"Napoleonics with Bloody Big Battles" Topic

I promised myself to give this set another spin in the test kitchen and I'm glad I did!

Also: A wild Shako appears. The rules I mean, not ithe item of hattery.

After action report on my blog

I do like your using of Shako for the battle plan.

Thanks Mike. It is a really neat system. I was looking around for something like that because the orders system from Bataille Empire didn't convince me. Shako's system is easier works much better.

Thanks for the AAR!
John

Enjoyed that, thanks, Shugyosha. Nice idea for the solo orders system.

Chris

Bloody Big BATTLES!
groups.io/g/bloodybigbattles
bloodybigbattles.blogspot.com

Interesting, our group doesn't play Napoleonics but we do use BBB rules and enjoy them. I like the solo idea of drawing arrows of march on a map. I may steal….errr, liberate that concept, thanks!

Was thinking the arrows ideas could also be modified. In a solo game, pick one side as yours. For your own side only, draw map arrows for each commander which they must ride along at least half speed each turn if possible. Command switches to defensive when they reach end of arrow as per the BBB example. Must then dice for a commander to change order if new 1 needed at end of arrow. Allow the other side which you are "playing against" to respond at will. This should help even things up against the side that you are rooting for.

To further reduce your control, maybe also take the idea from the old Imperius Maximus rules:
In a tribal colonial game have fanatic warband move impetuous, need pips to hold, once enemy within a certain distance.

Here's a new AAR from a group in Virginia who apparently fought Aspern-Essling with BBB last week:
wargamingftb.net/?p=5735

There are many possible mechanism to add randomness to the system. I'm rather careful with these as I'm personally more interested in the general's way thinking, developing battle plans, getting the initiative and reacting to crisis situations.

There are certain things your randomized force will rarely do, like coordinated encircling move. There are solo systems out there that will generate flank marches but these are at a disconnect from the overall strategy because the rest of the forces act randomly. If I allow one side more freedom on the other hand, such strategies are far to easy to pull off for my liking. Ofc this all comes down to personal preference. There is no right or wrong technique of solo gaming, just ones you enjoy or don't :)

There is a mechanic I used to good effect in a campaign, however. It is from William Silvester's "The Solo Wargaming Guide" (Precis Intermedia) which I can recommend. Instead of developing a battle plan you develop several different ones and let the dice decide which one will be used. This way you still develop homogeneous strategies but take the element of foresight, as it is simply no feasible to plan against several quite different strategies at once.