The excellence of the graphics in VaeVictis need no introduction to regular readers of PA. Rocroi does not disappoint and is as visually pleasing as it is functional. As per usual, the rules are in French and I make no claims to being able to understand the language. Therefore, the review is based on my understanding of the rules with the aid of a translation found on the Internet, plus my own clarification of some finer points with the aid of a French /English dictionary purchased for this purpose. Many of you are doubtless aware that this battle has previously been simulated as one of the games in the Thirty Years War quad. Whilst not a bad game I found it notable mainly for being designed by a woman. Historically, French Artillery demolished the slow moving Spanish tercios by pouring fire into them and then the French finished the job with hand to hand combat at close quarters. The Spanish lost 8,000 killed and 6,000 prisoners in infantry alone, the flower of their army. A game turn commences with artillery fire. Both players resolve artillery fire simultaneously. The procedure is to count the number of hexes, up to a maximum of ten, to the target hex. A die is rolled and cross referenced with the range to determine whether the target unit is disrupted or not. Artillery fire can only disrupt never eliminate a unit but a second disruption may lead to the target unit routing if it fails a morale check. Artillery units have no movement factors and should an enemy unit enter their hex are flipped to their rear side which shows the same unit but in enemy colours. The unit can then be used against its previous owner. This may all sound familiar and if so its because it is very similar to the Thirty Years War quad game. However, its an aspect of that game I always enjoyed so I am happy to see it here. Once Artillery fire is resolved we move on to the Operations phase. Each formation has an activation marker, a la Across Five Aprils, as does each army's commander in chief. These are all pooled and drawn one at a time in random. As a chit is drawn out that formation's units may then move and have combat. If the commander in chief's marker is drawn he may activate any formation in range if he wishes. This will be in addition to when the formation's own activation chit is drawn, allowing them to move and have combat twice in a turn. The French army comprises of four formations, the Spanish only three. Once all chits have been drawn the activation phase is over. Movement is fairly standard; units have two frontal, flank and rear hexes and must pay MPs to change facing. Infantry cannot move through a cavalry unit and cavalry can only move through infantry if both units share the same facing. Units that are not given command control by the formation's leader may not enter enemy zone of control (frontal hexes). Each formation leader has a range shown on hexes and all units within that range have command control. However, in a nice simple touch, command can be passed down a line from flank to flank of adjacent units. This encourages players to form lines without actually forcing them to. Formation leaders must themselves either be within range of the commander in chief or pass an activation die roll to be able to give command. Combat Combat is mandatory between units in enemy zone of control. This is not based on odds but instead on a die roll to which a whole host of modifiers are applied. Rather than two or three attackers ganging up on a defender, each attacking unit attacks individually. The object is to first disrupt, then rout, and finally eliminate your opponent and yes there is an element of computer looping in this. Some of these steps may be skipped in extreme examples of combat. Units are actually rated A (best), B, C or D (worst) rather than having the traditional combat strength. The difference in quality generates an initial die modifier. In addition the die can be modified by the tactical value of any leader present, combined arms (cavalry and infantry adjacent), defender or attacker being disorganised or routed, friendly unit present on the enemy's flank, cavalry attacking into non-clear terrain, defender having an additional unit in support, reduced size unit attacking (only tercios have a second step), or attacker being out of command. Cavalry units whose movement factors are circled in red are able to charge, at a risk of disruption, for an additional modifier. All these potential modifiers are cumulative. Combat can also cause retreats but these themselves can lead to disruption if retreating into an enemy flank, or any hex adjacent to a tercio unit. Once the operations phase is over the commander in chiefs' have the option of moving, if they have not done so previously. Finally, disorganised units are automatically returned to good order. Routed units can attempt to rally if not in an enemy zone of control. A die is rolled and the units morale added, as is the tactical value of either the formation commander or commander in chief provided they are within range. If the result is six or less the unit remains routed and is moved three hexes towards a friendly map edge. Units that pass are reduced to disorganised and then will automatically return to good order at the end of the next turn. However, once a formation has half its units either routed or eliminated it is considered demoralised and cannot rally any longer no recover from disorganisation. Victory A full game is only eight turns long. Victory is determined by gaining points for eliminating enemy units and leaders and for the total number of disorganised enemy units at games end. The odds arrived at by comparing each players total points gives the level of victory be it minor, major or strategic. I have to say that despite of this games simplicity and elements of chaos I do not find the game that enjoyable. The reason for this is that the Spanish player is not going to allow his tercios to get close enough to the French artillery to allow history to repeat itself. Short of one player making a number of serious errors of judgement you are unlikely to get anything more than a minor victory in the time given. At the end of turn eight I always feel as if the game has been interrupted prior to the conclusion of play and if further turns were played the game would turn out with a more decisive result. This may well be the intention of the game and there is nothing to stop you playing longer if you wish but personally the sudden end, seemingly mid play, leaves me feeling frustrated. Perhaps I am guilty of mainly playing games on 20th century battles when more decisive results were possible. (CHV: The result of the original Rocroi was more decisive than most battles, 17th or 20th century, the problem here is that the combat system is too slow for the game turn. In reality you need more than one round of combat for each one in the game, or you should use The Flowers of the Forest styles of combat (where it is downhill the minute you clash). The psychology of who attacks and why also seems to be a bit off. It is remarkable how much time is spent on regimental names and strengths and how little on the reasons and reasoning of the men for fought and who commanded. This game shows the worst elements of modern gaming with its overlong dice-ridden combat system, dogged by the problems of using vertex-pointing systems in tactical games. Giving the worst features of both quad and Berg process game. To its credit in appearance it is top-notch and the chit-draw is a good version of this useful tool). Back to Perfidious Albion #95 Table of Contents Back to Perfidious Albion List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1997 by Charles and Teresa Vasey. 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