That is, why is the Napoleonic era popular with wargamers,
and why would I recommend it to others?
I’ll admit up front that it is an era I am only recently
re-entering. I’ve played games based in the Napoleonic era in the past, but
haven’t in a while; my attention has been elsewhere. But I find myself dragging
out my history texts and starting an army.
It’s a subject that has maintained a hardcore following with
wargamers over the years while others have faded. Here are a couple of my
theories as to why this is.
1: There are lots of participants. From France, England,
and Russia, to tiny
city-states and even the USA,
there are plenty of "factions" to choose from. Back in the
hex-and-counter days a wargamer didn’t have to invest much time in an army, you’d
just punch out the counters and play. In a miniatures game you need buy the
models, then sink a lot of time into building and painting them. As a result,
you’d better select an army that appeals to you. In the Napoleonic era there
are plenty to choose from.
2. An intriguing strategic situation as a result of the above.
3. A sprawling war that lasted from 1792 to 1815 (although most games start in 1805), so you aren't stuck just focusing on a single campaign or battle. This may seem an odd assertion as I am focusing on Waterloo, but the point is that this is not a limitation of the era – you can cover anything from Valmy to Austerlitz to Borodino.
4. Tactics that are easy to understand but hard to master. From the rock/scissors/paper interactions of infantry/artillery/cavalry to "line vs. column" it is possible to learn the basics quickly, but it is still a challenge to pull off a good plan and win a game against an opponent.
5. There are lots of cool and interesting units, from Hussars and Highlanders to Cuirassiers and Cossacks.
6. None of the nations involved are the clear bad guy. No one gets stuck playing as the Nazis. Even the Revolutionary fervor of the French had dimmed considerably by the time Napoleon took over.
7. Uniforms that are colorful and fun to paint. How can you say no to this?
Nice start Scott,
ReplyDeleteRock/paper/Scissors and no clear bad guy plus the colourful uniforms pretty much sums it up for me!
Cheers
Paul
As a histiory major, I find all periods facinating but, the war of this period is just consusming. This period seems to be one that cleaned Europe out of a generation of men with all the battles. The military tailors went above and beyond with color and ornate designs.
ReplyDeleteI know WWI also was said to have wiped a generation and changed war forever but, for Europe this was a World War in its own right.
I am working on a Bavarian 15mm AB figure army currently.
I wish I knew how to post pics on these blog replies
ReplyDeleteI'll admit up front I'm not sure how to post pics in replies - maybe upload the picture to Photobucket and link to it? I'd like to see some of those Bavarians.
ReplyDeleteFunny you mention WWI; I'm in the middle of finishing a big 28mm scale 1918 German Army and a corresponding British army. I'll post some photos when they're finished.
And yes, I too was a History major.
I wouldn't mind seeing your 15mm AB Bavarians either Fredloan1!!! Been slowly putting some together myself.
ReplyDeleteCheers
Paul