This was the second set of Napoleonic rules that I purchased, the first being To The Sound of the Guns (which I'm sure is concealed under a box or a bag somewhere).
Unusually it tried to be a complete game and even came with a scenario book which included design notes and a guide to collecting and painting miniatures which I have discovered contains a wealth of detail including army strengths and limber colours.
The game booklets |
Stat card and game summary |
Selection of counters, terrain and templates |
Looking at the books now, what strikes me most is the typeset of the rule set; it's very close making it difficult to read and reference (to be fair this was the norm for Avalon Hill - I own several other games - and that period).
The contents and first page |
This was not a cheap product at the time but when compared to something modern like the excellent War of Three Kings (BLB 3) it is easy to see how far the quality and production of wargames rules has improved in the thirty or so years since Napoleon's Battles was made**. I could probably produce something better than Napoleon's Battles with it's grainy pictures and numbered paragraphs on my laptop with very little effort (and it's five years old!).
Close up of the type |
*a misleading term it has windows and central heating as well as being of a size where you can comfortably practice your pitching if golf is your thing, Would I like to get a wargames table up there
**sorry did I just type THIRTY years - what have I been doing for that time. Think I need a lie down somewhere shady, maybe with something cool and comforting to get over that.
May want to get a copy of the 4th edition before you start reading. Anton
ReplyDeleteWill certainly give the new edition a look. Thanks
Delete