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In adapting his award-winning* The Napoleonic Wars system for the Peninsula War, designer Mark G. McLaughlin creates a furiously paced, card-driven and battle/siege-intensive strategic/operational game of Wellington's campaign to drive the French from Spain and invade France itself. With a maximum three turns in length, with sudden-death endings possible - and quite common when one side is "on the ropes" - at the end of the first or second turns, Wellington is a game easily played to conclusion by two, three or four players in an evening or an afternoon.
Unlike The Napoleonic Wars, Wellington has simpler diplomacy rules and no naval units. Players can therefore focus their attentions in a traditional "blood & guts" wargame environment having access to more cards in their hand than TNW and hence more game action. An alternate 1813-Start scenario provides for an even quicker and more intense "historic" game of the end of the French empire in Spain.
The full game begins in the spring of 1812, with the armies of Napoleonic France masters of continental Europe. Even as their emperor prepares for his epic invasion of Russia, Napoleon's marshals gather their forces for one final campaign to subdue the last pockets of resistance to imperial rule. One man stands between them and their conquest of the Spanish Peninsula, an English general named Sir Arthur Wellesley, better known to history as the Duke of Wellington.
The few but tough British troops led by their superior general begin the game concentrated outside the walls of the French-held fortress of Ciudad Rodrigo, the gateway leading from Portugal into northern and central Spain, to the great prize that is Madrid. The large but poorly led Spanish armies are hanging on in their southern coastal fringes and Basque Country to the north, while guerrilla forces harry the French from enclaves throughout the Peninsula. Two grand French forces, the Army of the North and the Army of the South, are scattered across the country in numerous garrisons trying to hold on to the fiefdoms that Napoleon has promised his marshals, his viceroys and his brother, Joseph, to whom he has given the crown of Spain.
Two, three or four players representing the British, Spanish and the French armies of the North and South fight their foes and compete with each other to gain glory in the conquest, defense or liberation of Iberia. Each of the four Powers is very different from the other three in terms of leaders, national abilities, strategic position, goals and abilities per the cards in their possession. In addition to a large common deck that includes a broad mix of regular, battle, response, and both optional and "Must Play" event cards, each of the Powers has a mini-deck of Home Cards particular to their nationality. These may confer special tactics such as interceptions from two Duchies distant, weapons or abilities for that Power to allow it a better chance to win a battle or siege, raise or move forces, or affect the course of the broader world-wide war, with its consequent impact on the Spanish theater.
Just as Wellington and his contemporaries had no foreknowledge of the forthcoming disasters that would cripple the Napoleonic Empire, neither do the players know in advance what will happen outside of Spain. Will Napoleon invade Russia at all, and if so will he win a glorious, war-ending victory that will free up armies for the Spanish front? Or will he meet the disaster that actually befell him and then later in Germany, forcing the emperor to draw his best troops out of Spain for other theaters. Will British and Spanish colonies rebel, or the Americans enter the fray, or the British government falter, thus reducing forces available to Wellington and his allies in their epic struggle?
With so many variables, no game ever comes close to playing the same twice. With an extensive tutorial booklet to walk players through the game system, Wellington is a glorious, always entertaining, changing, unpredictable and highly enjoyable game of The Napoleonic Wars in Spain. It challenges players' wargaming skills. Its variables can be mastered, or at least successfully coped with, as greater experience with the game system is gained… hence the challenge and the enjoyment of a well-crafted game.
Game Contents:
- One 22 x 34 map
- Three countersheets
- 110 Strategy Cards
- Four "Headquarters" setup and layout cards
- One Player-aid card
- One Rulebook
- One Historical Commentary/Players Notes/Tutorial/Examples of Play booklet.
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