英文レビュー:ナポレオンとカール大公、アーベンスバーグ

Title: Napoleon and Archduke Charles : Battle of Abensberg

Published in 1987
By 3W as an issue game of S&T

Situation
This game covers the battle of Abensberg which is part of Austrian campaign.

Game system
1 hex = 600 yards, 1 turn =35 minutes

The rule is somewhat messy. So, I’d like to explain what you should do in one turn.
In your turn, first of all you must check the command control status by using command tree.
Your Army commander ( Napoleon or Archduke Louis ) must commit commands to his subordinates, usually corps commanders. Then those corps commanders commit commands to his subordinates, usually division commanders. Finally, division commanders commit commands to their units.
If someone is out of his leader’s radius, he must check his leadership and if he fail, he and his subordinates are out of command.
In this game, you need commands for 2 very important actions. First you need commands to enter enemy ZOC. Second you need commands to enter enemy hex ( to conduct melee ).

Now, you can move your units according to the rule. As above, you need commands to enter enemy ZOC. If the unit is already in enemy ZOC, you can stay there without command.

Then, your enemy can defensive fire to adjacent your units. After that, your unit can offensive fire. In this case, your artillery can fire up to 5 hexes as long as you have a LOS ( to fire, you don't need command ).
Each time you fire, you must check the unit ID of the firer and found its current strength and morale on your roster pad. Then you roll a die on fire CRT with several modifiers.

After these fire, you can advance into adjacent enemy hex to melee, again you need command to do this.
Each melee, you must check the unit ID and rosters to solve the melee. Okay, this is just a one sentence. But, it is really cumbersome since you will have several fires and melees each turn.

In my opinion, gradual loss system by using roster pad is a suitable mechanics for the battle of this era. It can allow to show the gradual attrition not the digital all or nothing combat result. It also allows to reflect that gradual attrition erodes the moral of army.

NAW games are much more speedy and easy to operate, but it is frustrating that you suddenly lose a whole unit with only one combat by nightmare die.

But, with this cumbersome procedure, I don’t think I can play the combined game with Eckmuhl to the end. This is frustrating, too.