A Wargamers Needful Things

The Peninsular War

Expansion for Napoleon and his Marshals

by

Two Generals Games

  Napoleon was sitting on top of the world in 1808. He had just compelled Russia to become an ally, and join the Continental System. This was a confederation of European states that Napoleon set up to stop all trade with England. Then hubris raised its ugly head. Napoleon coerced Spain to allow a French army through its territory to invade Portugal. The invasion went pretty much like clockwork. Then Napoleon got the bright idea to actually invade and conquer Spain. Napoleon made similar statements about invading Spain as Hitler did before invading Russia. Spain would turn into the 'Spanish Ulcer' that would suck in men and material at an alarming rate. Thanks to English intervention and the Duke of Wellington, Spain became an abattoir for the Frenchmen posted there. It was a brutal nasty guerrilla war that saw horrific war crimes committed by both sides. No matter how many times the French defeated the Spanish forces, they arose again from the dead within days to weeks. It was a Napoleonic version of whack-a-mole. The war in Spain became a blueprint for guerrilla warfare still used to this day.

 With that introduction there should be no doubt where our review is taking us. This is an add-on for the excellent Two Generals game, 'Napoleon and his Marshals'. With this addition to the game you get the chance to fight just the war in Spain, or to add the map to the base game and fight larger scenarios. However, you do need the base game to play this expansion. Two Generals describes the game as "a dice-less game of skill. No luck is involved". I have to agree with their description.

 This is what comes with the game:

One map of the Iberian Peninsula

Two counter sheets

 The components are as top notch as the base game. The map is printed on plastic coated reinforced 'banner' paper. The size of the map is 20.75" x 16". It includes Spain, Portugal and some of southern France. The hex scale is 38 miles per hex.The counters are also reinforced and are slightly larger than normal at 0.6" square.

 While it may not seem like it, many wargamers are very interested in what others consider a sideshow to the main Napoleonic campaigns. The campaigning in Spain was entirely different to what the French troops were used to. This add-on plays much like the actual campaign. As someone said, "In Spain a large army starves while a small army is swallowed up". Wellington and the French fought a seesaw war much like the Campaign for North Africa in WWII. So the Spanish campaigns in this game have a very historical feel just like the main game.

 Two Generals are looking for a person to make a Vassal version of the game Napoleon and his Marshals. Anyone who is capable and interested, please get in touch with them on their website.

 These are the links to the main game and my review of it along with the games other expansions:

https://www.twogeneralsgames.com/index.php/our-games/79-napoleon-and-his-marshals

https://www.twogeneralsgames.com/index.php/our-games/98-unconquered-lands-expansion-for-napoleon-and-his-marshals

https://www.twogeneralsgames.com/index.php/our-games/100-the-ottoman-empire-expansion-for-napoleon-and-his-marshals

Link to the updated rules and scenarios:

https://www.twogeneralsgames.com/index.php/news/109-update-napoleon-rules-and-scenarios

 My review:

https://www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk/2018/07/napoleon-and-his-marshals-by-two.html

Robert