"2019 Gaming Preview" Topic

Blog post previewing my 2019 gaming life. Out with the old and in with the new and all that.

forwhomthedierolls.blogspot.com

Nice write up, you might try Grande Armee for your Napoleonics, if you have both sides based the same it should be a problem using your basing. Honours of War is a fun game. I have played it all of once but enjoyed it very much and wouldn't hesitate to play again.

I'd have to agree with your assessment of Polemos. I tried the GNW and the Napoleonic sets a couple of times, and it just didn't work for me, despite me really wanting them to! (One sticking point was the lack of a command radius. Commanders can sit on the rear table edge and merrily control their brigades. That's what I remember anyway).

Grande Armee is all right, but quite honestly I really prefer "Blucher" by the same author. Especially when you use the pre battle campaign game; that REALLY captures the feel of Napoleonic warfare. Well, so do the tactical rules. Always quite playable solo – just convert the hidden pip roll to a roll against a target number that increases by one every time you succeed. Your turn is over when you reach that limit.

Honours of War in indeed great fun! I've played it quite often, and always enjoy it. One of the best – if not the best – of the Osprey blue book rules. That said, we tend to reduce the effectiveness of irregulars in these rules. They seem too powerful as written. Formations changes and artillery initially seemed a bit too "Napoleonic" but I held my nose, and I do admit it works, and still feels proper. Except that in our group, no one ever limbers the guns to move; just prolong them. The movement allowance for prolonging guns is quite liberal.

Thanks for sharing this interesting post.

Thanks, everybody for having a look!
I've had several recommendations for Honours of War now. I'll keep an eye out for the skirmisher strength issue (I don't doubt it, either -- seems a common problem). Formations in the SYW is another common problem. You should just about expect it.