L'Armee du Nord Clash of Arms Designed by Ed Wimble I recently finished the campaign game, solo. I enjoyed it very much and I appreciate the clever design in so simple a game. In my game, the Anglo-Dutch allies could not hold off the French at Quatre Bras and so retreated to Mont St. Jean for the 17th. The Prussians lost Ziethen's 1st corps early on and I decided to move their corps assembly markers away north to be closer to the Anglo-Dutch. The French effectively screened the Prussians while hammering the British at Mont St. Jean. Meanwhile, Ney and D'Erlon's corps (along with some Imperial Guard Cavalry) went round the far Allied right through Nivelles on their way to Brussels. That forced Hill to stay in place when he entered with the II Corps at Brussels. It became clear that Wellington would not hold up to the French alone and (big mistake) I thought he should try to get back to Brussels and hold on there while the Prussians bore down on the French from the rear. As Napoleon predicted, however, the woods were Wellington's undoing. The army was strung out on the road just as the Imperial Guard Cavalry showed up at the other (Brussels) entrance to the forest of Soignes. They had brushed past some infantry left near the area to oppose them. That slowed the British down and kept them away from Brussels while Ney began attacking the city. The French were able to scramble down the secondary road to the east of the main road where Wellington was stuck in traffic. Using some 'night moves' and taking a few losses, Napoleon brought the Guard to Brussels and joined Ney in attacking the city. The Prussians II and III corps were held up east of that secondary road by one infantry corps and two cavalry corps. The Prussians decided to pull back and see if they could march to Wellington's aid. They did not make it in time... Bulow's IV Corps assembly marker was placed close to Brussels. He was intended to be a bolster for the Brits who were losing numbers (in those 1/1 attacks that increase the liklihood of exchanges). Yet the British lost Brussels as he was arriving in the midst of the rest of the French army, that Grouchy had brought in the wake of Napoleon and Guard. Game over. The British I,II, and Frederickian corps were demoralized and the whole army was above the shattered level. The Prussians could elect a draw at that point but it was clear that Bulow would not have escaped and that would have pushed the Prussians over their shattered figure, too. Aside from the strange tactic of 1/1 attacks being more effective to cause losses, I thought the game was a very believable system and one that serves to illustrate the possibilities within the campaign. A successful design and a game I am glad I bought - even after reading that one rather critical review on Webgrognards. Thank you very much, COA. Mike Ollier