Berthier Campaign Manager
Free software to help run wargame campaigns
Current Berthier Version: 11.3.1 Release Date: 23 March 2024
DESCRIPTION
Berthier software manages wargames campaigns for miniatures. Berthier is a generic campaign engine that is suitable for historical, naval or fantasy wargaming in most periods. Berthier allows two campaigners, without an umpire, to run simple strategic campaigns leading to tabletop battles. Alternatively umpires can use Berthier to run two sided campaigns. It is also suitable for solo play.
Berthier is an small stand alone MS Windows program which works "straight out of the box" with no installation necessary.
DOWNLOAD
Berthier may be downloaded from the Download Section at the bottom of this web page. Click this link -
Source: Sullivan's Island campaign created by Steve-the-Wargamer.
BERTHIER FEATURES
Berthier creates 'fog of war' by concealing the movement of the two opposing forces. Berthier does this by automating the movement and tracking of unit positions on any campaign map that has been overlayed with a map grid and given grid reference numbers. Enemy units are only seen when they come within reconnaissance range.
Berthier allows each map square to be nominated as a specific terrain type with unit movement restricted by the type of underlying terrain.
Berthier accommodates up to 27 campaign units per side.
Movement is alternate with each side moving all its units in its movement phase by issuing orders to units. Berthier determines the best route and moves the units. Units can also be ordered to transport other units. When opposing units enter the same square Berthier indicates that contact has been made. Contacts can then be gamed out on the wargames table or with Berthier's combat resolution function. Units can scout nearby squares. The campaign can be saved at any time and re-commenced later.
Screen Shots Tutorial A Solo Campaign Write-up
Other features of Berthier include:
The map grid and strategic terrain are displayed using plain colours or textures. The colours/texture for terrain on the map are customisable.
Additional textures can be found here Textures.Unit positions, reconnaissance and enemy contacts displayed on the map.
Intelligence reports. You can set the level of accuracy for intelligence reporting.
Optional management of supply and attrition for units.
Sending of messages (i.e. couriers) between units, with terrain and distance delay and potential capture by the enemy.
Units are able to be hidden from scouting e.g. submarines.
Grid squares can be assigned stacking limits i.e. a limit of the maximum number of units that can be in a square.
Recruits/replacements can be automatically added to existing units on nominated campaign moves.
Customisable random event tables.
Customisable look-up reference tables.
Alarms that can be set to go off on nominated campaign moves to remind campaigners something must happen.
A "march to the sound of the guns" function.
Optional Auto Save after each move.
The ability to attach annotations, and/or BMP images files, to any map grid square.
Automated dice of many sorts.
A campaign notebook.
A random tabletop terrain generator.
Personalities tool to give basic support for role-playing characters.
Help and documentation.
Works well for solo campaigns - you can pre-program the movement of one or both sides.
Ability to call up the image of the original “topographical” campaign map if it is in BMP file format. Unit positions can be plotted on this image. (Only works if the GridMap utility was used to develop the campaign.)
Logging and visual playback of all moves to provide a campaign history.
An optional, simple campaign economic model that calculates income from territory held.
Campaign across the internet using the experimental Traffic Light front-end for Berthier.
GridMap UTILITY
Berthier comes with a utility called 'GridMap'. With GridMap you can take a topographical map in BMP file format, mark it up very quickly with a Berthier terrain grid and then generate a campaign file that can be loaded by Berthier. This makes moving from a topographical map to Berthier campaign very easy.
SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE
I really enjoy hearing about how people are using Berthier - you might like to share your campaign files and campaign history with me.
DOWNLOAD SECTION
Download the Latest Windows Version of Berthier
Click here to download Berthier (~7 mb)
Known problem with the Help files (Berthier.chm, GridMap.chm) caused by downloading
Problem: The right pane where the text must be rendered is white blank.
Solution: After downloading, right-click the chm file, select properties, then click “Unblock”.
Texture Files Download
Additional textures can be found here - Additional Textures.
OTHER VERSIONS OF BERTHIER
Other Operating Systems
It is possible to run Berthier under other operating systems - Mac OS, Linux etc. See here.
MSDOS Version
Click here to download older MSDOS version of Berthier (~1.5 mb)
This is the much older and original MSDOS version of Berthier. If your operating system is MSDOS, Mac OS X, Linux or BEOS you can use this version. See here on how to do this for Mac OS X, Linux or BEOS in conjunction with the DOSBOX DOS emulator. The MSDOS version of Berthier can be run in a DOS window under Windows/95/98/ME/2000/NT/XP.
LINKS
Traffic Light is a Berthier front-end to allow campaigning across the internet using a cloud storage service.
Matchbox is a lightweight campaign manager based on the Berthier Campaign Manager engine that emulates the "old school" matchbox method of hidden movement.
AWIRules are computer moderated rules for American War of Independence wargames.
OnScript works as an audible aide-mémoire to assist wargame play. While OnScript was conceived for solo wargaming play, 2-player gamers may find it useful as well.
ShipBase II by David Ferris' compiled to run as native 32-bit Windows program.
Playing Around with One Hour Wargames Rules
My various experiments and rule modifications for different periods of Neil Thomas' One Hour Wargame rules. (Playing around with One Hour Wargame Rules)
The original Berthier Campaign Manager from the 1980s.
Galactic is a MSDOS program that was developed by Jim Vassilakos to support the Traveller RPG.
Galactic for Windows is the Galactic 2.4c code modified and compiled to run as native 32-bit Windows programs.