Friday, June 14, 2024

Project Waterloo: Movie Quotes and Game Results!

 With the theme for 2024 being "Historicon goes to the Movies", part of the idea for the game is to use quotes from the film to make chance cards. I thought of all sorts of creative ideas, but in the end decided to just go with the ideas Neil Thomas set forth himself in One Hour Wargames, slightly modified. The result was one deck of 15 chance cards for each side. 


#

French Quote

French Effect

1

[Observing the advance of the Gordon Highlanders]

Napoleon: Has Wellington nothing to offer me but

these Amazons?

None

2

Mulholland: Brave Frenchmen! You have done all that

the honor of war demands; His Grace, the Duke of

Wellington, invites you to save your lives! Will you

surrender?

Cambronne: MERDE!

None

3

Napoleon: Those men on grey horses are terrifying.

Marshal Soult: They are the noblest cavalry in

Europe; and the worst led.

Napoleon: That may be; that may be, but we will

match them with our lancers.

None

4

Napoleon [in pain from piles] My body is dying, but

my mind is still good!

None

5

Napoleon: The only enemy I fear is nature.

None

6

Napoleon: Never interrupt your enemy while he's making

a mistake. That's bad manners.

Enemy Panic!

One enemy unit acquires

1-3 hits!

7

Napoleon: What's he doing? What's Ney doing? Can't

I leave the field for a minute? How can a man go

forward with the cavalry without infantry support? 


Confusion

1-3 French units of one

command may not move

this turn

8

Napoleon: Let's not have any disagreement.

Any disagreement only leads to disaster.



Confusion

1-3 French  units of one

command may not move

this turn

9

Napoleon: This Wellington wages war in a new way.

He fights, sitting on his ass. Well, we'll have to move

him off it.

Low Ammo

1-3 French units of one

command may not fire

this turn

10

Napoleon: Battles are lost and won in a quarter

of an hour.


Low Ammo

1-3 French units of one

command may not fire

this turn

11

Napoleon: If I die, it will be here, in the field,

with my men!


Demoralization

A single French unit

acquires 1-3 hits

12

Wellington: On the field of battle his hat is worth

fifty thousand men; but he is not a gentleman.


Initiative

A single French unit is

chosen to either move

twice, move then shoot,

or shoot twice.

13

Wellington: [on Napoleon's maneuver that split the

English and Prussian armies]

By God, that man does war honor.


Initiative

A single French unit is

chosen to either move

twice, move then shoot,

or shoot twice.

14

Napoleon: I've been in this position before, at the

battle of Marengo. I lost the battle at 5:00, but I won it

back again at 7!

Rally!

1-3 French units are

chosen to remove 1-2 hits

each

15

Napoleon: Let me tell you something. The most

precious quality in life is loyalty. Loyalty!

Rally!

1-3 French units are

chosen to remove 1-2 hits

each


#

British Quote

British effect

1

Wellington: Next to a battle lost, the saddest thing

 is a battle won.

None

2

Lord Uxbridge: As I am second-in-command and in case anything should happen to you, what

are your plans?

Wellington: To beat the French.

None

3

Wellington: Dramatic fellows, these French. Music and banners. Quite beautiful. You're a lucky fellow,

aren't you, Hay, to see such a wonder in

your first battle.

None

4

Lord Gordon: Good beans, Wellington!

Wellington: If there is anything in this world about which I  know positively nothing, it is agriculture.

None

5

[before the battle starts, the British troops are

singing a mocking song about Napoleon]

William De Lancey: Shall I shut them up, Sir?

Wellington: No, no, indulge it . Anything that wastes time is good. Indulge it. Normally I don't like cheering,

but there's always a time to cut cards with the Devil.

None

6

Mulholland: We're doing murder, your grace.

Wellington: I hope to God... that I've fought my last battle.

Enemy Panic!

One enemy unit

acquires  1-3 hits!

7

Lord Uxbridge: By God, Sir. I've lost my leg.

Wellington: By God, Sir. So you have.


Confusion

1-3 Allied units of one 

 command may not

move  this turn

8

Wellington: If Blucher doesn't show up here soon, 

they'll break every bone in my body!



Confusion

1-3 Allied units of one 

command may not

move this turn

9

Wellington: Brotherly business, isn't it, De Lancey...

killing.

Low Ammo

1-3 Allied units of one 

command may not fire 

this turn

10

Wellington: Commanders of armies have

something better to do than to fire at each other.


Low Ammo

1-3 Allied units of one 

command may not fire 

this turn

11

Wellington: It appears, Uxbridge, we're losing the battle. Give me night, or give me Blucher!


Demoralization

A single Allied unit 

acquires 1-3 hits

12

Sarah: General Picton doesn't know how to walk

in a ballroom.

Wellington: But he is very good when he is

dancing with  the French.

Initiative

A single Allied unit may

be chosen to either

move twice, move then shoot,  or shoot twice.

13

Wellington: The whole line will advance.

Lord Uxbridge: In which direction, your grace?

Wellington: Why, straight ahead to be sure.


Initiative

A single Allied unit may

be  chosen to either

move twice, move then shoot, or shoot twice.

14

Wellington: [referring to his army] I don't know

what they'll do  to the enemy; but, by God,

they frighten me.

Rally!

1-3 Allied units are

chosen to remove  1-2

hits each

15

Wellington: They're coming on in the same old style.

Picton: Well, then we shall have to meet them in the 

same old style.

Rally!

1-3 Allied units are

chosen to remove  1-2

hits each



12 comments:

  1. The chance cards will be a lot of fun, especially combined with the quotes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Peter. They should be enough to add some variation without being overwhelming.

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  2. Great idea Peter. These will work well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks,. Lawrence. I plan to make up the actual cards in the next week.

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  3. I'm impressed that so many quotes were collected, well done, and like this idea much.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Mark; the power of Mr. Google at work! :-)

      Delete
  4. Clever use of those famous quotes but… “Sire the Prussians are in the woods, Blucher is in the woods!” Napoleon, “If I made one mistake in my life, I should have burned Berlin.”

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I saw both of those, and were the Prussians included in the game, I would have used them both! :-)

      Delete
  5. Its a very quotable movie to be sure :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, so that seems like it will work very well for this idea!

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  6. Reference Strykers suggested quote, I recall the first occasion I saw the film (aged around ten) and repeated that quote to my mum, who lived through WW2, and she said something like "Napoleon was right!"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There is a fair amount of historical speculation as to how events might have played out had Napoleon remained on the throne of France in 1815 rather than being replaced by the Bourbons again. Most of it focuses on its impact upon the subsequent military and political development of Prussia. But of course, who really knows?

      Delete