This article will be about a subject almost as contentious as politics and religion... A Napoleonic Rules Set! Yes, don't you hear it, just faintly the quiet hubba in the nether lands as the faithful begin to sharpen their tongues and in some cases their daggers to defend their Holy Grail against a nonbeliever. Whether that grail is Napoleons Battles to one of the numerous version of Empire ( I played I I and III).

As a Napoleonic gamer for the past 17 years, I have played the above mentioned rules and possibly every set ever published or not published. From the extremely complicated, where the gainers give upon after 40 hours and nothing is accomplished to the extremely simple where the battle is over but you don't feel like you've played a Napoleonic game, As vast as that differentiation of systems is, I have noticed three consistent themes. They are the 1) guided missile units 2) omnipotent generals 3) the growth of that "thing" so vile that I use it to frighten my children on Halloween .... the dreaded RULES LAWYERS.. AAAAGGGGHM! Now they are my pet peeve. At times I have to be physically restrained from grabbing an object and bashing their heads in. We have unfortunately meet the type ... the guy or gal that can quote chapter and verse of a rules set. This is usually done for his benefit. They know rules, but could not tell you the difference between the right and left flank of a battalion. Sorry, I kind of get carried away at the mention of those people.

This article will explain the game system of Carnage and Glory (C&G). I will NOT compare it to other rule systems for two reasons. One I want C&G to stand on its own merits and second many Napoleonics gainers are already miffed that this system is being reviewed and take it as a personal insult... I speak from experience on this point. The point of this article is not to enter the time wasting argument that seems to be permeating all the magazines lately. You know the my rules are better that your rules argument. I think this evolved from the my dad can beat up your dad argument. With that said on to the review.

C&G is a database operated system used to enhance games/simulations and to take care of the mundane tasks of record keeping. Of course a computer as well as figures are required. But not much else. I With C&G there is no need to rebase your units as there is not a figure ratio to contend with. C&G keeps track of the actual numbers of men in the unit during the course of the game. Now this review is on the tactical system. There is a Grand tactical and Campaign systems available. As to ground scale a suggestion is given but you can use any scale you wish. I use I inch = 50 paces. The computer keeps track of your units by numbering them in sequential order per opposing side.

The first part of the system is file creation. This is where you create your individual units for your armies and give them specific characteristics. There are nine subsections from you to choose from.... none are extensive except for unit details and most self explanatory. They are Open/close files, change unit details, create order of battle, change army name, rev order of battle, scouting calculator, campaign calculator, load game program and exit. The sections that require any input other that one or two key strokes will be reviewed.

Change unit details is the meat of the file creation system. In this subsection you create a battalion, company, battery etc., give it a name (ie 1/13eme regt de legere). You then give the unit an actual strength (ie 650 men) and how many companies. The number of companies is important in the battle system as the formation you are in determines how many companies may fire or melee. You then select the type of unit such as light infantry to cuirassier. The computer then preloads values for combat, morale, fire action and type of weapon carried. Now you can change any of these preloads to fit your personal satisfaction as to how the unit should behave. To also speed the creation of units you can tell the computer to create multiple copies of the same type such as infantry battalions. The last thing the computer does is assign an sequential number to the unit for recording keeping purposes. I place that number on the bottom of my command stands. Then if anyone needs to input information during a game, they just call out the number and state what they are attempting to accomplish.

Another feature of unit creation is the creation of officers. These are the heroes that will lead your brave lads to victory. Here you give the officer a name, title, rank per nationality, tactical and leadership effectiveness. Now this leads to all sorts of interesting actions as I have had troops 11 accidentally" shoot their officers, Russians tend to get drunk a lot, and even had once good Saxon officer suffer a nervous breakdown in the middle of a close fight.

Once all the units are created you can save them to an OB. After the OB is created, if you so desire the computer, via the scouting calculator, will determine who was out scouted and should deploy first. The scouting points depend quiet naturally on your light cav and infantry. Another interesting point is the campaign calculator. It is here you go after the game to ascertain final causalities and victory. Also you units morale and combat effectiveness will be modified based upon their conduct on the battlefield. Due to great leadership and combat result, my Austrian 1st Uhlans are rated as guard status troops, up from ordinary line at the beginning of the campaign.

As soon as you are satisfied with your OB you load the games utilities section. Now let me say that the first time you create an OB it will be long and tedious. But once you get your units in the computer you do not have to create new units for new OBs. Unless you paint new figures. The units you created are held in a file to be used again and again in different OBs and battles. It takes me less than five minutes to create corps size OBs for each army.

Now comes the meat of the game system, Games Utilities. This section is broken into two parts. The first part is called utilities. A gamer will rarely use this section once the initial data is input into the system. In utilities you are allowed to set the time of day for the battle, season, weather conditions, terrain conditions, hidden marches, beginning formations (with no movement penalties) and exercise command and control. The last two are the most extensive and therefore will be discuss last. 'Me prior subjects all affect the conduct of the battle by li@ting movement, ie having muddy terrain such what affected Napoleons orders at Waterloo, modifying fire and combat and how long a battle will last. When dusk occurs and unpredictable changes in weather leads to unique challenges in thinking and tactics.

Beginning formations allows the commander to set the formations in which Ms units will begin the game. Each type of unit (ie cav, inf, arty) is allowed certain formations. Some of these formations are dictated by the type of unit, but some is dictated by the information entered in the file creation segment. All the formations are the typically known formations for each unit type with some additions. For example column can be selected as by platoon, company or division, depending upon what you want the unit to attempt to accomplish; line allows for either two or three rank lines. Three a rank is the default as ALL nations used the three rank line and only use the two rank once battle causalities mandated the change. I suggest the reading of Mr. Nosworthys' and Nafzigers' recent works to illustrate this statement.

The Command and Control (C&C) is an important aspect of this rules system. This includes the organizations of brigades, divisions and corps, the ability to review these organizations and for the issuance of pre-battle orders which details attitude, formations and frontages requires for the specific unit. First you assign units to brigadiers to round out the brigades. Then you assign the brigadiers to division leaders and division leaders to corps commanders. You can create independent commands if so desired. After assigning generals, orders are issued to the appropriate commanders. To issue orders select the officer giving the order, to whom it is going, distance between the two and type of order. This is were C&C gets interesting, and where many gainers dislike first arises. The abilities of your general and his staff as reflected by the information given in the file creation, and the distance dictate when the orders arrive, if they arrive and once they arrive will they be implemented. This is the part of battlefield chaos that use to drive me insane during my USMC days as a company commander. Just remember if it can go wrong it will go wrong. Aides can get lost, captured, killed, wounded, refuse to bother their general with trifles etc. Everything I have seen occur with this system, I have found occurring in my readings of Napoleonic battles.

The part of the system that allows you to conduct the game is called the master sequence. Why this name I do not have an idea. The Master Sequence organizes each move into five separate options: Movement, Fire Action, Close Combat, Status Checks and End of Turn. Now you do not have to follow this sequence for every turn, if there is not fire action that option can be skipped but not returned to. If someone forgets to mention an action during the appropriate phase you can not go back... I call it battle-field chaos.

Unless you pre-set your units they will all begin in platoon column to simulate road marching and the artillery will be Timbered. During movement all charges are declared and entered into the computer for results. Depending upon the units details and its leader they may refuse to charge, charge or charge will great enthusiasm. Second all formation changes take place. Now units may or may not be able to move after a formation change. Post formation movement depends upon training and the change that is occurring. Finally all movement takes place. Movement comprises a long laundry list of options for each units such as column, line, skirmish, square (battalion or division masse), entering buildings/woods, double time, charge, deploy in cover, prolong and sauvi qui peut.

C&G will be aware of which units may or may not fire, or which units may fire but with reduced effect. This is determined by actions in the movement phase, morale and actions of the last round, ie a routed unit can not fire. To fire you select the unit to fire, subunits to fire, range and target. The computer will ask certain questions so as to modify the results. All fire is designed to represent simultaneous fire and the effects of the fire will not take place until the fire action portion of the turn is completed. Once the turn is completed casualties will be applied and leaders if attached may fall.

Close Combat will occur in any of the following: if any unit has successfully charged, if any units are in contact following a previous combat, if any unit is in contact within any type of cover. So generally all units in base to base contact must engage in melee. Melee is conducted much the same way as fire action in that the units are selected and facing are given (ie flank attack) and if any generals are attached. Once all the modifiers are given the computer computes the results. Sometimes one unit will not stand to receive the enemy but may fall back.

Status check option reflects the attempts of general to observe the condition and effectiveness of the units under their command. Realistically, the general approaches the unit, seeks out its commander and receives the officers report. At this time the general can attempt to rally the unit if he thinks that is warranted. The general is limited to observing only one unit per turn, kind of keeps the omnipotent general off the field. But being allowed to observe the unit does not mean you can rally them. Sometimes units will be so shaken as to refuse to stop and listen to some old cogger on a horse who obviously does not understand their plight. And if a unit is too far gone, the general may never get the chance to receive a report from the commanding officer, or in one extreme case the General was shot by the unit he was attempting to rally. Now this was extreme, but the troops had given warning during the game ... a message was given and ignored that this General was generally despised by the army and should be removed. Well higher HQ did not listen so the Lance Corporal took it upon himself A comment I use to hear from Marines in my infantry company.

At the End of Turn C&G assesses the damage caused during the prior move. Considering each unit in turn, C&G will advise you of status. who has been affected and to what degree, who pursues, who needs rallying, who is disordered, routed, shaken and fatigued.

Fatigue Plays a very important part of C&G. Contrary to Popular belief, military personnel do get tired, especially after 15-30 minutes of adrenaline pumping combat. The units' fatigue level affects its combat abilities. Therefore, part of a Generals plan should include lulls in Operation for that unit to allow for resting and ammunition resupply. Yes C&G keeps track of ammo and if you fight continuously for a long period of time, You may run out. How much you start with is usually what is carried in the pouch and trail chest of each arty piece.

After the computer is done with its housekeeping, You are then allowed to review Formations changes command structures, and issue new orders as dictated by the course of the battle you are fighting, At anytime the game can be called and victory results tallied by the computer. once that is done, the system returns the units to the original OB but in a modified status, ie strength, morale and effectiveness are improved, worsened or remains the same. Again this is dictated by the conduct of the unit on the battlefield.

Now this may appear overwhelming and impossible to learn. It is not. Compared to other rules systems it have read, C&G is easier to get started playing. At conventions, I am able to spend ten minutes explaining the scenario and rules and jump into the game. By the second turn questions on the flow of the turn are almost nonexistent. At Bayou Wars 97, a fantasy and WWII fanatic sat down to play. He knew infantry from cavalry but had never played a Napoleonics game. Thought they were too complicated. I questioned if he was a true fantasy & WWII player after that comment. By turn three all you heard from him was input information and a constant scream of "where is my cavalry support!!!" He was conducting a rearguard against overwhelming odds.

Another comment has been that C&G was good for mid-size games, but you could not refight Waterloo in an afternoon. Having to input info through one person is too time consuming. I would agree that you could not refight Waterloo, or any HUGE Napoleonic battle in an afternoon with any Napoleonic rule system at the Battalion level. I have sat through a convention game refight of Ligny. The speed of the turns made molasses freezing in winter seem faster. I actually played Slimeys and Limeys between my turns waiting for the other players to finish arguing, whining and looking up rules in the books! Every HUGE Napoleonic game I have seen at conventions takes place over a period of days. Why? Because of the limitations of battalion level rules and the nature of many gainers. Comparing playability of any ruleset by completion of HUGE battles is unjust to the rules and what the rules attempt to do.

Some people have stated that there maybe too much down time for fast gainers waiting on slower gainers to complete their turn. True. But it happens with ALL rulesets regardless of period. This is due to human nature and abilities. It is the job of the umpire to keep the game rolling along. Either through time limits, I use a timer with bell, or arbitrary decisions. Once you get the gainers use to operating under certain conditions, the games speed up and everyone has fun. Now do not get me wrong, I do not use a Drill instructor mentality to encourage people along. I just set a standard and people, as is their nature, strive to meet and exceed standards.

One criticism I have is that players are not allowed to refuse orders from other players once placed in the system. Seems only the computer is allowed that leeway. It has been explained to me, 19th century officers rarely refused orders. There was not a thing such as an unlawful order. Seems that is a modem term I was taught at The Basic School in Quantico.

Now if there is a part of the system you do not like or think is Missing and should be added, just drop a line to the designer via Carnot Enterprises. Your suggestions will be reviewed and if it is thought the majority of the users would like it, the program will be revamped. Also changes are periodically added, and you are notified of what they are and can opt to accept them or not.

Hopefully this attempt at writing an article will spark your interest in this rule set. if interested join a game at a convention you are attending. Though the Following is small, it is growing. C&G has rules from the AWI to I believe the Franco-Prussian War. From the battalion level to Strategic. If You happen to be at Bayou Wars in New Orleans join my game. I usually put one on every year. C&G is available From David Bonk with Carnot Enterprises 8711-102 Six Forks Station #215 Raleigh, N.C. 27615.