Wednesday, December 11, 2013

La Bataille de Leipzig: Mayhem in a Plain White Box

Hi Kids,  There's a new game in town, a labor of love from the lads at Marshal Enterprises.  Leipzig 1813, the Battle of Nations!  Where our boy Nappie took on all comers in the wilds of what used to be Prussia.  In the Big tradition of La Bataille monster games everywhere, this one is pretty honkin' big too.  Huge maps, 2000 counters, 180 page rulebook, playing time a couple months....  This one is somewhat of a departure from the standard La Bataille game; there is no printed rule book, just a cd so you can print it yourself; the maps show two areas that do not connect; and a really flimsy white box almost free of decoration and strength.  M.E. has been in the Nappie battle monster game business for at least 20-30 years, with all sorts of stuff out there; Austerlitz, Wagram, Moscova, and a bunch of battles from the Peninsula and the 100 Days.  Most of them are good solid games, just ask the lads on ComSimWorld.  Some are even worth Big Money; a couple years ago a copy of Austerlitz went for US$1100 on ebay.  Wow.  They only printed 400 copies of this newest monster, and last week they had already sold 350, so if you want one you better act fast!  US$200 smackers and it can be yours!  The lads out in the sticks west of here have already broken out a copy and started playing it. There are about 5 of them playing on Monday nights.

 The Order of Battle for the scenario the lads are playing.  These are the reinforcements.
 

 Close up of the French.
 
 And the Austrians.
 This map is about 4 or 5 feet across and 4 feet tall.  The two maps show areas where there was a lot of action in the areas around Leipzig, but do not match up.  Lots of scenarios!  This is turn one.  Unit density is still pretty low, the reinforcements have yet to show up.   Have a beer!
 The Vistula Legion perhaps?

 Russians on the left, French on the right.



Did I mention the plain white box?  No one would suspect there was a monster game lurking within!  This thing is about as strong as those crumby boxes in which shirts are packed.  Exercise extreme caution opening this thing.

1 comment:

Chris said...

My god... that packaging, what mad man derived that hellish contraption? As for the game looked very cool. I wouldn't mind losing a couple of weeks playing that.