What’s Glenn Drover been up to since he stopped by The GrogCast last Spring? Apparently he’s making more games ~

Jim Zabek, 3 October 2015

A new Napoleonic game for the PC is about to hit the shelves like a blast from the Grande Batterie.

Designed to allow the player to command at both a strategic and tactical level, the objective of Victory and Glory: Napoleon is simple – build the French Empire of Napoleon. Six full campaign scenarios will be included with Victory and Glory: Napoleon. They will each have a unique starting date and conditions. The first will be the 1800 campaign made famous by Napoleon’s brilliant victories in Northern Italy. The second is called 1805, The Dash for the Danube and starts with French troops poised on the English Channel but ready to drive toward Austria and glory at Austerlitz. Next is the 1806 campaign that starts after the Austrian defeat with the Prussians taking up the bayonet. Followed by the 1809 campaign where Austria re-enters the war while Napoleon is embroiled in Spain. The 1812 starting point campaign begins as Napoleon’s vast army prepares to invade Russia. And the last and most challenging campaign begins in 1813 immediately after Napoleon’s wrecked Grande Armee has struggled out of Russia.

Both the French and the allied side will have access to unique card decks. These can range from upgrades to troops to providing new troops to triggering historical events, such as the creation of The Confederation of the Rhine and the rise of German Nationalism. There will be a diplomacy component that will be based on how strong relations are between France and the other great powers. Actions taken by the player during Victory and Glory: Napoleon will affect those relations and ultimately influence neutral nations to join the British alliance and declare war on France. There are no resources to worry about with harvesting/managing. Instead once each year each nation drafts recruits for its armies. The time scale for a turn will be two months. Armies usually move ponderously one territory per turn, unless utilizing a Forced March card. When two opposing armies meet, battle commences.

The tactical battle is set up with each side choosing how many of its units they want to put into the battle line. Keeping a reserve to shore up casualties or explore opportunities is generally wise – if you have the troops to spare. Combat is somewhat abstracted with units lining up to face one another. Units consist of cavalry and artillery (both light and heavy), and infantry. Players must consider which troops they want to place on the flanks as, generally speaking, Victory and Glory: Napoleon favors attacks on the flanks. There is also a kind of rock-paper-scissors dynamic in combat: for instance infantry in square defends well versus cavalry but gets mauled by artillery. There is a combined arms mechanic as well, which grants bonuses to units if they’re adjacent to other units of a different type.

Naval battles are also included and their mechanics are similar to land battles, with ships being placed forward for battle or held in reserve. The British, as one might expect, have higher quality crews, and this is reflected in their ability to hold off fleets with lower quality crews but more ships. Capture of enemy ships is possible, and I have even seen a battle where one side captured a ship only to lose it again! The outcome of battles is never certain until they are over.

Some of the cards in the player’s hand may also be useful in battle. Types of cards the players may expect include special terrain, reinforcements, mass cavalry charge, flank attacks, and the Grande Batterie which allows a free first round artillery barrage.

Commanders have a Command Rating which quantifies how good of a commander they are. This rating influences who goes first during a battle – an initiative die is rolled (allowing from some randomness) but to it is added the Command Rating to account for superior commanders. Combat results are randomized, but have modifiers which can affect the outcome. There are four outcomes of attacking a unit: no effect, disrupted, routed, or eliminated. Commanders can rally troops, but they lose command points from their rating if they do so. Once engaged in combat even heavily outnumbered generals must take their lumps – two rounds of combat must be fought before a general is allowed to disengage, and during disengagements it is strongly recommended to have cavalry held in reserve to serve as a rearguard – otherwise any remaining enemy cavalry is likely to inflict heavy casualties during retreat.

Aesthetically the artwork is fantastic. The map of Europe and North Africa, by Paul Niemeyer, looks like an antique map from the period. Also, there are almost 100 pieces of art by Keith Rocco in the game. Rocco is the best known Napoleonic painter working today, and is a phenomenal talent – able to combine the authenticity of the uniforms and equipment with postures and settings that seem like they could charge right off the page. He is probably the best known Napoleonic artist, and rightfully so.

Designed to be authentic, accessible, accurate, and fun, Victory and Glory: Napoleon is accessible to the newcomer but offers the kind of authenticity that pleases veteran gamers. The PC game will be available from Matrix/ Slitherine and on Steam this January. There will also be a Kickstarter for a board game version of the game launching on November 17. Get ready to fix bayonets and charge!

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