C3i Waterloo Campaign 1815.

Design by Mark Herman

This image based battle report will show you the general movements and actions of the game play.

Red Crosses note Blown or eliminated units. What I’m trying to reveal here is the ebb and flow of the game, not mechanics or indeed the CRT nets / and results etc.

I think these images help you derive a sense of the game play feel versus rules mechanics. As six pages you can download and have a read for yourself here. 

The game represents to us some unique concepts. Extended Zones of Influence, a continuous movement model, where players keep moving units alternately until someone passes, or no units are available to be moved. Passing can mean placing your enemy at an advantage..or a disadvantage depending upon how many continuing moves they receive. Combat is a simple but nuanced affair. While highly abstract the “correct” or appropriate level of Napoleonic flair, flavour and even flamboyance is evident, with the value of combined arms demonstrated, the power and yet difficulty of using Grand Batteries, and of course the impact of the Guard and leadership!

Opening moves, the French drive past Charleroi and deep towards Mallett.

Each side jockeys for position.

The first Engagements are inconclusive.

A natural and historical flow begins to evolve. Ligny and Quatre Bras are deemed important by both sides.

Both sides take losses.

Napoleon drives the wedge home!

The Prussians fall back, rather than stand to.

Another vicious scrum evolves around the cross roads. While Uxbridge and Orange attempt to find a means to attack from the rear and keep the Cav at bay.

Losses are heavy for Blucher, he has two corps blown! The Coalition left collapses. Blown units may return to the fight in the near future however.

In close proximity to each other the Corps are now forced to fight it out.

Below:

French and the Prussian Corps eliminated sit idly on the refuse pile of humanity … While above them other await reformation to get back into the fight.

The results are catastrophic. The first lesson we both learned… avoid direct combat.!

The Coalition turtles up, while the French attempt to encircle, while they lick wounds.

However the Coatilion, finally understands it has a stronger hand and presses home the attack. With two previously blown Corps entering back into the fray, they take the fight to the French.

Hill was particularly effective, wiping out D’Erlons Corp. This is the back breaker for the French, now out numbered 2 corps to 5 and 2 more on the rebound.

Napoleon heads for his boat and back to exile!

Delightful, fun, nuanced and entertaining. The game is a pleasure to both play and look at it. I’d love a large map of this for framing!

Well worth buying C3i 33 just for this game, let alone all the other counters and content in the magazine.

Probably one of the best magazine games I have ever played.