THE NAPOLEON'S LAST BATTLES SERIES
"At first, these [rules] seem complicated but thev work well, demonstrating the importance of the leaders' presence without recourse to the "idiocy" rules we used to see. These rules encourage corps-integrity; it pays to keep units in their historical formations. For one thing, "eliminated" units can be brought back by corps officers "to fight another day", albeit
in depleted form. (To allay suspicions of misprints on the map sheets, it is worth pointing out that in the Quad games, some units start in depleted state).
"These extra rules are not just gimmickry. For the extra dimension they add, they detract very little from the ease of play. This really is not a complex game. Large, but not so complicated that it cannot easily and rewardingly be played solitaire. Best of all, this game captures the "feel" of the situation." - I.M.Daglish
Scenarios in this series take a long evening. A "Campaign" takes a whole weekend. The scale of all the games is 480 meters per hex, one hour per turn, 400-800 men per strength point.
The Battle of Marengo: On the Plain of the Scrivia
Standings as of 01/29/04:184
Scale: 480 meters per hex, 400-800 men per SP, one hour turns
Situation: The climax of the second Italian Campaign, June 1800.
On June 14, 1800, Napoleon Bonaparte defeated the Austrian army under FM Melas, having predicted in April - while still in Paris - "I will fight him here, on the plain of the Scrivia." We have researched this battle first hand, taking notes on the scale replica of the battlefield inside the battlefield museum, as well as walking the field. The whole field is flat as it lies in the floodplain of the Bormida. The crossings over the meandering rivers provided a focus for much of the fighting. This battle was nearly lost by Napoleon until Desaix arrived with reinforcements. He was killed but won the battle for Napoleon.
The Battle of Smolensk: On the Road to Borodino
Standings as of 01/29/04: 195
Scale: 480 meters per hex, 400-800 men per SP, one hour turns
Situation: Assault on the fortress of Smolensk, August 1812.
The French thus far had occupied all of Lithuania without a major battle. The Emperor hesitated. To bring on the day of battle, Napoleon announced to his marshals that he would march on Smolensk. And so he made plans to cut the communications of the now-united Russian Armies, 125,000 strong. Two columns would cross the Dnieper at Rasasna and Orsha, intending to turn the Russian left and sever the road to Moscow. On 11 August, Napoleon put his army in motion toward its staging areas. The fighting strength of the French Main Army was now just 156,000. On 14 August, Murat forged ahead with the advanced guard to reach Krasnoe. There he launched piecemeal cavalry attacks against Neveroski's 8,000 infantry, allowing him to execute a fighting withdrawal and reach Smolensk. On 17 August began the fight for the suburbs. The French lost 10,000, and the Russians 13,000 men. The next day the Russians began to abandon the fortress. Bagration marched for Solovievo, while the French remained inactive. On the 19th, at Valutina, Murat & Ney pursued Barclay's rearguard. Napoleon's third attempt at decisive battle ended in failure, and he contemplated bringing the campaign to an end.
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