the command sequence which begins each grand battle turn . During this sequence, players allocate command points to initiate orders, rally troops, order units to react to new threats, commit reserves,i.e. to perform all the possible actions during the battle. The players then determine how long their orders will take to pass down the Chain of Command to the units that must perform them. Finally, an "Order Activation" test is made to see what the local formation commanders will do with their orders and when, if at all, they take action (orders could get lost or be ignored). As it would be in real life, the possibility of orders being issued, delayed and not obeyed plays havoc with players decision making unless he keeps it simple in term of overall planning.
The general principle behind a typical Napoleonic Assault was to advance upon the enemy with such strength and resolution that the enemy would give way. Assaults by relatively equal forces against fresh troops generally made little or no headway and were often repulsed. On the other hand, an attack that had been well prepared by an intensive artillery bombardment was more readily to succeed and in doing so, created a crisis which forced the defender to either commit fresh reserve troops or to retreat. We can call that the combat resolution phase.
The combat resolution phase in "Legacy of Glory" is well designed for the scale of the game (1 inch = 50 yards/meter in 15mm scale) and allow all the above. All combat functions are contained on one reference chart with an additional chart for morale and command function. As mentioned above, Legacy of Glory" is an action and reaction system with whole formations moving to attack in single line or in "waves." When combat occurs, each side compares a basic morale value for each units effectively engaged with the enemy, then applies modifiers and finally rolls two percentage dice for a result. In watching the evolution of the battle, combat resolution was quick and satisfied the players. Whole formations won or became engaged in a firefight or were repulsed and sent back to the rear to reform and eventually come back for more after 2 to 4 hours. Skirmishers combats are resolved quickly in a screen versus screen rather than by the fire of individual companies, as skirmishers are handled in a very true to history fashion that does not bug down the game.
There are also provisions for different types of infantry assaults and firefights. Fighting in town and villages are handled by special rules. The same also applies to cavalry charges. In these special cases, the combats are resolved quickly without sacrificing the realistic outcome. The artillery has varying effectiveness, taking into consideration training, tactical usage, formations of the targets, etc., and casualties are allocated to the multiple units in the target area.
In summation, "Legacy of Glory" is a wargame simulation that is geared to reproduce and enhance the historical feeling of the game. In our opinion, it is quite successful in doing so. The outcome of battles is no longer decided by a handful of clever tactical maneuvers and reflects the fact that a battle was nothing less than a psychological punching match. The spirit of the game is such that players' commanders are more interested in processing tactical events realistically and swiftly rather than in beating their opponents with the rulebook. Obviously "Legacy of Glory" is not for rulebook lawyers.
A very comprehensive and complete appendix covers all the historical units of all nations ( including the Turks) with their morale values, the unit sizes and their capabilities at different period of the Napoleonic era. Combat values for the different commanders and generals are also included, which is very helpful. Finally, another appendix presents summarized chart explanations for quicker play.
The rulebook is of high quality and well organized with adequate charts and explanatory diagrams to assist the players. It is well worth the price. It is available form hobby shops or Glory Games, 10 Cedarwwod Circle, Pittsford, NY. 14534.
A considerable amount of work has been invested in "Legacy of Glory" to recreate the atmosphere of the Napoleonic battles. The rules incorporate all the basic teachings and principles that have been published over the last 15 years in EE&L as well as the historical facts found in reliable primary and secondary sources that are desirable in a wargame simulation rulebook. "Legacy of Glory" is highly recommended.
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