Off for a week down to the lovely NSW Sapphire coast, we knew the weather was going to be variable, so I took some portable wargaming material. But there wouldn't be much space to play in the beach shack, and I could only play between meals...and before too many beers were consumed...So what better than a few games of Epic Napoleonic's with my still too meagre collection?
The idea was I would play three short game, no more than a few turns each, of Lasalle 2, Valour & Fortitude, and Black Powder. Similar scenarios, limited by just a few items of terrain, and identical forces.
This would allow me to get a feel for how these games handled the strengths and weaknesses of Epic Scale figures, and also clarify in my own mind how these three great rulesets compared...
As it turned out, the weather was lovely, but there is such a thing as too much sun...
So I got all games played to several moves, at least to a point when things got crunchy...
Providing a fairly valid comparison of the rules. Subjective, obviously, particularly as these games simply solidified what I had already perceived as their individual attributes.
First up was Lasalle 2. The obvious issue here was that the key unit of measurement is the base width (BW), and Epic figures come on an unusually large BW, relative to their size, of 60mm. But I am used, and equipped, to playing with 40mm base widths. So I just bashed on with 40mm BW. It didn't seem to cause any issues.
Being replete with tactical decision points at every step, Lasalle 2 is a rich, even cerebral game so probably not best suited to the unfeasibly large games my inner wargaming ego aspires to!
But for this game with no more than 4 - 5 brigades per side, the game fairly hummed along and was very satisfying. Despite the complexity the game can deliver in terms of decisions and outcomes, the rules are clearly written, logical in order, and absolutely rules lawyer tight!
Next up was Valour & Fortitude (V&F), which can be thought of as a streamlined version of Black Powder (BP), so I probably should have refreshed myself on BP first, but hey ho!
V&F is specifically designed to fit on four sheets of paper and allow big games to be played fast, so this small game was not a fair test - once again a very fast game. I was alert for short cuts that detracted from a period or campaign feel, but could not find any issues. As the author, Jervis Johnson, believes the essential body of V&F can cover much more than Napoleonic's, and I like big games, I have a lot invested in liking these rules.
But I honestly tried to find fault. The only possible criticism is that the sequencing takes a bit of getting used to. For example if you fire with a unit, it can't then move or rally. And it easy to get carried away and forget the initial 'Fate Card' phase. But all that will come with practice. Again logically laid out and clearly written with no room for lawyerly quibbles.
The third and final game was a return to Black Powder, once my absolute Napoleonic go-to, but not now played for years. I was reminded there's a lot to love in this simple and straightforward ruleset that again delivered a fast and fun game without any historical 'that ain't right' wrinkles...The specially designed Epic Waterloo version gives you three options for playing in Epic scale - keep the distances as is, halve in inches, or convert to centimeters. I halved in inches, and it worked just fine.
Left to my own devices these are the perfect set of rules - when played by those who are more interested in the history and the scenario than ferreting out loopholes to win at all costs. To put it as kindly as I can, these rules were not designed for competitive play, and are a rule's lawyer's dream!
So, for what its worth, to sum up, all three rules can be easily made to work in Epic scale. To choose between really depends on the size of game and who you play with:
Lasalle 2: Tactically the richest, Rules Lawyer proof, but not fast play so limited in scope to Divisional sized games.
V&F: Fast, acceptably authentic game play, Rules Lawyer proof, infinitely scalable to Army sized games.
BP: Fast, fun and acceptably authentic game play, scalable to Corps sized games, but subject to rules lawyering frustrations. Probably the best set for solo play.
Well, that Sapphire Coast shot looks very inviting, especially given the wet year we've had here in the UK! No gaming for me on holiday, but I always take a good military history book to two to read, whilst the family are watching tv etc.
ReplyDeleteNice overview of the rules there Sparker, and a good way to compare and contrast. Lasalle II definitely not for me as for one thing I could never get my head around using BW's for measurement! V&F are popular here because they are free for a start and keep having new periods and lists added to them, so hard not to like I suppose. From reviews I've read they are a Marmite set of rules, with some feeling the game can be decided too much based upon the Fate cards play, others just loving that extra level of detail or friction.
Personally BPII using the Glory Hallelujah! supplement tweaks ticks all the boxes for me. As you say, designed for those that are more interested in the history and scenario, than winning at all costs. The added benefit too is that you can swap periods to Hail Caeser! and Pike & Shotte and not have to learn a whole new set of rules, which is a big bonus for me!
Thanks Steve! Yes I agree with your assessment, although I would say that in the past, when a regular player with BP and Hail Caesar! I found the similarities just different enough to cause confusion! Once I've painted my Epic ancients I'm going to have to decide which rules to use - either HC or ADLG I expect...
DeleteThanks Ralph, great to see you taking a game on vacation and I should say that your ‘too meagre collection’ is bigger than mine! I am still not convinced with going to 4 bases per unit though (except for square) on a dining table space - 3 is what I am working towards, though your units do have a lot of presence on the table and line does look like line ….. the same of course can be said for column, perhaps more-so.
ReplyDeleteOne major thing you can say about Epic is that it is VERY portable to take away, with absolute minimal chance of damage due to the light and robust figures - they are shockingly light!
I quite like what V&F are doing to what is essentially a Black Powder alternative, but like you, I keep forgetting the Fate thing with the cards, though I think this is very much a solo thing, when managing two hands is harder. I prefer to play without the cards as I have never been keen on the ‘Gotcha!’ Aspect of card play - if they could simply be played at the start of a turn more as a Random Event for that turn, I think I would like that better. It does take a few games to get familiar with the system, but I think that is because a lot of system exists in a small space to keep their 4 page credentials, perhaps going to 6 pages would help the rules breathe a little more …. Plus the truth is that a good bit of rule overhead also exists with the army lists.
I am working on my own rules, which I do not claim to be very good, but their familiarity to me makes it easier to play and so of course because of that, their easiness becomes a self fulfilling prophecy as they get played more!
As for BP, like Steve, I like the Glory Hallelujah supplement as for me, it carries the most important rule tweak in the system …. That if a unit makes more than one movement it cannot fire. It is such an improvement that I would have thought it would have become a standard rule in BP TWO.
Thanks Norm! Thank you for your kind comments about the size of my collection, but I honestly wasn't being modest - I have a mass of the epic plastic sprues and am itching to get them painted and on the table, but life, and other projects keep getting in the way! But Epic is definitely designed to played en masse, so I do need a lot more. Even my Epic ACW collection, which is pretty big even by my standards, is not yet enough to do Antietam or Gettysburg properly - one day...
DeleteInteresting that you and Steve both dislike the fate cards - I've not yet had an issue with them but when playing solo I might trial dispensing with them - it would certainly speed things up! Agree with you about the layout, although I always print the 'Large Format' versions.
Yes I think every BP player I know has pretty much adopted the 'no more than one move to fire' rule, although I used to stipulate that a unit could change formation, then move once, then fire.
I admire you writing your own rules. I have tinkered with this approach, in the WW1 Naval genre, but I feel my own rules don't have enough authority, somehow...