Napoleonic Wargame Club (NWC)

Has anyone played the Historical Waterloo_Wavre Historical scenario that is in HPS Campaign Waterloo and if so what was the result, or if still in progress what is happening in your game (as much as you want to tell us without tipping your hand)?

I just looked at this one for the first time and it looks like a good MP game scenario.

Rich tossed in some of those hypothetical big battle bashes as well. How many of you have played one of those or are playing one or are considering playing one of them? Were they worth Rich's time to put them together or do you feel that you will have your hands full just trying to play out the ones that came with the game?

Should I add in large hypothetical battles to my games?

I have a few that use unhistorical maps. Had fun putting them together. Have one map called Jonestown (they make Koolaid there and Napoleon is trying to capture their trade) which is your typical, Saturday afternoon miniatures like setup - hills you can deploy on, large middle ground to fight on, etc.

Another one is a rocky Italian setting. The French have to keep the two wings of an Allied force from joining.

Are these what-if battles something that you like to play or do you think I should just stick to historical and historical variants?

Bill Peters
Former NWC President, Club Founder, Prussian and Austrian Army Founder

[url="http://www.fireandmelee.net"]Fire and Melee Wargame site[/url]

Bill,
Hypothetical battles are by far my favorites out of the bunch. IMHO, they're free of "baggage" and they're much more fun. --Especially the bigger ones.

Historical scenarios all depend upon an individual's interpretation of what happened and where the units were. Units usually are fixed even though historically they weren't. Also, everyone already knows what happened in the historical scenarios. Sometimes it might be fun to see if you can alter the outcome, but I generally find them to be quite boring with very little room for tactical variances.

Rich Hamilton, et al's scenario pack has some great Corps vs. Corps scenarios. Their work was well worth their time.

I prefer meeting engagement scenarios like in they are in<font color="orange"> Combat Mission.</font id="orange"> Start at you side of the map and meet somewhere in the middle and "duke" it out. There is greater replayability in those types of scenarios, IMO.

Now, if we only had a free area of maybe 5 hexes along our side of a Huge map to set up our troops in..... Now, that would be great.

So, please do not drop large hypothetical battles. Actually add in more of them. Also, add in extra unhistorical maps as well for us to play with. That would help greatly with the absence of a comprehensive map generator.

Regards,
Rick

Colonel Rick Motko
1er Bataillon, 33° Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne
2eme Brigade, 11eme division
IIIe corps, Armée du Nord


Vive l'Empereur!

Rick - you will be happy to know that my next game will have in excess of 40 maps and that includes the BIG ONE but I am not counting the submaps that eminate from it. Thus altogether probably 50 maps.

Along with a few unhistorical ones to boot. I cant spend too much time on unhistorical maps. Just dont have the time. I think that the ones you will get with the game will be more than enough to give you alot of variety.

Lots of meeting engagements in my next game. I like them too.

Bill Peters
Former NWC President, Club Founder, Prussian and Austrian Army Founder

[url="http://www.fireandmelee.net"]Fire and Melee Wargame site[/url]

I'm playing 044.Waterloo_Wavre_v1.scn - 'The Commanders Respond Quickly' with Moss, Rodriguez and Morgan. We have only completed 4 turns so far so can't comment on outcomes. But it is a mouthwatering scenario and it's much better for multi-player than the Waterloo scenarios where the Prussians take so long to arrive - and plenty of maneouvre out to the east of the main battle. It's interesting to see Waterloo in the wider operational context and to see how things could have been different.

I haven't played any of the big hypothetical battles yet but I'm sure I will eventually. They are a great addition to an already fine game.

<center>[url="http://homepage.ntlworld.com/a.r.barlow/Napoleonic/nap.htm"]Lieutenant Colonel Antony Barlow[/url]
~ [url="http://www.geocities.com/anglo_allied_army_stats/Anglo_Allied_Army_Cavalry_Corps.htm"]2nd British (Union) Brigade, Anglo-Allied Cavalry Corps[/url] ~
~ [url="http://www.geocities.com/militaireacademie/dragoons.html"]4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards[/url] ~
</center>

I'm playing that scenario in multiplayer mode with Anthony Barlow, against Gregor Morgan and the dreaded Gabriel Rodriguez. Only on turn 4 so too early to say. Seems fun so far but then my responsibility is limited to moving about 2 batallions and a supply wagon.

Only hypothetical scenario I've played was a corps v corps which was also fun and well balanced, but maybe I'm biased as i won it. I prefer historical encounters myself.




Generalissimo
Opolchenie Korpus
Russian Army

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Bill Peters</i>
<br />........ my next game will have in excess of 40 maps and that includes the BIG ONE but I am not counting the submaps that eminate from it. Thus altogether probably 50 maps.........
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Oooooooooooooooh. Sounds like a Leipzig Campaign to me. [:p]
Rick

Colonel Rick Motko
1er Bataillon, 33° Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne
2eme Brigade, 11eme division
IIIe corps, Armée du Nord


Vive l'Empereur!

Bill/Rick,

Yes, Leipzig was what came to my mind too!

Lt. Tim Cavallin, AdR

Did I also say that the maps have sand on them? May have forgotten to mention that.

Bill Peters
Former NWC President, Club Founder, Prussian and Austrian Army Founder

[url="http://www.fireandmelee.net"]Fire and Melee Wargame site[/url]

I'm sure Bill will yell at me for spilling the beans...

but the maps are...

from...



Eurasia!!
[8)]

FZM Freiherr Gary McClellan
Generalissimus Imperial Austrian Army
Portner Grenadier Battallion
Allied Coalition C-in-C

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Gary McClellan</i>
<br />I'm sure Bill will yell at me for spilling the beans...

but the maps are...

from...



Eurasia!!
[8)]

FZM Freiherr Gary McClellan
Generalissimus Imperial Austrian Army
Portner Grenadier Battallion
Allied Coalition C-in-C
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

GARY!!! [:0]

You are narrowing it down too much! [:(!]

Man, its sure hard to find a playtester these days that can keep mum![:D]

It was hard finding those pictures of the Tibetan cavalry but Mark finally found them! I gave them A+++ morale and they carry a mean firearm. Too bad the unit only has 10 men![;)]

Bill Peters
Former NWC President, Club Founder, Prussian and Austrian Army Founder

[url="http://www.fireandmelee.net"]Fire and Melee Wargame site[/url]

You guys missed the hint "Big One", that obviously means there is one hex on the map and it will be the most important one. [:D]

Bill hypothetical map is one of his potato farm. [:p]

Colonel Al Amos
1erè Brigade Commandant
2ème Division de Dragons

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Tim Cavallin</i>
<br />Bill/Rick,

Yes, Leipzig was what came to my mind too!

Lt. Tim Cavallin, AdR
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Ah, but then again maybe Spain and Portugal?

With serious competition on the horizon, a game with a grand scope certainly makes sense. One with limited scope wouldn't.

Colonel Rick Motko
1er Bataillon, 33° Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne
2eme Brigade, 11eme division
IIIe corps, Armée du Nord


Vive l'Empereur!

I'm currently playing the 061.Hypo_v12.scn game against Rob Field. We're 18 turns into it so far and things are progressing nicely. I think it add's a nice twist...the Allies have something more to worry about beyond just concentrating their forces. This helps offset their huge advantage in numbers.

Personally I prefer the hypothetical engagements as, at least the way I set them up, it gives you lots of room to maneuver and there's no for knowledge of what is to come. It's essentially blind after the first couple of turns are played as I rarely start players within LOS of each other.

Unhistorical maps are great, but it takes so long to make them. That's why I like huge maps...they can be worked on to achieve the historical goals, but by doing so you automatically get areas that weren't fought over. And with the sub-map feature people can make all the maps they want.


Maréchal Hamilton, Baron d'Barbancon
21st Division
VII Corps, ADR

Saxon Leib-Garde, de la Jeune Garde, Garde Impériale

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Rich Hamilton</i>


Unhistorical maps are great, but it takes so long to make them..........


Maréchal Hamilton, Baron d'Barbancon
21st Division
VII Corps, ADR

Saxon Leib-Garde, de la Jeune Garde, Garde Impériale

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

That's an easy one. Let us do them for you Mon Maréchal.

Give us a comprehensive map editor. [:)]

Cheers,
Rick

Colonel Rick Motko
1er Bataillon, 33° Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne
2eme Brigade, 11eme division
IIIe corps, Armée du Nord


Vive l'Empereur!

I think not Rick, sorry. [8D]

Maréchal Hamilton, Baron d'Barbancon
21st Division
VII Corps, ADR

Saxon Leib-Garde, de la Jeune Garde, Garde Impériale