วีดีโอ

There are rules with the Waterloo campaign for packing up and unpacking later. To unpack later you must be 3 foot moves away, which makes it nearly impossible to do on the same map. Packing up bags is considered a major undertaking, and is generally not possible in a battle. Remember, the bags represent more than just the supply wagons, they also include hospitals, engineering troops, as well as kitchens and so forth. Essentially, everything that makes the "city" of tens of thousands of souls function. It's not as simple as grabbing some wagons and moving back a couple miles. Blocks that are recovered during the night turn and are placed within command range of their HQs, and are fresh.

Gettysburg brigades should be coming out soon, and that will get the multi-day battle treatment. Thank you for your comment, I will be sure and be clear about the overnight procedure.

Might be a little hot and miss. I have a friend who is building me a camera dolly that will allow me to record better videos. Sometime in the next month, that will happen. [Happy dance]

@@SoloBattles love it

@douglasgearhart48 You're welcome! Yes, with such a simple system, the designers were pressed to add x or y. They always resisted the urge to complicate the game. Meanwhile, they always felt there were ways to improve the game that didn't involve merely making it more complicated. Now, at version 4.0, they feel it is done. They've added brigades and cleaned up the rules layout based on years of feedback. I'm glad to hear from someone else who appreciates this system for what it is.

@@marshallbarrington4986 The map shows no Northern supply route. The only to shown on the map are to the South.

@@SoloBattles It starts off not being one because it is blocked. It only becomes one when cleared. It is on the map. Not shown in the scenario. It was explained better in text in the older editions. We should probably clarify it better in what we have now.

@@marshallbarrington4986 It does make a strong southern drive not practical, and that makes sense.

@@marshallbarrington4986 yep.

I see on top of page 7 on the 4.0 rules an example with the comment "this piece can retreat because the majority of the piece can fit between the enemy pieces." I would say the drawing shows the retreating unit brought closer to the enemy troops behind him. Or am I mistaken?

@Karl-Heinz-vp4gt when your dealing with irrational men fleeing for their lives...[sigh]

@@Karl-Heinz-vp4gt That's right on the line but that move does take them further away.

@@marshallbarrington4986 yep.

@@marshallbarrington4986 yep.

OMG, yes it was! They are coming out with the newer brigade blocks which will more accurately depict the forces involved. Also, I will be getting a new Dolly set up for my camera and will finally be able to record the Marengo map properly. Good things coming.

@nidhoggstrike However, it is accurate, that's where the term came from. He notoriously always had them with him. The system is great for solo. It is very authentic, so you don't have a lot of artificial mechanics to remember, plus the chit draw acts like a save game function if you get called away. You just come back draw a chit, and you're back at it.

If you prefer Napoleonic over ACW, Marengo is coming out very soon. It will be very easy to convert to brigade blocks, since the blocks are already battalion levelish.

Thank you!

@captainnolan5062 Yes! You can already get the brigade blocks for the Brandywine campaign. Whether you buy it new, or just get the new blocks if you already have the game with the map, you will get the 4.0 rules. I already have videos uploaded showing Brandywine, Germantown, and Monmouth Courthouse.

Yes, fighting Friday's got a little ambitious. I'm retired, I don't need no stinkin' schedules! 😂 Brigade scale does look so cool. Having to resolve over 60 combats in two turns was pretty overwhelming, even with Musket Battles smooth and easy combat resolution. It is like a drug, it's killing me, but I wants it! 😊

@marshallbarrington4986 Thanks. I knew if I narrated each roll, it'd make The Lord of the Rings seem like a TH-cam short!

@kenfisher4860 I never took the old Pub Battles Monmouth too seriously. It has too few blocks. However, the brigade scale is actually pretty fun. It's almost chesslike. You really have to think a few moves ahead. I never liked Pub Battles Ancients. It is kind of fun, but it certainly isn't realistic. After a few games, it just got tedious, for me anyway. I find DBA a far superior study of Ancient combat. I actually sold my copy back to Noble Knight Games. For lowest cost and ease of entry, I recommend Antietam divisional. Either that or Brandywine, which is brigade blocks.

@solobattles sounds like I’ll need to invest in Brandywine now 😅, at least I’ll be able to give Monmouth a go at brigade level. Unfortunately I have to agree about Ancients, I was hoping I was just misunderstanding or mis-playing it. Glad to hear there’s another DBA player out there though!

Thank you! I'm not part of the company, but I enjoy this system so much that I want to promote it as much as possible. Gettysburg is one of the titles coming out next with brigade scale. I can't imagine how long that's going to take to play, but it sure will look cool. I don't know about you, but I start suffering from real combat fatigue by late afternoon on day 2. Whenever I do get the new style blocks, I will definitely be making some videos.

@@robertverry $102.29

@@SoloBattles And that's the map, blocks, block stickers, dice and rulebook?

@robertverry Everything but the dice. You can still use a six sided die and consult the chart. This is done so you are not paying for the same special dice every time. Each game also comes with a paper measuring ruler, and you can either buy a wood or chain one from them, or make your own out of a bit of dowel rod or a chopstick. That is with the canvass map. It's less expensive with the paper map option, but I think the canvass maps are so cool. One thing nice about the paper maps is the game comes in a box that sits nicely on a shelf. The canvass comes rolled up in a tube (around 3" dia.). The canvas is super durable. I play these games often (I always have one set up in my den). Even my Brandywine map, which is almost ten years old, is just like new. In spite of it having had beverages spilled on them. They just wipe clean. They do come with an aged appearance, so even if they didn't, it would blend in. The only drawback is that you have to keep the dice separate. If you do travel with your game, you do want to be sure you've got your dice and measuring devices with you.

You might notice that I have a divider (drafting tool that looks like a compass) that I set to 1/3 foot move that looks and feels cool.

@@SoloBattles Very cool and I'm sure adds greatly to the overall battle experience (Thanks for the suggestion).

@chuckbunnell1082 stay tuned for the next video, and we shall see. It is interesting, do you deploy a full-length block to protect the bags against a mere skirmisher? Plus, next time I won't forget that I can't attack with the main British force if Cornwallis is riding around with the dragoons. This ain't over!

@YOUPIMatin123 Yes, and I assure the Colonials will do better next time!

@samhavoc1066 Of course, you're can still use regular dice with the tables or the new dice. The new combat is to reduce the possibility of a 3 hit kill on a fresh unit. It is still possible with the IV die, but otherwise not. You do have a slightly better chance of doing 2 hits. It was felt that being dealt three hits with no chance of retreating was too harsh for as often as it happened. The current method was strenuously tested and found to be the most authentic (because if you had no stand or die orders, if you intended to fall back, you should be given an opportunity to do so).

@samhavoc1066 It is because you have to be in column to cross a bridge or ford, that the defender gets the flanking bonus for the first round. In this series of videos I'm currently doing that focuses on the Southern crossing, the sunken road isn't a focal point. You can certainly play a game where it becomes the focal point, but like Hugoumont at Waterloo, experienced attackers rarely waste the troops to attack it. Experienced players, if they do need to attack it, will try and outflank it. Historically, it was one of those features that became an unexpected fiasco for the Union.

You don't actually get into column, you stay in line. The difficulty in crossing a defended bridge or ford is represented by the flanking modifier.

Thank you! I heartily agree with you on MBs being one of the most authentic systems available.

@@cf3714 Thanks! I try to be respectful of people's time. A lot of my editing time is spent cutting out silences and unnecessary comments.

Thanks for asking, I'm sure others might wonder as well. Because there was massed Union artillery on the hills opposite, any troops in the sunken road would have been subject to heavy fire and driven back. Since there was no mass of enemy troops ready to advance across the bridge, there was no compelling reason to place troops in jeopardy. This was my first game with the new 4.0 rules and I did not have all the rule changes/clarifications noted. The designer commented on my error, and it was not repeated in the next video. Good eye!

@@gre8132 Yes. They are cleaned up with a better presentation. The Musket Battles dice are fully incorporated in the rules, but you can still use standard six sided dice. Optional rules are included for written orders as well.

@@gre8132 They are included with every Musket Battles order. You are fine using Pub Battles 3.2 until the next time you order. The main thing folks are ordering right now is the brigade blocks. The brigade blocks come with a new scenario OB, as well as the 4.0 rules.

There is no online version, as they do a brisk business selling copies of the rules to minis gamers overseas.

@gre8132 yes. The biggest difference is they accommodate brigades, and they are just cleaned up and presented better.

@@SoloBattlesAh, I have them already. Didn’t realize they just changed the name.

@gre8132 Yes,nothing dramatic in the change. They just cleaned up the presentation and added rules to accommodate Brigades, which, for the most part, just says, "just like divisions, but more blocks." The change was made so you could actually find what you're searching for when you're looking online, as opposed to what event half the bars on the planet are hosting in the upcoming weekend!

@@mikestephan1228 I know! How insane. I choose to believe that A.P. Hill got delayed, and it cost the battle.

@jordigrau3582 all my plays are solo. I prefer the basic game solo, as there is less to keep track of.

You can go to the CUBE4ME website and see the pre-made set, and find all the info you're interested in!

I'm certainly having fun with it! It definitely looks very cool set up.

Absolutely! Antietam is about as big a battle as I want to do at this scale. Having said that, I may play the larger battles at brigade scale simply because they look so cool!

I'm hoping to see some Western theater ACW scenarios. Right now, current brigade scale orders are burying them, and this is the slow season!

@KenjiHouston Baggage Trains cannot be targeted by bombardment.

Exactly. Since the only real reasons for HQs is to allow their units to attack, and Artillery can't attack (only bombard and defend) there is no reason for them to have an HQ. McLellan, as Army Commander, can try to Alter Turn Order with the Chit draw.

Thank you, and yes it is!

Thank you, and yes it is!

Hey, I could use an audio guy. Let me know...

@gzfrhbhsolution6620 The chit draw is my own home rule. Ordinarily, it is YM/IM. The chit draw mechanic wasn't used back in the day, but I wanted to give it a try. Also, I don't think the edition I had in '76 included the bridgehead rules. The version I just bought from Noble Knight Games came with some rules that were added later. The Army HQ as bridgehead was definitely not in the game I had back in the 70's.

@@SoloBattles Thanks for that. I agree that the IM YM is overwhelmingly heavy handed, so I completely agree with at least some kind of chit draw. Thanks for the video and your valuable contribution to our battlespace.

@@gzfrhbhsolution6620 Thank you! This is just an experiment. Trying to change just one thing inevitably leads to complications,but it was a fun experiment.

Thank you for the nice words!Actually, you are under no obligation to spend any of your beginning money. The goblins certainly don't want to spend any of it.

The money I spent was the first turn.

Brigade Gettysburg now! 😂

@@maxwellfraleigh4533 It's coming next, along with Bull Run.

@@harismitakas7909 I don't know what kind of secondary market exists, I would check out Noble Knight Games as the most likely candidate. Command Post Games doesn't do conventions or discounts.

Not quite. Infantry has a FoF that effects how close an enemy block can end its move, but there is no actual ranged combat.

@@SoloBattles maybe #4 will clear this up.

Received #4 pdf rules. My thoughts. Soldiers during ACW were still armed with muskets, Not Stoner 63A. Rolling 3 dice at 4 or better makes musket fire over powered, hitting 50% of the time. I would make the odds hitting 5 or better, or 33%. That would make hit targets under cover 6, or 17%.

@KenjiHouston The designers/developers started with this concept for rifled muskets. It was found to add a lot of complexity and led to unintended consequences. Creating a FoF that you had to stay out of unless you moved to contact was the simplest solution. Allowing infantry to essentially bombard led to unintended consequences and confusion. It is better to imagine that a number of combats really are firefights. The combat occurring at whatever range the tactically dominant combatant preferred.

@SoloBattles reminds me of the old Avalon Hill vs SPI paradox, playability vs realism.

The labels are the same height, the fonts are the same size. They have been very careful to make the information clear. Remember, the only info you need of the block is its Corp and quality. That info is easy to discern. Initially, I shared your concern. Eye strain is real. I'm happy to report these labels are a clear as the old labels. The blocks have gone from 3/8 to 1/4 inch. The labels no reach from top to bottom, instead of leaving a 16th of an inch on either side of the block.

I have Antietam with the new brigade blocks. My labels fit just fine, but just. No overlap. Blocks are 1 inch long vice the 2 inch blocks of the division set.

@samhavoc1066 yes, the blocks do just fit. I'll probably use brigade blocks again on my next Antietam video. Next I'm doing a Monmouth Courthouse video. I never cared for it with the big blocks, but with more brigade blocks it should prove interesting.

@s.d.roberts8807 yes! It is another game that will have essentially the same number of blocks. Those blocks are going to look really small on that huge map! I can't wait to see how it changes the feel.

@@SoloBattles On that point, I was just at the actual battlefield last week and on the very spot where 1st brigade came onto the field. Upon returning home I broke out the Musket Battles map and wanted to play to only see that the blocks were far bigger than the fields I had just seen. It will make a giant difference for the better.

​@@s.d.roberts8807 agreed!

@@KenjiHouston Cool!

@Davshady Thank you so much, that's great to hear! I really enjoy these games, and my goal with these videos is to share my joy and keep enough interest in this system to justify more scenarios. I'm not part of Command Post Games, I just want to do what I can to ensure its Musket Battles thrives.

I agree. I will have to try again with the advanced rules. I think it may be a bit impossible to balance a scenario for both basic and advanced games. I also don't think it is necessary to have all scenarios balanced. A truly balanced scenario is nothing but a recipe for stalemates, barring some random craziness, which is the same way an unbalanced scenario works. Same, same.

I think it's a great improvement. Command by command, the movement goes as smoothly as ever. Combat can take longer because there is just so much of it, but then combats themselves are so quick and exciting that more combat is really a plus. It's not like those games that require micromanagement each round and can really drag things out.

@YOUPIMatin123 Yes. I'm assuming they did it for search algorithms because every bar on the planets hosts a Pub Battles event every weekend.

@@SoloBattles good choice imo.

Exactly. All you need to do is order the brigade blocks. The map is the same. The rules are completely backwards/forwards compatible, and are identical whether you are using the old or new blocks. Here is my blog post about all the different rules with 4.0. They are mostly clarifications. boomsimplepubbattles.com/2024/08/14/pub-battles-is-now-musket-battles-4-0/