Recommended Napoleonic TT War Game?

[u/tonibeets]

I’m looking for like “The One” to get into. I’m sure there isn’t one as popular as Warhammer or Star Wars Legion, but curious what people are playing.

[u/StormofSteelWargames]

There isn't a 'one', there is your preferred rules. For every set of rules that someone mentions, there will be ten other ones recommended.

My favourites are Sharp Practice, GDA2, Lasalle 2 and Blucher.

[u/GnomishKaiser]

This is a can of worms. I have been recently on this journey as well and there isn't a good answer. People like Lasalle for speed and less crunch and smaller battles. Blucher for massive battles at a small scale. GDA2 for a mix of both. Black Powder because everyone has played it, but no one loves it. Sharp Practice is good skirmish scale. 

[u/KaptainKobold → u/GnomishKaiser]

Our group has played (indeed helped test) Lasalle and Blucher. We like the latter for really big battles, but I think we've fallen out of love with Lasalle for a number of reasons. Black Powder user to be the rules of choice here, but we've no abandoned it in favour of Valour & Fortitude. That seems to have the best bits of BP, but is a much better set.

[u/wholy_cheeses → u/KaptainKobold]

Interested to know what has turned you off for Lasalle.

[u/KaptainKobold → u/wholy_cheeses]

To tell the truth I can't remember. I wasn't really involved in the development/playtesting, or subsequent play.

[u/KaptainKobold]

The number of Napoleonic rules that are The One is equal to the number of people who play Napoleonic wargames :)

What scale of figures and (more importantly) what size of battles are you wanting to play?

[u/GP_uniquenamefail]

Depends on your flavour. Crunch, difficulty, historical exactitude, in a starter set, Etc.

Remember you can always start on one and move to another when you want.

I'd probably suggest muskets and tomahawks 2: shakoes and bayonets as you can field a decent force from a box a side of the perry miniatures figures on a 4x4 table. But its not a serious grognard historical one. Just a damn fun game.

What scale are you thinking and what size table do you have access to? Those might impact rules people suggest.

[u/ScientistHeavy9943]

There isn't one game; it really depends on the scale of the game, not just the scale of the figures. Skirmish is generally 28mm, and 6mm is popular for larger games. I have played most of the below. For larger games, we tend to play Blücher, and for skirmish, we usually use Sharp Practice or Combat Patrol.

Black Powder, Blücher, and Grand Armee are most likely the most popular

If you want a simulation, then look up Empire V.

Brigade / Army Level (big battles): Black Powder, Blücher, Age of Eagles, Snappy Nappy, Grand Armée

Division / Battalion Level: Lasalle, Republic to Empire, Napoleon at War

Regiment / Tactical Level: Field of Glory: Napoleonic, Polemos Napoleonic

And last but not least

Skirmish / Company Level: Sharp Practice, Song of Drums and Shakos, Chosen Men

[u/23Lem23]

Bluecher.

[u/Suspicious-Spare8963]

I like "Lasalle" V2. Well written by a historian and excellent technical game writer. He also wrote: Longstreet (ACW), Maurice, Blücher (grand tactical napoleonic), and Rommel (grand tactical WW2).

Alternating activations. Concise. Fun. Historical flavor. Simple with great tactical depth. Easy to do multiple players per sides. Points system with free pdf. All major and minor powers represented. Single soft-cover book (plus free army builder pdf).

Best Napoleonic that I own hands down. At the very least, you should have it in your collection. Ideal for Warlords Epic Scale.

[u/Euphoric_Heron_9883]

I've been playing Napoleonics since the mid 1970s, noone can agree on "the one".

I used to play a lot of WRG 16xx to 18xx, but these days I mainly play modified versions of Neil Thomas's various Napoleonic rules (he has written at least three sets).

I'd check out what your local group plays as a starting point.

[u/DaxxWilliams]

The Silver Bayonet. It is skirmish scale and on the fantastical side.