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Live Free or Die Rule Review

Today I will review the big battle American War of Independence rules, Live Free or Die. They are a simple, fun set of rules for gaming the battles of the American Revolution. They place a big emphasis on the disparity between regulars and militia, and that seems to be the main thing they want to capture with the rules.

I will be using the B&B rule review format which rates rules in 5 categories: Cost, Ease of play, Essence, Fun factor, and Bonus. In each category rules can score 1-3 points. 1 point being ok, 2 being good, 3 being great. If there is one exceptionally good or bad category it can score either a -1 or a 4 but this can only be scored once per review. This means that a score of 10 is average. Let’s get right into it.

Cost: How much is it to get a decent game on the table?

Now the cost of Live Free or Die can depend on what scale that you do it in. I do see most people doing this in small scale, as you do need a lot of bases, and those larger figures do add up. I did mine fairly cheaply with secondhand 10mm figures and got about 150 bases on the table for about 160 USD, which isn’t too bad.

Score: 2

Ease of Play: Is it easy to learn, teach and remember?

At just 4 pages, it is incredibly easy to digest this game. I have taught it to non-gamers in less than 10 minutes, and they pick it up quickly. The turn is broken down into easy, simple steps that flow well. The game is driven by a command point system that introduces some friction without getting too bogged down.

Score: 4

Essence: Do the rules capture the ‘feel’ of the period?

The rules do a good job at putting you in the shoes of a general of the period. The battles usually flow very well, and will give historical results, assuming a well put together scenario. The only problem I find is occasionally the games run into some bumps where the rules are fuzzy or something is off. The rules could have used a couple more playtest.

Score: 2

Fun Factor: Did I have a good time?

This game is a blast! It has given me a couple of the best game I’ve ever played. The simple rules leave room for joking around, but still have that depth to challenge you. It’s a great time, and along with the ease of play, the fun factor is definitely the selling point of this game.

Score: 3

Bonus: Is there anything else to say?

There are a few problems with the rules. There are a few ambiguities, that while they don’t come up often, they can cause problems. The modifiers can feel weird at times, and it feel like not all of the combat result/retreat rules are optimal. Not exactly a gripe with the rules, but some of the scenarios written by the authors, such as White Plains or Camden, are not very good, and could use some work.

Score: 1

Conclusion

Final Score: 12

The final score clocks in at a 12, which is above average. I really enjoy it, and it is my go to big battle AWI ruleset for now. For 13$ you can buy the book, and half of the money goes to the American Battlefield Trust. I highly recommend you go check it out.

Here is the link to the product and support.

https://www.littlewarstv.com/live-free-or-die.html

In the future I may release an article with some rules changes and a reworked Camden scenario, so stay tuned for that.

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Until next time- Joshua, The Napoleon of the West

Published by Napoleon of the West

4 Replies to “Live Free or Die Rule Review”

  1. Thanks for the review. A couple of suggestions.
    1. Your pics look like you are playing on a big game table. You mentioned needing a lot of figures. Not everyone has both and some have neither. For someone trying to decide about taking the leap, what would you say the smallest table would be for 10mm figs for these rules, and minimum number of stands total for both sides to play the scenarios?
    2. How long does it take to play the scenarios?
    3. Anything on mechanics? IGO-UGO? Simultaneous with orders? Casualties by stand removal? Stand fights at full strength until routed or effectiveness drops with casualties? Bookkeeping / paperwork? Other?
    4. Similarity or differences from other rules for the same period for comparison purposes?
    5. Solo play compatible? Not expecting a game provided AI mechanism but is there anything in the rules that would preclude solo play?
    6. Support materials – other scenarios available? Coverage by other wargaming sites? FB sites? Author support for questions/recommendations?

    Best of luck with your games!

    1. 1. I played all games on a 6×4 table. I can do a number of the scenarios with 150 stands.
      2. About 2-3 hours
      3. IGOUGO with order, stand removal.
      4. This wasn’t a comparison, so I didn’t want to talk about other games.
      5. NO
      6. I forgot to add the links!!

  2. Thank you for the review, which is very useful. For me the most important category is realism or ‘Essence’ as you state. I would appreciate a detailed explanation of your statement “…the games run into some bumps where the rules are fuzzy or something is off.”

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