Although "In The Grand Manner" was originally designed for use in large scale re-enactment battles, the rules work just as well for divisional and brigade size counters. For those who wish to play with a points system, tables are included for making up your own "equal" forces. Be warned, however, that although the rules reward the aggressive minded player, the attacker will usually have to take significant losses to achieve overall victory. This reflects the generally bloody nature of Napoleonic warfare, rather than the turgid, long range sniping reflected in much of today's competition wargaming. At the end of a battle, you will find that the result will usually be clear to all involved, without detailed calculation of casualties and objective points.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
An old Grognard
Review: Having used PGs rules many years ago and having a copy of the 2001 edition much remains the same.
Exceptions being the removal of the highly mobile Horse Artillery long range mgs.
Column of Asssault no longer being able to fire half its muskets and fight three quarters in melee.
The rules still use massed dice throws for Cavalry combat resolution, someone should have come up with something better by now.
They also rely on casualties to decide morale to a greater degree than it really should but then a lot of rules do.
Overall dated but with the inclusion of a form of command and control system, units organised not so much to points as formations, rules at present look at each Btn almost as separate entities from each other and that Brigades, Divisions, Army Corps, etc., were never used.