Game Design and Concepts: Nicolas Pilartz, Kevin Zucker Development: Mark Bailey, John Metzger, David Metzger Map: Mark Bailey Number of Players: Two to Seven Playing Time: Four hours to several days Complexity Level: Low to intermediate Packaging: Bookcase-sized cardboard box Scale: Division/Corps. Each turn in the game equals one entire season in a year. Map and Playing Pieces: 22-by-34-inch map of Europe printed on stiff paper, with various play and battle charts. 560 die-cut one-sided counters are provided. Player mats printed on card stock, eleven sheets of uncut paper money, record cards, two ten-sided dice, and reference sheets are also included. Rules: 16-page rule booklet and separate errata sheet with victory objectives. Scenarios: One Historical Background Information: Basic introduction and concepts in the rule booklet; no designer's notes are included. Publisher: Operational Studies Group, Baltimore, Maryland Publication Date: 1998 List Price: $48.00 Summary: La Guerre de l'Empereur is Operational Studies Group's (OSG) attempt to create a playable grand strategic game set in Napoleonic Europe between 1805 and 1815 without overwhelming players with historical detail. It succeeds with the second edition rules. For years Avalon Hill's Empires in Arms was the only Napoleonic multi-player game that enabled you to play the role of a leader of one of the great powers of Europe and command all the resources of a nation, military and economic, while engaging in diplomacy with the other players. Unfortunately, that game took days if not weeks to finish and was not a design that could be used to introduce people to Napoleonic history or wargaming. OSG sought to create something in the same scale, but a game that was much easier, to play such as Hasbro's World War II best-seller Axis & Allies. The result is La Guerre de l'Empereur, an interesting game set at the start of 1805 after Napoleon's coronation as Emperor and just before his great Ulm-Austerlitz campaign. Up to seven players are possible, although only two players — France and Great Britain — are required. The other nations include (in order of how they are assigned to players) Russia, Austria, Prussia, Spain, and the Ottoman Empire. For example, a three-player game would be France, Great Britain and Russia. A fourth player would be Austria, etc. There are also a few non-player minor countries. The game map shows all of Europe divided into various provinces, each given a number rating for garrison, economic, and political value. Oceans and seas are split up into individual sea zones. The map is functional but vacant of terrain or major geographical features other than coastlines and territorial borders, and lacks aesthetic appeal. The playing pieces, while functional, are not up to the attractive state-of-the-art standards of other Napoleonic boardgames. The paper money is packaged uncut in a booklet. The box art is rather gloomy and difficult to see from any distance (unlike the nice 1806 box cover published by OSG). This is unfortunate since the game's visual aspects are essential to its appeal. To win the game, each nation must reach a set victory point value. Victory points are achieved through control of various political, economic, and military areas. Players can form alliances and coalitions with each other, break these alliances, invade other countries, violate neutral countries, force nations to capitulate, and so forth. The smallest units are approximately division level, and combat consists of both sides deploying their units into four separate tactical areas (the left, middle, right, and reserve of a battlefield diagram) and then choosing offensive and defensive options to achieve victory. Naval combat is simpler, and Great Britain has the advantage in that area. The lack of historical detail may be disappointing to players looking for more of a Napoleonic feel. La Guerre de l'Empereur is a simplified game where all divisions are generic (a mixture of infantry and cavalry); there are no major differences between, say, a French and Ottoman division, although individual leaders such as Murat, Wellington, and Blücher are provided with their own unique abilities. Odd alliances that seem historically improbable can be formed. La Guerre de l'Empereur is a generic strategic game with a rough approximation of the Napoleonic Wars. Time and patience invested in playing La Guerre allow it to develop into an interesting game with a relatively fast pace. While it is simple and playable in its original form, Kevin Zucker has written advanced rules which will add more historical detail and accuracy to what is a fun and easy Napoleonic-era boardgame. However, players who desire a more realistic simulation of historical events are directed to OSG's more detailed and critically-acclaimed boardgame designs. Designer's Notes by Kevin Zucker I had been reflecting on the design of this game for ten years before I began to sketch out the map in July of 1996. The players are given the geopolitical situation of one of the European powers at the beginning of the wars of the French First Empire. They direct the economic capacity of the nation and convert it into military force. At the same time, the game shows the diplomatic contingencies that grow out of the ever-changing situations. France is the dominant force, and Britain is the strongest power of any coalition. It is an over-simplification that the Napoleonic Wars were about Napoleon versus everybody. At one time or another Napoleon was allied with Prussia, Austria, Russia, the Ottomans, and Spain — with everyone, that is, except Britain. The game allows these alliances to occur. I believe the game succeeds in combining the ability to provide a night of fun entertainment for the experienced gamer, while also being enjoyable for a complete novice to wargaming. (Note: The game now comes with the expanded 2nd edition rules. If you have the earlier version of the game, these 2nd edition rules are available for $7.00 from the address listed below.) We are responding to the complaints about the counters. Actually, we will rerun the counters soon, so you can let your readers know that we will provide, at no charge, a new counter sheet with the white backing for $3.00 to cover postage and handling. Send orders to: Operational Studies Group, PO Box 50207, Baltimore, MD 21211 USA. Back to Table of Contents -- Napoleon #15 Back to Napoleon List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2000 by Napoleon LLC. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. 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