Type: Grand Tactical stand game Move/Countermove movement. Rule set layout: Eight double sided loose pages. Includes diagrams of play and play charts. Scenarios: None given, but the expansion kit, "Chipco expansion pack #1" has 5 Napoleonic, 1 War of Spanish Succession, 1 Seven Years War and 2 30-Year War scenarios. The expansion kit also explains how to convert LPE to a linear system, so battles from 1700-1790s can be recreated. In this module, the rules are called "The Dawn of Maneuver." Also if desired, the author also has an expansion module called Le Grande Armee. The scenario for this module is "Waterloo." I suggest if you get LPE., you also should get the expansion kit, it I greatly add to the enjoyment of the game. SCALES Ground: Not given, but around 200 yards to an inch is not far off the mark. Figure: None given, but 600 men to a unit would fit. Time: Again not given, but an hour per turn. Sequence of Play 1. Rally, 2. Change the Morale Clock, 3. Resolve Fire, 4. Movement and 4.1 Charges, 5. Melee, 6. Follow-up movement, 7. Determine phase winner, 8. Reset morale clock Commentary Years ago when I was out in the garage setting up a Napoleonic battle, my 13 year old stepdaughter (who was fine horse painter) would try to understand the Empire wargame rules so she could "play " with her painted units. By the time I explained troop types, formations. movement, weapon factors and morale classes, her eyes were beginning to glaze over and she would mumble some excuse about having a lot of studying, to do, and take her leave. Her friends would all act the same. Not that I really expected the kids to understand the rules, shoot, I couldn't comprehend many myself, so how could I expect them. If I had Chip Harrison's LPE, I could have explained the rules to her and her gang, and be playing in an hour. It's that simple. As for comprehension, at the recent Games Univ. convention in Ontario, CA a group of boys, average age 15, were playing a French versus Austrian game, accompanied by squeals of delight when their side was winning. How often have you noticed that in an Empire IV game? Overview Each army has 24 troop units, 4 artillery units and a general, Units are specified by nationality. Units are group of figures 2-8 to a base. A base is 1.5" (40mm) squares for 15mm, 3" (90mm) for 25mm, and 6mm. Troops are mounted in specific numbers to indicate what type the,, are. The battlefield size is also specified, both sides are given a common terrain objective. then they must advance toward each other to take if. The collision that follows drives the game. Game Turns Turns are straight forward, a six sided die is rolled. winner attempts to rally all troops that need to be rallied, fires and moves, fights melees. Melee results are determined, follow up movement allowed, cav is checked to see if it pursues into the next unit, than phase winner is determined. The loser drops his morale "clock" by one, winner's stays the same. The same sequence is repeated for the other side. This constitutes one complete turn. There is a victory point system to decide the winner at the end of the game. Morale Morale is important to movement (morale, and Command Control. arc tied together). Units are combined into multiunit formations called corps. There can be any number of corps. Even a 1 stand unit can be considered a corps. The amount of corps allowed to move are governed by the number showing on the Army's morale clock. Both armies start of at 9, so 9 corps can be controlled at the start, However as the clock drops, so does control, As corps fall out of control. they only move at 2". compared to foot I s 4" and horse's 9" full move. They may not initiate combat. When the clock drops to 4 or below, enemy cavalry becomes more effective in melee, as the army is becoming brittle. Also a quarter of the army becomes demoralized and must be rallied the following phase. Command Each side gets one general. The great man may attach himself to any base, and that base as well as the two on either side, cannot be demoralized, Generals may not be fired at or meleed, but fall if the unit they are in base to base contact with is destroyed. The general also may raise an army morale clock, up to three points, but this is risky. A general is allowed to attempt to raise the army's morale once, if he fails there is no second chance. Fire Only two units are allowed ranged fire, artilery units, and light infantry units (rules for Light Infantry arc in the Chipco expansion kit). Artillery units have two ranges, long (8") and short (4"). Artillery must roll one die to hit another to damage. Light infantry have a skirmishing, "range" of 5" and fire during the fire portion of the phase. If light infantry is caught by cavalry, the lights fight at a disadvantage in the melee. Melee Line and light units fight melees when in base to base to contact. The melee represents volley fire also hand to hand combat. Each side rolls one die, plus modifiers with the following results If the rolls are equal there is no effect, and another melee is fought next phase. If roll is less than or equal to twice the loser's roll, loser is demoralized. If roll is greater than two times the loser's result, the losing unit is destroyed. If a unit is demoralized gets a second demoralization causes the unit to retreat 1 inch. If it cannot retreat it's destroyed. An unit charging an unattached artillery unit may be destroyed by canister, demoralized and halted, or unaffected. If a unit contacts, the unattached artillery unit is removed from play. Determining the phase winner The phase winner drops the loser's "clock" by 1, giving him an advantage for the next phase. Phase winner is determined by counting the number of demoralized and destroyed units caused by each side during that phase. Side that wins by causing the most damagc wins. and drops the loser's morale clock by 1. Victory First side to have their morale elect, drop to zero at the end of a phase ends the game. There is a Victory point system to decide the winner. Conclusion The game is not for the die-hard Napoleonic gainer, but as a quick beer and pretzel game, this has a lot going for it. There is more than just die rolling involved. There is subtle strategy as well. If you get too ambitious and attempt to maneuver too many units, you can get overextended and defeated just like in real life. The precepts of warfare apply to these rules. The game is riveting as well. When I played Chip Harrison. I was really sweating as his French elite cavalry (cuirassiers) lapped around my left Austrian corps flank with my morale clock at two. However my main two center corps had occupied a ridge, and the added melee pluses also good die rolling broke the back of his center attack reducing his morale clock to zero, before my left flank gave way. So give LPE a try. Who knows, you might take up a Marshal's baton again. There is life after Empire. Le Pefil Empereur and the Chipco expansion kit 1, both plastic bagged rules, are available from Chipco. 616 Spar Dr., Redwood City, CA 94065, or E- mail them at chameleo@ix.netcom.com. Suggested retail is $8.95, for LPE, and $6.95 for the expansion kit. Back to Table of Contents The Messenger April 1996 Back to The Messenger List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1996 by HMGS/PSW. This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. 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