Napoleon's Last Battles
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''Napoleon's Last Battles'' is a board wargame published by
Simulations Publications Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) was an American publisher of board wargames and related magazines, particularly its flagship ''Strategy & Tactics'', in the 1970s and early 1980s. It produced an enormous number of games and introduced innovat ...
in 1976 that simulates the last four battles fought by
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
. It was one of SPI's most popular games, and also received many positive reviews.


Description

''Napoleon's Last Battles'' is a "quadrigame" — a box with four different battles played using the same rules. This game covers the last four battles of Napoleon's final campaign of 1815: *''
Ligny Ligny (; ) is a village of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Sombreffe, located in the province of Namur, Belgium. Previously its own municipality, a 1977 fusion of the Belgian municipalities made it an '' ancienne commune'' of So ...
'': The French and Prussians clash in the first battle of the Waterloo campaign. *''
Quatre Bras Quatre Bras (, French for crossroads; literally "four arms") is a hamlet in the municipality of Genappe, Wallonia, Belgium. It lies on the crossroad of the Charleroi–Brussels road (currently named N5) and the Nivelles–Namur road south of G ...
'': The Anglo-Allies under
Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
holding a strategic intersection called
Quatre Bras Quatre Bras (, French for crossroads; literally "four arms") is a hamlet in the municipality of Genappe, Wallonia, Belgium. It lies on the crossroad of the Charleroi–Brussels road (currently named N5) and the Nivelles–Namur road south of G ...
are attacked by
Marshal Ney Michel Ney, 1st Prince de la Moskowa, 1st Duke of Elchingen (; 10 January 1769 – 7 December 1815), was a French military commander and Marshal of the Empire who fought in the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. The son of ...
's French forces. *''
Wavre Wavre (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the Provinces of Belgium, province of Walloon Brabant, Belgium. Wavre is in the Dijle, Dyle valley. Most inhabitants sp ...
'': French and Prussians fighting each other at the
Battle of Wavre The Battle of Wavre was the final major military action of the Hundred Days campaign and the Napoleonic Wars. It was fought on 18–19 June 1815 between the Prussian rearguard, consisting of the Prussian III Corps under the command of Genera ...
are both needed at the Battle of Waterloo, so both must attempt to exit the board while preventing the other from doing so. *''
La Belle Alliance La Belle Alliance () is an inn situated a few miles south of Brussels in Belgium, chiefly remembered for its significance in the aftermath of the Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815). There are two plaques on the building: one is "In memory of t ...
'': The
Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (then in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium), marking the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The French Imperial Army (1804–1815), Frenc ...
The various scenarios can be paired together for a longer game. Alternatively all four scenarios and their maps can be joined to form a large campaign game covering all four battles from beginning to end, taking 37 turns to complete.


Components

The game comes with: *8-page rulebook of rules common to all four battles *4-page rulebook with rules specific to each battle *400 die-cut counters (100 for each game) *four 22" x 17" paper
hex grid A hex map, hex board, or hex grid is a game board design commonly used in simulation games of all scales, including wargames, role-playing games, and strategy games in both board games and video games. A hex map is subdivided into a hexagonal tili ...
maps scaled at 480 m (525 yd) per hex, one map for each battle, or can be joined to form one large 43" x 33" campaign map. (In the Decision Games edition published in 1995, the four maps are combined into two 22" x 32" maps.)


Gameplay

The rules are based on the system developed for ''
Napoleon at Waterloo ''Napoleon at Waterloo'' is a 1984 computer wargame published by Krentek Software. Gameplay ''Napoleon at Waterloo'' is a game in which the player controls Napoleon while the computer commands the forces of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Welling ...
'' published by SPI in 1971, which uses a simple "I Go, You Go" system of alternating player turns: * The French player moves all units desired, and engages in combat. * The Allied player then has the same opportunity. This completes one game turn, which represents 1 hour of game time. In addition, in the basic game, only two units may be stacked on one hex, and there are no supply rules.
Zones of control In board wargames, a zone of control (ZOC) is the area directly adjacent to certain combat forces that affects the movement and actions of enemy combat units. In hexagonal tiled maps, a combat unit's zone of control is the six hexagons adjacent ...
are both "rigid" and "sticky": a unit moving adjacent to an enemy unit must stop there. Combat is mandatory, and units thus engaged cannot move away from each other except as a result of combat. The Campaign game adds new rules: * Stacking: Leaders are not considered combat units, and therefore as any number of leaders can be stacked on one hex. * Command phase (before Movement phase): Players hand out command points to the various senior commanders, who then must decide which of their corps (divisions for Wellington's army) receive a command point, placing it under their direct command. These chosen units must stay within a certain distance of the commander to remain under direct command. Units not under direct command cannot enter enemy zones of control, and suffer penalties when forced to attack. * Supply phase (first turn of each day): Supply to all units must be checked. Units that are not in supply are removed from play.


Publication history

In 1975, SPI published the "quadrigame" '' Blue and Gray'', packaging four different battles and one set of rules into the same box. The concept proved popular. ''Napoleon's Last Battles'', another quadrigame, was published the following year. It was designed by Kevin Zucker and Jay Nelson, with cartography and graphic design by
Redmond A. Simonsen Redmond Aksel Simonsen (June 18, 1942 – March 9, 2005) was an American graphic artist and game designer best known for his work at the board wargame company Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in the 1970s and early 1980s. Simonsen was consid ...
, and proved to be one of SPI's most popular quadrigames, reaching No. 5 on SPI's Top Ten Bestseller List the month it was released. Each of the four games was also released as an individual "folio game", packaged in a cardstock double LP-sized folder. In 1979, French and Flemish versions of ''Napoleon's Last Battles'' were developed by the Belgian company EDI-AR. ''Simulacrum'' noted in 2004 that "This ranslationhas been a perfect wargame start for a generation of French nd Belgianplayers and it's still sought after by collector gamers. After TSR took over SPI in 1982, they attempted to get a quick return on their money by publishing several SPI games that had been close to publication such as '' Battle Over Britain''; they also re-published several popular SPI titles such as ''Napoleon's Last Battles'' in new packaging, but with the same rules and components. In the 1990s, Decision Games acquired the rights to the game and republished it with revised and streamlined rules and new components, including two maps rather than four.


Reception

In Issue 15 of the British magazine ''
Perfidious Albion "Perfidious Albion" is a pejorative phrase used within the context of international relations diplomacy to refer to acts of diplomatic slights, duplicity, treachery and hence infidelity (with respect to perceived promises made to or alliances f ...
'', Steve Clifford called the campaign game this product's "main innovation," but pointed out that in order to bring the four maps together to make a campaign map, the edges of each map had to be trimmed, making them unusable for the four individual games. Clifford found the leadership rules, "an interesting attempt to simulate the effect of commanders on this scale, but are perhaps still a bit cumbersome." In his 1977 book ''
The Comprehensive Guide to Board Wargaming ''The Comprehensive Guide to Board Wargaming'' is a 1977 book by Nicholas "Nicky" Palmer about the hobby of board wargaming. Contents ''The Comprehensive Guide to Board Wargaming'' is a 223-page book exploring wargaming as a hobby, written for ...
'', Nicholas Palmer noted "plenty of interesting terrain added on the highly attractive maps." He also commented on the "Interesting command rules that appear in the campaign game, with units separated from their leaders unable to make attacks." Palmer also reviewed each of the four games: *''Quatre Bras'': "A gripping battle for the crossroads, which swings dramatically to the French and back again." *''Ligny'': Potentially fairly long, unless the Prussian defence breaks quickly ..Tough fighting." *''Wavre'': "One of the best puzzles in wargaming, with many different theories on the correct withdrawal strategy." *''La Belle Alliance'': "Numerous units are crowded into a small area, and the game is much less interesting than ''Wavre'' and ''Ligny''." In Issue 53 of '' Moves'', Ian Chadwick reviewed all four of the scenarios and the overall campaign game. He called ''Quatre Bras'' "short and sweet"; ''Ligny'' somewhat constrained by map size; ''Wavre'' "short, fast, and furious"; ''La Belle Alliance'' "a good, tight game, one with plenty of excitement"; and the campaign game "long and slow utit's a good game for both sides." Overall his impression was that "This is one of those rare games were everything seems to work well; the folios are excellent, the campaign game — while not perfect — is good, the rules clean and easily understood, and the components superb." He concluded by giving the game an "A" for playability, a "B+" for historical accuracy, and an "A" for component quality, saying, "A delight and a must in the collection of Napoleonic ''and'' tactical buffs." In Issue 4 of '' The Wargamer'', Chris Hunt commented, "The real difference which puts ''Napoleon's Last Battles'' in another league from other quad games is the leadership rules n the campaign scenario" In Issue 11 of the British wargaming magazine '' Phoenix'' (Jan–Feb 1978), Ian Daglish called both the map and the counters "vastly improved" over previous SPI Napoleonic products. And despite having a large number of counters to maneuver, Daglish found the game "still flows very nicely." He concluded with a strong recommendation, saying, "''Napoleon's Last Battles'' is a set of four highly enjoyable games. It is also one of the best simulations of the whole Waterloo campaign that you will come across." A year later, in Issue 17 of '' Phoenix'' (Jan–Feb 1979), Jeff Parker compared ''Napoleon's Last Battles'' and ''1815: The Waterloo Campaign'' by
Games Designers Workshop Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) was a wargame and role-playing game publisher from 1973 to 1996. Many of their games are now carried by other publishers. History Game Designers' Workshop was originally established June 22, 1973. The founding me ...
, two wargames published in 1976, and held both of them up as better Napoleonic wargames than previous products, saying, "Any collector of good boardgames who is also a student of Napoleonic warfare would have these two games. A moulding of the best ideas from each will give a game which goes far towards ameliorating many of the criticisms which can be levelled at the earliest Napoleonic games." In Issue 6 of the French games magazine ''Jeux & Stratégie'', Michel Brassinne noted "All the rules are clearly written, but require a certain learning time (12 pages!). The search for a certain 'verisimilitude' has led to more rules. This satisfies players accustomed to wargames but can dismay those who try to get started." In Issue 3 of the French games magazine ''
Casus Belli A (; ) is an act or an event that either provokes or is used to justify a war. A ''casus belli'' involves direct offenses or threats against the nation declaring the war, whereas a ' involves offenses or threats against its ally—usually one bou ...
'', Jean-Jacques Petit commented, "If the French player fails to knock out one of the two allied armies before the 17th turn, he will have a hard time winning this campaign. The English player has an interest in backing away until all of his reinforcements have arrived (13th turn) but also in worrying a few French corps (a very difficult strategic exercise). The Prussian player must play his trump card from the first turns before the hypothetical arrival of d'Erlon's 1st corps. In any case, the French player will have a hard time emerging victorious from this campaign." In ''The Guide to Simulations/Games for Education and Training'', Martin Campion commented on the possible use of this game as an educational aid, saying, "The campaign game is large ..but it offers many opportunities for involving a lot of people in the command structures of the three armies represented in the campaign, and the campaign game rules are very informative on command structure and its problems." In the 1980 book ''
The Complete Book of Wargames ''The Complete Book of Wargames'' by Jon Freeman and the editors of Consumer Guide was published in 1980 by Simon & Schuster under the Fireside imprint. Contents This book comes in both a 285-page hardcover edition and a paperback version. In ...
'', game designer
Jon Freeman Jon Freeman may refer to: *Jon Freeman (game designer) Jon Freeman is a game designer and co-founder of software developer Automated Simulations, which was later renamed to Epyx and became a major company during the 8-bit era of home computing. He ...
called this collection "less enjoyable than SPI's ''
Napoleon at War ''Napoleon at War'', subtitled "Four Battles", is a collection of four board wargames published by Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) in 1975 that simulates various battles fought by Napoleon. Description ''Napoleon at War'' is a "quadrigame", ...
'' quadrigame." Freeman felt that these battles were attritional set pieces, and lacked the ability to maneuver found in ''Napoleon at War''. Freeman concluded by giving an Overall Evaluation of "Good to Very Good." In a retrospective review twenty years after publication, Monte Gray noted that on the first day
Marshal Ney Michel Ney, 1st Prince de la Moskowa, 1st Duke of Elchingen (; 10 January 1769 – 7 December 1815), was a French military commander and Marshal of the Empire who fought in the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. The son of ...
is somewhat constrained, controlling only a single corps on the British flank, which "precludes his trying anything more imaginative than a frontal assault on Quatre Bras. His wire-puller, the French player, faces a major dilemma once the Duke f Wellingtonreceives all of his reinforcements: send Grouchy (or even Napoleon himself) to help out Ney, but then how to punch out those pesky Prussians?" Gray suggested using the advanced rules with the campaign game, saying, "This is a decidedly lite basic rules carriage. You need those extra rules horses to get a stimulating ride backward in time." Gray felt that the individual games tended to swing in Napoleon's favor due to limits laid on the Allied generals, but felt in the paired games and large campaign game "the advantage shifts quite a bit ..mainly because the weight of the added command rules puts a brake on France's ability to conduct double envelopments." Gray concluded on a positive note, saying, "If I'd been familiar with ''Napoleon's Last Battles'' 20 years ago, it undoubtedly would have been one of my favorites. Time has been kind to Kevin Zucker's design. It remains easy to learn, difficult to master." In a retrospective review thirty years after publication, Matt Irsik called this game "One of the best PIQuads. ..Each game was pretty interesting and very different from all of the others. The mandatory attack rules did a good job of portraying operational level combat from that era and the end result was pretty satisfying."


Other recognition

''Napoleon's Last Battles'' was chosen for inclusion in the 2007 book '' Hobby Games: The 100 Best''. Chris "Gerry" Klug commented "''Napoleon's Last Battles'' is one of the best pencil-and-paper military simulations ever because it's a gloriously wonderful blend of solid, no-frills design, intelligent packaging, and a synergistic combination of the two that delivers a game that is (perhaps unintentionally) more than intended and results in a very happy consumer."


Other reviews and commentary

* ''
Strategy & Tactics ''Strategy & Tactics'' (''S&T'') is a wargaming magazine now published by Decision Games, notable for publishing a new wargame in each issue. Beginnings ''Strategy & Tactics'' was first published in January 1967 under its original editor, Chri ...
'' #103 * ''
Fire & Movement ''Fire & Movement: The Forum of Conflict Simulation'' was a magazine devoted to wargames, both traditional board wargames and computer wargames. It was founded by Rodger MacGowan in 1975, and began publication the following year. In February 1 ...
'' #6, #24, and Special Issue #1 *''
Paper Wars ''Paper Wars'' is a quarterly wargaming magazine. The publisher is Compass Games. The magazine's editor is Ty Bomba and the headquarters is in Cromwell, CT. History The magazine was first published as the ''Wargame Collector's Journal'' in Sept ...
'' #26 *''
Games & Puzzles ''Games & Puzzles'' was a magazine about games and puzzles. Publication history The magazine was first published in May 1972 by Edu-Games (UK) Ltd. The first editor was Graeme Levin who recruited a variety of games and puzzles experts as writers ...
'' #62


References

{{reflist Cultural depictions of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington Cultural depictions of Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher Cultural depictions of Napoleon Napoleonic Wars board wargames Simulations Publications games Wargames introduced in 1976 Works about Napoleon Works about the Battle of Waterloo