No Cheese! C'est Impardonnable

It is no secret that I truly enjoy the  De Bella Napoleonicis (DBN) rule set.  As I have said before, it is not my favourite Napoleonic game.  On an army level, that accolade would go to Blucher.  On a brigade level, I would have to say General D’armee.

Nonetheless, it is a game closest to my Napoleonic heart.  I have a soft spot for this game that has never been surpassed by the others.

The question is – is it really any good; are there any drawbacks; do these qualities make it a game you might enjoy. Let’s take a closer look.

I want to start with the negative side and put it all out there from the onset.  Let’s hang the dirty laundry for all to see.

• High Priced PDF: Yes, I believe the PDF is over-costed for what it is – a typed out document at £15.  The printed version costs slightly more, and is basically the pdf in ring binding.  The pdf should not cost more than £8 in my opinion for a 50 page rulebook.
• Wall of Text: This is a drawback endemic to all DBX games.  Walls and walls of text. Let’s face it,  people – and gamers – are lazy at times, and reading 50 pages of text is not that easy – especially with this ‘short attention span’ generation.  The book needs to be presented differently for a modern gaming generation.  It needs more photography, pictures and examples explaining game terms and rules.
• Very Representational: This is something common to all army level games.  The gamer at this level should not be too interested in units forming squares and changing formations and with all the minutiae of the Brigade General.  Also, in army level games, there are usually less figures than large scale battalion games.  Hence there is less pomp and circumstance in army spectacle.
• Unpredictability: Like all DBX games, units and formations move according to the luck of a dice roll.  One pip of a die means you can move one base or a formation of bases. The skill is found in trying to move as many bases with as few pips as possible while retaining your battle plan.  This is not everyone’s cup of tea.  Certain nations and generals can mitigate this, but not by much.
• Two Versions in One: DBN is in it’s 2nd version, but the rules still contain 1st version rules.  These 1st version rules need to be removed from the main text and placed in an index at the back.  To Mr. Testo and Mr. Carter, the 2nd edition is superior and better.  It is time to move on and leave the 1st version rules behind.

There is a lot of good to this game, to the point that it supersedes the negative and has won me over and kept me playing. Let’s dive in:

• Easy To Learn:  DBN’s motto is keep it simple, and that is exactly what is does while remaining a challenging experience.  Unlike most DBX games, the rules are written clearly and in plain language.
• Period Flavour: Although these rules are simple and representational, they still retain period flavour and nations play as you would expect them too. like in other more detail game systems.
• Speed of Play:  This game plays quickly.  You can play a basic 12 point game in 40 minutes, including setup, if you know the rules well.  For gamers like myself who can only afford to go once a week to the club for a few hours, this is the only way to enjoy a Napoleonic game in such a restricted timespan.
• Small Play Area: That is right, you only need a playing surface of 90cm x 90cm for a basic 12 point game for 1/72 figures. For scales of 18mm and smaller, 60cm x 60cm is more than enough.
• Small Model Count: I have mentioned above that the game is very representational, but this also has a bright side. It means you do not have to paint a lot of miniatures in order to play a basic game.  A standard infantry or cavalry base costs 1 point, elites cost 1.5 points, militia cost 0.5 point and Old Guard cost 2 points. This means that for a basic army at 12 points you will have anywhere between 9 tp 15 bases in your army.
• Base Compatibility: I have already written ad nauseum about this above, but this system gives a very flexible basing system that allows one to play and enjoy other gaming systems at different levels.

First of all, I want to thank everyone who took the time to take a look at this project and especially if they had the patience to read what I wrote. I also appreciate those who clicked on the recommendation buttons as well.  It is greatly rewarding to see the number rise.

I also hope some of you might fancy giving it a try, especially those of you who, like me, are time-restricted for whatever reason under the sun.  You might find that it is an enjoyable compromise for Napoleonic wargaming.

For those who are interested, below are a few links:

The Website:

http://www.dbnwargaming.co.uk/

Information Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRRGeI_zhFpbY1PqdKWGZ4g

Finally I want to say a heart felt thank you to  Alex Testo and Bob Carter for bringing this game to life.

Regards,

NR