"March Attack Ruleset" Topic

I have just downloaded this ruleset in a pdf from Crusader miniatures. At $9 USD it is quite a deal. The ruleset is aimed at large scale battles using the infantry battalion or cavalry regiment as the basic manoeuvring element, with 2 bases per unit (appear to be figure and base size independent).

I can not really comment on the rules mechanism as I have not had a real close look, but what I can comment on is the quality of the writing and the illustrative diagrams which both look quite good. The quality of the diagrams rivals Lasalle in their clarity. The game appears to have separate rules for both strategic and tactical phases.

Also contained is a full set of rating for all units at Waterloo (as well as other armies), ratings for many commanders and example OB for a Prussian and the French Corps, as well as a very in-depth scenario which illustrates how the command and strategic movement rules work using the encounter between the IV Prussian Corps and the VI French Corps at Placenoit.

Anyway, it looks like a ruleset that I will have to examine in more detail. I had not heard mention of them before.

Very impressive on first pass through!

Searching on Crusader Publishing may help you find them quicker if you want to check them out.

There are free downloads of charts and a number of sample pages at their site.

Regards

David b

I'd buy so many more rule sets, and be more willing to try new rules out, if more were offered in PDF format. I'll roll the dice for $9, but not for $30. USD

I can give these rules a very enthusiastic recommendation. I have had two playtests now, one a small straightforward smash-and-bash, and the second a very complex meeting engagement based on a hypothetical development of the battle of Pordenone 1809 (the day before the battle of Sacile).

In short, the rules use streamlined mechanics – most importantly an abstracted unit Combat Value system – to achieve speed of play while still maintaining a very convincing "feel" to individual unit maneuver and combat; we were blazing through turns even with complex situations like town combats, mixed up cavalry melees, and deploying large formations from the march. It all looked and felt like a battalion level game in the sense that decisions on that level mattered and gave a detailed look to the game, but the overall ebb and flow across the table was based on larger formations. I've been playing Napoleonics a long time and have always looked for a set that could maintain this balance – March Attack has succeeded.

As others have said, there is plenty of information on the Crusader web site, but I'll also be posting an AAR for Pordenone (done with detailed maps in "Battle Chronicler") in a bit.

Cheers,

Christopher

link

High praise indeed, Chris.

Hi Vincent,

I know you're a fan of LFS (and so am I). The two rules take different approaches to solving the "play battalions, fight big battles" problem, with MA perhaps having a bit more traditional feel – if you think about LFS's use of command points and formation templates and doing away with firing and so on – but also manages to include shooting as well as a nice formational level skirmish phase. The C&C system is of the easily recognizable "send orders and roll to see if and when they are implemented" sort, rather than the abstracted use of command points in LFS, but it works and has some nice touches such as accounting for staff quality.

If I was thinking of stuff to steal from LFS to MA, it would probably be the maneuver templates, although the strategic movement in MA is so fast that the effect would be a bit diluted. Looking at it the other way around, I think you could steal the formational level skirmish system from MA to use in LFS fairly easily, and possibly also the formational level break & rally system, which is very nice. There is also a neat table for arrival of off-table forces and possible strength loss, modified by how fast you tell the commander to march.

I'll try to get my AAR finished this weekend …

C

Since the author only lives a few miles away from me (we have never met) I should give this some support!

- Allan

After reading the game examples, it sort of looks like Empire "Lite" or "Playable" Empire. The Combat Value system is reminiscent of Grande Armee.

So Empire blended together with GA at high speed and then strained out to a much simpler game than both?

Me likey.

This could get me back into battalion level games…

@acarhj – Yes … I suppose so, in the sense that Empire is a battalion level set, and GA used similar CV's based on a combination of unit strength and quality.

However, that seems an awkward combination when you think of the "overhead" of those two rules systems, and MA is very streamlined. For instance, although it's a battalion level set, skirmishers are abstracted (but in way that factors both strength, unit skirmish ability, and overall doctrine) and "morale checks" are only really carried out at the formation level (CV degradation takes care of the rest). On the other hand, although it uses CV's, it also uses unit quality to determine very important "Valor and Discipline" checks which determine whether a unit succeeds at tricky things like formation changes in the face of the enemy.

For me, it takes the best of both of those worlds and combines them in a way that makes sense and works on the tabletop. I suppose that's probably what you meant, after all … ;)

Just downloaded them..

I downloaded them a few days ago based on another recommendation. For the price alone you can't go wrong. Well laid out and written and I'll be looking at these as my new battalion level rules.

" it sort of looks like Empire "Lite" or "Playable" Empire "

Interesting, in that the designer of Le Feu Sacre had the aim of Empire feel without the hard lifting.

Thanks for the review. My wallet is now $10 USD lighter. The rules look thoroughly explained and (hopefully) pretty simple. Nothing seems to require a protractor and a calculator or anything like that. My only gripe, and it is a small gripe, is that there are 3 pages of QRS! The horror!

I bought it too. Can't play for a while, as we have a house guest from Amsterdam coming and the game table has to be put away until sometime in June.

Well,

these do look very interesting, having the feel of a big battle set with batalians holding the key.

Napoleonics is about column attacks and squares, but no ruleset up until now has been able to capture the 'big battle' requirements of local reserves in a brigade and reserve brigades themselves and the impact of a successful formation of a single battalian square could have on a battle like albuera.

These could be that set that acheives it.

Very promising