"Rebels and Patriots" a quick review
Last saturday we (
Wargames Social Club) had our monthly food+game meeting and this time we decided to test "Rebels and Patriots".
As you all know this set of rules focus on north american wars from FIW to ACW.
We decided instead to try them in the napoleonic wars:
1- because we like this period and we were waiting a set for large skirmish
2- we all have a significant collection of 28mm from our SDS (Songs of Drums and Skako)
I played Lion and Dragon rampant from the beginning, my friends also TMWWBK or Pikeman lament so we already know most of the mechanics, we just needed a small QRS I think this one is useful is that one:
http://doctorphalanx.blogspot.com/2019/02/homemade-qrs-for-rebels-and-patriots.html
To test the basic we opted for a simple 2 vs 2 clash scenario with no particular setup, French-Italian vs. British-Brunswick-Austrian, why? Our best miniatures ;)
As I wrote we play with the rules as is, no homebrew rules.
The list, 2x24pt-ish per side classified in this way,
Johnny Frog:
- Infanterie - line infantry
- Grenadier - shock infantry
- Voltigeurs - skirmishers
- Guard - shock infantry/veteran
- Chasser a cheval - light cavalry
- Artillery - medium artillery
- Dragoon - shock cavalry
Monsieur le Rosbif:
- 95th"sharpe" - Skirmishers/Sharpshooters
- Royal marines - Line infantry/Aggressive
- Brunswick Infantry - Line infantry/Green
- Brunswick Uhlans - Light cavalry/Aggressive/Poor shooters (lancers)
- English line - Line infantry
- Gordon Highlander - shock infantry
- Austrian - Line infantry
- 60th rifle - Skirmishers/good shooters
- Scots Greys - shock cavalry(x6 not 12)
Game AAR
The game runs smooth, rules are simple to follow well written even with 2 commands, the "new" morale system works very well, the difference with DR's morale is significant.
Units works well even in the napoleonic era with a liitle of common sense, some units could be classed in many ways, just talk with you friends to find your way.
The officer's attribute rolls is a thrilling moment, you'll never know what to expect.
Activation: different from DR/LR if you fail it simply pass unit activation not you turn; snake-eyes and/or double-six can be very funny like the "Chance and Community Chest" of monopoly.
A reteat could not be all that bad... but a friendly-fire is always bad.
Most of your rolls are at 6+ this speed up the game with few data to remember and easy calculations.
You must use your units in the right way, skirmshers should screen you line advancing, artillery put disorder where possible, line is for attrition, shock for assault, and cavalry is fragile but very poweful is used at the righ time in the right place.
The only doubts come from the right use of woods, how to shoot in/inside a wood: visibility and shooting distance.
You can add something to add more napoleonic flavour, like: double move, columns march, units type (i.e lancers) or national behavior like SDS (elan/steady/etc..) but it's really not needed, the rules work as they are, "close order" fits most of the things
Nice day nice game, we'll look forward for next meeting (I thin end of june) to play togheter again this time with scenarios and a small campaign.
