General d'Armee 2 a quick initial try

A brief try of new GDA2 today at Stephens (whose physical copy arrived just as we started) with a 1813/14 Prussian vs French match up using the 'pick n mix' Divisional lists included with terrain generated from the system in the GDB rules.

The lists are quite good generating plausible Divisional forces as you get 4 core Brigades (3 Foot 1 Mounted) with options to choose 1-3 more depending on size of game you want. 

Additionally you use upgrades/promotions to regrade some troops or add extra units with number of such upgrades determined by size of game and attacker vs defender (attacker also get 2 extra Line units). 

British and French benefit from access to more Light Infantry units which if 'bought'/upgraded to Veteran are very flexible as only they can operate  Deployed into Skirmish Order in the open (lesser quality Lights can only skirmish in cover/rough) 

We rolled for attacker/defender (much easier to sort this prior to a game as effects list options) and as defender I got option to choose a Redoubt which can be the Tactical Objective in a game (one is selected within defenders zone and can be a BUA or Hill or some such). Defenders deploy in own half of table and cannot advance into enemy half unless they are Skirmishers or Cavalry or a Brigade using Re-deploy command.

We only played a few turns as lots of discussion (as is our want) of new systems in rules and effects of new Taskings and especially the new CinC Commands.

Systems for shooting, charging and combat are simpler overall (and more intuitive we felt) with most situations/circumstances being either re-rolls or additional Casualty Dice or simple adjustment to 'quality' of shooting effect. 

Charges being limited to single units (with supports) is much easier to work out and cuts out need for several rules like Massed Columns.

Troop grades are simpler in that things like Grenadier or Reservist is a permanent state rather than old changes after X casualties deal, again making things simpler overall.

Artillery Brigades are no more (they felt out of place in Divisional game) with Batteries being attached to an Infantry Brigade with a maximum of 1 per Brigade and Artillery Assault is limited to a single Battery per turn so much less impactful than in GDA1 (they always seemed too good).

We tried a cavalry charge vs foot in Line who now must dice to form Square (or not) with option to choose to stay in Line being removed. 

As it turned out my Line failed to form square and became an Unformed Line but managed to bounce the Light Cavalry and supports due to a judicious re-roll.

I also tried new CinC Command 'Post of Honour' which gives a unit/Brigade enhanced charging/combat ability at cost of a couple of ADCs and a CinC Command chit (we had 2 each of these). 

The various CinC commands look pretty potent but are non-repeatable one-shot wonders so timing is key.

Overall very happy with new version and look forward to more game time with them to discover nuances and tactics.

They work well for a Divisional (4-6 Brigades) on our tables size and whilst not as fast playing as the similarly pitched Lasalle 2, they do add some nice tactical decisions/flavour to game play. 

There are rules included for larger sized Corps Level games (but bigger tables required) but I would stick with Glory is Fleeting, Shako 2 or of course FOB for such larger encounters.

Only a couple of pics as engrossed in activity