Project Waterloo: Movie Quotes and Game Results!
With the theme for 2024 being “Historicon goes to the Movies”, part of the idea for the game is to use quotes from the film to make chance cards. I thought of all sorts of creative ideas, but in the end decided to just go with the ideas Neil Thomas set forth himself in One Hour Wargames, slightly modified. The result was one deck of 15 chance cards for each side.
#
French Quote
French Effect
1
[Observing the advance of the Gordon Highlanders]
Napoleon: Has Wellington nothing to offer me but
these Amazons?
None
2
Mulholland: Brave Frenchmen! You have done all that
the honor of war demands; His Grace, the Duke of
Wellington, invites you to save your lives! Will you
surrender?
Cambronne: MERDE!
None
3
Napoleon: Those men on grey horses are terrifying.
Marshal Soult: They are the noblest cavalry in
Europe; and the worst led.
Napoleon: That may be; that may be, but we will
match them with our lancers.
None
4
Napoleon [in pain from piles] My body is dying, but
my mind is still good!
None
5
Napoleon: The only enemy I fear is nature.
None
6
Napoleon: Never interrupt your enemy while he’s making
a mistake. That’s bad manners.
Enemy Panic!
One enemy unit acquires
1-3 hits!
7
Napoleon: What’s he doing? What’s Ney doing? Can’t
I leave the field for a minute? How can a man go
forward with the cavalry without infantry support?
Confusion
1-3 French units of one
command may not move
this turn
8
Napoleon: Let’s not have any disagreement.
Any disagreement only leads to disaster.
Confusion
1-3 French units of one
command may not move
this turn
9
Napoleon: This Wellington wages war in a new way.
He fights, sitting on his ass. Well, we’ll have to move
him off it.
Low Ammo
1-3 French units of one
command may not fire
this turn
10
Napoleon: Battles are lost and won in a quarter
of an hour.
Low Ammo
1-3 French units of one
command may not fire
this turn
11
Napoleon: If I die, it will be here, in the field,
with my men!
Demoralization
A single French unit
acquires 1-3 hits
12
Wellington: On the field of battle his hat is worth
fifty thousand men; but he is not a gentleman.
Initiative
A single French unit is
chosen to either move
twice, move then shoot,
or shoot twice.
13
Wellington: [on Napoleon’s maneuver that split the
English and Prussian armies]
By God, that man does war honor.
Initiative
A single French unit is
chosen to either move
twice, move then shoot,
or shoot twice.
14
Napoleon: I’ve been in this position before, at the
battle of Marengo. I lost the battle at 5:00, but I won it
back again at 7!
Rally!
1-3 French units are
chosen to remove 1-2 hits
each
15
Napoleon: Let me tell you something. The most
precious quality in life is loyalty. Loyalty!
Rally!
1-3 French units are
chosen to remove 1-2 hits
each
#
British Quote
British effect
1
Wellington: Next to a battle lost, the saddest thing
is a battle won.
None
2
Lord Uxbridge: As I am second-in-command and in case anything should happen to you, what
are your plans?
Wellington: To beat the French.
None
3
Wellington: Dramatic fellows, these French. Music and banners. Quite beautiful. You’re a lucky fellow,
aren’t you, Hay, to see such a wonder in
your first battle.
None
4
Lord Gordon: Good beans, Wellington!
Wellington: If there is anything in this world about which I know positively nothing, it is agriculture.
None
5
[before the battle starts, the British troops are
singing a mocking song about Napoleon]
William De Lancey: Shall I shut them up, Sir?
Wellington: No, no, indulge it . Anything that wastes time is good. Indulge it. Normally I don’t like cheering,
but there’s always a time to cut cards with the Devil.
None
6
Mulholland: We’re doing murder, your grace.
Wellington: I hope to God… that I’ve fought my last battle.
Enemy Panic!
One enemy unit
acquires 1-3 hits!
7
Lord Uxbridge: By God, Sir. I’ve lost my leg.
Wellington: By God, Sir. So you have.
Confusion
1-3 Allied units of one
command may not
move this turn
8
Wellington: If Blucher doesn’t show up here soon,
they’ll break every bone in my body!
Confusion
1-3 Allied units of one
command may not
move this turn
9
Wellington: Brotherly business, isn’t it, De Lancey…
killing.
Low Ammo
1-3 Allied units of one
command may not fire
this turn
10
Wellington: Commanders of armies have
something better to do than to fire at each other.
Low Ammo
1-3 Allied units of one
command may not fire
this turn
11
Wellington: It appears, Uxbridge, we’re losing the battle. Give me night, or give me Blucher!
Demoralization
A single Allied unit
acquires 1-3 hits
12
Sarah: General Picton doesn’t know how to walk
in a ballroom.
Wellington: But he is very good when he is
dancing with the French.
Initiative
A single Allied unit may
be chosen to either
move twice, move then shoot, or shoot twice.
13
Wellington: The whole line will advance.
Lord Uxbridge: In which direction, your grace?
Wellington: Why, straight ahead to be sure.
Initiative
A single Allied unit may
be chosen to either
move twice, move then shoot, or shoot twice.
14
Wellington: [referring to his army] I don’t know
what they’ll do to the enemy; but, by God,
they frighten me.
Rally!
1-3 Allied units are
chosen to remove 1-2
hits each
15
Wellington: They’re coming on in the same old style.
Picton: Well, then we shall have to meet them in the
same old style.
Rally!
1-3 Allied units are
chosen to remove 1-2
hits each
Project Waterloo: Dutch Line Infantry, 1815
Project Waterloo: 2nd Nassau (Nassau-Usingen) Light Infantry Regiment
The twin Duchies of Nassau (much reorganized after losing territory to France and the new Grand Duchy of Berg) joined the confederation of the Rhine in 1806.
Project Waterloo: Order of Battle
Using the previously referenced “English Waterloo” hex scenario for Blucher as a guide, the following are needed:
French Army:
2 Legere: 7 hits
13 Ligne: 6 hits
2 Cuirassier: 7 hits, shock
5 other Line Cavalry (Hussar/Dragoon/Lancer/Chasseur): 6 hits
2 Guard Light Cavalry: 7 hits, shock
1 Guard Heavy Cavalry, 8 hits, Shock
2 Guard Infantry, 8 hits, shock
1 Guard Artillery
1 Line Heavy Artillery
The French troops are no problem; I have far more than these!
Leaders: Napoleon, Ney, Reille, D’Erlon, Kellerman, Milhaud
As the game will have three players a side, these have to change, along with the command structure. Thus Napoleon and Ney will share Army command; each turn the French player will have to decide which one to use; each will come with their own characteristics.
The three player commands will be Reille, D’Erlon, and Lobau. In the interest of the game, the troops will be pretty evenly divided amongst the three commands, with La Garde in Reserve.
Anglo Allied Army:
3 Nassau Line: 5 hits
1 Dutch-Belgian Line: 5 hits Conscript
3 Hanoverian Infantry: 5 hits Conscript
2 Brunswick Infantry: 5 hits
5 British Line: 6 hits Firepower, Steady
2 British Light: 7 hits Firepower, Steady
2 British Guard: 7 hits, Firepower, Steady, Shock
1 Brunswick Cavalry: 6 hits
3 Dutch-Belgian Cavalry: 5 hits Reluctant
4 British Light Cavalry: 6 hits, Shock, Impetuous
2 British Heavy Cavalry: 7 hits, Shock, Impetuous
Leaders: Wellington, Picton, Orange, Buttlar, Collert, Uxbridge
Like the French, I have more than enough British for the game already. I also have more than enough Brunswickers (MInifigs painted 3 decades ago). I have a single Nassau regiment, and no Dutch-Belgians or Hanoverians.
In contemplating the situation, I decided to get a second unit of Nassau troops (There were 2 Nassau regiments in the Confederation of the Rhine anyway, so they will be useful elsewhere as well). Rather than get a 3rd Nassau infantry, I decided to get one each of Dutch and Belgian infantry for variety. These troops are only of use for the 100 days campaign.
I didn’t want to get 3 units of very limited use cavalry, so British Light Dragoons in shako will have to stand in for them. OK, that works, I have 4 such units and only need 3.
The Hanoverians posed the biggest problem; I didn’t want to paint up 3 more units of very limited use troops! In considering the situation,. It occurred to me that I could use the (very nicely painted) Minifigs British Line infantry I purchased from Jamie W. at Historicon about 25 years ago, and could even give them Hanoverian militia flags! I have 66 such figures plus 2 mounted officers; with adding a few spare Old Glory command figures that would make 4 units, and I could even retain the original flags on their own command stands if I want to use them as British again. OK, Hanoverian dilemma solved with zero added expanse and perhaps some minimal added painting.
As for Leaders, it will be Wellington as C-in-C, Picton, Hill, and Prince Wilhelm of Orange. Once again there will be some special characteristics for them. All I will need to paint up there will be Prince Wilhelm.
An order was thus fired off to Perry Miniatures last month for the necessary troops (some of the DB units I wanted were out of stock, but others were readily substituted, and they arrived across the pond in record time.
Painting information was needed for some of these new troops. Fortunately. I have pretty much bought every Osprey Napoleonic uniform title I can find, so I already had these: