Last Battles of Napoleon
Play Thirty-two* Napoleonic Battles with One Set of Rules
The Last Battles of Napoleon system is a fast, low to
moderate complexity, brigade-level game of Napoleonic battles, combining a grand tactical perspective (battle strategy, not micromanagement) with a focus on a historically sound use of your units. It can use the components of the Napoleon's Last Battles and Library of Napoleonic Battles systems,
incorporating a modern, fire-based combat system, an interactive
chitpull sequence of play, and an orders system. As a result it
delivers a greater level of Napoleonic battle "feel", at the same scale
and in comparable playing time to these older systems.
* The refits below and Salamanca add up to 23 battles, however the system can be used as-is with all the "Library of Napoleonic Battles" games. Look at the refit for La Patrie en Danger to see the necessary TLNB rule adaptations.
These rules are compatible with those for CHS Salamanca (and future games using that system), but a major part of the design intent was
backwards compatibility with the components of existing games. In
fact, the genesis of the system lay in the desire to come up with a
system that did justice to that beautiful game in the NLB series,
Clash of Arms' Napoleon at Leipzig. Below are the variant rules
(and additional components) to refit nine existing games (eighteen battles in total) to be
played with the new rules, called Napoleon's Later Campaigns. More
refits, hopefully, to follow.
The basic rules (no chitpulls, no written orders) are for those
who don't dare dive into the whole
system right away and want to dip a toe in first.
(Since chitpull may interfere with PBEM games, I
have also included an optional rule on how to deal with PBEM.)
Comments from BGG
"A great experience, a lot of period feel with simple rules, no factor counting, and no downtime on either side." - Paolo Angelini
"Increases realism tenfold while making gameplay more tense." - BGG comment
Comments from talk.consimworld.com:
"These games produce battles that look like Napoleonics battles as the mechanics now encourage Napoleonic tactics. [...] I probably like the rules so much because they encourage players to adopt sensible historical tactics and formations without strait-jacketing them into doing so. [...] I'm a fan."
- Karl Laskas, designer of Great White Fleet
"Your
system is in my view the most consistent at this scale."
- T.Nguyen
"Having played/watched quite a few games of this now I'm really impressed by every single element of it."
- A.McBrien
"I'm very, very excited by the elegant order system. I spent my time wondering about real commander [problems] and not anymore about optimising the hexgrid, the CRT, each movement point and each strength point. Very refreshing."
- R.Foret
Comments from perfidiousalbion@yahoogroups.com:
"A startling transformation [...] Use the Stumptner variations."
- Charles Vasey
"Markus has made some good variant rules. I suggest the NLB series [...] only if using them."
- Ed Wimble
Comments from www.strategikon.info:
"Pour sauver le beau matériel des jeux de [TLNB], je vous recommande chaudement la variante de Markus Stumptner.
Un must!"
Key Weblinks
Consimworld Discussion topic
BGG Entry
Basic Rules: Current version (2.0.8, April 2018). Four pages of rules total, plus fire
and terrain effects table. Corresponds to CHS Salamanca rules version (with errata incorporated). Includes appropriately simplified versions
of NLB/NaL/Dresden refits (about 1 page each). No additional counters needed.
Previous version
Full Rules (PDF Format):
Current version (Version 2.2.4, December 2024. Minor update. Eight pages of rules, four of optional rules, plus game tables and design notes. Modified passages since 2.1.8 are in blue text. See next section below for individual game refits.
Previous versions: Version 2.2.3, October 2021. Version 2.1.8, October 2018. Version 2.1.7, April 2018. Corresponds to CHS Salamanca rules version (with errata incorporated). Modified passages since 1.1.0 are in blue text. Version 2.0.3 (2011), Version 1.2.0 (2007), Version 1.1.0 (2004).
Marker-free Basic Rules (Experimental): PDF
format. A version of the Basic Rules that needs neither extra markers nor written orders, in exchange for more information carried on leader counters. Requires dedicated leader and courier counters, currently only available for Napoleon at Leipzig and Abensberg/Eckmuehl. (See individual entries below.)
Blank order template: Word format
- Napoleon's Last Battles Refit (use campaign specific special rules for Napoleon's Last Gamble: Special
rules, Markers for DG
edition and SPI
edition, Templates
with at-start orders for the different scenarios.
Also, see optional alternate style counterset below.
-
Napoleon at Leipzig Refit: Special
rules, Markers for 1st
edition (OSG), markers for 2nd and 3rd edition (Clash of
Arms), templates with at-start orders for the different scenarios, Variant counters based on Dave Jones' OOB. Leader counters and courier counters for the Marker-Free Basic Rules.
-
Dresden 1813 Refit: Special
rules. The game already includes a set of colored corps morale
markers that can be pressed into service as chitpull markers, so no
set of markers is required.
-
Napoleon on the Danube Refit: Special
rules, now with Aspern-Essling scenarios. The game already includes a set of corps morale
markers that can be pressed into service as chitpull markers, so no
set of markers is required.
-
S&T 195 Borodino and Friedland Refit: Special
rules and markers.
-
Four Lost Battles (1st edition and TLNB) Refit: Special
rules (minor update) and markers.
-
Wellington vs Massena Refit: This theoretically has compatible counters, but they are so drab that I decided to make my own. You could take the original counters and use only the formation chits from the file below.
Special rules and scenarios,
countersheet.
-
S&T 113/114 Abensberg/Eckmühl Refit: These games used a different system with incompatible counters; the refit therefore needs a new counterset, but uses the original maps.
Special rules and scenarios,
countersheet front,
countersheet back,
markers,
Allied turn record sheet (Letter format),
French turn record sheet (Letter format), leaders and couriers for the marker-free Basic Rules.
-
Caldiero 1796 Refit: Special
rules. Note: I did not produce any markers for this game. There are only four formations (Augereau, Massena, Avantgarde, de Provera) so any four counters can be scrounged for the chitpull sequence.)
-
TLNB La Patrie en Danger Refit: Special
rules (minor update) and markers. Provided by Peter Johnson. Note that this refit can in principle be used to play other TLNB games as well, only the command and map specifics have to be adapted. Leader ratings and other special rules for the 1809 campaign are already included in the Napoleon on the Danube and Abensberg/Eckmühl refits above, and 1814 ratings not covered in here should be taken from the Napoleon at Leipzig or Four Lost Battles refits.
Links to AARs posted on consimworld are labeled as "CSW"
- Napoleon's Last Battles Replays:
- Napoleon at Leipzig Replays:
- Dresden 1813 Replays:
Note: the ones below were essentially playtest games of the draft refit, so they are interspersed with some rules discussion.
- Four Lost Battles Replays:
- Abensberg/Eckmühl Replays:
Note: If you are trying to access the consimworld links and are
not registered, press the "Guest Access" button to get read
access.
These rules are copyrighted, not public domain. However I
am more than happy to give permission for their use by others if
someone wants to come up with their own refits to existing games, or wants
to use them (or parts of them) for new games. After all, the purpose
of these rules is to give me games that I like to play. The only
exception would be if one of these conflicts with a project that is on
the drawing board. If you are thinking about using the rules, or part
of them, please contact me.
Set of useful marker counters
Game Markers (PDF). Contains some auxiliary counters that may be useful in particular games. Note that their use is mostly optional (e.g., you are not required to indicate to an opponent that a particular formation is demoralised. However I use them a lot in solo play.)
Alternate NLB counterset
Alternate counterset for those who don't like the counters of the Decision Games edition of Napoleon's Last Battles.
Artillery Breakdown Counters
Most of the NLB system games represent corps artillery with one large
artillery counter per type (foot and horse artillery). In reality
though much of this would have been parceled out to the corps'
component divisions. In the original NLB system, with little
differentiation between unit types, this would not have
improved things, but with the new rules additional flavour can be
gained by giving players the choice between the main historical styles
of operation: tactically deployed for divisional or corps use, and
grand batteries.
Artillery Breakdown Rules
- Breaking down: To break the corps artillery down into the
divisional units, replace the original counter in the movement phase
with a set of breakdown counters equal to its original strength. (Note that the
counters above sometimes do not add up to the exact strength for each
formation to give some flexibility; just choose a correct subset.)
- Countermix: The markers provided above for NaL and NLB are a design limit, since breaking units down further would generate too many extra steps in the game and permit gamey tactics.
- Reforming: To reform a corps artillery counter, stack the
breakdown counters with a leader (either the formation leader, or a WC
or OC they are subordinate to) and at the end of the movement phase,
before checking for stacking limits, remove the breakdown counters and
replace them with the original counter.
- Loss effects: If any of the breakdown counters have been
lost, the original counter is reformed on the flipped side. If the
remaining breakdown counter strength is lower than that on the flipped
side, the original counter cannot be restored. Lost breakdown
counters can be reorganised. For every two eliminated breakdown
counters, one can be reorganised, the other one is permanently
eliminated.
- Forming a Grand Battery: Artillery units from different
corps can only be stacked if one of the following leaders is in their
hex: Napoleon, Drouot, Senarmont, Bluecher, plus other leaders
specified for each individual battle, and when using this rule, each
of these leaders can be used to place artillery units in command
(i.e., if not within his command range they can move towards him
without orders and without considering their normal formation leader
but must move at full speed). Once stacked, the units can remain
stacked even if the leader leaves.
- Grand Battery fire: Once formed, any such stacks as well as any
artillery adjacent to it or connected to it by contiguous hexes with
artillery units stacked in them all are considered to have formed a
Grand Battery. They are no longer activated by their original
formation chit but instead execute a joint bombardment in the Reserve
phase (firing at different targets or combining against targets at
owning player's choice).
- Breaking up the Grand Battery: Once they have begun firing, the units in a
Grand Battery can leave their hex only by retreat or after nightfall,
or with a General Retreat order, and no other artillery can join the
Grand Battery later. (My reading on Grand Batteries shows that
while they tended to inflict heavy damage, they were not generally
mobile for the rest of the day - ammunition would run low, the gunners
would be tired, and an inevitable hail of counterbattery fire by every
unoccupied enemy battery would smash many caissons and drive the horse
teams away or to shelter.) Once they have moved out of their Grand
Battery location (in either of the ways above) the individual
artillery units revert to being activated with and being placed in
command through their corps.
- Non-Grand Battery Fire: When using this rule artillery units
that are not in the same hex cannot bombard the same target in a
bombardment phase. (This may lead to battery fires remaining unused.)
Optional order markers
Order Markers
I know that many people don't like writing orders; as a result I
included an optional rule that replaces order writing by a system of
markers.
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mst@REMOVETHISdbai.tuwien.ac.at
Last modified 12.11.2016
