One of the most visually impressive of all the visually impressive games at RECON 04 was Larry’s trip back to the Napoleonic Games of the 60s. Indeed, we usually think of Fred Vietmeyer’s “Column Line and Square” (sometimes known as “Column Line and Slaughter” for its high casualties) as the typical Napoleonic Game of the 1960s. “B4 I Wuz a Marshall” takes us a step beyond. Larry shows his age when he refers to later, more sophisticated rules. CLS evolved in the middle to late 60s. The early versions were characterized by sticks showing the bounce of different cannonballs (lately resurrected in “Devil’s Wind.”) Who’d Have Believed These Guys Served under JEB Stuart? The supporting hussars are MINIFIG 30s from Fusilier. “B4” is what we would describe in nautical terms as a “character” set of rules. A fairly recent set of rules designed to take us back to an earlier era. For those who think you have to go to fantasy rules for fast moving and bloody, “B4” is a fitting response. Simple rule mechanics that pre-date the original CLS. Per Larry: “The Polish lancers depicted are SAE ACW cavalry with Scruby plug heads. They are also cast much thinner than most Erickson figures, which started the semi-round myth.” Napoleon’s Swiss in Square. They appeared in more 1960s games than Napoleonic battles. As for the rest: “My 1425 figure Napoleonic Army was started in 1960/61 and the latest recruits were Minifigs from the Simon consortium in the 1993/94 period. The whole army is an eclectic array of figures: Scruby, Stadden, Minifigs, SAE conversion, Hinchliffe and other makers that I have long since forgotten.” Indeed, the MINIFIGS 30mm figures are the raw recruits of Larry’s 30mm Napoleonic hordes. Some time before HMGS got started in Wally Simon’s Basement (sometimes known as “Simon’s Cellar”) Walter Simon, Bob Coggins, and a host of other grognards chipped in to buy the rights to MINIFIGS recently discontinued 30mm line. They were a much better line, artistically, than the 25mm MINIFIGS which are still available. They were offered for sale as “FUSILIER” figures. That would be the Household Brigade-Did they begin as Confederates? “They were very deliberate and measured in their maneuvering (part of that of course, was the new rules) and very reluctant to close with the enemy. I am sure in the next game they would be more aggressive. “My game is designed forcing the issue. The only way to rout enemy forces is with “Close Combat.” My close combat is not melee or hand-to-hand even though that is how it is resolved, base-to base.” It is considered to be the last 50 yards as opponents are closing, faltering, firing some last rounds and deciding if they are going to run, and when. “The group of players were very patient with the new concept and maybe I should have stressed more how different my approach was than the conventional Napoleonic “ballet” game. All in all, it was a great experience and I think many of the gamers enjoyed seeing the ancient, 30mm veteran army on the tabletop.” Back to Rebel Yell No. 26 Table of Contents Back to Rebel Yell List of Issues Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 2004 by HMGS South This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com