LE JOUR DE GLOIRE EST ARRIVEE

LA BATAILLE DE MONT SAINT JEAN by ED WIMBLE

from CLASH OF ARMS

Regular: 4 33" x 22" maps, Scenario Book, 3 Chart Cards; zip-lock bagged. $35

Deluxe: 4 33" x 22" maps, 1560 Counters, Rules Book, Scenario Book, Organizational Charts, Charts & Tables Cards, die; boxed. From Clash of Arms, Byrne Bldg, Lincoln & Morgan, Phoenixville PA 19460. $75

An Addenda Review by RICHARD H. BERG

This is the one the Napoleonists have been waiting for ever since Matson and Spors first started fiddling around with the "La Bataille" system. They won't be disappointed.

Waterloo … excuse me, Mt. St. Jean … in full, four-map, 80 yards per hex (Ed W. says 100 per, but don't believe him; it's 80), eye-slamming, multi-color counter glory. And it comes in two versions. If you want to play it, and you already have the sister games on Quatre Bras and Ligny, the zip-lock version is more than satisfactory. However, if you've been waiting just for this battle, and you can afford the $75 tag, and you can get there before the others - it's a very limited edition - you will not be disappointed.

I covered this latest incarnation of the La Bataille system back in BROG #2. To briefly recoup the physical benefits, the maps are excellent, with a spare use of color outbalanced by an excellent period feel, highlighted by Rick Barber's calligraphy. The four Mt.St.Jean maps are, thankfully, a bit more accurate - in terms of relative scale - than the Quatre Bras map, and the playable detail is marvelous. They cover Mt.St.Jean in the north to Plancenoit in the south, and Braine L'Aleud in the west to Lasne in the east. The Hougoumont (Chateau de Goumont on the map) complex covers 50 hexes and is a game in and of itself.

The counters are stunning. Unfortunately, that adjective applies more ways than one. Beautiful to look at, they're among the toughest to read in the hobby, and the fact that both the French and the Prussians are blue doesn't help matters. Ironically, most of the useful information is on the colorless side. This may be a mixed blessing in reality, but the Bataille fans love 'em … and Ed knows his audience.

The major improvement with MSJ is the magnificent scenario book that accompanies it. Well written, excellently researched, beautifully organized, and studded with maps and pictures (BROGers will recognize the photo on page 64), this is one of those rarae aves that is fun to read, for which both Wimble and his rules amanuensis, Paul Dangel, should receive hearty congratulations, even with the occasional grammar gaffe and the rather wild misspelling of the Epirote mercenary, Pyros [sic].

The game system hasn't changed - neither in the game, nor in my opinion (again, BROG #2). However, bowing to the wishes of the masses, a rather minimalist command system has been added, mostly of the "In Range = Move; Out of Range = Statue Time" variety. It does go a long way towards reining in the almost complete freedom of maneuver the system previously advocated and, with some of the ranges being rather short (three hexes for French divisional commanders, two for British Regimental leaders!), there isn't much opportunity to spread out, as before. Wellington gets special consideration, and rightfully so, as, for all intents and purposes, nothing happened unless he said so. The Command System, while having none of the definitive - and often mind boggling - detail of many of the game's other mechanics, goes a long way towards adding the right touch to what I felt was the system's Black Hole.

What should ameliorate the feelings of those who refuse to be told they cannot push their cardboard in any direction they please - even if such activity has no basis in reality - is that few of the scenarios, except for the massive full battle, highlight command problems. Ignore the totally goofy, what-the-merd-is-this? Grand Battery scenario - unless you have some sort of hidden anti-Dutch fetish - and get warmed up with a bit of Hougoumont or Plancenoit. They're the two best "short" scenarios. I had a lot of fun with the Igo-Hougo battle - no piddling around here folks, a real, old-fashioned shoot-em-up; it's just big enough to be playable and small enough to get through in an evening.

Plancenoit is a one-mapper that brings in some command problems, mostly for the Prussians. Even with only one map this is still fairly big, featuring, as it does, one and a half French corps opposed by about half the Prussian army. As the battles get bigger, the system's problems - overwrought cavalry rules, constant re-reading of mechanics, annoying Clouseau-like French - tend to loom larger. After a while, it does get to be a bit much if you are not as enthralled as the other enthusiasts … but it looks great. As for The Big One, I never even tried … and would probably only do so if I had a long weekend and about 4-5 other gamers to share the wealth … and explain the rules.

As I said a year ago, this is a system aimed directly at a specific, rather narrow audience. It is byzantine in its mechanics, baroque in its complexities, and gothic in its detail … surely enough architecture for anyone. It is, though, much beloved, as is exemplified by the fact that this review will have Absolutely No Effect on sales; the game is already sold out. (A few Deluxe editions are available.)

CAPSULE COMMENTS:

Graphic Presentation: Stunning … in both a good and bad way. Maps appealing, counters TOO colorful, rules book state of the art. Nice box for Deluxe version. And heavy!!

For Playability, Historicity , etc., see BROG #2.

Comparisons: Frank Davis' Wellington's Victory is far more elegant, in terms of system … but it's lack of color, flair and joie de vivre relegates it to auctions. All other Waterloo games have been charmlessly simplistic.

Overall: Puts the "boner" back in Bonaparte.