Clash of Arms Games The Byrne Building #205 Lincoln & Morgan Sts. Phoenixville, PA 19460 Call or Fax at: (610) 935_7622 Website: http://www.clashofarms.com/ On the 5th December 1757 Frederick II, king of Pr ussia and known to history as Frederick the Great, led his army against an Austrian and allied army. It was an unusual time for a battle, by winter the armies were usually in cantonment and resting for the next year's efforts. Despite the snow and ice, Frederick was to attack the numerically larger allies and was to win a victory often acclaimed as the greatest of his career. The Battles from the Age of Reason series of games covers the battles of the Seven Years War and there are plans to expand it to include the American War of Independence (AWI) and possibly earlier conflicts as well. The games are designed at the tactical level and currently the series includes Kolin and Zorndorf as well as Leuthen, the newest game in the series. The next game to be released covers the battles of Brandywine and Germantown from the AWI. The designers were Phil Boinske and Paul Dangel with Eric Lyons as the developer. The rules are into their second edition and are the best I've seen for the period, including miniatures. The problems of controlling the troops is portrayed quite well with differing costs to change formation, depending upon whether the troops need to counter-march or not. This series is not just "Napoleonics with a tricorne on the box" and anyone interested in the period would do well to look at these. Counters The counters are up to the usual standards expected of Clash. Individual battalions, batteries and cavalry regiments are presented along with the brigade and higher commanders. The twist is that the counters are generally depicted in the uniform colours of the regiment. Thus, seen below, the Leibkurassiere Regiment is buff with blue distinctives. Grenadiers and fusiliers are distinguished by a grenade or cap on the counter and the hussars have the braided dolman which distinguished these troops. As a result there's all the colour and pagentry of the period and the counters are only a step below miniatures for visual appeal. Prussian counters - the bottom row shows the counter back and gives the close combat and effectiveness ratings for the combat arms and the effectiveness, initiative and combat bonuses for the leaders. On the front all you see is the strength and movement factors - adding to the Fog of War. Austrian counters - showing the polyglot nature of their army. Above are examples of Bavarian, Saxon and Wurttemberg (the five right-hand counters in the second row) units as well as Austrian. The backs of the counters distinguish between the Austrians (white) and allies (white, buff and violet). There's restrictions upon who may and may not stack and the backs of the counters assist in remembering them. As well there's the usual markers for differing formations, replacement leaders and morale states. There's also strength markers for those who don't want to use the rosters (see below). The back of the exclusive rules booklet gives a clear and simple explanation of what all the numbers mean. The town that gave the battle its name. It's also one of the main features of the battlefield. Map There's four 22" by 34" map sections, done by the redoubtable Rick Barber, which depict the battlefield from Allnisch in the southwest to Krampitz in the northeast. The map's done in muted earth tones that don't fight with the brightly coloured counters. The different types of terrain are depicted clearly and the map is every bit up to the standard expected from Clash. Charts and tables Printed on good quality card or as an insert to the rules, the charts and tables are clear and easy to read. The terrain effects chart (below) includes combat as well as movement effects and is shown on top. The organisation chart on the bottom shows the order of battle and also allows you to keep track of the counters. A plus for some (like me) is the inclusion of roster sheets to use rather than strength-point counters (bottom of page). Some prefer the counters rather than the extra bookkeeping rosters require. I prefer the rosters and, if a game doesn't have them, I'll make my own rulebook. The series rulebook is printed on good quality, matte white paper and the typeface is clear and easy to read. One of the criticisms levelled at Clash (and most boardgame makers) is that the rules are often ambiguous or incomplete. That charge doesn't apply to these 2nd Edition rules and they are often used as a benchmark for good, complete rules. The exclusive rules booklet is printed on buff coloured paper and includes, as well as comprehensive rules covering the unique features of this battle, a discussion of the battle penned by Professor Christoper Duffy (one of, if not the leading authority on the period). The narrative is complete, precise and really gets you wanting to pull the game out. Gameplay I can't really say as I've only played (solo) a couple of scenarios but the rules are simple to use and not nearly as complicated as they may first appear. I do think the dice are weighted towards the Prussians - Frederick's generals and troops are just too good for the motley hoard they're facing. This is as it was historically, though. Numbers may be the levelling feature that brings balance to the game. I'll know after a couple of playings. Highly recommended - 9.5 out of 10. For miniatures players, you may want to have a look at this system as a base for your rules - it's what I'll be doing. Either way, the map, orders of battles and narrative will easily let you transfer the game to a tabletop encounter. Once again, the effervescent Dal Gavan has generously given us permission to loot his site “Spanner & the Yank’s Totally Biased Figure Reviews” at 199.242.194.151/home.html [packed full of other great reviews too!] Back to Table of Contents -- Kriegspieler #10 To Kriegspieler List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2000 by Kriegspieler Publications. 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