Jeff Wells
United States
Centralia
Missouri
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I know this game has been out a while, but I haven’t been able to get it until recently. So despite sounding like that teenager down the street that just discovered that Led Zeppelin is cool, here’s my long diatribe on why you should at least try this game if you haven’t already.
Let me start off by saying that I own Memoir 44 and Battlelore, so I was familiar with the system before playing this game. Of those two, Battlelore is my favorite, mainly because it’s one my wife and daughter will play with me, so it gets more table time (plus it’s the first ‘real’ game I bought, so some nostalgia there). The only downside to Battlelore (for me) is the miniatures are all a primer gray color that begs to be painted, so off and on I’ve been painting my figures to make them prettier.
Command and Colors: Napoleonics is the fifth installment of Richard Borg’s popular Command and Colors system. If you’re familiar with the mechanics, you can skip the next section. However, I thought I’d write this for those not acquainted with other games in the series, and those maybe on the fence about getting this game. I’m not going to explain every rule, but will try to highlight some of the main ones, and what I think is cool about this game.
What is Command and Colors?
The Command and Colors system was devised by designer Richard Borg. It’s a fairly simple mechanic. The game board (or battlefield) is composed of hexes and is divided into three sections: left, center and right. You begin by picking a scenario, setting up terrain as needed, and then placing your units. Units are made up of a number of figures or blocks (usually three or four, depending). The number of blocks in the unit is an abstraction of that unit’s morale, effectiveness, etc. You may also think of it as “hit points.”
On your turn you first choose a command card to play from your hand. Command cards may say something like “order 3 units in the center,” or “order all mounted units.” After playing the card, you choose which units to order. Those units ordered then move, if needed. Next is combat resolution. All eligible ordered units fight, one at a time, by rolling a number of “battle dice” according to that unit’s stats. Instead of numbers, the dice have different symbols (or colors) that determine whether a unit loses figures, retreats or maybe another special effect. Once combat is resolved, draw a new command card into your hand, and your opponent gets his turn.
Sounds simple, right? Be warned, in that simplicity lies a very engaging, deep system. Every game using this mechanic, of course, has little tweaks here and there that make each game a different experience. I also want to add that the cards and dice don’t make this game a ‘luck fest.’ Proper hand management is key. You want to plan out your strategy several turns in advance, using the cards to your advantage. This abstraction of control over the battlefield (or lack thereof) makes these games different every time you play.
Now on to the game
The components
Command and Colors: Napoleonics is published by GMT. This was my first purchase of a GMT product, and must say I’m pleased. Instead of figures this game comes with blocks, and lots of them. The hundreds of blocks are accompanied by sticker sheets with plenty of stickers to affix. Expect to spend a couple hours or more doing this. Find yourself a pair of sharp tweezers (which makes it easier to position the stickers), a cup of coffee, turn on the radio and have at it. It took me almost three hours to get everything organized and properly stickered, but no big deal. I play a miniatures game which requires assembly and painting, and have spent a good part of my life assembling plastic models, so to me this was grade school arts and crafts.
Besides the blocks you get eight dice (which also need stickers), a rulebook, scenario book, reference sheets for units and terrain, terrain tiles, and mounted map/board and a deck of command cards. Everything is great quality. Being used to miniatures, I wasn’t sure how I’d like the blocks. However, once set up, to me they look really cool, reminiscent of battle maps in the history books. The blocks are easier, to me anyway, to move around from hex to hex.
The reference sheets cover information you need on units and terrain. If I have one complaint (and it’s a tiny one) It’s that the ‘National Unit Reference Cards’ have that info spread out over four pages, and those not familiar with the game may take some time finding that little tidbit they need. However, GMT has on its website a quick reference card that you can print out on one sheet. It’s for the Spanish Army expansion, but still has all the units for the base game, and includes all the stats for setup, movement and battle that you need at a glance.
The Game
The goal of this game is to win by collecting victory banners. To do this, you must totally eliminate a unit (all of its blocks) or kill a leader. Each scenario is different, but usually 4-6 banners will win you the battle. Units battle each other with the battle dice. Each die has symbols on it for infantry, cavalry and artillery, as well as a retreat flag and a crossed sabers symbol. Unit type symbols score a hit on that particular unit (so if you’re fighting an infantry unit, you want to roll infantry symbols). Retreat flags cause the unit to retreat one hex (with a couple exceptions) for each flag rolled. Sabers score hits in melee (adjacent hex range) and are also used to see if a leader is killed.
Like all games using the Command and Colors mechanic, little tweaks and nuances make this a completely different experience from others. Ranged fire is very important, and marching up and giving your opponent the cold steel of the bayonet can be equally devastating, but beware, as the opponent may be able to battle back in melee. A cavalry charge can ruin your day, or your infantry may form a square on bounce them back. Cavalry, instead of taking the brunt of a close range infantry assault, can elect to ‘retire and reform,’ and more likely suffer less casualties. Combat effectiveness is tied directly to the number of blocks remaining in your unit. The fewer blocks, the fewer dice you’re likely to roll. There are different types of infantry, cavalry and artillery, in line with the era, with different movement and combat abilities. The command card you play may add to the number of dice, and terrain may reduce the number of dice rolled. Terrain plays a big part in this game, and maneuvering around, or using it to your advantage, should be part of your grand strategy for the battle. This game also features leaders (or Generals, if you like). A leader attached to a unit allows it to ignore one retreat flag rolled against it. A leader out by himself is an enticing target for an infantry charge. However, you can’t shoot at a leader, as it just wouldn’t be gentlemanly.
So what makes this title unique?
The first thing is the blocks vs. number of dice rolled, as I’ve explained above. Other games using Commands and Colors allow you to roll the same number of dice regardless of the number of blocks or figures. Those heavy hitting elite units you sent to the front may not be hitting quite as heavily on the next turn. Other things I like about the Napoleonics version:
Combine Arms Attack. This one is probably my favorite. You may order an infantry or cavalry unit to combine its attack with an artillery unit. Ordinarily, your ordered units battle one at a time. So you may attack with your infantry and find that you’ve caused the enemy unit to retreat out of range or out of sight of your artillery that you’ve also ordered that turn, giving it nothing to shoot at, probably making your gunners stare a bit, then start a game of cards. With the combined arms attack, you can combine the dice roll of the two ordered units, which can be quite devastating. Since you apply casualties before retreats, it’s possible to wipe out an entire unit with one attack.
Infantry Squares. During the Napoleonic wars, infantry, when attacked by cavalry, could form in a square, backs to the center. Charging horsemen would see nothing but bayonets bristling, no matter which side of the formation they rode around. Horsemen that wanted a ride home would usually stop short, as a two foot piece of steel usually meant either a dead horse, or at least a really upset one. After that he’s probably not going to let you get near him with a saddle ever again, but I digress (sorry, I love horses, and cavalry is one of my favorite subjects).
When a cavalry unit attacks an infantry unit in melee, before the attack is resolve, the infantry unit may elect to form a square. This severely cripples the cavalry’s effectiveness (it’s reduced to one die) and the square may be able to bounce the attack off. The downside is that you lose a command card from your hand while the infantry is in square. A square cannot move, and can only attack (in melee) with one die. However, if I were to see a few hundred troopers thundering my way, with sabers en tierce, I'd be getting into that square.
Cavalry Retire and Reform. This is another neat tactic unique to this title. When attacked in melee by an infantry unit, a cavalry unit may decide to ‘retire and reform.’ What this means is that, instead of taking the full brunt of the dice rolled (some infantry units are quite brutal in close range), the cavalry unit can retreat two hexes (it must be able to do this or this tactic isn’t allowed) and ONLY cavalry symbols rolled (not sabers or flags) count against it. This is a nice little way to preserve your horses for a later turn, when you can gallop up the field and turn the flank.
In Conclusion…finally.
Personally, I think this is a great addition to the Command and Colors system. It’s a little more complicated than others, but not complex by any means. The added rules make this a very deep thought provoking title. I suspect this will be the Command and Colors game that sees the most table time at my house and at my weekly game nights. If you’ve never played this type of game before, you’ll probably spend the first couple games looking through the unit stats quite a bit, but the basic mechanics are very simple and easy to understand. If you’re war gamer of the ‘hex and counter’ variety, this will seem simple and abstract, and maybe too much so for some. However, if you’re looking for a game that lets you fight a battle in an hour or so, definitely give this game a try. Richard Borg is one of my favorite designers, and I think he’s implemented his mechanics very well in this one. If you’re a GMT fan or a Command and Colors fan, try it out, you won’t regret it.
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Jason Smith
United States
Capitola
California
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Jeff_Wells wrote:
Cavalry Retire and Reform. This is another neat tactic unique to this title. When attacked in melee by an infantry unit, a cavalry unit may decide to ‘retire and reform.’ What this means is that, instead of taking the full brunt of the dice rolled (some infantry units are quite brutal in close range), the cavalry unit can retreat two hexes (it must be able to do this or this tactic isn’t allowed) and ONLY cavalry symbols rolled (not sabers or flags) count against it. This is a nice little way to preserve your horses for a later turn, when you can gallop up the field and turn the flank.
Actually, this mechanic also exists in the Ancients series, although it's called "evade" instead.
Nice write up. Glad you enjoy the game.
For me, Napoleonics is a nice twist on Ancients, with more emphasis on fire power.
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Jeff Wells
United States
Centralia
Missouri
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atilla66 wrote:
Actually, this mechanic also exists in the Ancients series, although it's called "evade" instead.
I've not played Ancients yet, so wasn't sure if evade worked quite the same way. But a good note to include for those that have.
Thanks for the comments and the heads up.
jw
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Rolling bad dice in wargames since 1977
United States
Austin
Texas
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'Retire and Reform' is similar to an 'Evade' move in the Ancients game in description, but is really very different in practice. A lot more rules surround the eligibility and conditions required for an Evade move in the Ancients game. Retire and Reform is a much more simplified and restricted version of it.
There is also a Take Ground opportunity for attacking Infantry vs. Retiring Cavalry in the Napoleonics game. This opportunity isn't available to Foot units that are attacking Evading Mounted units in the Ancients game.
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Jason Smith
United States
Capitola
California
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BradyLS wrote: 'Retire and Reform' is similar to an 'Evade' move in the Ancients game in description, but is really very different in practice. A lot more rules surround the eligibility and conditions required for an Evade move in the Ancients game. Retire and Reform is a much more simplified and restricted version of it.
Both "evade" and "retire and reform" refer to the mechanic of forfeiting the battle back option in exchange for restricting hits from the attacker's roll to just the symbols corresponding to the defending unit's symbol and retreating two hexes. In Napoleonics, this kind of maneuver is restricted to just cavalry units being attacked by infantry. Cavalry cannot perform this maneuver against non-infantry units and infantry units cannot perform this maneuver at all. In both Ancients and Napoleonics, cavalry of any type can perform this mechanic against any type of infantry unit. Unlike Napoleonics, however, in Ancients, light infantry can employ this maneuver and cavalry can perform this maneuver against specific non-infantry units depending upon the type of cavalry unit.
So, yes, while the mechanic of "evade" and "Retire and Reform" are identical, there are definitely differences in the way this mechanic is implemented in Napoleonics versus Ancients.
BradyLS wrote: There is also a Take Ground opportunity for attacking Infantry vs. Retiring Cavalry in the Napoleonics game. This opportunity isn't available to Foot units that are attacking Evading Mounted units in the Ancients game.
The option of infantry to take ground when a cavalry unit performs a "Retire and Reform" maneuver is also an important difference between Napoleonics and Ancients. In Ancients, attacking units never take ground when the defender "evades". This is a very important distinction that needs to be kept in mind if you are an Ancients player learning Napoleonics.
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Jeff Wells
United States
Centralia
Missouri
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Thanks again for the comments. I can't believe I neglected to include anything on taking ground. It's one of those tactics I don't use a lot,as I oftentimes wind up with a lone unit conveniantly adjacent to one or more enemy units, and an opponent who just happens to have the right card to play. It's definitely one of those tactics you want to use at the right time to exploit a weakness in the lines.
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