“Pointy s#&t flies out of the other end “ . . . Absolutely hilarious!!!😂😂😂 Nice review, Scott. One thing I would like to add regarding the support rating. I’ve played Mr. Brown’s games for a number of years now, and without exception, he provides more rules support than any other game designer I have ever seen. He is constantly answering rules questions on all of his games. If a score of 11 was possible , Dave Brown would surely deserve it!!
Very good and thorough review. Despite enjoying Black Powder for a long while we found we had to add too many supplement rules to try and make the rules feel Napoleonic and even then there were mechanics that grated on us. In addition it started to get hard to manage with rules spread across 2-3 books, looking things up was a PITA. I decided to switch to GDA for this main reason a few years ago. Napoleonic specific and with everything in one place. I knew from the outset we’d be getting GDA2 and, while I’ve watched and really enjoyed the TFL vids, it’s always nice to see such a positive and in depth review from a 3rd party 👍.
BP is a good ‘toolbox’ set of rules but because it’s so generic and covers so many periods it invariably loses a lot of period ‘chrome / flavour’. GDA is very period specific and that’s one of its numerous strength’s. I didn’t get into some of the stuff about Sappers, Regimental Guns and Corps Orders
I think Andrew is right here. To be fair - all of the aspects you rated highly in GdA v2 are pretty much straight copies of concepts out of Empire / Empire family of rules. The artillery rules the GdA, use of reserves, ammo rules etc .. straight copy of Revolution & Empire The skirmishing rules - very similar to Republique v5 (also a great set of rules for large battles) Throw in Legacy of Glory and Valmy to Waterloo, and you can see where GdA comes from. GdA effectively streamlines and simplifies a lot of simulation style rules from the last 30 odd years, and presents them in a fantastic and well polished book. This is of course a good thing, and it’s great to see the hobby moving back in this direction. But yeah - don’t turn your nose up at Empire, because if you love GdA, then the reality is that you are already enjoying Empire, modernised and streamlined more or less. Nothing beats a decent simulation game :)
The manoeuvre units are individual Battalions of Infantry, Regiments (or squadrons) of cavalry, Artillery Batteries and Brigade Skirmishers. ‘Regiments’ in terms of infantry can be a confusing term. British Regiments for example usually deployed only one Battalion so a British Brigade might consist of two or three Regiments of a single battalion each, whereas the French might deploy 3 or 4 battalions from a single regiment in a Brigade formation and the ‘Regiment’ might in fact operate as a Brigade.
I did. I stated I never go the ‘full Monty’ because there might be an issue I’ve not yet encountered and like to give room for improvement or 3rd party criticism that I consider valid.
You’re not far out with your scores! However a lot of players may want a quicker game than 3 to 4 hours. After all a club night quite often , juniors leave by 10-30pm, which means setup to starting at 7-00pm allowing 30 minutes for scenic you are left with 2.5 hours. Many players like. Points values to play a quick Friday night game and a lot of newcomers may be using epic black powder armies or player having been given the free figures from WI they will have enough for a brigade close to. There may be a brigade from a division covering river crossings. This could be a brigade of infantry and a brigade of light cavalry with a battery. With a British army perhaps a company of rifles. This would probably cost around 2,200 army points but with an Austrian army you could well have around 50% more infantry but lower quality. In fact this could be applied to any nation in the right circumstances. You could as a start split a 4 battalion brigade into 2 brigades with extra brigadiers to give you a division for each player but giv them the choice. Troops are easily valued but general less so, given the possibilities for each level of command. A value per figure would have to be calculated because a stand or base may contain more figures because buyers are based for GdB which I think figures were mounted in threes. I’ll have to play several games before I can see how troops and generals can be valued. Just think, buying and painting figures for all the armies with Generals, brigadiers lt. generals and marshals. Then playing all those games making notes and drinking all that beer. But if it has to be done someone has to do it and make the sacrifice.😇 If you are interested I’ll let you know. The phases are almost instantaneous moves rather than “I GO U GO” so you can see your carefully laid plans unravel😉
If you want a quicker game play with less brigades or play a different rule set. It is what it is. GdA2 doesn’t use a ‘points based’ system for pickup game but rather historical ORBATS that you can add regimental and divisional assets to. Anyone could easily manipulate the size of armies to produce quicker games. That said, I’m not aware of any divisional size miniatures game for the Napoleonic era that you can play to a conclusion in under 3 hours. I obviously might just not be aware of the existence of such a game however.
“Pointy s#&t flies out of the other end “ . . . Absolutely hilarious!!!😂😂😂
Nice review, Scott. One thing I would like to add regarding the support rating. I’ve played Mr. Brown’s games for a number of years now, and without exception, he provides more rules support than any other game designer I have ever seen. He is constantly answering rules questions on all of his games. If a score of 11 was possible , Dave Brown would surely deserve it!!
Agreed.
Very interesting review. We are happy with Black Powder in my group but will certainly give this a go at some point 👍👍
Cheers for the review mate 👍
I have the old set but strangle have never played the rules.
Very good and thorough review. Despite enjoying Black Powder for a long while we found we had to add too many supplement rules to try and make the rules feel Napoleonic and even then there were mechanics that grated on us. In addition it started to get hard to manage with rules spread across 2-3 books, looking things up was a PITA.
I decided to switch to GDA for this main reason a few years ago. Napoleonic specific and with everything in one place. I knew from the outset we’d be getting GDA2 and, while I’ve watched and really enjoyed the TFL vids, it’s always nice to see such a positive and in depth review from a 3rd party 👍.
BP is a good ‘toolbox’ set of rules but because it’s so generic and covers so many periods it invariably loses a lot of period ‘chrome / flavour’. GDA is very period specific and that’s one of its numerous strength’s. I didn’t get into some of the stuff about Sappers, Regimental Guns and Corps Orders
@@CheckYourLeaderTV Indeed. Ditched BP after one of the players commented "I'm not spending $60-$100 on rules to have to sit and write them myself!" 😀
Thank you, good vid. Cheers. I have the book and am looking forward to playing it.
Excellent review! I would be interested in the scenario books that may be available in Wargamers Vault. Can you supply a link please?
www.wargamevault.com/m/product/372581
Great review - just found your channel, great vids and perspectives, so sub'd. Cheers mate.
Thanks!
Played GDA 1 , Wouldnt make me change from Empire 5 "The one true rules The one to rule them all |
\
Hey, whatever floats your boat 😀👍
I think Andrew is right here.
To be fair - all of the aspects you rated highly in GdA v2 are pretty much straight copies of concepts out of Empire / Empire family of rules.
The artillery rules the GdA, use of reserves, ammo rules etc .. straight copy of Revolution & Empire
The skirmishing rules - very similar to Republique v5 (also a great set of rules for large battles)
Throw in Legacy of Glory and Valmy to Waterloo, and you can see where GdA comes from.
GdA effectively streamlines and simplifies a lot of simulation style rules from the last 30 odd years, and presents them in a fantastic and well polished book.
This is of course a good thing, and it’s great to see the hobby moving back in this direction.
But yeah - don’t turn your nose up at Empire, because if you love GdA, then the reality is that you are already enjoying Empire, modernised and streamlined more or less.
Nothing beats a decent simulation game :)
@@steveoc64 there’s very little that’s in any Wargame rules that’s revolutionary or ground breaking. GDA2 however is the ‘complete package’ imho.
Cheers for the review Mate. Can I ask, and I'm sorry if I missed this, but are the basic units in the game Battalions or Regiments?
The manoeuvre units are individual Battalions of Infantry, Regiments (or squadrons) of cavalry, Artillery Batteries and Brigade Skirmishers.
‘Regiments’ in terms of infantry can be a confusing term. British Regiments for example usually deployed only one Battalion so a British Brigade might consist of two or three Regiments of a single battalion each, whereas the French might deploy 3 or 4 battalions from a single regiment in a Brigade formation and the ‘Regiment’ might in fact operate as a Brigade.
@@CheckYourLeaderTV Thanks much! I look forward to picking up a copy and their 1813 Supplement!
Nice video but you need to explain why you knocked marks off when explaining the scores.
Whoops came 8n a bit early with my comment
Yes, he did explain why he subtracted some points - but still an amazing score in the end!
I did. I stated I never go the ‘full Monty’ because there might be an issue I’ve not yet encountered and like to give room for improvement or 3rd party criticism that I consider valid.
You’re not far out with your scores!
However a lot of players may want a quicker game than 3 to 4 hours. After all a club night quite often , juniors leave by 10-30pm, which means setup to starting at 7-00pm allowing 30 minutes for scenic you are left with 2.5 hours.
Many players like. Points values to play a quick Friday night game and a lot of newcomers may be using epic black powder armies or player having been given the free figures from WI they will have enough for a brigade close to.
There may be a brigade from a division covering river crossings.
This could be a brigade of infantry and a brigade of light cavalry with a battery. With a British army perhaps a company of rifles.
This would probably cost around 2,200 army points but with an Austrian army you could well have around 50% more infantry but lower quality.
In fact this could be applied to any nation in the right circumstances.
You could as a start split a 4 battalion brigade into 2 brigades with extra brigadiers to give you a division for each player but giv them the choice.
Troops are easily valued but general less so, given the possibilities for each level of command.
A value per figure would have to be calculated because a stand or base may contain more figures because buyers are based for GdB which I think figures were mounted in threes.
I’ll have to play several games before I can see how troops and generals can be valued.
Just think, buying and painting figures for all the armies with Generals, brigadiers lt. generals and marshals. Then playing all those games making notes and drinking all that beer. But if it has to be done someone has to do it and make the sacrifice.😇
If you are interested I’ll let you know.
The phases are almost instantaneous moves rather than “I GO U GO” so you can see your carefully laid plans unravel😉
If you want a quicker game play with less brigades or play a different rule set. It is what it is. GdA2 doesn’t use a ‘points based’ system for pickup game but rather historical ORBATS that you can add regimental and divisional assets to. Anyone could easily manipulate the size of armies to produce quicker games. That said, I’m not aware of any divisional size miniatures game for the Napoleonic era that you can play to a conclusion in under 3 hours. I obviously might just not be aware of the existence of such a game however.