15/18mm Friendly, not too big table, uncomplicated Napoleonic Rules

[Zenbadger]

I'll paint three figures then get bored and go back to sci fi.

[bangorstu]

Neve rplayed them but if you don't want to spend a fortune, the Lardies have a Napoleonics rules set.

[Zenbadger]

I have them somewhere. I keep buying TFL rulesets but never play them more than once.

[BaronVonWreckedoften]

One rule change I would suggest for Lasalle is to only allow one unit to melee a unit per facing. Lasalle allows two columns, side by side, to attack a unit in Line at the same time. Result Columns win.

Yes. Important to remember that, even on the battlefield, the column was originally only a formation for movement, albeit one optimised to form line on contact with the enemy, as opposed to a pure march column. For most of the period, columns should maintain a "safe socio-military distance" sufficient to allow the neighbouring column to form into line without colliding (ie they should be at least half the width apart of the corresponding linear equivalent, although I would suggest more).

[FreddBloggs]

And between the column would be light infantry skirmishing to pin the enemy line in place, and the gap was needed for them to withdraw through.

[Shahbahraz]

I have them somewhere. I keep buying TFL rulesets but never play them more than once.

I found that, with the early ones, like ITLSU, which was fun, but had rule loopholes the unscrupulous could drive a truck towing a small planet through. They always felt a bit 'uninished' like they had been knocked up by some bloke down the club you would ask, and he would give you an off the cuff answer, which might be incorporated into some future write up, but probably wouldn't.

The later ones, like SP2 and CoC are much tighter. I have Dux Brittaniarum, and hope to play it at some stage, but haven't found time or the opponent yet, so couldn't comment. I am pretty much playing CoC an dSP2 as my 'standard' games these days.

I do fancy playing 'Bag the Hun' someday, just for the joy of riffing lines from 'The Battle of Britain' - 'Tally ho, plenty for everyone..'

[Zenbadger]

I quite like SP2 but I'm still not sold on DB, LFS, CoC or IABSM all of which I own and have played. TFL tend to like a lot of off-table background stuff and I don't much.

[FreddBloggs]

Dux is an excellent game once you get on table, but the pregame can get dull if you play it a lot. CoC I have never played, IABSM I like. LFS is almost a perfect napoleonic game, but where it grates, it really grates.

[grizzlymc]

One rule change I would suggest for Lasalle is to only allow one unit to melee a unit per facing. Lasalle allows two columns, side by side, to attack a unit in Line at the same time. Result Columns win.

Yes. Important to remember that, even on the battlefield, the column was originally only a formation for movement, albeit one optimised to form line on contact with the enemy, as opposed to a pure march column. For most of the period, columns should maintain a "safe socio-military distance" sufficient to allow the neighbouring column to form into line without colliding (ie they should be at least half the width apart of the corresponding linear equivalent, although I would suggest more).

Which seems to me to explain the French advantage in the early part of the Boneyonic wars. The French became adept at changing form column to line much faster than heir opponents. This allowed them to manoeuvre in column much closer to the enemy than the enemy could do. So, the enemy would form line and the French could organise all sorts of advantages for themselves before immobilising themselves in line.

[Jeremy]

If you’re playing Raids, there is little to no pre-game stuff in Dux Brit. It’s all mostly for the battles, which frankly, is quite boring