"Here's your chance in this thread to... " Topic

…say anything you wanted to say about napoleonic things today, but couldn`t because the message boards went blank…

Why do they all wear such funny hats?

"…say anything you wanted to say about napoleonic things today" Okay, so the French & British both decided to change their uniforms around 1812 – you know the Bardin & so-called Belgic shako stuff – so future gamers could have two separate armies to acquire?

but I didn't want to say anything . . .

well, this was pretty much the measure of a napoleonic general… the more chicken in the hat, and gold decoration the better the general.

what are those bricole thingies?

say anything you wanted to say about napoleonic things today

Ok, it sucks, the uniforms are plane and boring and way to easy to paint.
The tactics of the period is basicly cav beats all and there is NO defence against it.

you only need one squadron of dragoons to beat an army of 20 000 infantry. Very boring gameplay.

Also all the generals are just carbon copys of each other, no realy personality to them.

The whole period is just very very bad and boring

WW2 got lots more color to the uniforms woderfull specter of gray and browns

i`ve no idea what a bricole is either.

That thing has been mentioned, run away!

Isn't it the ladies in France who don't wear pants?

Bricole is a generic term. Mostly used in such way that "à la bricole".
It comes from "bricolage" that means "do-it-yourself", or so.
A la bricole, means "the by yourself's way".
So, as an example saying "moving artillery "à la bricole", means artillery crew moved them by hands, in their "by themselves" way.

HTH,

Bruno.

"Isn't it the ladies in France who don't wear pants?"

French highlanders ?

Sorry…

Biggest complaints

1) Pick 20 people who play Napoleonics. Will base their figures 20 different ways based on some "home brew" rules.

2) Beween 1805 to 1815 period need to types of figures for French, Briish, Austrians, Prussians, and Russians.

Biggest Positives:

1)Neatest uniforms of any era, variaty of nationalities.

2) Table top wargaming perfect for the linear tactics of the period.

3) In short if it ain't Napoleonic minatures it is a step down.

As everyone knows, a bricole is a dish prepared by french soldiers on campaign. Once the restaurants got hold of it they fancied it up of course.

What's more to want? Spiffy hats, natty outfits, interesting personalities – although, as they say, just because you are a character doesn't mean you have character

bricole – charcoal – Barbi-Q – Cooking outside in the field needs french charcoal bricoles…

Bricole de Pigalle (1797-1815) was a French cantiniere killed at Waterloo. Many sources claim that her brandy drove Marshal Ney into a frenzy during the battle and may have reduced his tactical acumen. See Wikipedia entry.

"Okay, so the French & British both decided to change their uniforms around 1812 – you know the Bardin & so-called Belgic shako stuff – so future gamers could have two separate armies to acquire?"

And it was for the same reason – to torture us – that every British infantry regiment had a unique pattern of lace loops on the jacket, every British Light Fragoon regiment banned the depiction of their rank and file between 1798 and 1812, and every French colonel but a handful destroyed records of what his musicians and voltiguers actually wore.

And the Spanish "future cruelty" policy defies description.

Ok, for "Fragoon" read "Dragoon", but I think every army should have a few fragoons, to lighten the tone.

Fragoons – those are the guys who kept shooting each other in the back.

Not the Heavy or Medium Fragoons though, just the Light Fragoons remember, did the shooting in the back part I mean.

I cite the example of the charge of the Light Fragoons at Talavera where they shot themselves in the foot or maybe the hoof actually by charging into the chasm on the Anglo-Allied Left.

Tricky troops to handle optimally … Fragoons!

Dan B.

Wikipedia won't admit it knows any Bricole de Pigalle (1797-1815)

Bill

Where your standards gone?
Wikipedia is hardly reliable primary source now is it.

The exploits of Mlle Bricole are admittedly more commonly found in the pages of 'Mille et Bonet' 1816-1845 rather than musty military works though.

Dan B.

Wikipedia won't admit it knows any Bricole de Pigalle (1797-1815)

Bill

I'm not admitting that I know her either. Though I may have met her mum…

Ah the Frightful Fights between Fragoons and Queerarsiers; a sight to behold.

Seriously, in a period when it was all hand stiched, why make the uniforms so ruddy intricate?

"Seriously, in a period when it was all hand stiched, why make the uniforms so ruddy intricate?"

Because they could. The same reason the general's uniform is far more intricate than a private's? Status and to make an impression.

What I find amazing is the ways officer rank was indicated. Bloody convoluted, if you ask me.

I can't play Napoleonics because I can't find a set of rules I like. Same with Civil War. It's like committing to marriage.

It's only in pictures that the uniform details were intricate (unless you were an officer), if you look at examples of the real thing, the workmanship was often very poor.

Napoleonics look great but are the only wargaming period where the number of rules = the number of players + 1

What's a Battle?

Why does nobody do decent ruddy mamelukes??!! Are you listening Front Rank….ARE YOU??!!

hussarbob1746.webs.com

"Bricole" refers only to a sauce, NOT to a cooking method…

Well, the board`s all fixed now… but even so, I`d like to ask about; "Napoleon and the Yo-yo".
I had heard that the hand in the waistcoat was a mannerism; a convention taken form eighteenth century portriature, but now I think that he has the Yo-yo underneath there at the ready if the moment takes him! Or just, to while away the hours before Ney turns up on the battlefield?
Can anyone verify this… maybe I should ask on the NapSeries?

imrael, is that why people try to recruit new Naps playes all the time. Sooner or later a decent set of rules will have to appear.