Empire III

Recensione del Gioco di Guerra

Empire III (3rd edition) Regolamento di Wargame by Jim Getz & Scotty Bowden When Empire 3rd edition was published in 1981 it introduced many revolutionary concepts to miniature wargaming. Until then, wargames were played to determine a winner, e they used rules which dictated the course of play e specific outcomes to various encounters. Jim Getz e Scotty Bowden believed that the study of history e the knowledge of history should not be separated from wargaming any more than the realities e limitations of rule mechanisms dictate, e that these mechanical interruptions should be minimized if by no other method than that of common sense. Because of this fundamental difference, Getz e Bowden used the word "simulation" to identify their rule sets e differentiate them from other war games of the "old school". The purpose in developing e publishing Empire III was not to provide a new game, but rather to give the wargamer a tool con which to create ed accurately simulate historical conflict. In this, Getz e Bowden succeeded on a grand scale.

Hundreds of thousands of soldatini have since been painted e based for the Empire III game, as new giocatori wargame are recruited e begin building corps ed armies for upcoming campaigns ed engagements. In fact, there are so many Empire-compatible armies on the market today, that competing regolamenti di wargame writers readily adopted the Empire basing system con 19 x 12.5 mm 2-figure fanteria stands, o multiples thereof.

Empire III became popular at gaming conventions, because so many players have the troops for it. Important engagements like the Battle of Borodino (1812) can be fought con a dozen players per side, each of whom brings an historically accurate army corps to the gaming convention, o acts as an upper echelon commander. Questions about the rules are resolved amicably con enemy corps commanders across the table, because Empire players are historians first e foremost.

Contenuto

Titolo: Empire 3rd edition
Epoca: Guerre Napoleoniche
Tipo: Grand-Tactical Miniature Wargame
Scala del Tempo: 1 turn = 60 minutes
Scala del Terreno: 1:1440 (1 inch = 40 yards)
Scala del Truppe: 1 figure = 60 men
Basette: 3/4 inch frontage per 2 fanteria o 1 cavalleria figure
Autori: Jim Getz & Scotty Bowden
Formato: 176-page rule book, boxed set
Lingua: Inglese
Casa Editrice: Empire Games, Inc., Arlington, Texas
Pubblicato: 1981

Capitoli

The Basics of Empire 3rd Edition, 6 pages
General Terminology, 4 pages
Tbe Hourly Round, 2 Pages
Issuing Operational Orders, 8 pages
Movement of Leader Castings, 2 pages
Activation of Orders to Maneuvre Elements, 5 pages
ADC imperiale francesi & Fallen Leaders, 2 pages
Grand-Tactical Movement, 4 pages
Tactical Combat, 54 pages
Artiglieria Bombardment & Grand-Batteries, 8 pages
Leader caduti, 2 pages
Rallying Troops & Recovering Fatique Points, 2 pages
Engineering, 3 pages
Weather, 1 page
Terrain, 2 pages
Optional Rules, 2 pages
After the Rules – The Playing, 8 pages
Leader Ratings - 4 pages
Cavalleria’s Final ACE Rating & Other Information, 6 pages
Fanteria Morale Classes & Other Information, 8 pages
Artiglieria Morale Classes & Other Information, 5 pages

Quick Reference Charts e Counters

Tactical Move Distance Chart
Morale Chart
Smalls Arms Fire Chart
Tactical Artiglieria Chart
Skirmish Combat Flow Chart
Elan Test Flow Chart
Close Action Results Table
ACE Modification Computer Table
Corps e Maneuvre Element Order Counters

Telescoping Time

Empire portrays the Napoleonic battle on both the grand-tactical e tactical levels. To convey to the player the difference e varying amount of time required for the solution of tactical e grand-tactical action, Getz e Bowden have developed the Telescoping Time Concept (TTC), in which simulation time may be compressed o expanded, depending upon the amount of activity on the grand-tactical e tactical levels. A complete "turn" in Empire, which encompasses an entire cycle of the TTC, is called an hourly round. A battle which last for six hourly rounds is a simulation of 6 actual hours of battle. As time progresses, troops still marching on the campaign map may come close enough to the battlefield to become engaged.

Maneuvre Elements

The smallest tactical elements in Empire are the artiglieria section of due guns, the fanteria company of 120 men, e the cavalleria squadron of 120 men. These are grouped into batteries, battaglioni, reggimenti, brigades, e divisions of the correct strength. A maneuvre element (ME) is the basic unit to which operational orders are issue e by which grand-tactical movement is executed. The typical ME is an fanteria division, cavalleria brigade, con their attached artiglieria, o an artiglieria grand battery. Fanteria brigades con an Elite morale classification o higher may be defined as MEs at the player’s discretion. Mixed task forces consisting of fanteria, cavalleria, artiglieria, ed engineers my be defined as MEs under certain circumstances.

Grand Tactical Movement

MEs which are unengaged, i.e. outside the 8" tactical engagement range for fanteria o mixed MEs, may conduct grand-tactical movement at a march rate of 60" (2400 yards) per hour sulle strade, o 4800 yards if force-marching, which incurs one fatique point. Thanks to MEs e grand-tactical movement, Empire players may move their unengaged fanteria divisions e cavalleria brigades across uncontested ground in giant leaps, e devote more time to the tactical engagements which develop when opposing MEs come to within 8" fanteria o 12" cavalleria engagement range.

National Characteristics, Firepower, e Morale

Empire includes 23 pages of leader ratings, cavalleria, fanteria, ed artiglieria morale classifications ed other relevant information. This section is exceptionally well researched, complete, detailed, easy to read ed understand, ed unsurpassed even today.

The photo shows the 2nd battalion of the 11. Reggimento Fanteria Bavarese di Kinkel based for Empire. The battalion is deployed in column of division con granatieri formed up on the right wing e the light company (Schützen) in skirmish order in front of the formed troops. Empire rates la compagnia leggera attached ai battaglioni fanteria di linea bavaresi as semi-skirmishers. The soldatini are 15 mm Minifigs based on 19 x 12.5 mm fanteria company stands of the Empire game system. Granatieri e Schützen have had tissue paper plumes added to the Raupenhelm.

The leader e troop ratings sections in Empire, alone, are well worth the money of an entire rule set, because they can be used to rate e compare Napoleonic troops regardless of which rules are actually used. Many rules writers overlook the issue of national characteristics, either because they have not researched it yet, o they want to publish the information in many separate scenario booklets which need to be purchased in addition to the rules. So, if in doubt about the training e morale status of a particular Napoleonic troops type, reggimento, o elite company, at a certain point in time, Empire is the quickest, most valuable e reliable source.

Empire is the right choice for students of military history interested in a realistic simulation of Napoleonic warfare at the grand-tactical e tactical level. 176 pages do require a serious investment of time e thought, to read ed understand the rules, let alone master them. However, anyone con a good understanding of Horse & Musket warfare should be able to command a maneuvre element without prior study of the rules, if the other players are prepared to teach as the engagement unfolds. Empire models the real world situation so closely, that an Empire novice may formulate his tactical moves in English while an experienced commander pulls the relevant chart e computes the results.

Trovatore di Avversari

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– Pubblicato: 16.10.2006 – Aggiornato: 18.06.2008
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