The Best Napoleonics Games Ever Made? Slaughterloo!

After a very long hiatus I managed to get in a game of Slaughterloo! with David K. We have always loved this Napoleonique Fantasy game. It has very simple but demanding rules that make for a fun and challenging game.

The Centre of the table

For those not familiar with the game, Slaughterloo is a mass battles game by Alternative Armies set in a fantastic world that roughly mirrors ours in the Napoleonic period with fantasy races representing each nation -the British are Orcs, French are Elves, German states are Dwarves and the Russians are Undead. With various other races scattered around the map - a personal favourite are the Todarini (Italians), frogs who don't do much at all except march around in pretty uniforms.

Zoltan's 666th Foot advance

Today we played the Undead vs the Living Alliance (Elves + Orcs) in a simple 1750 point per side game. Dave controlled the Undead while I took command of the Living Alliance division.

One of the mechanics of the game is that any living unit (ie not Undead) can make a single action such as move or fire automatically. To do any more than a single action you need to make a Form test with modifiers for the more actions you are attempting plus Disorder etc. Undead must make a Form test to do anything - they're dead so they don't exactly leap into action. So I tried to do more than one action with all my units in the second turn of the game. They ALL failed and became Disordered. The sneaky Undead passed all their tests. The game went downhill from there for me.

Umm, lads...are there Jagers in those woods?

On my left flank, my Orc Line Infantry ground to a halt in the face of withering fire from the Undead Dwarves of the Krautian Fleshless Legion and the Undead artillery. 

My Elf Line Infantry fired at no effect on the Licantzrop Jagers sneaking through the woods.

Sharke and the Rifles face down the Graviski Infantry

In the centre and right flank I had more success (just) with Sharke's Orc Rifles and 1er Velite Grenadiers De La Garde Mordred as they steadily advanced upon the Zombie Line Infantry. In the centre Sharke's Rifles took heavy fire from the Undead Gravinski Infantry but their stiff green upper lips held firm and they hung on and returned fire.

The Licantzrop Jagers leap out of the woods

Then disaster struck! The sneaky Jagers leaped from the woods and took on my Orc Line Infantry in melee - in the flank! We tussled for a couple of turns but the Orc's fate was sealed. They were soon annihilated and my left flank started to collapse. Soon my artillery piece was threatened, all was looking very bad.

On the right flank the Zombie Line Infantry were being steadily eroded by the combined fire of the Elf Voltigeurs, Chasseurs and Grenadiers. I killed their officer which rendered them unable to move and I took the opportunity to peel off the Voltigeurs to threaten Dave's centre and one of his Graviski Re-Animators (pesky devices by which the Undead can increase the size of their army by re-animating any casualties - from both sides!) and it looked like I could save the game.

Graviski Infantry flanked by the Reanimator Unit and Undead Artillery

My optimism proved to be unfounded when the Jagers continued their rampage across the field by assaluting my artillery unit, wiping them out in a single melee round. That took my army past it's break point and they fled screaming from the field, no doubt traumatized by their close encounters with the Undead Legions.

All in all, a rollicking fun game, perfect for the holidays. And yes Buck, I did use some of the 4Ground La Haye Saint set on the table.

The Challenge

As an opportunity to try and improve my output of painted miniatures I have joined in the jolly madness that is the Analogue Hobbies 6th Annual Painting Challenge.

Lead down the road to madness by Dux Homunculorum and Steve from At The Double I attempting to paint 500 points (Challenge points) worth of 20mm WWII Yanks, 28mm Gebirgsjager and various other units that catch my attention. My intention is to paint by squad so I don't get overwhelmed by the masses of half painted troops mocking my completion rate. At 4 points per 20mm infantry figure or 5 pts per 28mm this is going to be a huge push for me. You can start with an undercoated miniature but to be complete it must be ready for the table, fully painted and with basing completed.

I will post pictures of my progress. Wish me luck!

The first ones to hit the painting table- 13 x 20mm Yanks + 4 x 28mm Gebirgsjagers.

Here we go!

Well, here we go. I have been a wargamer, miniatures painter and collector and history nut for more than 40 years. Perhaps the slowest miniatures painter in the world (I will finish that unit I started when I was 15 -I'm now in my 50s - soon!) I still get excited by the newest, shiniest miniatures and games to come along.
I have the great luck to work in the games industry on and off for more than 30 years and this blog is dedicated to the many friendships with wargamers around the world that I have made.

I currently work for Australia's largest specialist historical wargames distributor War and Peace Games and have the great privilege of working with great friends as co-workers and customers.Many of our customers are bloggers and I have wasted filled many happy hours reading their battle reports, sharing their excitement on new games and just seeing the enthusiasm for the hobby I love.

I intend to use this blog to share my experiences, friendships and happy gaming times. And all the gossip on the latest, shiniest new toys of course!