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La Guerre de
l'Empereur is a game of maneuver and battle between the forces under Napoleon
Bonaparte and six other nations that both opposed and supported him at various
times in the years between 1805 and 1815. Anywhere from two to seven players
vie for dominance of early 19th Century Europe. As the French player, you'll
set Napoleon and his armies upon a continent whose differing political statures
plays right into your hands. The greatest army in Europe is at your hands...
Divide and
conquer! As the British player, you'll utilize diplomacy, clever event play,
a powerhouse economy and the greatest navy in the world to become the dominant
nation. As Russia, Austria, Prussia, Spain or the Ottoman Empire, you must
strike a balance between expansionist aggression and diplomatic harmony among
your neighbors. Indeed, a nation must expand to triumph. However the means
chosen to that end will largely decide the level of success. Play the part
of being everyone's friend and your nation will likely live in relative safety...and
lose the game miserably. Play the part of the blind aggressor and you'll likely
go down faster than the peace broker. Striking a balance is critical.
The game map
covers the territories from Scandinavia in the north to the Mediterranean and
North Africa in the south, and from deep Russia in the east to Portugal and
the Atlantic in the west. Movement is by areas (provinces) on land, and sea
zones at sea. On land, the units of maneuver are (roughly) corps, while at sea
each unit represents a naval squadron. When opposing land armies meet for
battle, corps are broken down into divisions (loosely) and deployed on a eight
zone battle map for combat resolution. The diceless combat engine
uses a system of battle options which are played and cross-referenced for
resolution of actual casualties and morale loss. The number of battle options
distributed, along with the initial army morale of the opposing sides, is
determined by three factors: army size, nationality and leaders present. The
battle options are of offensive and defensive nature. The offensive options
cover standard maneuvers such as "Flank Attack", "Cavalry Charge"
and "Assault", while the defensive options are things such as "Refuse
Flanks", "Squares Formed" and "Reverse Slopes".
The rules are
relatively simple and fast moving, even though a host of subtleties and complexities
of the Napoleonic period are represented within the game system. The means
by which this relative simplicity was achieved was (largely) through the use
of self-explanatory strategic event charts. Be warned: This game is easy to
understand and play, but very difficult to master.
The game system
works the same whether you're playing with two players or seven. With multiple
players, you'll need all of your diplomacy skills to enlist aid in achieving
your goals. With fewer players, the event charts will handle the bulk of the
diplomatic duties. Regardless of how many players you have, all seven major
powers will actively participate to a greater or lesser degree.
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