Ney vs. Wellington: The Battle of Quatre Bras

About this board game

Ney vs. Wellington: The Battle of Quatre Bras is a two-player, battalion-level simulation of the Battle of Quatre Bras, fought on 16 June 1815, two days before Waterloo. Using the Wellington’s Victory System, it recreates the engagement in an approximately 180-minute game.

The game places players in command of infantry, cavalry, and artillery at a tactical scale. Each infantry or cavalry unit represents a battalion, with every strength point standing for 100 men. Artillery counters represent batteries, with each strength point equaling one gun.

• Scale: 100 yards per hex, or 91 meters per hex
• Time scale: 15 minutes per game turn
• Unit scale: 100 men per strength point for infantry and cavalry
• Artillery scale: one gun per strength point

Ney vs. Wellington features an asymmetrical sequence of play reflecting the demands of Napoleonic battlefield command. Rules cover facing and command control, along with infantry formations including line, extended line, column, square, and skirmish.

Cavalry actions are central to the system, with rules for charges and counter-charges. Army morale also plays a decisive role, adding a broader measure of battlefield cohesion beyond individual unit losses.

Victory can be achieved in several ways: capture objectives, destroy enemy strength points, or break the opposing army’s morale. With its detailed formations, tactical movement, artillery representation, and command considerations, this 1979 release offers a focused simulation of a crucial Napoleonic engagement.