Wellington's Victory: Battle of Waterloo – 18 June 1815
Wellington's Victory: Battle of Waterloo – 18 June 1815 is a board wargame simulation of the Battle of Waterloo, originally published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1976. Description. This is two-person or three-person tabletop game — either one person can take on the French while the other takes both the Anglo-Allied forces and the Prussians, or the Anglo-Allied and Prussian forces can be divided between two players. Characterized as a "monster game" because of its large number of counters, this is a battalion-level simulation of the  Battle of Waterloo, with a 68" x 44" map of the seven-mile battle front (100 yards per hex), and 2000 counters. Rules are included to allow for battle formation tactics, skirmishers, and artillerists. Components. The components in the original SPI and TSR boxed sets are: In Decision Games' redesigned 2014 edition, the box holds: Publication history. "Wellington's Victory" was originally designed by Frank Davis and published by SPI in 1976 in a flat box. After TSR took over SPI in 1982, "Wellington's Victory" was re-issued under the TSR trademark in a standard-sized "bookcase" box. In  2015, Decision Games acquired the rights to "Wellington's Victory", and published a streamlined game redesigned by Chris Perello. Reception. In Issue 14 of "Imagine", Peter O'Toole reviewed the TSR edition, and liked the rules on firing factors, formations, unit effectiveness and cavalry charges. But he was dubious about skirmishers, and thought TSR's change of artwork on the cover was "terrible". Despite these quibbles, O'Toole concluded with a strong recommendation, saying, "Despite minor flaws the game is a classic. You feel the pressure the commanders felt. As Wellington you look on your thinning ranks and can honestly wish that  God will 'Give me night or give me Blucher'." In Issue 53 of "Moves", Ian Chadwick warned that "its very size and complexity demand serious commitment and concentration of effort." He concluded, "A few words cannot begin to convey the excitement, the pleasure, nor the trials of playing this game", and gave it a "B+" for playability, an "A" for historical accuracy, and a "A" for component quality. Paul Comben found several weaknesses in the rules concerning cavalry charges, found several historical errors in the setup, and questioned the lack of a system to simulate desertions during the battle . But overall, he felt the game provided an adequate if not a stimulating simulation, saying, "Where the SPI system shows at its strongest is, as I have said, in the function of this arm and that arm, the timing of correct deployment, and the advantages of good morale. But it remains process more than anything else." Awards. At the 1977 Origins Awards, "Wellington's Victory" was a finalist in two categories for Charles S. Roberts Awards: