Muskets and Maneuvers: The Tactical Depth of Clouds of Smoke

Clouds of Smoke, the scale-agnostic historical system recently analyzed by the Goonhammer Historicals team, represents a significant shift for players tired of the proprietary models that dominate modern wargaming. By focusing on the era between 1600 and 1815, the ruleset provides a cohesive framework for everything from the English Civil War to the fall of Napoleon, proving that a single engine can indeed handle the evolution of black powder warfare if the underlying philosophy is sound.

The mechanics, or the crunch as we veterans prefer, are centered on the concept of command friction. Unlike many modern skirmish games where every unit acts with the precision of a Swiss watch, this system understands that a line of infantry in the 18th century is a fragile, temperamental machine. The activation system utilizes a command-point economy that forces the player into the boots of a general who is constantly losing control. You are not just moving pieces; you are managing a limited pool of will. Do you spend your scarce resources to push a faltering flank into a bayonet charge, or do you use them to steady a wavering center? The activation rolls are weighted by the quality of your officers, making the individual character of your leaders as vital as the muskets they command. Movement and range are cleverly abstracted to work with any scale, whether you are fielding 6mm grand batteries or 28mm skirmishers. This is achieved through a Base Width measurement system that ensures the geometry of the battlefield remains consistent regardless of the physical size of your lead soldiers.

Regarding the lore, or the fluff, the game leans heavily into the transition from the pike-and-shot era to the age of the professional standing army. It captures the specific Age of Reason paradox: the attempt to impose perfect geometric order on a battlefield that quickly becomes a chaotic hellscape of sulfur and smoke. The title itself is a mechanical hint; as the battle progresses, the literal clouds of smoke from black powder weapons begin to obscure the field. This isn't just flavor text. It affects line of sight and command effectiveness, simulating the fog of war that plagued every commander from Marlborough to Wellington. The game treats history not as a static backdrop, but as a set of evolving physical and social constraints. The shift from the heavy, slow-moving tercio-style blocks to the flexible, thin lines of the Napoleonic era is reflected in unit traits rather than a complete overhaul of the rules.

At the table, the feel is one of high-stakes gambling. There is a specific, agonizing tension in watching a perfectly planned maneuver dissolve because a command roll failed at a critical juncture. It’s the kind of game that rewards the student of military history without requiring a scientific calculator to determine a flanking bonus. The friction creates a narrative that emerges naturally from the dice, rather than being forced by scripted events. For those looking to expand their historical collection without committing to a single manufacturer, 28mm Napoleonic Infantry provides an excellent starting point for testing this system's flexibility.

The verdict is clear: Clouds of Smoke is a triumph of design over commercial gatekeeping. It bridges the gap between the heavy, often impenetrable simulationism of the 1980s and the streamlined, sometimes overly simplistic accessibility of the 2020s. It respects the player's intelligence and their existing collection, making it an essential addition to any grognard’s shelf. It is a system that understands that the most important part of a historical game isn't the specific millimeter height of the models, but the impossible choices made by the people who led them.