Morris' Wargaming Escapades

Today I tested my HoTT Napoleonic variant playing a battle of French Vs British with Wofun 18mm miniatures. I used the Solo Tactical Engine uploaded by David Lemon to the file section of the DBA & HOTT Wargaming FB group. It worked great! Before the battle, poor scouting only revealed to the French the presence of  Highlanders in the village. Napoleon deploys with a strong center of  veterans wearing dustcoasts.   ... and a battery strategically placed on the heights.  Wellington chooses a mixed center, allied infantry stiffened by the thin red line... ...and close artillery support... ...which he directs personally. The battle rages on!! Specially in the center and the French right. On the left, conscript units on both sides just stare at each other, The French veterans advance and do not waver when battered by cannon fire. On the British left, 1st Foot infantry advances with Dragoons in close support. The chaps of the 1st Foot face and repel an ambush from v...

Refight the Napoleonic campaign in Egypt with these lists for French Republican armies, Mamluks and Ottomans. It includes some experimental rules for forming square s that may come in handy against unrelenting waves of Mamluks! A new variant for Hordes of the Things (HOTT).   DOWNLOAD HERE         

This file contains in just a page the armies and rules to refight battles in the Waterloo campaign. Some granularity has been added to shooters and lurkers to replicate Napoleonic tactics, troop grades and even national characteristics. Hopefully this black powder adaptation displays (yet again!) the flexibility and fun of the Hordes of the Things rules. The unit types in this file can be generalized to other napoleonic campaigns and even ACW. DOWNLOAD HERE    

   I like the rules in the book Wargaming: Nineteenth Century Europe 1815-1878 so much that I'm thinking of backporting them some years earlier to use them also in the Napoleonic period. However, I would like to do it with the minimum fuss and changes that break the elegance of the original. So far I'm considering two key areas:   1 Cavalry is not to be so much dissuaded from charging. 2 Close-order infantry in column formation needs an extra oomph when defending against Cavalry. Often it was trivial to turn the column into what was effectively a square.   These are the two rule changes I have in mind at the moment for each area. Thoughts welcomed.    1. Infantry charged by Cavalry or Dragoons needs to pass a morale test for the sole purpose of using defensive fire (no base loss). If they fail, the only consequence is that there's no defensive fire, and therefore no morale test for the Cavalry for being shot at. This simulates the sheer terror and confusio...

Reading about the Peninsular War, I had the idea that the “pop-up and slink away” style of Mr. Babbage would suit the ambushing tactics of a guerrilla centric Allied Army. So I wrote these army lists that do not change any base rule, except if you use Lancers (which is optional anyway). Of course, you can play it with a friend if you wish. This is a variant for The Men Who Would Be Kings' by Osprey Wargames. DOWNLOAD HERE

 First play of Battles of Napoleonic Europe by Mike Lambo and already convinced that it's great. Lost on the last roll of the last turn in true Lambonian fashion. IMHO opinion for this one watching the playthrough video is a must. Not that is complex, but it's full of subtleties that fit together nicely in actual play.